I Remember ... The Appian Way and the Catacombs

We arrived back in Rome early in the afternoon and checked in at the Sheraton Hotel near the airport. Everything feels like it's winding down and we are not ready for this trip to end. Even the hotel feels very "American," helping us transition to our journey back home.
Before our scheduled farewell dinner we toured the catacombs of San Callisto. Telly was right ... the catacombs are a must-see in your tour plans for Rome and I'm glad we did not miss this opportunity.
We drove along the Appian Way, which was once the world's most important road. You can see the original pavement stones and the road is lined with ancient tombs and monuments. Below the street are miles of tunnels where the early Christians buried their dead and, when necessary, held secret church services. This was during a time when Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire. During ancient Roman times no one was allowed to be buried within the city wall. Christians wanted to be buried vs cremated due to their beliefs in the resurrection. Many Christians were poor and land was expensive but a few wealthy Christian landowners allowed their properties to be used as a burial site.
We descended stairs far underground and we found cool temperatures that were a welcome relief from the day's heat. As we pass through these ancient tunnels, it is hard to comprehend life for the early Christians ... to feel the connection to this early heritage of believers.

The walls are covered in frescoes and early Christian symbols still preserved from so long ago. One stop that especially touched me was at the grave-site of Saint Cecilia where we were told the story of her martyrdom.


Exiting the catacombs back out into the heat and bright sunlight, we board the bus to head back to the hotel and get ready for the farewell dinner.

I Remember ... Siena

After breakfast and packing up we all realized that Siena would be our last city tour. It's a little sad to think that in a few short days we will return home. Instead of walking along cobbled roads and ancient ruins we will return to our jobs and daily routines.
Before starting our journey to Siena we stopped at Piazzale Michalagelo, a square located across the river overlooking the city. From this viewpoint we enjoyed a panoramic view of Florence and captured many great scenic photos. Considering the early morning hour it
was already warm but the soft breeze was refreshing.



Back on the bus ... and heading to Siena.





The bus ride became so routine ... we are in such good hands with our driver, Enzo! This was a great time to enjoy the scenery, take a nap, read a book, or ... play games on the iPhone. By this time I was addicted to Touch Rummy on my phone. It helped pass the time but I had to watch my battery life. We purchased two extra chargers so ... no worries ... play away : )
Siena, south of Florence was another town hit by the Black Death (bubonic plague) in the 1300's and lost a third of its population. From a major trade center and a population of 60,000 ... it never recovered. Today this medieval town is a thriving historic center. There are red-bricked streets leading to the fan-shaped main square, Piazza Del Campo at the heart of this pedestrian only area.

The sloping design encourages people to sit and relax. We noticed quite a few students from the nearby university. There are many narrow elevated streets to climb and views to enjoy.


It was here where we said goodbye to Bill and Marcia. They will join their daughter/granddaughter, who is a student at the university for another week in this area. It was hard to say goodbye and we realized there will be many more in the coming hours.
Since this is the last stop on our tour we needed to get serious about picking up souvenirs for family and friends. We discovered many fun shops in this adventure.
While waiting to leave we snapped another group photo. Walt took the photo ... later he was photoshopped in so everyone would be included. You can hardly tell!




















We made one last stop at the AutoGrill and enjoyed our favorite ... Caprese sandwich before heading back to Rome. The reality of the tour ending was sinking in!

I Remember ... A Tuscan Hill Town

Our next optional excursion for this area was a guided tour of the nearby walled Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano (sahn jee-meen-YAH-noh). Take a fun virtual tour of this village using the link provided.





San Gimignano has fourteen medieval towers still standing and back in the 13th century more than seventy family towers were the norm for the Tuscany area. In the 14th century, San Gimignano's good times turned bad with their population dwindling from 13,000 to 4,000 due to a six-month plague in 1348. Because of this San Gimignano came under Florence's control and was forced to tear down many of their towers. Florence diverted the trade route away from this town and it never recovered.

Walking through the city is like being transported back 700 years to the Middle Ages.























