Regensburg, Germany
We spent the morning trying to complete the daily quiz and challenging our minds to a game of Sudoku. Last night we had a happy hour with some people we have met on the river cruise. One of the couples had a magnificent room on the top deck which has enough room for eight people and a window that opened. We had a nice time before dinner with fresh air from the Danube.
When we docked in Regensburg we took a walking tour of the town. We got to hear more of the David and Goliath story, see the oldest stone bridge and tour the oldest sausage factory in Germany. Of course we also visited the lovely churches (St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Old Town Hall and the Holy Trinity Church, Dominican Church, New Parish Church, and The Holy Chapel)…One of the most interesting things about Regensburg was that you need to get married at the Old Town Hall. Now this is a very picturesque spot with tiny cobble stone roads, old architecture and the buildings all have window boxes filled with flowers of all sorts, it is picture perfect for a wedding, despite all the tour groups, cars, taxis and buses that just happen to be roaming through. We may have seen at least six different weddings while walking through town and in some cases they even served champagne in the streets!
After dinner, we thought we were going to have a lesson on how to speak German. Needless to say, they prefaced the lesson on what happens to river cruises when the river water levels get too high or too low. The hotel manager showed us pictures of past river cruises that have endured tragedies. We learned that if the water levels get too high, you might be asked to pack your bags and finish your trip using busses and hotel accommodations because the ship cannot pass under the bridges. If the water gets too low, the ships have run aground, been stuck on rocks, propellers have been damaged, and some river cruises end in the middle of the Danube. The pictures were incredible, but we have had non-stop rain for three days, I am afraid, the waters levels might be getting too high for the ship to pass under some of the bridges… Only time will tell…
Nuremberg, Germany
This is the sight of Hitler’s uprising, lots of Nazi party rallies and the famous Nuremberg Trial’s. Before the 20th century Nuremburg was one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Germany. Located at the crossroads of major trade routes; anything you wanted could find at Nuremberg. Nuremberg was regarded as the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (this becomes a very important piece of psychological information). In Nuremberg you can tour the Kaiserburg Castle which is something not to be missed! The views are outstanding and you feel like your walking through a medieval village.
Over the years prior to the 20th century Nuremberg’s political and economic importance started to decline. Amongst other reasons, Hitler used this to his advantage to rally Germans and eventually launch his Nazi Empire. He played these mind games and promised the citizens that they would again become the awesome power (Roman Empire of Germany) they once were 5 to 10 centuries ago. Hitler even started to build buildings that would be bigger and better than the Coliseum in Rome. Needless to say his “Coliseum” was never finished and to this day remains unfinished and unused. It is now known as Congress Hall; it gives detailed information about the history of the Party Rallies and exposes them as manipulative rituals of Nazi propaganda. We also visited the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, the location of the Nuremberg war-crime trials.
Main Canal
Main Canal pronounced “Mein” connects the Danube and Rhine Rivers. It stretches over 106 miles between Kelheim and Bamberg Germany. The highest point of the canal is 1,340 feet above sea level. It is an awesome sight to watch the canal reservoirs fill as the ship lowers. Our river cruise has left the Danube River and has been traveling the full length of the Main Canal over 68 locks. We will end up in the Rhine River to continue our travels through Germany eventually ending in Amsterdam.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Melk, Austria and Passau, Germany
Melk, Austria
While in Vienna some of our friends that we had met decided to go the Schonbrunn Palace, they then proceeded to come back with some pictures for Scott and convince him to have his wedding there; I guess we will all be taking a river cruise as a family next October!
On a side note, we would like to go back and tell you another fun fact about Budapest that we had forgotten to mention. Did you know that Professor Rubric was a professor at a university in Budapest? He invented the Rubric’s Cube to help teach math concepts to his students!
In Melk Austria, this was our last chance to have any Arnold sightings. Did you know that the “Governator” is portrayed as one of Austria’s most famous people? Anyhow, Melk lies at the Western end of one of the loveliest stretches of the Danube River, the Wachau. Everywhere you look on the river you can find, old towers, churches, colorful houses and the famous Benedictine Abbey which itself houses (yes you guessed it) paintings (as well as ceiling paintings), sculptures, a beautiful library and some of the best views of the town. Our tour in Melk was at the abbey, during this tour we learned that it was painted yellow because that was one of the least expensive colors to purchase.
