Tuscany

The weather was overcast on our visit to San Gimignano, a village strategically perched at the top of Tuscan hill.  But we didn't let that dampen our spirits.  This fortified town has slowly spread out since it was founded in the 6th century.

The town was almost destroyed by bombing during World War II, when allied forces received mistaken intel that the village was filled with enemy forces.  Legend has it that a priest smuggled out of the village eventually persuaded the army to cease firing on the city.  Still, San Gimignano was not left completely unscathed:

San Gimignano was quaint, and the Tuscan countryside stunning. 

Maybe one day I'll go back to basque in the sun and soak up la bella vita.

Holy Rome

Of course no trip to Rome is complete without a stop at the Vatican.  While the 4-6 hour line to get into St. Peter's itself was a bit too long for our taste, we did explore the impressive Vatican museum with its Egyptian collection,

sumptuously decorated walls and ceilings

and the chambers painted by Raphael himself.

The highlight, of course, is the Sistine Chapel (with its strict no photography rule).  That was well worth tolerating the hordes of others who also wanted a glimpse of this masterpiece.  At the end of the tour, visitors walk out of the museum via the double helix staircase.

Beautiful Rome

The "newer" sites in Rome aren't too shabby either.  Fountains, statues, frescoes and domed buildings abound in this beautiful city.  Everything is exhuberantly ornamented, like this detail from the Trevi Fountain:

Rome is now the home of 8 obelisks that armies removed from Egypt long ago.  I think that we saw at least 5 of them, like the one centered in the Piazza Popolo located at the base of the Villa Borghese gardens.

 

We also got to witness a changing of the guard at Italy's tomb of the unknown soldier, located at Capitoline Hill.

Beautiful!

Ancient Rome

Our first full day in Rome was pretty special.  For the first time since 1985, Rome was covered in a blanket of snow.  The entire city shut down, and there were crowds of Romans and tourists alike frolicking in the cold, wet slush.  It was hard not to enjoy the playful mood, but it WAS a bit jarring to see palm trees covered in snow!

Thankfully, some outdoor sights and several churches were open, including the structurally stunning Pantheon.  Abby (a former architect major) could speak of the structural brilliance of this building, but I just thought it was cool, especially with the sunlight streaming through the hole at the top of the dome.

The ruins at the Roman Forum (adjacent to the Colosseum) were incredible to study as well.

I knew that the Vatican Museum had an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts, but I didn't realize that Rome has it's own humble pyramid located at the junction of two ancient roads just outside the city walls.

We also spent a fascinating 45 minutes touring the catacombs of San Callisto, where over a half million Christian souls were buried from 200-500 A.D.  We were again witness to the many remarkably preserved frescoes and tombs that are located on 4 floors underground across a 60 acre space.  Several early popes and Saint Cecilia were buried here, but were later moved to St. Peter's at the Vatican to protect the bodies from barbarian raiders.

Buried in the Past

My absolute favorite part of Italy was our tour of Pompeii.  In the picture below, you can just make out Mt. Vesuvius in the background, with it's dome missing from the eruption that buried Pompeii in over 15-20 feet of ash in 79 A.D.  Note the white house on the right side of the picture (located above the wall), which was built on a field that was then fairly level ground.  This picture shows just how deep the town was buried before the ruins were discovered in the mid-1800s.

Several of the houses located in the city have been wonderfully restored.

It's fascinating to walk down the street and see fountains that were used to provide refreshment for people living over 2000 years ago.

After the volcanic material cooled and dried, the lack of moisture and air remarkably preserved the frescoes on the walls of many buildings.

It also preserved the shape of those who died in the aftermath of the eruption.  After the bodies decayed over the years, the bones fell to the bottom of the cavity left behind.  When excavations began, these cavities were filled with plaster and then the ash was chipped away to reveal the shape and size of the person who had once lived in this raucous town.

Will history repeat itself?  Mt. Vesuvius has erupted fairly regularly over the past 2000 years.  With about 3,000,000 people in nearby Naples and surrounding towns, the active volcano is closely watched.

The Birthplace of the Perfect Pie

We arrived in Rome on Saturday evening, and then headed straight to Naples on a bus tour Sunday morning.  We spent a few hours walking around the old part of Naples where most of the old castles and monuments are located.  Here is a picture of the castle that was built by the Norman army in the 1100s.  The Normans used the city as a rallying point and supply stop for crusading armies.

As is common in Italy, there were lots of other interesting monuments and piazzas located around the city:

Naples is also the birthplace of pizza, and most epicurean types argue that the best pies on the planet are still to be found in this bayside metropolis.  Who were we to disagree?

Delish!

Lovely Florence

I really loved Florence, which is small in scale, artsy and has a distinct "hometown" feel.  Because the city center is so compact, most of its buildings are narrow and small - which only makes the Duomo (Brunelleschi's Dome) seem more immense.

Due to its sheer size, there is no shortage of exterior shots of the Dome.  But the inside of the Dome is impressive as well, with frescoes representing the last judgement (morbid, but fascinating!)

We also visited some of Florence's famous art galleries, where we got a close glimpse of priceless works of art including the (in)famous statue of David clutching his sling.

We also spent time at St. Croce, where many famous people are interred (Galileo, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Machiavelli, etc.)

Still, Florence doesn't take itself too seriously, as evidenced by the merry-go-round placed in the center of the city's most illustrious piazza.

I already want to go back!

Cinque Terre

After Pisa, Abby & I visited 3 of the 5 towns that comprise Cinque Terre.

These villages, nestled on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, are charming.  Almost exclusively devoid of motorized vehicles, it was a great workout walking up the narrow lanes from the shore to the top of the cliffs.

The views (and the gelato we ate after) were well worth the effort.

Vertigo

Our next stop was Florence, where we took a half day trip to Pisa.  Climbing up the spiral staircase of a listing tower is disconcerting at best, but the view at the top was well worth the vertigo!

I didn't realize, however, that there is so much more to Pisa than the tower. 

There is a beautiful church, a baptistry and a cemetery where several famous Italians are buried.

These are some of the tributes to the dearly departed located in the cemetery.  I call this photo "Waiting for God."

Bella Venezia

I just returned from one of the best trips - 10 days in gorgeous Italy with this beautiful girl (who caught the eye of more than one Italian lad).  Italy was amazing!

Our first stop was Venice, in all its aquatic glory.

We went St. Mark's Square, toured the museum at the Doges Palace, and climbed to the top of the campanile (tower):

 

We also visited several of nearby islands:  Burano, Murano (where they make glass) and Torcello.

It was beautiful by day, and even more enchanting by night.