Eurotrek07 - More from Italia
Monday 3/5 -
8:30 p.m. Dinner at the Trattoria Marione (recommended by our friends at Rick Steve’s Italy 2007 guidebook). We spend a good 20 minutes using our Italian-English dictionary to decipher the menu (thanks Tom and Heidi!) and finally decide to split a half bottle of Chianti and a 3-course meal of Caprese Insalata (I’ve vowed to eat this at least once daily for the duration of our tour of Italy), Tortellini Ragu (tortellini with meat sauce) and Spezzatino di Manzo con Spinaci (Beef Stew with Spinach). This was, by far, the most delizioso meal we’ve eaten during our stay in Europe.
10:15 p.m. Meandering through the streets of Forence, we come across Piazza della Republica and its awesome carousel! All lit up in the night, it is calling to me “Tanya! Come for a ride on my pretty ponies!” I’ve coerced Brian onto the carousel (by paying our fare and hopping on). We are the only ones on the ride!! I am pretty much as happy as I can be. “Giddy-up pretty pony! Yee haw!”
10:25 p.m. Since Florence is the birthplace of gelato, we find it necessary to stop by a gelato stand for a scoop of cioccolato gelati for dessert after the pony ride. Next, we have wandered into Piazza della Signoria, which is about 4 seconds from our hotel. The famous Uffizi Museum is here, along with an open-air museum containing massive, gorgeous sculptures. Amongst the sculptures is a replica of Michelangelo’s David. This is where the original David once stood (he is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia which we will tour tomorrow). In the corner of this plaza, there are two musicians singing and playing guitar - songs from Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Elton John. It is the perfect scene... eating a gelato and listening to acoustical mood music while enjoying a backdrop of hundreds of years of art and architecture illuminated in the dark in Florence, Italy. Seriously, am I the luckiest person alive? Today, I really feel like I am. NOW, I am as happy as I can be.
Tuesday 3/6 -
10:00 a.m. We have a little time to kill before our reservation at the world-famous Uffizi Museum, so we decide to start our day with a stroll down to the River Arno. We have a great view of the Ponte Vecchio, which is a covered bridge that used to house a meat market (a real meat market, not like The Loan Tree), but was closed down because it was too stinky. Now, it's popular for vending silver and gold.
10:45 a.m. Reservation time at the Galleria degli Uffizi. This place is gi-normous! The highlights are Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera", and Leonardo da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi" (pretty cool because it was unfinished so we were able to see all the different layers that go into a finished work, from sketching to the layering of colors). All of the paintings are displayed in chronological order, so we are able to see how art styles evolved and changed over time. The downfall of the visit is a stupid American who infuriates me by standing in front of "The Birth of Venus" spewing a bunch of garbage to her note-scribbling students for a good 30 minutes. Oh well.
2:00 p.m. Today is super dooper art day. So, with the Uffizi and lunch already under our belts, we are off to our second museum tour for the day. We are about to tour the Bargello, which features a bunch of sculptures and is housed in a former prison.
3:00 p.m. Next stop is the Duomo (cathedral) for a look inside. The Duomo is humongous and the exterior is like nothing I've ever seen. It's just beautiful. The inside is slightly less impressive, although still beautiful. When the Duomo was built, the technology to build a domed cathedral didn't exist. Since they insisted on a dome, a giant hole was left in the roof for years until it became a possibility. Once the dome was constructed, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint it's interior.
4:30 p.m. Our final tour for the day is Accademia Gallerie, which houses Michelangelo's sculpture of David. The museum itself is pretty unassuming and has few pieces of art aside from David. We would never have stumbled into it if we hadn't been looking for it. David stands 17 feet tall and is mighty impressive!
5:00 p.m. By this time, we have seen a contribution from each of the Ninja Turtles. And, in the words of Kevin Macalaster "No clothes on anybody! Yech!!" Time for a rest stop at the hotel.
7:00 p.m. We spend an hour or so searching for different restaurants recommended by Rick Steve's. One is closed. One is invisible (seems tough for business). Finally, we end up at Trattoria Nella and are not disappointed.
10:00 p.m. Swing past our favorite Florence-based Irish pub "The Old Stove" to attempt to get online. There is a soccer tournament televised there, so no room for the two internet geeks. Oh well. Back to the hotel...
Wednesday 3/7 -
8:30 a.m. We are early risers today! It is time for breakfast - our last meal in Florence.
9:53 a.m. All aboard! We are headed for Rome, which is the last stop on Eurotrek07.
11:30 a.m. Roma!
12:00 (noon) We have just arrived at Caesar House and it seems like a great hotel! The stuff in the mini bar is complimentary and we will be served breakfast in bed each morning. SWEETNESS!
1:00 p.m. La Taverna Romano is the real deal!! We are here for lunch and I'm sure the owners are named Mama and Luigi because they are just exactly who you expect to see running a restaurante in Rome. They are too cute. "Mama" keeps running across the alley in her apron to a produce stand for more fresh goodies. We enjoy a rigatoni pasta dish with meatballs. It is fantastico! The best part is that I get to say "It's a tasty-a meat-a-ball!"
2:00 p.m. Time for a tour of the Colosseum. It is quite amazing that something SO incredibly old is still standing and is quite elaborate! After the Colosseum, we head to the nearby Palatino for a long walk through the ruins of ancient Rome. We are intrigued by "crazy cat lady" as she feeds a can of food to about 10 stray cats. The cats seem to love "crazy cat lady" and rightfully so!
5:00 p.m. We have just been kicked out of the Palatino because it is closing time. Back to the hotel for the next game plan.
