All about Italia

I am trying out a new blogging technique – posting from the road. Very exciting, right? I hope! Two reasons for this change: first, Pat got us, I mean me, this nifty little mini-laptop. It is really cute and best of all, super easy to travel with – it fits in my purse! Secondly, we are in Italy for almost 2 weeks (then headed home to the US!), so if I don't do it in pieces, that will be a pretty big megapost that I am pretty sure only our moms would read. So without further ado . . . .

Day 1: Firenze

Our Italian holiday has begun! We landed in Firenze (Florence) late friday night, so we slept in a bit on yesterday. Because we are near the high fashion street and because it was difficult to find a place that still had pastries at 12 noon, we ended up at the cafe in the Roberto Cavalli store for breakfast. This of course meant nothing to Pat, but I thought it was pretty funny. And in a town where art is king, it is only fitting that my cappucino & chocolate croissant were picture-worthy, right? Both were works of art and unbelievably scrumptious.



Then we walked around to get acquainted with the city. And also just to enjoy the beautiful, sunny, and hot weather. It has been a long time since we have been able to do that as it has been a chilly & gray non-summer in London. We found our way to Sante Croce, a beautiful church in Piazza Sante Croce, one of the oldest squares in the city. Construction on the church began in 1295 and was completed in the late 1400's, although the striking white marble facade dates to the 19th century. It is a huge building and contains more than 10 small chapels, 276 gravestones set in the pavement and lavish tombs of famous men, including Michelangelo's. Here it is from the square:



Next we headed to the Galleria degli Uffizi, one of two major art museums here. Tuscany and Florence were home to the early Renaissance art movement, so the Uffizi has numerous works by Botticelli, da Vinci, Michangelo, Raphael, and Titian, among others. This one, Madonna of the Magnificat by Botticelli, was one of my favorites. It is impossible to appreciate (bc you can't really see it. sorry) the intricate gold detailing from this picture, but it is amazing. I promise!



Our final destination of the day was Piazzale Michelangelo, a vast esplanade with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. After a hike to the top (BumBum and I took a break halfway, but we made it), we settled at a lovely restaurant for a leisurely early dinner (breakfast at noon really throws off one's eating schedule). What more could we ask for? Picturesque location – check. Perfect weather – check. Great food – check. Stimulating conversation . . . well, you can't have it all. Ha ha, just kidding! Plus, our waiter gave us a complimentary drink, dessert and a bottle of wine to take with us (I think he felt bad that I couldn't drink). This really does not do it justice, but here is a picture of the view from Piazzale Michelangelo:



One more picture from the day - us on the Ponte Vecchio:



As sad as we were not to be in South Bend yesterday, we found a way to enjoy our pre-game. Now if we could only say the same for the game . . . . at least we ended the day with a W, that is all I can say. Actually I could say a lot more, so that is all I will say!