Honeymoon Recap: Second Day in Venice

Wow, waking up at the Domus Orsoni felt like coming to in the midst of an amazing dream. The little bit of sunlight filtering through the curtains shined brilliantly on the tiled mirrors and night stands. Just steps away from our room, we enjoyed a breakfast feast prepared by the B&B's hostess, Valentina. We enjoyed cereals (warm and cold), croissants, cheeses, jellies, coffee and milk in the sunlit, public dining.

Since our tour didn't start until 2pm, we had time to meander on-foot around the city. We shopped more vendor stands, casually popped in and out of little shops and stopped to pose for photos*. Before finding a lunch spot, we spent a few hours exploring the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The museum (the heiress and avid art collector's former home) sits on the Grand Canal and houses many important works of art from the first half of the 20th century. Despite having a preference for earlier art, we both very much enjoyed touring the expansive collection. In the mix of installations, sculptures, paintings and drawings we saw familiar artists' names such as Pollack, Dali, Picasso, Duchamp and Mondiran. We rented one audio headset to share, which definitely helped our art-appreciation experience. (12 euros/each for the tour - general information on hours and tickets here.)

We even had time to walk around and carefully ponder which walk-up pizza joint we wanted to buy lunch from. We settled on a spot with medium-thick crust, good prices and stringy-looking cheese — purchasing one slice each of sausage, classic margherita and mushroom plus a diet coke, a Peroni and a bottle of water (14.5 euros). Camping out on a vacant wooden table by a canal, we dined and enjoyed people (and gondola) watching. From there, we made our way to our tour meet-up.

Let me start the tour recap by saying while our Through Eternity tours in Rome were really great, I was flabbergasted by how awesome our guide in Venice was. Our guide was Martino Rizzi, a born Venetian and holder of a master's degree in Venetian history. He was frank, he was knowledgeable, he was interesting. Martino mixed the kind of Venetian history you'd find in a textbook with stories only a local could know. I can't recommend our tour guide enough.

We met Martino at the Royal Gardens near St. Mark's Square (or the Piazza San Marco), a large, open area full of people and with a great view of the lagoon. In fact, we saw platforms stacked around the perimeter of the square; these rafters are kept on hand so when the city floods, walkways can be set up. We really lucked out on the tour, as only there was only one other couple who booked the tour (Martino told us the tours are usually booked solid with 10ish people). We quickly got comfortable with the other two people, a retired couple from the States with a daughter living in Atlanta, and pretty soon felt like we were on an über private tour.

Basilica San Marco (photo from Wikipedia Commons on this page)

We started at the garden's gate with a brief history of the city (that it was built upon a marsh by refugees in very early AD... how it was invaded by the Huns, the Lombards and the Byzantines...). St. Mark Square's most famous landmark is St. Mark's Basilica, which was not surprisingly, our first stop on the tour. As Martino told us about how the masculine horses and mismatched marble columns and were taken from a variety of other, existing basilicas, we skipped past the lines into the stunning structure's interior.

Inside of St. Mark's (photo from Wikipedia Commons on this page)

Wow. The inside of the basilica was unlike anything I'd seen before. It glimmered and gleamed with so much gold you would have thought Midas himself touched every square inch. The detail and beauty were so intense that you barely noticed the cracked mosaic floors, weathered from hundreds of years of sinking and flood damage. To think that none of this (beyond the mandatory restorations) was newer than the 1400's was beyond both Dan and me. We walked quietly to the front of the church while continuing to admire the carefully-placed mosaics in the ceilings and domes. (Here's a great link that diagrams the parts of the cathedral and their importance.)

Martino took us to parts of the basilica we would have never guessed to explore. He asked us to find 2 euros in our pockets and lead us through a gate where we each paid a guard. And there it was... the great Pala d’Oro altar. Made from ancient enamels and full of precious and semi-precious stones (Wikipedia says "as many as 1,972), the two-sided Pala d'Oro was breathtaking. Here's what Wikipedia says about the piece and it's origin: "The altarpiece consists of two parts. The lower part, with enamels illustrating the story of Saint Mark, the doge's portrait, and the Pantocrator group, originated as an antependium commissioned by the doge Ordelaffo Falieri from the court craftsmen of Constantinople in 1102. The image of Archangel Michael and the whole upper third are supposed to have been looted by the Crusaders in Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade of 1204." Go to google images and search "Pala d'Oro" to see others' (unauthorized/restricted) photos. STUNNING.

We then made our way to the other corner of the building and paid 2 more euros and climbed a tall set of stairs to the basilica's museum. There we saw up-close-and-personal examples of the tile restoration (amazing how they come in from the back to do repairs) and the actual, restored horses taken from Constantinople (the ones we saw out front were actually replicas). Exploring St. Mark was my favorite part of Venice (and likely my favorite church during our trip).

Next stop: the docks to hitch a ride on a water taxi (less gondola, more wooden-clad and motorized vessel). Our relaxing and informative ride lasted about an hour and a half. We did the Grand Canal and back again, oggling over 100-plus amazing homes — some private residences of the wealthy, some event spaces and some vacant. Martino had plenty of interesting things to say, but I'll admit I was distracted by viewing properties and the feeling of the breeze coming off the water. What a ride.

Our next stop proved Martino knew our group well. After the exhausting boat ride, we spent about half an hour sipping on red wines and tasting delicious antipastis (think roasted eggplant wrapped around fresh ricotta and tasty cured meats) at a little wine bar. Yum. Martino was doing such a great job with the tour that our group decided we wanted to buy his portion of the afternoon snack.

On to the walking tour. We navigated down streets and alleyways narrow and wide, hearing about the different neighborhoods of the city and how they came about. The best moment of the walking tour came when our guide pointed out a bomb shell lodged in a large home's walls. He was explaining the WWI plaque above the shell when a curious, old Italian man popped his head out of a second-story window, curious about the happenings going on below him. Martino then asked him, in Italian, if he knew anything about the bomb shell. After a series of exchanges, Martino told us that "the story goes" that a young Venetian woman dumped a young Austrian soldier before the war began — so in an attempt to retaliate, he flew over Venice with the intention of bombing her home. The conversation was so authentic, perfect and interesting that it almost seemed scripted.

As we parted ways at the Rialto Bridge and tipped our awesome guide, our fellow tour counterparts Joanne and Leon gave me their daughter Amy's phone number. They asked me to give her a call and let her know that her parents travels through Turkey, Spain, Italy, etc. were going well — and that they would call upon their return in a week.

We booked the "Private Venice in a Day" tour for 61 euros/person through AVVENTURE BELLISSIME but got his card so we or others could contact him directly in the future:

Martino Rizzi

+39 041 5265307 (home)

+39 328 9485671

martino.rizzi@libero.it

http://www.guidetovenice.it/

Our last Italian dinner in my next post...

