Florence via the Ride Home

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Figuring that we had about a 10-12 hour drive home, we decided to make our stop in Florence a fairly quick one. I really wanted to see the Piazza della Signoria with anything else being icing on the cake. After a week of seeing new places, the boys were beside themselves with why I still wanted to stop in this city!

Somehow we ended up on this bridge a few too many times. We kept
ending up on one-way streets that would lead us back out of the city.
Our GPS was not caught up with the most recent construction! So we
finally turned the GPS off and looked for a parking spot.

Josiah, always the climber

Florence had more bikes than we saw in the other Italian
cities. And very narrow streets. We were fortunate that
we found a parking garage that didn't cost an arm and a
leg. Plus, they gave us a map of the city!

This is just after entering the main square of Piazza della

Repubblica, one of the piazzas we walked through on our way

to Piazza della Signoria. Though impressive to see, the boys

were a bit disappointed that I wanted to see this square.

Little did they know, we weren't done walking yet!

Lots of the buildings were a yellow brick or stone - very
different from the other cities we had visited since it was
more monotone than the others.

Piazza della Signoria is filled with many famous statues.
The one above is the Fountain of Neptune. (1575)
The boys were very unimpressed as all of them were
naked! And they were horrified when their dad asked them
to stand by one for a photo. They were okay with standing
by the bronze Cosimo I statue though as he was fully clothed.

I love how church spires can be seen in any given
picture. I am sure I didn't even notice this one when
taking the picture.

We are standing in the Loggia die Lanzi in this photo and looking down
over the stairs to the street musician. This is one thing I will really miss
about Europe - some of these street musicians are amazing.

This street musician was unbelievable! And everyone thought so as his
guitar case had loads of cash in it. Generally, people drop in 50 cents or
a Euro or two. This guy had bills. Lots of 'em. We stood listening long
enough that we wondered if we needed to drop in bills as well! He was set
up just beside the Loggia die Lanzi, which is an open-air building consisting
of three bays with large arches. Somehow I was so taken with the music that
I forgot to take a photo of the arches and all of the statues under them! 

This David, one of Michaelangelo's famous sculptures,
is a replica of the original which is now in a museum in
Florence. Hercules and Cacus are in the foreground.

Cosimo I became head of the Florentine Republic in 1537.
He was 17 years old at the time. In 1569, he was named the
Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Looking back at the Fountain of Neptune with the
Loggia die Lanzi in the background.

Here is another photo of Cosimo I with the town
hall, Palazzo Vecchio or "Old Palace," behind it.
Notice the bird sitting on his head!

Florence had so very many motorcycles. Rome had
smart cars coming out its ears - at one point, we counted
over a dozen smart cars in less than one block. Well,
Florence seemed to us to be home to the motorcycles!

As we left the Piazza della Signoria, we decided we needed
one last ice-cream stop. This place was on on our way back
to the car so we stopped in for a treat. 

That treat ended up being breakfast, lunch and dinner! Every other place
that we got ice-cream, the prices were very reasonable. Generally, each cone
was about 2.50 Euros. I guess this place was the Prada of Florence as our
total came to 40 Euros! What? Is it too late to return it? That came out to
almost 7 Euros a person! It was good but not Prada good!

As we headed north, we drove for hours through wine
country. Where isn't there wine country in Italy though?
We also enjoyed spotting castles dotting the hillsides
as we drove. It was a beautiful drive!

The boys conked out...some more than others! Josiah was patiently waiting
for Noah to wake up as he didn't really have a place to put his arms...except,
of course, around his brother!

A funny story from our trip home....our time in Tuscany was filled with sunshine and short sleeves. Such a refreshing change to the long, dark winter. We were all in good spirits from such a wonderful week. The farther north we drove, the nastier the weather became. Shortly after crossing into Germany we stopped for a refill and bathroom break. As we drove into the station, the snow was blowing and the wind was whipping. Our coats that we hadn't used in almost a week were packed away so we just made a dash for the restrooms. Tracy figured this was a great time to grab some coffee and headed to the counter. Now keep in mind that our experiences with Germans have been so very nice. We have rarely met the stereotypical German. And yet, stereotypes come from somewhere. This gas station stop was one of those places! Tracy ordered a cup of coffee with an extra shot so as to help him stay alert. Picture a large-ish German Frau that looked like she just wrestled an ox....scowling, she harshly said, "We can't do that." So Tracy explained again what he wanted. "What do you want? Just tell me what you want." This continued for a bit with some onlookers sizing up the situation as well so Tracy finally just said, "I want a cup of coffee. That's it." Then he turned to me and whispered in English, "Welcome home." Again, we have't met many like her, but it was pretty funny that our first experience upon reentering the country was a stereotypical German Frau.

