A face only a mother could love...

Three kids + a water spigot + 1 empty garden bed = 3 very messy kids!

Ciao a tutti!

A walk across Rome...

This is one of my favorite adventures thus far in Italy (aside from going to Venice with Tobin). I just don't get many opportunities to just take the boys (who are older and more 'bribe-able') to do more 'grown-up' things. I truly enjoyed Rome, my boys, and the adventure, never mind it was in the 90s and humid, we just had a super fun time!

We spent the day walking across Rome...I am so impressed with the boys, having good attitudes despite being hot and tired...finding several TIs certainly helped, and gelato will make any day better, and mommy even got to do some shopping...a GREAT day!

Our first stop was Castel Sant'Angelo. Roman law stated no one could be buried inside the city walls, so Emperor Hadrian built this great big circular tomb. For nearly 100 years emperors were buried there, it was a prison in the dark ages, and eventually it was connected to the Vatican as a handy place of last refuge for threatened Popes. The boys enjoyed the castle, we found a great spot to rest with a magnificent view of Rome and a cool breeze...and the local TI with a map for everyone! Here is a pic from Ponte Sant'Angelo...

The fortress/castle from the inside...don't you just love those 2 helpers...

We continued on...hot and sweaty...I can't say that I ever thought I would drink from a public fountain (like the bubbling over kind), I got over that quick and learned to truly enjoy the ice cold water freely flowing...a quick wash of the face and you are ready to go again!

We managed to find Piazza Navona...an oblong shaped square with 3 impressive fountains (the middle one was by Bernini)...we ate gelato, washed off in a fountain, strolled through the artists booths, and found another TI...

I managed to stumble onto the Pantheon, totally by accident, but fun none the less. It is the only wholly intact roman building...it is pretty impressive...

Inside the dome, while it is much shorter than St. Peter's...it is 3 feet wider at the base...

We 'mosey-ed' on...if one can mosey while sweating and dragging 2 tired kids...bribing them with the possiblity of finding one more TI (which I never did by the way) and found the Trevi Fountain. It was quite impressive, crowded and huge. Of course, I forgot to toss in the obligatory coin into the fountain...silly me...local story, if you toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain and you will return to Rome...need to get back there...

Then we managed to find the Metro, got on the 4 o'clock train, meeting back up with Shannon and made it back home to Montalto. Not bad for one day's work! While it wasn't that important to the boys and, frankly, they won't remember, I will always treasure the memories of this special day. The boys did wonderfully, we had a good time, the boys had their maps from the TIs, and I had some wonderful memories to bring home...

Ciao a tutti!

Vatican...

Last Thursday, I had a wonderful opportunity to hang out with just my 2 boys. Shannon wanted to go to the Vatican Museums (which I had already seen, pics here...) and I went along for the ride with Case and Clayton (Grandma was watching Gwen)...

First, we went to St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and regardless of what one might think of the Catholic Church, it was absolutely amazing. The Basilica...

You step inside the door and two things happen...you breath a sigh of relief to get out of the heat and your breath is taken away by the shear enormity of the Nave...

Just to the right inside the door is Michealangelo's Pieta...a peita is a sculpture of Mary holding the body of Christ after the cruxifition...

This is the main alter that is over St. Peter's Tomb...

Here is the dome...the picture was uploaded the wrong way...tilt your head to the left to get an idea of the dome. The dome was Michealangelos last work and is the biggest anywhere. In fact, Rome has no modern skyline, due to the fact that no building can be built that is taller than St. Peter's....

Dove window (stained glass window with dove in center...I couldn't get a pic that showed the dove:( ) and St. Peter's throne...

St. Peter's Square...apparently the Pope was having some kind of something on Sunday, so there were hundreds of chairs and most of the square was blocked off...

Then we had a bite to eat and Shannon was off to the museums...and I was alone in the streets of Rome with the two boys...the adventure continues...

Ciao a tutti!

Marina di Montalto...

Marina di Montalto is the beach...my absolute FAVORITE place (I am being highly sarcastic), but my kids really do LOVE it...so we go! The beaches have black volcanic sand...pretty cool!

This day we just went for a 'walk'...tell that to the kids...

Can you believe this kid?

And finally, a tribute to Uncle Shannon, who really absolutely LOVES the beach...

Overall, not too bad of a day...we didn't stay too long...just enough for the kids to get incredibly wet and sandy...but that is what the beach is for, isn't it?

Have a wonderful day!

Ciao a tutti!

Eight is enough...

I promise that this is the LAST post on Venice (that is, unless we go back...doubtful, but who knows!). So a few last thoughts, pictures, and stories. We had a really good time...

A vaporetto...

The Rialto Bridge...

The Frari Church...one of my favorite stops...we saw a wood carving by Donatello, painting by Bellini, and large oil by Titian...it was really neat to see these great works of art in the places that they were created to be...I really enjoyed it...

Dueling gondole...

A random find while we were walking through the streets of Venice...we peeked into this church...it is up there on my favorites list...I wasn't supposed to take a picture but I couldn't help myself. The picture doesn't do it justice...notice the light blue inlaid marble damask pattern...it was absolutely everywhere, including on the columns...it was NOT wallpaper, but inlaid blue marble...absolutely exquisite!

So that was only Friday and Saturday! Sunday we woke up and left Venice kind of early...we had one more planned adventure...we would drive down the coast, visit the city of Ravenna (it apparently has a pretty cool basilica), make our way to San Marino (one of the 5 micro countries in Europe) and then get moving home. Well, all I have to say is that we have been terribly spoiled these last 2 months...tourist season is upon us! We didn't make it to any of our destinations on Sunday...the traffic for the beach was absolutely crazy...so we had to abandon our Sunday adventures :(

Aside from that...our trip was GREAT!!! Now on to other subjects...
Ciao a tutti!

Burano...

Just as Murano is famous for it's glass, Burano is famous for it's lace and colorful houses. Just a hop, skip and vaporetto ride from Venice, it is a colorful sleepy town bombarded with tourists looking to purchase their wares. Here is a pic of some of the colorful houses...

And goofy me with the umbrella I purchased for Gwen...Hey, a girl's gotta have some shade!

More of the town and yes, that is goofy me again...

More colorful houses...

So that is most of my shopping extraveganza on our weekend getaway!

Ciao a tutti!

Murano...

So, I am a little disappointed in myself...I didn't get too many pictures from the island of Murano...I was too busy SHOPPING!!! I would love to say that I brought home one of those fabulous Murano glass chandeliers...but I think I would have had to sell one of my children to afford one! So I managed to procure a vase and of course some glass beaded jewelry...it was a ton of fun, a ton of walking, a ton of sweating...it was pretty HOT there...the sun is pretty intense...but for those of you who are concerned for my red-headed whiter than white skin...I have yet to get a sun burn!

The streets were lined with little shops that sold everything you could possibly imagine in glass...christmas ornaments, jewelry, vases, lighting, small animals, cups, tea sets, key chains, roses, etc...

I will be honest...I love to shop and I haven't had too much time to do that with the 3 kids...so I REALLY enjoyed my time there!

Ciao a tutti!