*If this is your first time reading this, please note that I sacrificed our camera to Air India and its 700-plus photos on the flight home... for it never to be seen or heard from again...

Honeymoon Recap: Day 1 in Venice

Lamp post on Saint Mark's square 

(photo from a friend of Steffi's)

Canal photo from a friend of Steffi's

The first floor lobby of our Venice B&B — look at that tile! 

(hotel photos from the Domus Orsoni Web site)

One of the bathrooms of the Domus Orsoni, 

decorated with gold leaf Orsoni glass

Our room, complete with intricately-tiled mirrors and tables

View of the Rialto Bridge (photo from Wikipedia Commons)

I let out a deep sigh as we slogged our suitcases and backpacks back to the train station. After all, the three days and nights we’d spent in Florence had been amazing. It wasn’t fair that we had to leave so soon. The city was historic, romantic, artistic, vibrant-yet-relaxed and so much damn fun. Disappointed but eager to explore our next destination, we boarded the train for Venezia.

The train ride was good for recharging and for reading up on the history of Venice. We knew the city no roads, but waterways instead — and that its population was smaller than Florence or Rome. I’d read Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice years before, but memories of reading it only conjured up descriptions of the city, not insight into the city’s founders, triumphs and struggles. We read that Venice was built on a marsh by refugees of Roman cities, and that it rose to power when it overtook Constantinople in the early 11^th century. Later, on our private tour, we learned a great deal more about the city and its “borrowed” religious relics from other rising and fallen God-fearing greats. 

Anyway, arriving at the train station immediately gave way to great views. It was beautiful — but bizarre — to see people lugging groceries, suitcases, kids and laundry across bridges large and small. While the water did have a slight odor, it seemed mild (not at all like the fishy/sewage smell I've heard others complain about). 

We arrived around 11:30 and were hungry for lunch. A few side "streets" away from a major bridge, we spotted Enoteca due Colonne. The place looked casual, unassuming and popular with lunching businessmen. We enjoyed small servings from the ristorante's deli counter. Mmmmm fresh sauteed peppers and eggplant in tomato sauce, zucchini, bread, stuffed tomatoes and a salami sandwich — all washed down with Coke Lights. I did mention to Dan that this was the most vegetables we'd had in one meal yet. I think our bodies thanked us. One can only go so long on wine, pasta and meat. While we heard Venice had many a tourist trap restaurant and attraction, we thought the food was authentic, the staff nice and the price decent (21 euros for everything).

We then made our way to our bed and breakfast in the Jewish Ghetto. Domus Orsoni was out of this world. Our accommodations had been great in both Rome and Florence — but Dan really outdid himself with this final place. The lobbies, sitting areas, rooms and bathrooms were all adorned with tile from the famous Orsoni glass factory. We enjoyed looking at every stunning room in this place. I wish I could find more photos of the breathtaking mosaics proudly displayed on the first level. Our legs thanked us, too, as we were only one flight's worth of stairs from our bed this time. Our room ran us about 150 euro/night.

Seeing in that we only had two nights to spend in Venice, we were eager to go explore. We meandered around the Rialto Bridge, picked up a few nicknacks for friends from vendor booths, popped and out of shops, enjoyed  some gelato and watched kids (illegally) feed and hold pigeons in St. Mark's Square. We ventured into a bookstore off the square to find out more about recommended restaurants and the nightlife. As we paid for an expanded map, we saw a poster for Carnival the Show, a theatrical performance on the history of Venice. We were a little leery of the 39 euro/person ticket cost, so we asked the cashier what she knew about the show. She said she'd heard good things — and that it was a good orientation to the city. We said, "what the hell" and bought two tickets for later that night. 

We gave ourselves just enough time to bust it back to Domus Orsoni to freshen up for dinner. To make the show in time, we decided to buy passes on the Water Bus (just like it sounds — like a metro transit bus but on the water). Would you believe the passes were 6.5 euro/person for one trip? A looming water bus strike also made us feel a little uncomfortable... but hey, it was faster than walking and cheaper than a gondola! 

It wasn't long before we had rip-off moment number two. Short on time, we popped into what looked like a fast food joint. Run by a handful of Asian twenty-somethings, we safely assumed the self-serve restaurant wouldn't be your traditional, authentic, Venetian cuisine. In our minds, we thought this would be kind of the Italian equivalent to a Picadilly. Well, a couple of chicken breasts, a side salad, some bow tie pasta and two small glasses of wine later, we owed this little joint 35 euro. Yikes! 

The Carnival show received decent feedback on TripAdvisor, but I wouldn't recommend it. Pros: a digestible Venetian history in an hour and 20 minutes, good seats, easy-to-understand actors and relatively entertaining plot line. Cons: a pretty strong campiness/cheesiness factor, probably a younger (or much older?) target demographic and a steep price tag for what you get. To be honest, I wondered if that cashier lady somehow got a commission off our ticket sale. There's no way she could say [in good faith] that she'd heard good things about the show.

It was an expensive night, so we decided to walk back to our place. The walk back was actually quite refreshing, as the weather remained a steady 65 degrees at night. 

After the day's turn of events, I realized why some people like Venice to Disneyworld. On top of developing a feeling that Venice was more likely to exploit tourists compared to the other cities, it was also on this day that I realized none of my comfortable shoes were actually that comfortable. Note to fellow lady travelers: flat shoes (even lightweight tennis shoes) don't always equate to comfort. I will invest a little more in walking shoes for our next trip.

After a day of hitting the mainstream, we went to bed in our fabulous B&B with our minds drifting to tomorrow's highly-rated walking and boating tour through the city...

I Wish Upon a Star...

That someone would find my Canon Powershot SD1100 or the memory card with all of our honeymoon photos... and post them on this awesome site.

Honeymoon Recap: Second Full Day in Florence

The Duomo and its glorious dome — words can't describe 

what this looked like up close or in the distance (as seen from the Pitti Palace)

The Gates of Paradise

The Baptistry

We started our day with showers at our B&B then fresh cappuccino and croissants at Ristorante Rivoire. Mmmm. While it was way too early for sweets, I couldn't help but admire the carefully decorated truffles, cookies and other sweets. 

We met up with our Original and Best Tours group (this time, on the right day) near the open market. Our Original Renaissance tour group was larger than the groups we had with Through Eternity — but the guide still managed to corral us through the city. We met at the Palazzo Strozzi was built for the patriarch of the Strozzi family, a rival family to the Medicis. From there we walked to the Palazzo Davanzati, a gorgeous medieval palace. We saw chests, chairs, paintings and frescoes dating back to the 17th century. Our guide pointed out slats through the floor above the lobby that were once used to pour hot oil through (if there happened to be an unwanted guest that made it past security).

