Spring in Italy

I can't believe that we have been home from Italy for several weeks and I am just getting to our Blog. I promise to repent and to post more frequently so that you can read about our year in China before we get home!

Our trip to Italy was utterly fabulous - the food, the hotels, our new friends, the Trafalgar Tour, the itinerary, the weather, etc, etc.  Rick and I flew into Rome 2 days before our tour started so that we could enjoy Rome on our own and to rest up before our 14 days with Trafalgar.  Our favorite things in Rome included the Vatican (including the Sistine Chapel), the Coliseum and the Roman Forum, the Pantheon and especially the gelato. We went to church on Sunday to the Rome 1st ward and had a great experience. Here are a few pictures from our time in Rome. 

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We left Rome with our guide and 51 fellow travelers for Sorrento and the Almafi coast. Our first stop was a tour of Pompeii which Rick has been dreaming about since he was a young boy.  We dropped off our luggage in Sorrento and then took a trip to Positano on the coast. The next morning we took a ferry to the Island of Capri for more sightseeing.

We were in Pompeii when we first saw these huge lemons. On Capri we were able to taste an lemonade made from lemons and blood red oranges. It was delicious. The Italians also use the lemons to make limoncello which is a liquor. The other travelers said that it was quite good. 

The Island of Capri was one of the most beautiful locations. It is easy to see why the Roman emperors used Capri for their vacations. The island is very expensive and was full of designer stores. I did buy some lemon scented perfume but not much else was affordable. 

Our next stop was Assisi and then on to the wonderful city of Venice. It was somewhat rainy in Venice but it didn't slow us down a bit - we had a ride in a gondola, toured several of the islands and even managed to buy a gorgeous Venetian glass necklace.  The water taxis were Rick's favorite part of the city and I loved all of the shops with lots and lots of leather purses. The Basilica of St Mark is in Venice where Mark's remains were relocated from Egypt. 

Our next stop was Lake Como but we did a quick tour of Juliette's balcony in Verona and also the city of Milan, including a tour of the La Scala opera house, along the way. 

Lake Como is in northern Italy just south of the Alps. The is area is probably best known for its recent residents (George Clooney and wife).   It is one of the most beautiful areas that we have ever seen. We took a bus tour around the lake and then a boat tour to the village of Bellagio. Bellagio was probably the most scenic area on the beautiful lake. 

Our next stop was in Pisa where we toured the tower, the cathedral and the baptistery. We are a quick lunch and then drove on to Florence. 

The city of Florence was our final destination before we returned to Rome and then home. The highlight of Florence was our tour to the museum where Michaelangelo's David is on display. What an amazing sculpture he created clear back in 1501 to 1504 at the age of 25. 

We said goodbye to Florence and traveled back to Rome for one final evening. 2000 incredible miles on the bus.  We'll never forget this escapade!