Last Day in Tuscany

Saturday, March 23, 2013

What a gorgeous day we were blessed with for our last day in Tuscany. Now, what to do with it? Rome about did us in so we knew we didn't want to plan much. There were still a few towns in the area that were recommended, such as a town built on volcanic rock. However, as we talked through the options, the boys all said they were done with seeing any more churches or ruins or buildings or monuments or...they just wanted to hang out together. So we opted to make use of the bikes that Fattoria San Lorenzo offers to its guests. And wouldn't you know it? There were a couple of tandem bikes. We had some good laughs with those! Some at my expense. Joel was driving at one point and slammed on the brakes. My handlebars weren't tight and flew forward as did my upper body. As a result of that forward motion, my toes could barely touch the ground so I was absolutely stuck there while the rest of my family laughed at me! They also laughed quite hard when I biffed trying to snap a picture. Accidentally using the front brakes with a camera in the other hand is not such a good idea. Micah and Tracy were laughed at as well when they tried a tandem with Micah steering. With the weight unevenly distributed, the front tire would not stay tight enough with the ground so that Micah could properly steer. They were veering all over the road!

Noah couldn't quite get going without a little help as his feet couldn't
reach the ground. He couldn't believe how small his bike in Germany
felt after riding an adult bike for just this morning.

We all took turns riding the tandems, minus Noah because he had
too hard of a time pedaling them. 

This reminds me of something out of the Sound of Music. We didn't stop to
climb any trees though. Now if they were just dressed in outfits made
from curtains.

After turning in the bikes around noon, we set off in search of a highly recommended restaurant for our last Italian meal. The gal working at the main desk that morning told me in her thick Italian accent that "you-a will-a just-a seeee-a (you get the idea) the restaurant off to your right a few kilometers down the road out of Grosseto. It's right beside a round-a-bout." She told me this after I punched the address of Ristorante Macchiascandona into our GPS and was told that there is no such road. Mind you, Grosseto is not a village. There are over 80,000 residents in Grosseto. I am sure there are many roads leading out of town! So we set off with high hopes of landing on the right road out of Grosseto. Two things to keep in mind - 1. Locals are generally a poor judge of distance, me included. When you are used to the roads, nothing seems that far away. And 2. Stopping to ask for directions but not understanding what you are hearing leads to more Italian spoken with more volume. We eventually found the place though we had to laugh upon arrival.

The reason we did not stop by this restaurant the first time that we passed
it has do to the signage. We thought this was the Ristorante Albergo. But
take notice to the little "sign" to the bottom right of the main sign. That is
where it says, 'Ristorante Macchiascandona'....not all that visible from the
road. Not even visible from the parking lot. But we are so glad we searched
for this place. INCREDIBLE. A mom and her two daughters run the place
on weekends and in the summer. All of the pasta is homemade that day.

We were told at San Lorenzo to order the stuffed spinach homemade pasta.
After realizing that no one really spoke but a few words of English, we ordered
four of these. A safe order. The other items that we ordered were more of a
mystery. I think one of them ended up being wild boar pate spread on
bread. I didn't mention what pate was as a few of the boys liked it and might
not have if they had known. Another was onions and peppers cooked in some
mild sauce. Very tasty. And the last was wild boar served over spaghetti type
pasta. The wild boar is hunted locally. This was also so delicious. I'm
sure we made a bit of a scene passing and sharing plates but that way we all
got to sample and enjoy the variety.

Instead of ice-cream, we opted to share a few of their
dessert specials. The slice of cake in the back was so
outstanding that I really wanted to take another piece
to go....and not share that one. But I didn't. It was the
best dark chocolate cake ever with a rich cream served
on the side. The other dessert was a fruit custard
which we enjoyed but didn't inhale.

After lunch, we allowed the boys to choose what we would do for the remainder of the afternoon. Of course, they chose the beach. We all love the beach so much that even when we can't go swimming, we still love to be there. This time we went to Marina di Grosseto, which is just down the shoreline from where they went swimming. The sand dunes in this area were really cool. I kept wanting the boys to get off of them as I couldn't think of a place in the United States where you can set foot in the dunes. The paths leading from the parking areas to the beach led straight through the dunes with no signs indicating to steer clear. So the boys had a blast playing tag in and out of the dunes. They also enjoyed launching from the highest point they could find.

Josiah chasing after Joel.

This could have been when Joel got the sand burr in his foot....the only one
that we saw. Err, felt rather.  Micah and Noah are the ones pictured at the top.

Joj and Noah

All four of them wanted me to capture them in mid-air. It really didn't matter
how many times we attempted this, I found it difficult to get them all in
the air at the same time!

One of them mentioned feeling like a bird as they sailed over a dune.

I love how much fun they have together!

Micah

Josiah

Joel

Noah

Micah

And this is how Tracy and I spent our time when not taking pictures. It
was so relaxing to rest in the sunshine.

Rome in a Day!