I think it was at the castle that our guide first started acting condescending to us. Maybe she dealt with so many ignorant American tourists that she just couldn't keep her attitude inside anymore. Our guide would ask a question, someone would answer (incorrectly) then she would make them feel silly for guessing what they guessed. I will get to an example later.

From there we strolled along the Ponte Vecchio, admiring again the sparkling jewels, handcrafted leather and Italian edibles. Live music filled the streets and the gorgeous weather only played into the beautiful scene. Our walking tour guide then took us through the historic streets of Florence, stopping to tell us about how the city had been reincarnated over the centuries. We admired all kinds of amazing architecture and heard more about the Medicis' rule over the city. 

We stopped through the city's political center, which also happened to be there area we were staying in — the Piazza della Signoria. Gorgeous city square. Our walk continued toward the Duomo and the Giotto bell tower. And the nearby Florence Baptistry was amazing, too. Its "Gates of Paradise" (Ghiberti) were beyond words. These were so popular with circulating tourists that it was tough to get a look. 

Original & Best then took us to our last stop for the morning leg of the tour — The Academy. We were able to skip the lines and get straight to Michelangelo's David, sculpted in the early 1500's. Michelangelo said he had a gift for releasing the statues from within marble. Seeing this sculpture in person was an incredible — maybe even spiritual — experience. Our guide asked, "So, what makes this David different than other Davids?" One man answered, "because his hands and feet are larger than usual?" She responded, sounding irritated. "Umm, no. Why would that make him unique? The answer is that he's pictured without David, something that is very rare." (Note: I see now that there's another tour company called "Original and Best Walking Tours" so I'm not sure which of the two was written up as a great company by Fodor's and Trip advisor...)

We also saw several unfinished Pietas, some of which he worked on as an elderly man. It's beyond me that a crazy man broke through crowds at the museum in 1991 and shattered his toes with a hammer. Who would want to do that to a masterpiece? Our tour concluded inside the Academy. We spent a little more time there (the David is really the highlight) then decided to hunt out some food.

Before lunch, we went ahead and took advantage of touring the and its campanile (bell tower).  Wow is it breathtaking! The Duomo is most famous for its 42-meter-wide dome. Much of the structure was finished in the late 1300's though the dome wasn't completed until 1436. Both the facade and the interior of the Duomo were sites to behold. We paid the two euros a person to climb the bell tower after we self-toured the inside of the Basilica de Santa Maria del Fiore (another name for the Duomo). The more than 400-step climb was worth the view of the city. Again, wow. Dan was like a kid in a candy store admiring the views of the city. 

Now we were really hungry. We had 45 minutes before meeting a guide for the second half of our tour (at the Uffizi). On a side street near our hotel, we stumbled upon La Buona Condotta. We waited in line among lunching businessmen and few tourists. The non-English speaking staff was accommodating and friendly. We had flatbread sandwiches (ham, artichoke, mozzarella, tomatoes), tortellini, a beer and sodas for 22 euros. 

Over at the Uffizi, we met a different guide for the second part of our small group tour. Only three others from our tour earlier in the day opted to do this leg. Our guide was a soft spoken art student. I enjoyed seeing the Renassiance art — especially Botticelli's Birth of Venus — but our guide seemed like she couldn't get out of there fast enough. Regardless, I'm glad we did both portions of the tour. 

The combined tours were 88 euro/person. I enjoyed what we saw, and of course the company of my new husband among amazing sites, but I wouldn't recommend this tour group if you can research other/better options. Maybe the other "Original and Best" provided a better experience. They did fulfill all their obligations (and we skipped the lines) but this group was not as enthusiastic and full service as our experience in Rome with Through Eternity. 

We chose kind of a random dinner location, but Dan and I both thought it was an interesting and relaxing change of pace. In jeans and t-shirts, we watched soccer and dined on lasagna, greek salad, Magherita pizza, grappa (yikes!) and cold beers. Yes, I realize an Irish pub in Florence seems like a sin — but Old Stone Irish Pub was fun for the night. 

Reflecting on our time in Italy, I realized how clean, approachable and romantic the city was. I'd heard that Florence was dirty, but such was not our experience at all. We saw trucks sweep and wash the streets at least twice a day while we were there. The area felt more walkable than Rome — but somehow the streets seemed more confusing. If I had to single three things out, seeing the David, riding on bikes through gorgeous Tuscany and seeing the Duomo were the highlights of Florence. Oh, I take that back. Everything was so wonderful. The culture, the food, the wine, the historic sites, the architecture and art, spending that first vacation and husband and wife, the whole experience... I breathe out a sigh and smile as I think about how amazing the trip was. I'm ready to go back, as I write this.

(All photos from Wikipedia Commons)

Day 2 in Florence (Honeymoon Recap)

We woke in our Piazza della Signoria-based bed and breakfast feeling relaxed and refreshed. The bed at Olga's Place was comfortable, the night outside our hotel's windows had been quiet (after the protest ended, that is) and we slept contently. If anyone smiles while they sleep, we were smiling that night — our honeymoon had been nothing but amazing.

Seeing in that we had a walking tour that day, we donned comfortable shoes and clothes we could layer. From there, we descended the stairs and walked just a few feet to a breakfast cafe. The vouchers Roberto gave us were good for a croissant of our choice (I chose a custard-filled one, Dan a classic buttered one) and a coffee drink (cappuccino for both of us). We checked our watches and headed in the direction of our tour's meeting place — just on the other side of the open air market past where we'd had dinner the night before.

Luckily, we arrived about half an hour early and located one of the guides. I say "luckily" because the tour guide representative checked her list and realized we were on the following day's list. Whoops. Rechecking our materials, we realized we had our days mixed up! Instead of a walking tour, we were supposed to be doing our bike tour through Tuscany. With only 30 minutes to spare, we hightailed ourselves back to Olga's House, changed into our athletic gear and borderline jogged to the meeting place one bridge down from the Ponte Vecchio. 

We managed to make it to the bike tour meeting spot with a few minutes to spare. We chatted with a few other couples, singles and a mom-and-daughter duo. Most of the patrons were American, with a few from Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Everyone seemed incredibly nice — and very open to sharing their travel plans for their time in Florence/Italy.

A few more people gathered at the meeting spot while we caught our breath. Mary and Keith, our guides, immediately put us at ease. Mary was from the States and Keith from... Ireland?  Scotland? They both had fabulous senses of humor. Keith and his business partner, Andy, started Chianti Wine Tours after realizing there wasn't a business model like it — then recruited the American after meeting her one night at one of their favorite nightspots.  