8:30 p.m. Dinner at the Trattoria Marione (recommended by our friends at Rick Steve’s Italy 2007 guidebook). We spend a good 20 minutes using our Italian-English dictionary to decipher the menu (thanks Tom and Heidi!) and finally decide to split a half bottle of Chianti and a 3-course meal of Caprese Insalata (I’ve vowed to eat this at least once daily for the duration of our tour of Italy), Tortellini Ragu (tortellini with meat sauce) and Spezzatino di Manzo con Spinaci (Beef Stew with Spinach). This was, by far, the most delizioso meal we’ve eaten during our stay in Europe.
10:15 p.m. Meandering through the streets of Forence, we come across Piazza della Republica and its awesome carousel! All lit up in the night, it is calling to me “Tanya! Come for a ride on my pretty ponies!” I’ve coerced Brian onto the carousel (by paying our fare and hopping on). We are the only ones on the ride!! I am pretty much as happy as I can be. “Giddy-up pretty pony! Yee haw!”
10:25 p.m. Since Florence is the birthplace of gelato, we find it necessary to stop by a gelato stand for a scoop of cioccolato gelati for dessert after the pony ride. Next, we have wandered into Piazza della Signoria, which is about 4 seconds from our hotel. The famous Uffizi Museum is here, along with an open-air museum containing massive, gorgeous sculptures. Amongst the sculptures is a replica of Michelangelo’s David. This is where the original David once stood (he is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia which we will tour tomorrow). In the corner of this plaza, there are two musicians singing and playing guitar - songs from Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Elton John. It is the perfect scene... eating a gelato and listening to acoustical mood music while enjoying a backdrop of hundreds of years of art and architecture illuminated in the dark in Florence, Italy. Seriously, am I the luckiest person alive? Today, I really feel like I am. NOW, I am as happy as I can be.
Tuesday 3/6 -
10:00 a.m. We have a little time to kill before our reservation at the world-famous Uffizi Museum, so we decide to start our day with a stroll down to the River Arno. We have a great view of the Ponte Vecchio, which is a covered bridge that used to house a meat market (a real meat market, not like The Loan Tree), but was closed down because it was too stinky. Now, it's popular for vending silver and gold.
10:45 a.m. Reservation time at the Galleria degli Uffizi. This place is gi-normous! The highlights are Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera", and Leonardo da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi" (pretty cool because it was unfinished so we were able to see all the different layers that go into a finished work, from sketching to the layering of colors). All of the paintings are displayed in chronological order, so we are able to see how art styles evolved and changed over time. The downfall of the visit is a stupid American who infuriates me by standing in front of "The Birth of Venus" spewing a bunch of garbage to her note-scribbling students for a good 30 minutes. Oh well.
2:00 p.m. Today is super dooper art day. So, with the Uffizi and lunch already under our belts, we are off to our second museum tour for the day. We are about to tour the Bargello, which features a bunch of sculptures and is housed in a former prison.
3:00 p.m. Next stop is the Duomo (cathedral) for a look inside. The Duomo is humongous and the exterior is like nothing I've ever seen. It's just beautiful. The inside is slightly less impressive, although still beautiful. When the Duomo was built, the technology to build a domed cathedral didn't exist. Since they insisted on a dome, a giant hole was left in the roof for years until it became a possibility. Once the dome was constructed, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint it's interior.
4:30 p.m. Our final tour for the day is Accademia Gallerie, which houses Michelangelo's sculpture of David. The museum itself is pretty unassuming and has few pieces of art aside from David. We would never have stumbled into it if we hadn't been looking for it. David stands 17 feet tall and is mighty impressive!
5:00 p.m. By this time, we have seen a contribution from each of the Ninja Turtles. And, in the words of Kevin Macalaster "No clothes on anybody! Yech!!" Time for a rest stop at the hotel.
7:00 p.m. We spend an hour or so searching for different restaurants recommended by Rick Steve's. One is closed. One is invisible (seems tough for business). Finally, we end up at Trattoria Nella and are not disappointed.
10:00 p.m. Swing past our favorite Florence-based Irish pub "The Old Stove" to attempt to get online. There is a soccer tournament televised there, so no room for the two internet geeks. Oh well. Back to the hotel...
Wednesday 3/7 -
8:30 a.m. We are early risers today! It is time for breakfast - our last meal in Florence.
9:53 a.m. All aboard! We are headed for Rome, which is the last stop on Eurotrek07.
11:30 a.m. Roma!
12:00 (noon) We have just arrived at Caesar House and it seems like a great hotel! The stuff in the mini bar is complimentary and we will be served breakfast in bed each morning. SWEETNESS!
1:00 p.m. La Taverna Romano is the real deal!! We are here for lunch and I'm sure the owners are named Mama and Luigi because they are just exactly who you expect to see running a restaurante in Rome. They are too cute. "Mama" keeps running across the alley in her apron to a produce stand for more fresh goodies. We enjoy a rigatoni pasta dish with meatballs. It is fantastico! The best part is that I get to say "It's a tasty-a meat-a-ball!"
2:00 p.m. Time for a tour of the Colosseum. It is quite amazing that something SO incredibly old is still standing and is quite elaborate! After the Colosseum, we head to the nearby Palatino for a long walk through the ruins of ancient Rome. We are intrigued by "crazy cat lady" as she feeds a can of food to about 10 stray cats. The cats seem to love "crazy cat lady" and rightfully so!
5:00 p.m. We have just been kicked out of the Palatino because it is closing time. Back to the hotel for the next game plan.
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