where did I leave off....ah ha, day 6...April 15th, we went walking around Rome again, just a few piazza's (plazas) that we did not walk through on the first day with Auntie Chris...and took our time strolling around, doing a little shopping, people watching, and gelato eating. We got back around 7 or so, just in time to have a little chicken and salad before my Aunt dropped us off at the Lazio vs. Juventus futbol (soccer) game!!! What an experience that was!!! AMAZING!!!! and to think it was only a regular scheduled game, with the fireworks, flags, chants, and songs...sooo fun!!!!! and great seats for just 20 euros, which would be like 25 dollars or so in american money!!
Tuesday morning, the 16th, we were up early out and about to the train station. Uncle David dropped us off on his way to work, we bought our tickets and off we were on the fast train to Venice, which was still a three hour ride, but I slept some and just took in all the views of the amazing countryside in Italy!! We arrived, took a water taxi and found our hotel, Hotel Noemi, great deal and location for just a one night stay, then found a sandwich spot, I grabbed a panini and a corona!!! We were off to walk the streets of Venice!! I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Venice. I don't know how long I could live on the water, but it would definitely be an experience. Water right up to the buildings, no cars, just boats, water taxis, bridges up and over the water, crossing the streets!!! water streets!!! Great little shops, good finds for gifts!! and we really lucked out for the weather!! It was very warm and sunny with a cool breeze. For dinner we ate outdoors on the Grand Canal near the Rialto bridge, had some spaghetti with shrimp, but the shrimp was in the hard shells I had to fork out before eating it, but it was delicious anyways of course!
The next morning, we were off to Florence via fast train...only about an hour and a half ride. The scenery was just amazing.. it never got old!! We got to Florence and again, our hotel accommodations were perfect, they were soo very nice at the Bellevue House Hotel, and for the right price too!! We were off for lunch at a place around the corner from there, I had this salmon alfredo pasta, fishy but soo very tasty, with the house red wine! Yum. Then we were off on another train ride to the town of Lucca, where we did some sight seeing and shopping, ran into people from Shrewsbury, MA, and store owners who knew Kittery Maine and Arizona...etc. such a small world.
Lucca was beautiful...
Took a late train about 8 or so, back to Florence, where we walked to streets aimlessly looking for this restaurant that they had told us about at our hotel... well after walking this way and that way and this way again, and even asking people on the street, did I mention I had to pee since before we left Lucca, but the bathroom was closed at the station, what the hell... after we were all angry hungry and aggravated, my feet hurt and I had to pee, I stormed off back to the hotel by myself!!! The three of them ended up just eating dinner back at the place we had lunch. I walked the streets of Florence back to the hotel, but before walking up four flights of stairs, I just bought a corona at the mini mart across the street, while I waited for the Quattro formagio pizza I ordered at the restaurant across from our hotel. Took them up to the hotel room, put on the BBC news channel and ate in peace. Waited for my mom to come back so I could let her in and then went to bed!! The next day, Thursday... we spent walking around Florence....
sweet smells in the bakeries...
flowers blooming.
We got back from Florence around 8 or so, not really sure, but just in time for dinner. Auntie Chris and Uncle David picked us up from the train station and we went out for pizza, because that's what you do, eat out if you are going to eat out at a restaurant, they hardly do take out!! It was a great place, we were exhausted from the past few days, nice to drink some more white wine and eat some broccoli and sausage pizza and share pasta carbanara with mom. A great last night meal in Italy. Back to the house to pack up for home sweet home Friday morning. Packed and weighed our suitcases, said our goodbyes to Uncle David and Rachel. Auntie drove us in the morning, and we were off to catch our flight to Philly, which was delayed a little bit, but luckily this time we had about two hours or so for any delays etc..which didn't matter anyways, because once landing in Philly, our plane was delayed an hour or so...but luckily the ban was lifted in Boston and all was good, or atleast getting better in Boston, having had found the second bombing suspect from the marathon bombings. what a week... but it was still nice to be home. What a trip of a lifetime. Every bit and piece of it was absolutely breathtaking and amazing!! makes you appreciate the little things, the things we take for granted and all that jazz... I miss it so much. It made me wish I had the opportunity to study abroad in college, something I had always wanted to do, but the September 11th tragedy kinda put a stop to that my sophomore year... so this was a great opportunity!!