Italians are crazy drivers, for the most part. Mary seemed to pick that up pretty quickly. Aboard one of two vans, we darted in between cars and quickly took turns and curves — and after 30 minutes, we arrived at a gorgeous castle. The Castello di Poppiano Guicciardini, to be exact. The 12th century castle is still home to a count and countess and houses a wine and extra virgin olive oil production facility. We did a brief tour of the facility, walking through the casks and bottling areas for the wine then the press and production area for the extra virgin olive oil. Then we enjoyed a half-glass tasting of one of the house chiantis and a sample of the olive oil on fresh-baked bread — mmmmm. The tour concluded with a stop by the castle's gift shop. This sounds kind of gimmicky, but we thought for the price (about $8/bottle for wine and $12/bottle for olive oil), it would be fun to bring back a "taste of Florence" for special occasions.

We stowed our new goodies and headed for the bikes. This team didn't kid around when it came to safety. We were briefed on everything from the brakes to road etiquette (single file, please). Mary was stern when she said that if we misbehave, we would be taken off our bikes. We hit the road.

Wow. As I write this, I again wish I had photographs from our trip. The views were more picturesque then I could ever describe. Incredible rolling hills, gorgeous Tuscan villas, lush green countryside, etc. The gorgeous blue skies (just barely sprinkled with clouds) only added to the aesthetics. Most of the ride was easy, with much of it being downhill. I mostly watched Dan from a distance, as he was always toward the front of the pack. The first half of the bike was invigorating, energizing and relaxing all at once. What a great idea, Dan!

We stopped for lunch at a true, classic, Tuscan restaurant. We were all treated to salad, fried bread and polenta to start. I chose the prosciutto, peas, cream and penne pasta dish for my lunch — and couldn't pass up an espresso and sponge cake with gelato and fruit salad for dessert. Dan seemed pleased with his penne and sausage lunch. We enjoyed talking with our small group, too. One girl, for example, told us how she was traveling from New Zealand by herself — and that she was tired of waiting for her friends and boyfriend to have vacation time — so she decided to embark on a month-long trip through Italy on her own. 

The second leg of the bike was a little more intense. Much was flat — but I felt my muscles stretching during a few long, slight inclines. The very end was where we met the super intense hill. 900 meters at a rather strong incline was enough to tell me I'd need van support. Dan braved it and managed to make it to the top sans heart attack. I was impressed. About half of the 20 of us didn't even try — and about a half of those who did gave up. The last mile or so of the bike was smooth sailing — and it was great to see the castle in sight — though I didn't want the tour to end as we cruised through more of the amazing Tuscan countryside.

The 60/euro a person fee (including lunch) for a six-ish hour adventure was definitely worth the experience. Mary dropped us back off at the bridge and wished us well. Before bidding adieus, Keith gave us a map of Florence with all of his and Andy's favorite places (low-key and high-brow night spots, cafes, casual restaurants, high-end restaurants, etc.). That was a nice touch! 

After a stroll back to the bed and breakfast and a quick refresh, we evaluated our dinner options. We remembered the guys' recommendation for a place called Trattoria Anita. Keith said when he was new to the city, he rather blindly decided to try the place because his sister's name is Anita — and he was in love. I put on my amazing new boots and was ready to go! Dan and I walked around rather aimlessly for about half an hour before we finally found the place (your map could use a little calibration, Keith!) but it was well worth it. 

We had oven-baked pecorino (cheese) and ham with a layer of truffle sauce. Dan chose the ravioli with butter and sage and also a chicken breast with tomato sauce, ham and cheese dish. I had the sausage and white beans with tomato sauce and a simple house salad. We capped the meal off with a cappuccino, as we wanted to venture out for a while after dinner.

We decided to venture out to one of the locales on the same nifty map. Pop Cafe was touted to be a low-key, locals hangout. We made our way across the Ponte Vecchio and through people walking their dogs and hanging out on the steps of centuries-old churches to the famed Pop Cafe. The place was a dive for sure — and it was fun to people watch. In fact, Dan and I both felt the area was reminiscent of Little Five Points here in Atlanta. We each grabbed a Jack Daniels and diet coke then took up post outside (apparently there aren't any open container laws). We watched a teenager who was obviously over the limit (the multiple vomiting episodes gave it away) and the friends trying to take care of her. We did not run into Mary, Keith or Andy.

We heard English and Italian being spoken — as well as a few other languages I couldn't make out. When I went inside to get a little more ice for my drink, I heard a local say, "a blonde!" Before out trip, I'd heard Italians sometimes commented on blondes, as natural ones are few-and-far-between there.

We finished our (stiff) drinks and walked slowly back, along the river, so we could take in all the scenery. We'd have just one more day and one more night in the beautiful city.

Italy Day 4 (First Day in Florence)

Horse and carriage in the Piazza della Signoria 

(notice the David replica behind the horse)

The Duomo's facade

View of the Arno River in Florence 

(taken from the Ponte Vecchio)

Street performer in the 

Piazza della Signoria

We caught our 8:30ish AM train from Rome to Florence with relative ease. The cities were clearly listed on a board and we saw the train parked and ready. 

What wasn't quite so clear, however, was our assigned seat. The ticket stub, logically in Italian, didn't seem to have assigned seats. We picked out a train car that struck our fancy (somewhere in the middle of the train), stowed our baggage and took a seat. Then we started noticing other passengers glancing at their tickets and then at the seats. Dan said he would jump off board for a moment and ask someone "official" if we had assigned seats. While he was gone, the true "owners" of the seats we were occupying showed up, so I struggled to grab our two suitcases, tote bag, backpacks and my purse. Luckily Dan hopped back on board in time to help me grab our things and get off the train.

Whoever "official" Dan found pointed out our seats on the ticket. We felt a lot better about our second resting place, on car number 12. The approximately two-hour train ride had few stops and great scenery. We passed the time by looking through our travel guide books and refreshing ourselves on what tours we planned to do and attractions we planned to see. The time flew by — and before we knew it — we were gathering our things again and getting off the train.

Dan's TomTom GPS device assured us our bed and breakfast was within walking distance of the train station. We took a few minor wrong turns but the route was filled with high end shops (think Gucci, Prada, Escada, Coach, etc.) and delicious-looking ristorantes. We walked through an open market square just before find the street our bed and breakfast was located on. 

Olga's House was located across the street from Chanel and a small grocery store — and just a few steps from the city's biggest plaza — the Piazza della Signoria. This is the same plaza that the actual David stood on for hundreds of years (now replaced by a replica). It's perimeter is filled with shops and restaurants, statues and street vendors hawking water color paintings.

Seeing in that we had a few minutes before we could check in, we grabbed some espressos and split a piece of pizza at a nearby cafe. 