We climbed up steep stairs for breathtaking views of the area.

We waited in a long line for our last gelato in Italy and enjoyed it while sitting in the Piazza della Cisterna. Thunderheads were gathering and even though it missed us, the power/lights went out in the stores. We purchased a few souvenirs before leaving.
Even though this is a "tourist-trap" I loved the medieval feel and the view. The Tuscan hill town area is beautiful and worth seeing.
We returned back to our hotel in Florence for a buffet dinner. The dining room was overly crowded again. Our tour group was pretty tired. I think the long days were starting to catch up with us.

I Remember ... A Tour of Florence

It was the fifth of July and early in the morning we called Brian to check on family. It was strange to hear fireworks in the background ... they were still celebrating the 4th back home @ 9:45 p.m. It was so good to talk to them. However, it was sad to hear the sale on their house may fall through. It was hard to be far from home during times such as these.
When we went down to breakfast we encountered a crowd due to other tour groups eating at the same time. It was hard to find a table or to eat with others in our group. The elevators were jammed with young students moving large suitcases from upper floors to the lobby. It was hard to get back to our room. We grabbed a few last minute things from our room and got ready to meet the tour bus. When we tried to use the elevator it never did reach our floor. We finally ran five flights of stairs and nearly missed our bus. Telly was just going to find out where we were. Now that was a little embarrassing ...
This day was starting out with intense heat and our first stop on our guided walking tour was the red-brick domed cathedral, The Duomo ... the centerpiece of the city and an engineering genius. This is the stuff Walt loves! Behind us was the Baptistery with it's beautiful bronze doors facing the Duomo. The doors were opened allowing us to take pictures ... what beautiful mosaics on the ceiling.























We walked over to the Piazza della Repubblica which is a large square sitting on the site of Florence's original Roman Forum and Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall ... a Florentine landmark. In this courtyard is the "fake" David. Michelangelo's David stood in this spot until 1873.

The last of our guided tour included a visit to Santa Croce Church, a 14th-century Franciscan church. It is here that we lit candles for neighbors ... at their request.




We had time on our own and despite the sweltering heat, we walked over Ponte Vecchio, Florence's most famous bridge. It is lined with shops that have traditionally sold gold and silver.

This was probably one of last cities to do souvenir shopping so we spent quite a bit of time checking out various stores. When the heat became unbearable we walked back to the hotel ... which felt like a long distance ... and enjoyed a nice lunch in the hotel cafe with others from our group.

I Remember ... Welcome to Florence

Welcome to Florence, considered the birthplace of the Renaissance ... for its art, architecture and cultural heritage.
As soon as we arrived we had an appointment for a tour of the Galleria dell' Accademia housing a Michelangelo collection, including the David. The original David has been housed here since 1873. It was moved from its outdoor location for preservation purposes. This 17-foot marble sculpture was created by Michelangelo between 1501-04. A replica was placed in the Piazza della Signoria in 1910. We couldn't get over the size and details. His hands and feet seemed especially large.
We checked into the Grand Hotel Mediterraneo and had time to get settled before heading out for our optional excursion.On this evening we experienced a Florentine dinner complete with entertainment at, Palazzo Borghese ... beautiful setting, delicious food and great entertainment with our group.




When we returned to our hotel it was still warm and we were pretty lively. We sat out on a patio and enjoyed the remainder of our evening.

I Remember ... The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Checking out, turning in keys, and settling hotel bills for a group our size all takes time in our morning routine. It gets pretty crowded in the lobby. Once we were settled in our seats many elected to take a nap on the long morning drive.
It's strange to be away from home on the Fourth of July. No red-white-and blue, fireworks, stars -and -stripes. There was only a mention of it on the bus. It makes us a little homesick for family and friends.
Our day's itinerary involved stopping in Pisa with our final destination: Florence.
Last night's storm moved out and it was once again beautiful and sunny. On the road we moved away from the lake area and had a great view of the Alps ... lovely covered in snow. We drove across the Plains of Lombardy and the forested Apennine Mountains. We were making good time but near Genova we encountered traffic problems, slowing us down. It seems like our travels are taking us through tunnel after tunnel.