While on the tour we met a few people who decided to have a happy hour on the boat, so our Laura Lieberman/boy scout survival skills were put to the test. Needless to say our Swiss-Army Knife and ‘for-later’ skills have come in handy. We had a mini buffet on the top deck which would make our mom proud!
Passau, Germany
Well I am sorry to say we had no winners at Bingo last night, that was one of the two activities offered on board, the other was apple strudel making! Passau is a very interesting place to visit! First of all, we were (SCOTT was) reading the map completely wrong and yet we never got lost! In Passau we took a walking tour which ended in a church that gave us a pipe organ concert that was outstanding.
Passau, a frontier town between Bavaria and Austria and know as the “Town of the Three Rivers”, lies in a marvelous setting at the junction of the INN river, the DANUBE river and the small LLZ river. Lots of little cobble stone roads, nicely painted houses and lovely architecture. Naturally when two rivers join up with the Danube it almost doubles the flow volume of the Danube. This is interesting because we learned that when Hitler was five years old he fell into the river (he grew up in Passau) and a “good Samaritan” went into the icy cold river and saved Hitler’s life.
*Be sure to check out the video on how close the River Boat was to hitting the bridge, with all of the rain that fell during the short period of time and the point where the three river’s meet, we were almost asked to pack up our cabins and take a bus to the next location! You can see the Captain’s head sticking out of the top of the ship, all of the tables and chairs were taking off the top deck, even the side fence along the top decks were taken down. It was an amazing experience….just look at the captain, and his crew ducking down and double checking to see that we cleared the bridge!
While in Vienna some of our friends that we had met decided to go the Schonbrunn Palace, they then proceeded to come back with some pictures for Scott and convince him to have his wedding there; I guess we will all be taking a river cruise as a family next October!
On a side note, we would like to go back and tell you another fun fact about Budapest that we had forgotten to mention. Did you know that Professor Rubric was a professor at a university in Budapest? He invented the Rubric’s Cube to help teach math concepts to his students!
In Melk Austria, this was our last chance to have any Arnold sightings. Did you know that the “Governator” is portrayed as one of Austria’s most famous people? Anyhow, Melk lies at the Western end of one of the loveliest stretches of the Danube River, the Wachau. Everywhere you look on the river you can find, old towers, churches, colorful houses and the famous Benedictine Abbey which itself houses (yes you guessed it) paintings (as well as ceiling paintings), sculptures, a beautiful library and some of the best views of the town. Our tour in Melk was at the abbey, during this tour we learned that it was painted yellow because that was one of the least expensive colors to purchase.
While on the tour we met a few people who decided to have a happy hour on the boat, so our Laura Lieberman/boy scout survival skills were put to the test. Needless to say our Swiss-Army Knife and ‘for-later’ skills have come in handy. We had a mini buffet on the top deck which would make our mom proud!
Passau, Germany
Well I am sorry to say we had no winners at Bingo last night, that was one of the two activities offered on board, the other was apple strudel making! Passau is a very interesting place to visit! First of all, we were (SCOTT was) reading the map completely wrong and yet we never got lost! In Passau we took a walking tour which ended in a church that gave us a pipe organ concert that was outstanding.
Passau, a frontier town between Bavaria and Austria and know as the “Town of the Three Rivers”, lies in a marvelous setting at the junction of the INN river, the DANUBE river and the small LLZ river. Lots of little cobble stone roads, nicely painted houses and lovely architecture. Naturally when two rivers join up with the Danube it almost doubles the flow volume of the Danube. This is interesting because we learned that when Hitler was five years old he fell into the river (he grew up in Passau) and a “good Samaritan” went into the icy cold river and saved Hitler’s life.