We had a much easier time checking into Olga's House than with our Rome experience. We buzzed upstairs and were quickly and easily let in by Roberto, Olga's House's owner and operator. There was a bit of commotion with a couple on their way out, which I'll talk more about in a moment. Roberto was a kind-hearted, chatty and high spirited Italian with a Russian wife. He met his now-wife on a long flight — and the rest was history. He named the bed and breakfast after his wife's daughter, Olga. Roberto told us how the travel company we booked the room through, Cross Pollinate, had the best rates of all the companies he worked with (115 euro per night).

After showing us the room, Roberto explained he was a bit frazzled because he had just had to kick a couple out of his inn. The day before, Roberto fielded a call from Italian officials that the couple tried to steal a history book from a museum's book shop. The museum's officials took note of each person's passport and escorted them off the premises. During the couple's brief stay, Roberto explained, they had been nothing but rude complainers. He was happy to hear he had a reason to remove them from his property. We were sad to hear of Roberto's trouble but what a story about the "crazy people."

We situated our belongings in the modern IKEA-inspired room and decided to go explore the city. Roberto also gave us three business cards each, redeemable for breakfast (a croissant of our choosing and an espresso or cappuccino) at one of three restaurants on the square.

Our first stop: the Ponte Vecchio. It's famous for it's shopping and picturesque views. We strolled by jewelry artisans, leather shops, gelaterias, pizzerias, high-end clothing shops and more. We made a mental note to stop by a leather store and look for boots on our way back through.

Walking past the Ponte Vecchio brought us to the Pitti Palace, once occupied by the famous Medici family (specifically Cosimo the Great). The now-museum looked like it had a lot to offer, so we decided to purchase tickets. We spent nearly an hour navigating the many gardens on the property and admiring the amazing views — likely three hours at the palace overall. We could see landmarks like the Duomo from the gardens' highest terraces. The traveling exhibitions had something for him and something for her. I very much enjoyed the costume gallery, which featured everything from 17th and 18th century Medici family gowns and shoes to 1960's Versace and Armani worn by celebrities from all over the Western World. Dan really enjoyed a gallery of architectural tools and instruments. We walked by maps (watching them become more detailed and accurate as time went on), replicas of pulleys and levers constructed by DaVinci and drawings (not unlike blue prints) of large structures. Each room of the palace was impeccably painted, decorated and preserved. What fun to imagine the galas thrown by Italian "royalty" here. The silver gallery (dishes and silverware, etc.) was interesting but not quite as fun as the two galleries aforementioned. 

Upon our departure from Pitti Palace, our mission was boots for Katy. We found a nice store called Casini that carried a variety of tall, Italian leather boots. I was set on black with a small-to-medium heel, so I didn't want to be talked into a pair that didn't fit my expectations. I probably tried on 20 pairs before we found the perfect ones — black with just a little strap across the back, nearly to the knee, small heel, 100 percent genuine Italian leather. So in love, I even wore the boots out of the store. Thank you, Dan, for that "splurge" item. I also picked up a pink "Ciao Bella" t-shirt (your typical tourist t-shirt) from a street vendor on our walk back.

A small snack of sliced cheese and a beer sustained us until dinner.

Back at Olga's House, we climbed the 80 or so stairs yet again back up to our room. I joked with Dan that one souvenir of the trip would be a toned rear. We showered and dressed for dinner and headed toward Roberto's recommendation for the evening — La Grotta Guelfa Ristorante. We chose an outdoor seat and started with chianti, bread and a "shepherd's plate" (sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, aubergines, cheese and artichoke hearts). Yum! I ordered the specialty taggliatelle with mushrooms, bacon and tomatoes then a veal marsala (sorry, Pete!). Dan went with a salad caprese and the ravioli "Guelfa style." I would say this was one of the best meals we had in Italy.

Not surprisingly, I insisted on grabbing some gelato on our way back to the B&B. [Also] not surprisingly, Dan said he didn't want any gelato but proceeded to eat half of mine. When we reached the piazza, we found an interesting and loud scene. Parents and students of Florence's public schools were protesting a new private school, claiming the new school has taken away teachers and lowered the caliber of education at the city's public schools. The non-violent protest included chants, banners, drums and marching. What an interesting moment in time to observe.

Day one in Florence was a great success. Overall, Florence felt very romantic and approachable. We went to sleep excited for the days to come... Next on our list: a walking tour of the city, a bicycle tour through Tuscany, wonderful quality time with my husband and more delicious food and wine. What a dream honeymoon.

Thank you again, Steffi, for the photos.

Italia: Day 3

Dan reminded me this weekend that I ought to recap the rest of our honeymoon before the events become uncommitted to memory. He has a good point, especially since we have no photos to remember our trip by. The trouble has been that I need to dedicate a solid amount of time to a quality posting.

So here we go again.

Our breakfast on Sunday, our third "full" day in Rome, we had a similar spread as the morning before. We loaded up on eggs, cereal and toast at our somewhat meager (but perfectly suitable) bed and breakfast then stopped for a cappuccino (enjoyed standing up, of course) on our way to the day's big events—the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. 

We were eager to spend some more time with our lovable, Liverpool accent-laden tour guide Ian but knew we needed some cash to pay him with. So we used Dan's TomTom, which he loaded with European maps prior to our trip, to find a few ATMs that might dispense us some benjamins. Our commute (on foot) from our lodging to the historic sites was quick; we could actually see the Colosseum through the alleyways from our B&B.

As I recall approaching the Roman Forum, all I can muster up to type is "WOW." Being there—and reflecting upon it—conjures up feelings of respect, reverence, awe and mystique. It's the place where Roman civilization developed! To think about setting foot in the very places where Caesar rallied his troops (and eventually fell to the sword of Casca and Brutus), it's unreal. Just think about Marc Antony and Cleopatra's lover's quarrels on this very land. Our guide, Ian, recounted the Ides of March (Caesar's doom day) with dramatics and fervor. I suppose political underminings and backstabbing aren't modern day things in the slightest.

Our tour group size was similar to the day before at about ten to 12. We were led from monument to monument, hearing about everything from erecting the city center to excavating it hundreds of years later. The Senate's meeting place is located among the Forum's buildings, as are a multitude of temples (Saturn, Concord, Vesta, Venus and Roma, etc.). Ian told us how some of the structures (and beliefs) are a mix of Greek and Roman beliefs. Did you, by the way, know that the Romans invented modern plumbing? I didn't.

