Arriverderci!

We are ready to leave-the kids are so anxious to get home, Ellen and I would love to go to the South of France next, but real life calls us home!
We had a great time with the Wittig's last night -dinner at the Campo de Fiori.
And yesterday morning Ellen and I showed up at the Borghese Galleria for a most magnificent marble and painting experience-Bernini is the man!
No pix allowed but we will remember it always.
Auf Wiedersein!
Au Revoir!
Arriverderci!

Last day in rome

All day yesterday Ellen and I tried to book tickets for the Borghese Galleria. Somehow we missed that this was a must book in advance and we forgot it was the weekend:( We just did not want to miss out on this fabulous museum. The kids are burnt out on any tours, art, etc-they are ready for home.
I spoke to a man who told me to get to the Borghese at 830 when it opened.
We arrived exactly on time and waited in line to be told they would let us know by 9:05 when the computer calculated how many people showed up-apparently there are no-shows. We prayed.
We got in! This museum is so fantastic that again there are no words to describe. The sculptures-Bernini-his David, my favorite Apollo chasing Daphne as she turns into a laurel tree to escape him. we saw Caravaggio and Canova-the sculpture of Paulina was so life like-even the bed looked like it was real. Melissa -you were right about David-Bernini captures him in motion-wow!!!Our audioguides helped with the history.there was so much and it was all beautiful.
Yesterday it rained, I mean poured just as we were walking to Piazza Navonna to hang out and have dinner.
the kids are hoping to go on the Time Elevator today and tonight we plan to meet the Wittig's at Piazza Navonna for dinner and a last gelato:)
Ciao!

more pix

More of Rome and Florence

Rome -don't know what day it is

Have to catch up here.It is so easy to forget what day it is when traveling.
Thursday we went to Vatican City. Had an unbelievable tour through the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St.Peter's. Words cannot tell the story-all I can say is that it was breathtaking. I could not believe I was there. Kids were entranced. We also met another family traveling from Texas: 2 teenage girls, mom and grandma in a wheelchair-she did not let that wheelchair stop her one bit.
Looking at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was really something to behold. Singlehanded-4 years of his life painting frescoes while on scaffolding.The Last Judgement Wall-5 years to paint and then a Cardinal pissed him off so he painted him on the bottom wrapped in chains. Honestly I had chills in the Sistine Chapel.
the tapestries in the Vatican were also amazing. All these words seem silly but the feeling we had when looking at these masterpieces-I cannot put it into words.
St. Peter's -we had to touch his right foot for good luck, the statues all over-sized-wow!
After we left and were able to come down to earth we went to dinner at Piazza Navonna with the other family. the street artists and musicians were out and we sat outdoors laughing and sharing our adventures with the Rengal family. What a great night.
We LOVE Rome!!!!!
Yesterday we went to Florence on the Eurostar. Great train. Everyone had times of crankiness-we thought were so great booking the tickets and we went without a plan. Bad idea. We went on the hop-on hop-off bus, We did get to see the Duomo (nasty woman there)David at the Academie (again-no words to describe)and Ellen got her leather jacket at the outdoor market and we got to cross the Ponte Vecchio bridge but we were too late the Uffizi Gallery. Kids ate at McDonald's before boarding train (ugh!) and Ellen and I dined onboard.
Exhausted and now trying to get tickets for Borghese Gallery as we wind down our trip.

OK -we LOVE Rome!

Will update tomorrow after our trip to Florence but we have finally acclimated to Rome and we love it!!!!

day 4 -trying to begin

apparently 10:30 is too early also. teenagers...this is not the beach trip. We are trying to get to Termini Station to buy tickets to go to Florence tomorrow. I can't imagine how we can even get those kids up to make a (gasp!) 10:00 train. Somehow they think that being on the computer and hanging out in their room is the way to spend a vacation in Rome...

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Rome day 3

I think we are finally adjusted to Rome.
Talked to my old roommate Robin today-I only wish she was here to give us the tour. Finally got the kids moving after they slept in (again)
In the meantime Ellen and I explored our neighborhood of the Jewish Ghetto. came back with food and the kids perked up.
Robin gave us some tips and off we went to the Colosseum. We learned a lot of history from JeanLuigi (ellen's new boyfriend). Just walking there we passed by so many other ruins. The Arch of Constantine, random statues of Caesar and others just on the streets. We finally felt like we were really in Rome instead of in alleys in the neighborhood.
After the Colosseum we walked down to Piazza Venezia and ate at a wonderful trattoria ande were serenaded by an accordion player and his wife (or sister) Ellen danced to La Bamba!
Fun day.
tomorrow hop on off bus and Friday Florence!