*Be sure to check out the video on how close the River Boat was to hitting the bridge, with all of the rain that fell during the short period of time and the point where the three river’s meet, we were almost asked to pack up our cabins and take a bus to the next location! You can see the Captain’s head sticking out of the top of the ship, all of the tables and chairs were taking off the top deck, even the side fence along the top decks were taken down. It was an amazing experience….just look at the captain, and his crew ducking down and double checking to see that we cleared the bridge!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria
As we have quickly learned, a river cruise is VERY different from our usual ocean liner cruise. The security is very different; you can have 3 to 5 river boats tied up to each other and the only way to get to your boat is to pass through the other ones, no ID, just push the button and the door opens. Another difference is that you can openly bring your goods on to the boat without being searched, beer, soda, liquor and any other items one may find on shore are all welcomed to the ship and finally YOU DO NOT HAVE 24 HOUR ROOM SERVICE, however we met a group that brings little zip lock bags to breakfast and lunch so they can have some “for-laters” and they have given us a bag because they wanted us to keep quiet about what they were doing!
Bratislava is the capital city of Slovakia with over 450,000 inhabitants. First settled over 2,000 years ago by Celtic tribes, Bratislava has seen the rise and fall of many empires and has only had stability since 1919. The capitals city center is filled with many cafes with WIFI internet hot spots, modern art sculptures, and many historic government and university buildings. Today we took a train car tour and saw sights such as the Bratislava Castle, Michaels Gate, Slovak National Theater, Primate’s Palace, and the Old Town Hall. In Bratislava, we ventured off to the city square with hopes of seeing the blue neon lights that flow through the city, needless to say, we saw one light (supposedly the others were broken) we also met up with some people from the ship who decided to have a beer with us. The nightlife in Bratislava was very nice, a young and cheap city with lots of history and lots to see and do.
Vienna, Austria
At the beginning of the river cruise, we did a mitzvah and today it paid off. A couple we have met arrived to Budapest without their luggage. Today in Vienna, they received their luggage and rewarded us for doing a good deed by treating us to a beer and giving us a bunch of peanuts and goodies that they had hidden in their luggage for the trip.
Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria. Vienna is filled with churches, monuments, palaces, opera houses and yes it even has a handful of museums. Today we did a city tour of Vienna which included a stop at the Belvedere Palace and museum. After the tour, we were encouraged by the tour guide to use public transportation to get back to the ship if we wanted to stay in the city center for a longer period of time, the only thing we had to remember was the name of the subway stop (Schiffahrtszentrum). We opted to go back to the ship for lunch using the tour bus. After lunch, we ventured out once more, and went to Wiener Prater. Wiener Prater is an amusement park that houses the famous Wiener Riesenrad or Giant Ferris Wheel. After riding the Weiner Riesenrad we rode some roller coasters, tried the slot machine casino, and walked through a four story dinosaur maze attraction. We had a great time and a lot of fun. We also a lot of “wiener” talks! How’s that for culture!
Bratislava is the capital city of Slovakia with over 450,000 inhabitants. First settled over 2,000 years ago by Celtic tribes, Bratislava has seen the rise and fall of many empires and has only had stability since 1919. The capitals city center is filled with many cafes with WIFI internet hot spots, modern art sculptures, and many historic government and university buildings. Today we took a train car tour and saw sights such as the Bratislava Castle, Michaels Gate, Slovak National Theater, Primate’s Palace, and the Old Town Hall. In Bratislava, we ventured off to the city square with hopes of seeing the blue neon lights that flow through the city, needless to say, we saw one light (supposedly the others were broken) we also met up with some people from the ship who decided to have a beer with us. The nightlife in Bratislava was very nice, a young and cheap city with lots of history and lots to see and do.
Vienna, Austria
At the beginning of the river cruise, we did a mitzvah and today it paid off. A couple we have met arrived to Budapest without their luggage. Today in Vienna, they received their luggage and rewarded us for doing a good deed by treating us to a beer and giving us a bunch of peanuts and goodies that they had hidden in their luggage for the trip.
Vienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria. Vienna is filled with churches, monuments, palaces, opera houses and yes it even has a handful of museums. Today we did a city tour of Vienna which included a stop at the Belvedere Palace and museum. After the tour, we were encouraged by the tour guide to use public transportation to get back to the ship if we wanted to stay in the city center for a longer period of time, the only thing we had to remember was the name of the subway stop (Schiffahrtszentrum). We opted to go back to the ship for lunch using the tour bus. After lunch, we ventured out once more, and went to Wiener Prater. Wiener Prater is an amusement park that houses the famous Wiener Riesenrad or Giant Ferris Wheel. After riding the Weiner Riesenrad we rode some roller coasters, tried the slot machine casino, and walked through a four story dinosaur maze attraction. We had a great time and a lot of fun. We also a lot of “wiener” talks! How’s that for culture!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Viking Pride and Budapest, Hungry
After leaving Venice on a 9:27pm train ride we arrived in Budapest at 3:00pm the following day. Josh and I were in a sleeper car with a roommate who is a Kiwi but now lives in Essex, England. We had a pleasant ride but were awoken many times by various officials when crossing borders between different countries. Chris, the Kiwi was a gentleman and woke us if we did not hear the door. All in all we got three stamps in our passports during the over night journey.
When we arrived in Budapest, we went straight to the river to board the Viking Pride. We got dropped off by a taxi, walked down a steep ramp with our massive luggage, right onto a Viking River Cruise Ship, and gave them our names. The gentleman at the front desk looked at us and said, “Do you have a reservation? We weren’t expecting any new passengers today.” Josh and I said, “Yes” while showing him the confirmation forms. He then smiled and said in his accented voice, “Oh, you are supposed to be in Prague.” Josh almost freaked, the gentleman didn’t say “Prague” he said “Pride”. We then had to walk along the river about a ½ mile until we found our ship. It isn’t like any type of cruising we’ve done before. They have one lounge (with a one man band), ONLY ONE place to eat (ha ha ha), and an upper deck with some chairs and tables. Some other differences include, more personalized service, a new port in the heart of different cities each day, and we have different tours arranged for us while in port daily. It will prove to be a very relaxing and culture filled journey.
After dinner and getting some things settled on the boat, we spent the first night in Budapest with our friend Luke. We walked around a “pedestrian only” area and found some shops, a historic marching band, some local attractions, and a local bar with very cheap drinks. We had a very nice evening filled with laughs, stories, and memories of out times together.
The following day, we took a tour with our group from the boat. We saw many sights on both the Buda side and the Pescht side. Yes, it might be spelled Pest, but it is pronounced, “Pescht”. Some of the sites included Hero Square, Varosliget Park, Budapest Opera House, one of the largest Synagogue in Europe, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and some Parliament Buildings. We also had time to explore Castle Hill, the Royal Palace, Gellert Hill, and the Gellert Hotel. We came back to the boat for lunch and then walked on a bridge across the Danube River, and spent a few hours in Gellert Hotel enjoying their Roman pools and spas. We didn’t get a special treatment, but we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. The evening started with both Josh and myself standing on the bow of the boat waving goodbye to Luke as he waited on a bridge. The river cruise passed under the bridge and we started our departure from Budapest. We took pictures of each other and we passed, and they will be posted as soon as Luke arrives home safely. We then went inside and had a lovely “Around the World” dinner. We then spent some time on the top enjoying the scenic cruise.
When we arrived in Budapest, we went straight to the river to board the Viking Pride. We got dropped off by a taxi, walked down a steep ramp with our massive luggage, right onto a Viking River Cruise Ship, and gave them our names. The gentleman at the front desk looked at us and said, “Do you have a reservation? We weren’t expecting any new passengers today.” Josh and I said, “Yes” while showing him the confirmation forms. He then smiled and said in his accented voice, “Oh, you are supposed to be in Prague.” Josh almost freaked, the gentleman didn’t say “Prague” he said “Pride”. We then had to walk along the river about a ½ mile until we found our ship. It isn’t like any type of cruising we’ve done before. They have one lounge (with a one man band), ONLY ONE place to eat (ha ha ha), and an upper deck with some chairs and tables. Some other differences include, more personalized service, a new port in the heart of different cities each day, and we have different tours arranged for us while in port daily. It will prove to be a very relaxing and culture filled journey.
After dinner and getting some things settled on the boat, we spent the first night in Budapest with our friend Luke. We walked around a “pedestrian only” area and found some shops, a historic marching band, some local attractions, and a local bar with very cheap drinks. We had a very nice evening filled with laughs, stories, and memories of out times together.