The Colosseum, just a few steps from the ruins of Rome's ancestors, was host to blood baths via gladiator fights. Sure, we've all seen Russell Crowe's Ridley Scott-directed Gladiator movie, so we know at least a little about how this would play out. Prisoners of war and criminals were pitted against one another and against animals in the most grueling of fights. It's debatable how many people the Colosseum could hold (Wikipedia says 80,000), but I'm sure it was incredible to observe the crowds there—with the poorest of the spectators viewing the carnage from the top levels. Our tour guide told us that some say nearly 500,000 people and animals were slain in the famed (or infamous) arena. The arena's floor, no longer there from years of wear, once sat above a series of cells, basically. Through a system of pulleys and levers, event orchestrators could lift gladiators and animals up from the "basement" and allow them to enter the arena via secret stage doors. 

One tourist tip related to the Colosseum: it's free to enter with your Roman Forum pass unless you appear to be with a group of 10 or more (if that's the case, there's something like a 2 euro/person charge). So if you're with a guide and a group, act like you're minding your own business until you're past the security checks.

Since Ian did such a great job the night before with a restaurant recommendation, we listened attentively as he told another couple of a good restaurant near our present location. After the group parted ways, we looked for the orange-ish building with a ship out front that Ian described but to no avail. We settled on a large, probably rather touristy lunch spot called Antica Trattoria Pasqualino al Colosseo. The outdoor seating seemed to be calling our name.

Another pair from the tour happened to be seated at the table next to ours, so we had a lovely conversation with the native New Zealanders. It was also their first trip to Italy. Our food was tasty (ricotta and spinach ravioli with red sauce and lasagna, accompanied by a Peroni birra) but it did take a solid 20 minutes to get our check.

A perk to the random way we chose to navigate home was passing by San Clemente, the small church Ian mentioned was probably his favorite in town. We just happened to stumble upon the place of worship. Not that I have photos from the trip, but no photography is allowed in the building. Slightly underground, the basilica seemed to be preserved from it's 12th-century roots (though it was built atop a 4th century church). Frescos and mosaics galore were sights to behold.

While walking around, we also decided to pick up a few friend souvenirs. We found a few shops that weren't closed for the Italian equivalent of a siesta and picked out a fun few items. We particularly enjoyed the coziness of Arrivederci e Grazie and the nice old man and younger boy who helped us with our selections. There was something endearing about the way the old man spoke to us in quick Italian despite realizing we could understand him. There were, of course, a few universal words we could mumble back and forth—words like "vino" (wine) and chocolate. We grabbed some lemoncello, olive oil and tiramisu chocolates for dear friends in Atlanta.

Of course I couldn't help but suggest we grab some gelato on our final stretch back home. And by "we," I really mean "I" with Dan stealing little bites. This time, I opted for two flavors: after eight (kind of a mint flavor) and an old standard, pistachio. I thought two euros wasn't bad for my sweet afternoon snack. 

We had intended to visit the Pantheon, one of man's greatest architectural accomplishments. It's dome is one of the top tourist attractions in Italy. Unfortunately, the Pantheon closes early on Sundays (5pm) so we missed our window of opportunity. 

We rested as quickly as we could before deciding on a dinner plan. Since we'd traveled some distance from the B&B the night previous, we decided we'd wander the nearby streets for dinner on this night. We meandered along larger and more off-the-beaten-path streets, taking note of menu offerings and prices. If a restaurant had employees staked outside, calling you to come in, we decided they must be desperate for customers. Begging musicians (accordions, etc.), asking for tips, also led us away from certain restaurants.

Chico di Grano was our final dinner destination. Our Nigerian waiter was not exactly your authentic Italian, but the food served was overall good. We enjoyed a half liter of house (red) wine, bruschetta with green pesto and tomato pulp, grilled veggies, shrimp risotto and a margherita pizza. The pizza was incredible, while the risotto was a little more disappointing (slightly underdone and using tiny popcorn shrimps instead of substantially-sized prawns). Some Americans have complained about sitting fees, but since theirs was prominently displayed before we even entered the restaurant, we found no objection.

With a relatively early train to catch, we skipped any after dinner drinks for a few minutes of talking and preparing for our next day. We both REALLY enjoyed Rome though. The area where we stayed was great—and seeing one of the cruxes of humanity (second to Greece) was unforgettable. Everyone has their opinion, but I very much disagree that "you really one need one day in Rome." There's so much to take in and we could have even stretched out our Rome visit one or two more days.

Miscellaneous thoughts on Rome: 

• Geez, a lot of people smoke. I mean, a lot
• The city is more diverse than I would have guessed (we noticed this especially after walking through the predominantly Indian/Asian/African neighborhoods near the train station)
• Graffiti is everywhere, though I hear this is the case throughout Europe
• Coffee isn't sized "venti" or "grande;" it's quick espresso that's enjoyed standing up
• Gelato stands are on every corner, even more prominent than I would have guessed
• Apartments are small yet offer everything you would need in a bustling, metropolitan city
• Streets feel like alleys because they weren't built for cars—and road rules really need not apply
• In general, people were helpful and had nice attitudes toward tourists (I'm not sure if it helped, but we tried to reciprocate kindness at every opportunity possible)
• There are two types of train tickets: one more luxurious and direct, another with multiple stops but about 40% more affordable (whoops... we bought the more expensive ones to travel from Rome to Florence)
• Tips are optional (at least we heard that tips aren't expected or necessary); we still chose to tip a little when we felt like we had quality service

Italy Recap: Day 2

Raphael's "School of Athens," in one of the  Vatican's "Raphael Rooms" 

(photo care of my friend Katie)

Michelangelo's amazing Pieta in St. Peter's (photo care of my friend Katie)

Tour guide boards outside the Sistine Chapel (photo care of my friend Katie) 

Nero's bathtub, made of porphyry, in the Sistine Chapel (photo care of my friend Katie)

photo of St. Peter's borrowed from Wikipedia member Patrick Landy

One day of recapping down, seven to go. I better start writing these more frequently so that I don't mix up the little details not captured in the pages of my little blue notepad...

It was Saturday, October 11. We woke up around 8:30 in our modest bed and breakfast room to weekend sounds of Rome. Thanks in part to the previous day's nap, we didn't feel quite as jet lagged as we'd expected. The sounds of trucks delivery inventory and couples and families walking from here-to-there were, however, far less imposing than a week day. The city was still waking up. 

Dan showered first, and was therefore first to sample the B&B's breakfast offerings. He found a "spread" of hard-boiled eggs, hard toast, Nutella, grapefruit juice, cereal and warm temperature milk. After he finished eating, he made me a small plate with some sliced hard-boiled eggs and a piece of toast with Nutella. I wasn't stoked about the breakfast, nor did I know if it was the standard, but it did the job. I donned long black pants and a lightweight sweater, as I remember hearing females' knees and shoulders must be covered in the Vatican and other places of worship.