more rome pix

Rome days 1 and 2

We arrived around 6 pm last night, so sad to leave Paris. I studied the Italian phrase book but everything came out French-I just can't speak Italian. Ellen and Juliette are supposed to be handling the Italian since they have so much Spanish but we are all frozen when it comes to saying more than "Grazie" and "Prego" I did get the hang of Quanto costa? How much does it cost?
The apt. is smaller than Paris but nice. We are in an alleyway-lots of motorcycles and graffiti nearby and the heart of the Jewish Ghetto. Very easy to get lost so we are grateful we have Nic around although it is getting to his head:)
Last night we had dinner at Ristorante Pompiere-right around the corner-it was great food andI loved that we had a French waiter.
Today we all slept in and Ellen and I went out to get some food for breakfast. It was a beautiful sky-so blue and really warm. We dressed for our tour and the weather changed completely-raining-had to buy cheap umbrellas again.
We loved our tour with Lorenzo-very knowledgable about Roman history and we did not let the rain bother us-walked for 3 hours around Rome-everywhere we looked there were obelisks, ruuins, churches, squares-which of course are not square:)
Dana-we could really use your help with Italian!
We went to the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain.
Exhausted, but on our way out to dinner.
Arrivederci!

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And more...

What a fun 2 days -I am so sad to leave Paris:( I know that Rome is supposed to be great but I am just not ready to leave Paris. We spent the last 2 days taking the metro everywhere. Yesterday all over the Champs Elysees. then we went to St. Germain de Pres and passed by all the upscale stores: Prada, Tod's, Hermes, etc. Ellen had a goal in mind: the Longchamps store-she went a little crazy in there:)
From there we went to the Louvre-got there at 530 and found out it closed at 6-who would have thought that? We RAN so fast so Juliette could see the Mona Lisa and the marble Nike of Samothrace-we were bummed but what can you do?
the kids were so pooped they wanted to stay home so Ellen and I went to dinner at a restaurant where there was virtually no English-very upscale and so delicious.
Today (Sunday) we took the metro to the Latin Quartier. Saw La Sorbonne adn the Musee de Moyen Age (Museum of the Middle Ages) Beautiful stained glass windows, tapestries, roman baths, reliefs, and the Lady of the Unicorn.
We spent 6 hours wandering the 5th and finally found the Shakespeare bookstore. We ate everywhere. Jeanie-we were in the old place-near the fountain-French rappers dancing for us (and for our money:)
We had dinner at Hippopotamus -just ok a sad way to say "Au Revoir"
Tomorrow:Rome

Paris last day part deux

Paris -last day :(

We have been having so much fun getting on the metro and just buzzing around town. with Nic as our human map of the city it has been so easy. We haven not had any tours and have been winging it-we love our 5 day metro pass!
Before we left all the ladies got their hair blow dried at the French salon. It was so much fun. My woman told me she would see me back in San Jose and I could do it for her-or at least that's what I thought she said-the French speak so fast.After Nic enjoyed his break from the girls we decided to walk the Champs Elysees for a bit. What an amazingly wide blvd and full of wonderful stores. there is even a McCafe-the only way they would allow a McDonalds on the blvd. Kids enjoyed the 4 story Virgin Megastore.Ellen enjoyed it all-she is the shopper.

Paris-what day is it?

Well I think it's Friday...
I was too tired to post last night. We went to Giverny for the day. Monet actually planned his own garden so he could paint what he wanted. who knew? What a beautiful place. I took great photos-had to use Ellen's memory stick because I left mine in the computer:) Have not figured out how to post her photos.
We went to dinner at a bistro that took forever-I did not think we would EVER eat dinner or then get the check...
Patrick left early this morning:(
Today we used our human GPS otherwise known as Nic to get to Le Marais district-he instantly knows we take the 2 line to the 1 line-thank god he inherited from Patrick. Of course he is getting a bit of a god-complex-thinks that we will be lost without him or we'd have to take cabs-now why would he think that? I have SUCH a good sense of direction:)
At any rate Ellen wanted to be in touch with her Jewish heritage so we went to the Jewish quarter in the Marais. Went to the Jewish heritage museum-very moving. We met a honeymooning NY couple who just wanted the shopkeeper to speak English so they could get babka. Ellen told them "No babka here!"
We went to 2, not 1, but 2 chocolate shops-enough said.
Home for a bit and then out to Del Papa, the best Italian restaurant since Munich!
Good night mes amis.

Paris Day 2 part 1

Last night Juliette and I went for a long walk along the Paris streets. So nice. We were in search of a pharmacy that was open (for some Benadryl) but everything closes so early that we just walked instead. It was so nice.
We finally slept for a whole night. It was nice to jut hang in the apt. and relax. It is so spacious here-for all the weird things-the 3 hour tiny load washer/dryer, 1 toilet, at least we have space-and a pretty view.
Nic and I went to get fresh croissants this morning and later we are headed for the tourist sites.