The following day, we took a tour with our group from the boat. We saw many sights on both the Buda side and the Pescht side. Yes, it might be spelled Pest, but it is pronounced, “Pescht”. Some of the sites included Hero Square, Varosliget Park, Budapest Opera House, one of the largest Synagogue in Europe, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and some Parliament Buildings. We also had time to explore Castle Hill, the Royal Palace, Gellert Hill, and the Gellert Hotel. We came back to the boat for lunch and then walked on a bridge across the Danube River, and spent a few hours in Gellert Hotel enjoying their Roman pools and spas. We didn’t get a special treatment, but we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves. The evening started with both Josh and myself standing on the bow of the boat waving goodbye to Luke as he waited on a bridge. The river cruise passed under the bridge and we started our departure from Budapest. We took pictures of each other and we passed, and they will be posted as soon as Luke arrives home safely. We then went inside and had a lovely “Around the World” dinner. We then spent some time on the top enjoying the scenic cruise.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Florence and Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
We would like to apologize for not writing as soon as we would have hoped. The Internet hasn’t been as accessible as we would have hoped....
Holla from Florence or shall I say Ciao!
We traveled between Rome and Florence by bus. We learned that if you take the bus, the travel time is almost four hours, by train it is only one and a half hours. As we were driving along the highway to get out of Rome, you will find a lot of pretty ladies. Now these ladies are waiting at bus stops, but are not waiting for the bus. In some cases they even forgot to put their pants on! Go Figure! Anyhow we drove along the Highway of the Sun north into Tuscany and its hills of vineyards, which house the chianti wine, ending in Florence, also known as the cradle of the Renaissance.
The next morning, we drove along the Arno River before our morning tour. During the bus ride, hype was built up about the prada outlet, olive oil tasting, and of course the art and culture in Florence. The morning tour included a trip to the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the cathedral. We saw the colorful Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and the Signoria Square that is filled with different sculptures, even an exact replica of David. After the tour we opted to participate in leather making, gold making and olive oil tasting classes. Did you know that you can taste olive oil the same way people taste wine! You drink in from a wine glass!
Of course we also had our eyes open for the gypsies! We found two very clever gypsies team. One was a group that had phony headsets and decided to walk along side of the tours that had headsets and other acted as a tourist couple and they came into the middle of our group to take a picture of one of the monuments and then she dropped her camera on the floor and batteries went flying everywhere! So ideally when people would bend over to help her, her friends would go to work cleaning out the group. The only problem was we all moved away and no one helped her! The funny thing was; we saw this same team at the next stop on our tour!
In the afternoon, Luke and I decided to go to the Hills of Tuscany and go wine tasting at the Chianti Winery and visit La Cantina, the Wine Museum (THIS IS HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED). It was a 6 Euro round trip air-conditioned 35 minute bus ride to a little town with shops and restaurants and La Cantina. We never made it to the Winery but the wine museum was great. You get a little credit card and you walk around learning about wines, testing them until your card runs out of credits, they have all sorts of wines. You also can partake in olive oil tasting!
Scott and Jessica spent the afternoon cavorting in Florence.
Venice, Italy
What else can be said except for, no cars and the streets are canals. Venice is a uniquely amazing city unlike any other we’ve seen. Venice was built on a series of islands and houses fabulous art and architecture.
When we arrived in Venice, we left our luggage behind and walked along the Grand Canal towards our hotel. Experiencing all of the people and the bustling canals is quite amazing. After arriving at the hotel our luggage was already in the lobby which had arrived by vaporetto or water taxi. We checked into our rooms and had a day of sightseeing ahead of us. Our first stop was the Piazza San Marco or San Marco Square where we explored Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.
Doge was a ruler of the Venetian and a tour of his palace takes you through many richly decorated chambers, rooms, and halls. You finally end with the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons. The prisons were our favorite part because there were many candid shots of the canal through the windows. Next it was off to visit what has been called one of Europe’s greatest buildings. This massive building was built three times; once it was destroyed by fire and once it was torn down to make way for a building that represented the growing power of the Republic. The interior is filled with mosaics gleaming with gold and houses many different statues, icons, and famous horses.