We had plans to take the city bus over to the Vatican, plans that were shot down when we tried to board the bus and were shoed out of the doorway by a transit employee. Not knowing why we couldn't board but not having much time to think or talk about it, we snagged a cab. (We found out later that the buses have very strict rules around having a ticket. We didn't have a bus fare ticket and could have been fined an outrageous amount—something like $50—for not having our ticket if a city official boarded and checked everyone for their tickets. If we didn't have the funds to pay our penalty, the fine would steeply increase.) We knew we were supposed to meet our tour guide at 10. Pointing to the Vatican on the map worked just fine for our Italian cabbie.

We arrived at the meeting spot, a mosaics store directly across from the Vatican, about 20 minutes early. Given my penchant (or addiction?) to caffeine, an espresso was in order. Ahoy! There was a "bar" just a few steps away from our rendezvous location. We saw the man ahead of us order cappuccino—a most excellent idea. 

As we waited for our fix, we looked at knickknacks and collectibles in a floor-to-ceiling curio cabinet of sorts. We were tickled to see a tiny (maybe two inches long by an inch wide and an inch tall) little replication of a Sweetwater 420 six pack. Funny to see an Atlanta microbrew memento in a coffee shop. Two cappuccinos were a 1.80 euros, I believe. And they were tasty. I learned that "Dietar" is the Italian equivalent to Equal or Sweet-N-Low, one of which I usually take in my coffee.

Upon arriving back at the meetup site, we saw several other people waiting for the same company, Through Eternity Tours. Most people were from the US, with a few from the UK. Two guides showed up at 10 on the dot, splitting our large group into two smaller ones. We were assigned to Ian, a spunky 23-year-old from Liverpool with a background in archaeology. He'd come to Rome about two years earlier from further south (maybe Naples) on assignment and fell in love with the city.

Since our tour didn't include skipping the line, we waited about an hour to get into the Museum's gates. Our guide reminded us that it was a Saturday, compacted with the fact that three new saints were being canonized later that day. We didn't mind the wait though, as our group was much smaller and intimate than many of the others we saw—and Dan enjoyed talking with Ian about soccer. 

After being distributed headsets and walkie talkies and hearing a short intro from Ian in the courtyard, we started our tour of the Pinacoteca (a wing entirely dedicated to art). What an amazing experience! We saw panel paintings (some by Rafael, Caravaggio and Michelangelo), amazing tapestries and marble sculptures. Ian told us how one of the marbles in particular, was so rare and expensive that it was only used by "royalty" (including the pope). This stone, porphyry, can no longer be found. If you can call a stone extinct, porphyry would be "extinct."

Also during the tour, we toured the sculpture museum, much of which consists of busts. (I took a photo of one that looked like Screech from Saved by the Bell that would have been funny to include here.) We also visited the Raphael rooms (painted partially by Raphael himself, partially by his students, who didn't do as great of a job). 

The Sistine Chapel was a sight to behold. It's beyond incredible that Michelangelo did the frescos on the ceiling when he was a young man AND had no interest in painting. Ian gave us a run down of the chapel and its art before we went in, using a large map in the courtyard, created specifically for guides. This way, he could allow us to tour on our own and not be subject the strict noise guidelines. (The story goes that he tried repeatedly to get out of the pope's assignment, to no avail. I am impressed he even had the audacity to push off the project.) To think about painting—laying or standing low on scaffolding when you really don't have a grasp of what you're painting due to the scale—is mind boggling. No photography is allowed in the Sistine Chapel. 

We paused for a few photo ops before moving on to St. Peter's Basilica. Ian let us know that our tour would be ending officially before we headed inside, though he did say he would be available for questions if we had any. We entered. What a site to behold. The scale, magnitude and beauty of the worship place are difficult to absorb. Brumante, Michelangelo and Raphael, all astonishing artists and architects in their own rights, battled over how to handle the building's construction. As I write this, I wish I had my photos all over again. St. Peter's throne with its alabaster shrine above, with light beaming through. Michelangelo's breathtaking Pieta. The altar with its baldacchino (a giant structure that resembles a pavilion). The saying goes that the Statue of Liberty could fit comfortably under the basilica's dome. To think that something like this was constructed between the early 15th century and the early 16th century is unfathomable. I enjoyed the Sistine Chapel but felt this to be the most holy of our experiences at the Vatican Museum. 

Ian joked early on that it's been said that if you stand in front of each work of art in the Vatican for just 60 seconds, you'll be there for 12 years. We were glad to have him take us through the highlights but still leave us some time to explore on our own. While we recognized a few pieces, such as Raphael's "School of Athens," we wouldn't have known what was noteworthy overall. 

I would definitely recommend, if not insist, you do a guided tour if you visit the Vatican. 

Beat but feeling enlightened, we made our way to a gelato stand (I insisted) before catching a bus to head home. By this time, we knew we had to buy our bus fare tickets at tobacco shops. These fare tickets were valid for 70 minutes (I think), effective immediately upon purchase.  We walked around for a bit, pausing to take some photos, trying to find our correct bus. We eventually found one that worked, only to find that Roman buses can be packed like sardine cans. An old, homeless, Italian gypsy lady also made our bus commute interesting; she seemed to have all her earthly possessions (a duffle bag and two large plastic bags) aboard the bus and became VERY agitated if anyone got to close to her or her stuff. When we began talking about how we weren't seeing much familiar along the drive, we were pleased to find two fluent English speakers standing right in front of us. They suggested we jump off near the Vittorio Emanuele, which we did. After that experience, we weren't sure we wanted to ride the public buses again.

We spent a few minutes freshening up before catching a cab to our dinner destination—Ristorante 34. The place came on recommendation from Ian, our tour guide from earlier in the day. Before I write out what we enjoyed, I must say this was probably one of the best meals we had during our entire visit. Not to mention the waitstaff was very friendly and the atmosphere was great. We dined on a delicious caprese salad, the house specialty ravioli ("Ravioli 34" included herbs, pine nuts and ricotta), grilled lamb with arugula and tomatoes and some house tiramisu. I tasted some lemoncello, and we both enjoyed a half liter of house chianti. Mmmm. Yum. This place is almost a must if you visit Rome. (Thank you for the recommendation, Ian.)

Since we were right down from the Spanish Steps, we navigated our way over to them. We were surprised to see the lowest steps littered with beer cans and wine bottles but delighted to see the amount of nightlife activity. (We heard later that Roman law recently outlawed food on the steps but didn't seem to mind the bottles). After walking many, many flights of stairs, we enjoyed fabulous views of the city's lights. Hearing someone liken Rome to "Italy's Manhattan" upon our return made a lot of sense.