At 12:15 p.m. we arrived at Pisa and rode a shuttle to the famous Field of Miracles to see the tower. It was nice to see so much green grass ... and there before us stood the the leaning tower, one of Italy's most famous landmarks.
I think I was expecting something much taller. It is nearly 200 feet tall and 55 feet wide, leaning at a five degree angle. Construction started in 1173 and took two centuries and at least three different architects to complete the project. It was a little crooked right from the beginning and each architect tried to correct the problem without success.
The tower was closed in 1990 for repairs and 30 million was spent trying to stabilize it, probably giving it life for several more centuries. We did not climb the tower, but like everyone in the crowd, we took a few crazy poses of each of us trying to hold the tower up. Not so good : (












The heat was intensifying and we knew the perfect cure ... gelato! We boarded the shuttle and headed toward Florence at 1:30.

I Remember ... a Lake Maggiore Afternoon

As soon as we returned to our hotel, we changed in to our swimsuits and headed out to relax by the pool. It was a nice time to read and cool off in the water. Dinner was scheduled at 7:30 p.m. so Walt decided to walk to the nearby town and pick up something for lunch. I dozed in the pool lounger while trying to read my book. I was starting to feel a little fatigued and having an afternoon to rest had been wonderful. Walt was gone quite sometime and I was starting to worry a bit. When he arrived at a local sandwich shop it was filled with soccer fans watching the World Cup game ... Germany was playing. No one took his order or made the sandwich until half-time. Also, during our stay at this resort Walt stopped in a nearby store, the Supermercati Savoini. The staff did not speak English. He was able to describe a few things he was looking for, such as hand cream (Crema Mani) by "playing charades" and using hand gestures. I think he enjoyed his shopping experience there!
Dinner was served at 7:30 p.m. and while we were dining a big thunderstorm moved in. We had front row seats to watch the wind, rain and hear the loud, rolling thunder. Quite an entertaining evening. I remember looking over the menu thinking we were getting scallops ... so looking forward to it -- my favorite. BUT when our server brought it to our table it looked like pork or veal. I guess what we translated as "scallop" was in fact, meat cooked in a sauce. When we asked about this our server rolled her eyes and said, "Mama-mia, Americanos!!!" It made everyone at our table laugh. A little "lost in translation" experience.

We had been looking for another late-night walk but it was still too wet to go out. We were able to buy an internet connection that we could only access from the lobby so I spent the evening posting pictures and emailing family and friends. Walt had an opportunity to watch a soccer game on a big-screen TV and Spain won. Tomorrow morning we leave for Florence.

I Remember ... Lugano, Switzerland

Saturday morning was beautiful, sunny, and warm ... it was hard to leave the paradise of this resort but a road trip was calling us to Switzerland. Passports in hand we boarded the bus for another country. It's somewhat of a long bus ride but filled with winding roads and very pleasant scenery.
Here's a photo of 10-year-old, Jack, a.k.a Mr. Vice President talking to his grandmother. What a trooper! I can only imagine how hard it would be for a boy of this age to sit on a bus for hours at a time. He was amazing ... a delightful guy. We loved getting to know their family ... Mom, Patricia, her three children and grandma.
We crossed the border into Ticino, located in the south of Switzerland and almost entirely surrounded by Italy which lies to its east, west and south. Located at the foothills of the Alps, the atmosphere is very much Italian. It is both alpine and Mediterranean. We were a little disappointed we didn't stop and get out at the border crossing. It would have been nice to have a Switzerland stamp in our passports. We arrived in Lugano at 10:15 a.m. and here's our first glimpse of the area ...

We spent most of the morning on our own at a shopping center. Our brief visit included strolling through the stores, picking up souvenirs and enjoying a few treats. We boarded the bus and headed back to Lake Maggiore at 12:15.





We even found a great place to stay if we ever make a return visit ... Hotel Walter.