Today we slept late and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards we met up with Jessica and took a gondola ride. The trip was perfect, relaxing, and priceless. I just wish Randi was there too. In the afternoon, we went to Borano Island and had an excellent seafood lunch and did some shopping. This evening we are off to Budapest to join our river cruise.
We would like to apologize for not writing as soon as we would have hoped. The Internet hasn’t been as accessible as we would have hoped....
Holla from Florence or shall I say Ciao!
We traveled between Rome and Florence by bus. We learned that if you take the bus, the travel time is almost four hours, by train it is only one and a half hours. As we were driving along the highway to get out of Rome, you will find a lot of pretty ladies. Now these ladies are waiting at bus stops, but are not waiting for the bus. In some cases they even forgot to put their pants on! Go Figure! Anyhow we drove along the Highway of the Sun north into Tuscany and its hills of vineyards, which house the chianti wine, ending in Florence, also known as the cradle of the Renaissance.
The next morning, we drove along the Arno River before our morning tour. During the bus ride, hype was built up about the prada outlet, olive oil tasting, and of course the art and culture in Florence. The morning tour included a trip to the Academy of Fine Arts with Michelangelo’s celebrated David and the cathedral. We saw the colorful Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and the Signoria Square that is filled with different sculptures, even an exact replica of David. After the tour we opted to participate in leather making, gold making and olive oil tasting classes. Did you know that you can taste olive oil the same way people taste wine! You drink in from a wine glass!
Of course we also had our eyes open for the gypsies! We found two very clever gypsies team. One was a group that had phony headsets and decided to walk along side of the tours that had headsets and other acted as a tourist couple and they came into the middle of our group to take a picture of one of the monuments and then she dropped her camera on the floor and batteries went flying everywhere! So ideally when people would bend over to help her, her friends would go to work cleaning out the group. The only problem was we all moved away and no one helped her! The funny thing was; we saw this same team at the next stop on our tour!
In the afternoon, Luke and I decided to go to the Hills of Tuscany and go wine tasting at the Chianti Winery and visit La Cantina, the Wine Museum (THIS IS HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED). It was a 6 Euro round trip air-conditioned 35 minute bus ride to a little town with shops and restaurants and La Cantina. We never made it to the Winery but the wine museum was great. You get a little credit card and you walk around learning about wines, testing them until your card runs out of credits, they have all sorts of wines. You also can partake in olive oil tasting!
Scott and Jessica spent the afternoon cavorting in Florence.
Venice, Italy
What else can be said except for, no cars and the streets are canals. Venice is a uniquely amazing city unlike any other we’ve seen. Venice was built on a series of islands and houses fabulous art and architecture.
When we arrived in Venice, we left our luggage behind and walked along the Grand Canal towards our hotel. Experiencing all of the people and the bustling canals is quite amazing. After arriving at the hotel our luggage was already in the lobby which had arrived by vaporetto or water taxi. We checked into our rooms and had a day of sightseeing ahead of us. Our first stop was the Piazza San Marco or San Marco Square where we explored Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica.
Doge was a ruler of the Venetian and a tour of his palace takes you through many richly decorated chambers, rooms, and halls. You finally end with the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons. The prisons were our favorite part because there were many candid shots of the canal through the windows. Next it was off to visit what has been called one of Europe’s greatest buildings. This massive building was built three times; once it was destroyed by fire and once it was torn down to make way for a building that represented the growing power of the Republic. The interior is filled with mosaics gleaming with gold and houses many different statues, icons, and famous horses.
Today we slept late and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards we met up with Jessica and took a gondola ride. The trip was perfect, relaxing, and priceless. I just wish Randi was there too. In the afternoon, we went to Borano Island and had an excellent seafood lunch and did some shopping. This evening we are off to Budapest to join our river cruise.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Pisa and Rome, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Well the tower is still crooked. We did not set it straight no matter how hard we tried. It actually almost fell on Josh (check out the pictures). Pisa is a great city and easy to navigate. We arrived there after taking a train from Nice, France. It was a very beautiful journey along the coasts of France and Italy with the Mediterranean Sea as the boarder and backdrop.