A taxi brought us back "home" for the night. Another night in paradise, as far as I was concerned. We prepared mentally for our next day's activities: tours of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum as well as finding our train tickets and enjoying more amazing food and wine.

Viva Italia Recap #1

So, I've finally gotten enough past forgetting my camera on Air India (partially due to Steffi Smith, one of the nicest people I've ever met, "donating" some of her Italy photos to us) to write my first Italian honeymoon blog post. I'm rather sick still over the loss of our photos, but reminders from friends and family that either that "things could be worse" or "at least you still have the memories" have reminded me we're still very lucky.

Because our 7:45pm direct flight to Rome on Thursday, October 9 was [thankfully] uneventful, I'll begin our trip with our first day in Italy.

We landed in Italy's capital city, Rome, at around 11:15am ("Italian" time) on Friday, following a direct Delta flight from Atlanta. Customs and passport control were both simpler and quicker than I'd imagined. While Dan was a little nervous about us making it to our driver in time, we grabbed our luggage off the conveyer belts and walked toward the arrivals area without incident. Yes, you read that correctly; the lodging Dan arranged through Cross-Pollinate arranged for a vehicle and driver to meet us at the airport. 

I wish I had a photo of the early 30's Italian gentleman holding a sign that said "Mallory" amidst probably a hundred other people lifting handwritten and professionally printed signage. (If you wonder why I don't have this photo, refer to my introductory sentence.) After feeling thrilled to find our driver, we made our way to a compact car parked just outside the baggage claim. 

What was likely a 20 minute ride felt more like an hour because of the sites and city life we passed by.  Views of the Colosseum and ruins blended with Ikea advertisements with Italian copy. Our driver spoke limited English, which was fine and expected, but knew where we were going, partially thanks to the Tom Tom situated on his dashboard. 

We were dropped off on what seemed like an alleyway. In retrospect, we understand that many of the "streets" are barely the size of alleyways because the city wasn't built for cars. I wish I could tell you the exact address of the place where we stayed, as it was in a lovely neighborhood—but I can tell you it was near a major street called "Nazionale" and was a short walking distance from the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and  the Vittorio Emanuele monument. 

After we jumped out of the car and paid our driver, we prepared to wait a few minutes outside of the bed and breakfast. After all, we'd arrived about an hour early. After about two and a half hours of being hesitant to leave the B&B's entrance to avoid missing our contact, Dan decided to find a phone and give a guy named "Benji" a ring. The public phone he tried was not so much really there—so luckily an Irish pub down the way let him borrow its phone. I tried to wake from my over-the-counter sleep aid-induced haze by sipping a sugar-free Red Bull while Dan hunted down a working phone.

Within minutes, Benji arrived and was apologizing for the wait. He mentioned that he'd been at the place earlier but didn't see us. He let us into the building, showed us our room, explained breakfast and reinforced the best practice of locking all the doors. Our room wasn't amazing and we couldn't access the elevator (thus braved the three floor commute a few times a day) but I wouldn't have traded it's simplicity and shabby chic-ness for anything; the neighborhood was quaint, safe, not particularly touristy, etc. We also didn't think 90 euros a night was anything to complain about.

Seeing in that it was about 2pm in Rome and our bodies were confused but hungry and curious, we made our way to a street that was home to several cafes and restaurants (or "ristorante" in Italian). Before finding the best place to grab a bite, we stopped by the Vodafone location Benji marked on a Rome map. Dan was smart to bring an unlocked phone, so we were able to purchase a SIM card and a few dollars' worth of phone credits. This phone came in handy later for calling Benji (he'd given us the wrong key to the B&B) and contacting the manager/owner of our B&B in Florence. 

We were surprised to find several of the shops were closed for two hours each afternoon, what seemed to be a normal and expected part of the personal and commercial parts of the culture. After walking only a few more blocks down toward Nazionale, we decided on this one little place because of its simple menu and outside seating. Our "snack" consisted of a shared thin crust pizza with artichokes, olives and prosciutto with a Peroni (Italian beer) for each of us. Upon the waiter's insistence, we shared a bowl of true, rich, mascarpone-enriched tiramisu. We thought an espresso each might help us pep up a bit, but this was to no avail. Our "snack" set us back 24 euros*, which we didn't think was too bad. Unfortunately, I think I took a photo of the restaurant name instead of writing it down. 

While we would have liked to have executed grand plans on our first afternoon in the "Eternal City," our bodies were struggling. A two hour nap gave us the energy we needed to go out and enjoy a nice dinner at La Taverna dei Monti (at Via del Boschetto), an approachable yet Italian-frequented restaurant near our B&B. We did something we did several times throughout the trip, splitting a pasta dish, a meat dish and a dessert. An affordable and tasty chianti was a good match for our fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, sliced (nearly rare) fillet (served with arugula, fresh parmesan and lemon-infused olive oil) and pineapple sorbet served in a frozen pineapple. Fifty two euros for dinner. Luckily for us, being neither picky eaters, we could rather freely point to menu items and say, "sure, we'll try that."

(Speaking of dinner, we were told later to be wary of handwritten bills and the specific amounts charged per item, as some shops to try to take advantage of tourists. We heard you can call out the "scam" to your waiter and they'll fix it. Luckily, we don't think we encountered this on our trip. We did have a few restaurants that charged "service charges" or "covers," but in each instance, the charge was plainly stated on the menu or on signage upon entering.)

Over dinner, we reflected on our first day of travels and how lucky we were to be starting the trip of a lifetime. Before heading "home," we navigated ourselves to the Trevi Fountain. It was here that I learned how gullible of a tourist I was. Dan warned me earlier in the day not to accept roses from street vendors no matter what they said. When a guy approached me then insisted I take the roses he was offering for free because I was beautiful, I felt so flattered. But then when we went to walk away, he demanded we give him some money. I decided a good compromise was giving him 2 euros and giving back two of the flowers, which doesn't make any sense now (or even later that night). It was at this moment that I realized seeing a tourist carrying roses is the same as spotting a sucker.

picture from Wikipedia member Hisham Besheer (April 2008)

I digress. Back to the Trevi Fountain. Wow! I don't even know how to begin the description. The incredible "water feature" was finished in 1762 and seems to be popular to locals and tourists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We sat for probably 20 to 30 minutes, admiring the craftsmanship and artistic vision of the piece. 

After walking back and before falling sleep, we pulled out our map and decided on a wake up time and travel route to ensure that we made it to our Vatican Museum tour in plenty of time. 

A great start to a great vacation... 

*During the time of our visit, the euro was converting to about $0.735 in American money. We took the advice of friends and online reading. Instead of exchanging American cash for euros, we found ATMs that accepted American bank cards (they should read "Cirrus"). This was less expensive than paying a conversion fee to change currencies.