Pisa itself is very famous for its “Pisa Romanesque” architecture. Most buildings boasting this beautiful architecture boarder narrow streets leading to the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa. After going over the river and through some winding streets, you come upon the beautiful “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. The streets are lined with stores and cafes, but this tower is a very magnificent building built with similar marble to that of Philadelphia’s City Hall. Although we didn’t have the time to walk to the top of the tower, we had a great time taking pictures. After we left Pisa, we were off to Rome, the capital of Italy with the grandest monuments I have ever seen.
Rome, Italy
We made it to Rome in one piece! Scott, myself, Luke and Jessica took a train from Pisa. We saw some cruise ships along the way and of course our eyes were wide open looking for olive trees and grape bunches. When we got our hotel in Rome and met with our tour group. We were quickly warned about the Gypsies. Our tour guide had her own stories to tell, but there was a family traveling from the United States who had already became a victim of the gypsy game. An old man pretended to trip and fall right in front of them and as they were helping him up, they got pick pocketed from all directions and within seconds it was all over.
Today was a very busy day, we got up at 6:30am to meet the group for breakfast and we were off. Scott and I went to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment. Our tour then continued to the monumental St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. We then crossed the Tiber River and visited the Coliseum and the Roman Forum all which were just AMAZING! Every piece of Rome has such amazing history. Did you know when you use your cell phone in Rome, you are “ROMEing”…. (well Scott made that up, but it is pretty funny). In the afternoon, we met up with Luke and Jessica and explored the Spanish Steps, visited where Julius Caesar was killed by Brutus and of course threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. At the fountain we saw Gypsies in action targeting tourist. Unfortunately for the Gypsy, the targeted tourist caught on to what was happening and wasted no time in slapping the little girl. We find the whole gypsy culture to be very interesting because they can’t be arrested or exiled due to their age and race.
Everything was so exciting today. Imagine walking through tiny side streets only to find a huge Piazza with fountains, statues, and places to sit and people watch at the end without warning. Rome is great and we recommend this city to anyone who visits’s Italy. Definitely take a tour, it made everything that much easier access and the tour guides are very knowledgeable.
Scott and I gave a new meaning to the term “holy sh-t” and I’m sure you can guess how we did it!
We ended the day with a great dinner in a local restaurant. Tomorrow we are off to Florence and Tuscany. I can’t wait to taste and try wines and olive oil.
Thank you for reading. Holla Back when you can.
Well the tower is still crooked. We did not set it straight no matter how hard we tried. It actually almost fell on Josh (check out the pictures). Pisa is a great city and easy to navigate. We arrived there after taking a train from Nice, France. It was a very beautiful journey along the coasts of France and Italy with the Mediterranean Sea as the boarder and backdrop.
Pisa itself is very famous for its “Pisa Romanesque” architecture. Most buildings boasting this beautiful architecture boarder narrow streets leading to the infamous Leaning Tower of Pisa. After going over the river and through some winding streets, you come upon the beautiful “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. The streets are lined with stores and cafes, but this tower is a very magnificent building built with similar marble to that of Philadelphia’s City Hall. Although we didn’t have the time to walk to the top of the tower, we had a great time taking pictures. After we left Pisa, we were off to Rome, the capital of Italy with the grandest monuments I have ever seen.
Rome, Italy
We made it to Rome in one piece! Scott, myself, Luke and Jessica took a train from Pisa. We saw some cruise ships along the way and of course our eyes were wide open looking for olive trees and grape bunches. When we got our hotel in Rome and met with our tour group. We were quickly warned about the Gypsies. Our tour guide had her own stories to tell, but there was a family traveling from the United States who had already became a victim of the gypsy game. An old man pretended to trip and fall right in front of them and as they were helping him up, they got pick pocketed from all directions and within seconds it was all over.
Today was a very busy day, we got up at 6:30am to meet the group for breakfast and we were off. Scott and I went to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgment. Our tour then continued to the monumental St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. We then crossed the Tiber River and visited the Coliseum and the Roman Forum all which were just AMAZING! Every piece of Rome has such amazing history. Did you know when you use your cell phone in Rome, you are “ROMEing”…. (well Scott made that up, but it is pretty funny). In the afternoon, we met up with Luke and Jessica and explored the Spanish Steps, visited where Julius Caesar was killed by Brutus and of course threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. At the fountain we saw Gypsies in action targeting tourist. Unfortunately for the Gypsy, the targeted tourist caught on to what was happening and wasted no time in slapping the little girl. We find the whole gypsy culture to be very interesting because they can’t be arrested or exiled due to their age and race.
Everything was so exciting today. Imagine walking through tiny side streets only to find a huge Piazza with fountains, statues, and places to sit and people watch at the end without warning. Rome is great and we recommend this city to anyone who visits’s Italy. Definitely take a tour, it made everything that much easier access and the tour guides are very knowledgeable.
Scott and I gave a new meaning to the term “holy sh-t” and I’m sure you can guess how we did it!
We ended the day with a great dinner in a local restaurant. Tomorrow we are off to Florence and Tuscany. I can’t wait to taste and try wines and olive oil.
Thank you for reading. Holla Back when you can.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Nice, France
Lets start out by saying, Yes Grandma we can all see you comments. It worked!!!
Now to talk about Nice: What can I say; Luke and Jessica are here, hot summer weather, hundreds of café’s and bars, The Mediterranean, and TOPLESS BEACHES!!! French boobies might not be as big, but they sure are TAN!!!
As a past member of the Genoese League, the city of Nice offers ancient Roman ruins and picturesque villages along an endless stretch of exquisite Mediterranean. There is a tremendous wealth of culture to be explored while eating and driving in a side walk café. Nice is a true charm in Frances’ southern region.
Last night we explored Nice by having dinner at an outdoor restaurant in the main downtown area followed by bar hopping. We met some locals but mainly chatted and reminisced about our past travels and experiences together.
Today we just RELAXED!!! Josh and I woke up around 9:30am and went to the gym. After that we went back to the room and woke Jessica and Luke. We all then went to the top floor and swam in the pool which over looks The Mediterranean. It was so much fun. After that we got some lunch in a little café in town and I ate some very VERY fresh seafood, including shrimps with the head still on them. After lunch, we went to the beach. It was very nice, but their beaches do not have sand, they are lined with rocks. After you move some rocks around, it was comfortable. Josh then gave us some hot stone treatments before we went swimming.
After the beach, we spent the afternoon walking around town and “window shopping” on the shore line. We tried to make it to Monaco, but we didn’t know the buses and trains were on a special schedule today and missed the opportunity. Tomorrow we are off to Pisa where we will try to set the tower straight once and for all!
p.s. I used a bidet for the first time and I think I did it wrong - Scott
Now to talk about Nice: What can I say; Luke and Jessica are here, hot summer weather, hundreds of café’s and bars, The Mediterranean, and TOPLESS BEACHES!!! French boobies might not be as big, but they sure are TAN!!!
As a past member of the Genoese League, the city of Nice offers ancient Roman ruins and picturesque villages along an endless stretch of exquisite Mediterranean. There is a tremendous wealth of culture to be explored while eating and driving in a side walk café. Nice is a true charm in Frances’ southern region.
Last night we explored Nice by having dinner at an outdoor restaurant in the main downtown area followed by bar hopping. We met some locals but mainly chatted and reminisced about our past travels and experiences together.
Today we just RELAXED!!! Josh and I woke up around 9:30am and went to the gym. After that we went back to the room and woke Jessica and Luke. We all then went to the top floor and swam in the pool which over looks The Mediterranean. It was so much fun. After that we got some lunch in a little café in town and I ate some very VERY fresh seafood, including shrimps with the head still on them. After lunch, we went to the beach. It was very nice, but their beaches do not have sand, they are lined with rocks. After you move some rocks around, it was comfortable. Josh then gave us some hot stone treatments before we went swimming.
After the beach, we spent the afternoon walking around town and “window shopping” on the shore line. We tried to make it to Monaco, but we didn’t know the buses and trains were on a special schedule today and missed the opportunity. Tomorrow we are off to Pisa where we will try to set the tower straight once and for all!
p.s. I used a bidet for the first time and I think I did it wrong - Scott
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