Friday, March 22, 2013

We knew we wanted to see Rome, but we weren't so sure we wanted to drive in Rome. Our host at Fattoria San Lorenzo strongly encouraged us to take the train into Rome and not have to worry about finding parking. This was indeed one of the wisest decisions of the week. So much headache was avoided by not having a vehicle in that city. What a nightmare that would have been!

When our train arrived in the city, we set off on foot in the general direction of the Colosseum. Within a couple of blocks we purchased a map knowing that we would definitely need one to conquer this city. Rome is so large that even with a map we knew we'd be putting a lot of miles on that day. We ended up walking between 15-18 miles....something I am not sure we will ever do again! Plus with all of the cities being built around a central piazza(s), the streets in Italy are really hard to follow. They are like spider webs all over the city.

Seeing the Colosseum was worth the trip to Rome.

We ended up being stuck here for a bit trying to figure out how to get
beyond this fencing behind us. It was about a two story drop without any
seeming stairways to get to the street below. One of the boys suggested
scaling the wall. An option. Not our first. It was quite a walk to get
around the fencing, but we finally made it without rappelling.

~ Eating lunch outside the Colosseum ~
We were sitting in the area where the lions were held
prior to releasing them on those in the arena. Sobering
thoughts on Christianity were pondered over lunch.

~ Arch of Constantine ~
This spans over the road that the emperors would have taken as they
entered the city in triumph. It is situated in between the Colosseum
and Palatine Hill.

Everywhere you turn in Rome, there are ruins being
excavated. The boys remembered the three styles of
columns from our history studies and picked them
out all over the city. It was surprising how often we
saw columns that were then filled in with rock and
debris to form a wall. Changing of the styles, I guess.

~ The Pantheon - Temple to the Roman gods~
Knowing that we didn't have time to see all that we
wanted, we chose to hit the highlights. By the time we
reached the Pantheon, everyone was starting to feel
the effects of lots of walking....and there was still so
much to see!

At over 140' in diameter, the dome of the Pantheon is
the largest un-reinforced dome in the world. Crazy that
this structure was built around 125AD and is still in such
incredible condition. Some say that is a result of it
being turned into a church which was then well maintained.

Micah and Josiah look back at me while I try to snap a
picture capturing the enormity of the doors and the
beautiful marble floors. No flash was permitted inside
so it made it challenging for me to get some good shots.

At 39' tall, 5' wide and 60 Tons in weight, the columns
outside the Pantheon are a mystery to me! How did they
bring these granite columns from Egypt? Can you
imagine the work? They made a nice resting place
before setting off for The Vatican.

~ Bridge ruins over the Tiber River ~

~ Piazza Navona ~
This area is the original stadium of the first century. There
are three lavish Baroque fountains in this piazza. I had
read on-line that the best ice-cream in the city is found
here so, of course, we stopped for a rest to enjoy some of
the best the city had to offer!

I had read that a Tartufo was the dessert to buy. At 10 Euros a piece, I
think not! Thankfully, we found a place that was half that price so we got
one to share...umm, mostly for me. The boys were very thankful that they
didn't have to get one as it was made from dark chocolate and there were
a lot of other flavors that looked tremendously better to them.

This was a first! I've seen lots of pizza deliveries on bicycles but never
a wine delivery. Only in Italy!

~ Castel Sant'Angelo - Castle of the Holy Angel ~
Built by Hadrian around 125 AD, it was originally a mausoleum for himself
and his family. Later, it was used by popes as a fortress and a castle. Now, it
is a museum but not one that we toured.

~ Our first glimpse of The Vatican ~

We were so thankful to be in Rome after the election of the new pope. Had
we planned this trip just a week or so earlier, Rome wouldn't have been an
option to tour as fighting the crowds would have been too much. The average
number of visitors per day is close to 20,000. That is insane. Thankfully,
there were a lot of tourists but not so many that we were bumping into
people all day long. March is a nice time of year to see Rome.

Where are my pictures from the Sistine Chapel, you ask? Well now, I don't have any. At this point in our day, we were all tired and still needed to walk the same distance back to the train station. Also, everyone was hungry. And the lines were long. Ugh! I was this close to seeing The Sistine Chapel yet we opted for going for food instead. That was a hard one for me but in the end, it was best for the family and saved us a lot of money. It's not cheap to see these places. Micah commented that paying to see Michelangelo's work is like buying brand name clothing. It's not worth it in the end. I am going to remind him of that when we get back to the states where he'll be resupplying his wardrobe.

We worked our way back to the train station via some
of the neat sidewalk cafes that we had seen earlier and
didn't stop at then.

Pizza again! Though the atmosphere was really neat, this was our least
favorite eating establishment. We had gotten spoiled by really good
Italian so to have just a so-so meal was a new experience for us.

One of the things that was so overwhelming in Rome is that every time you
turned a corner, there was another five story marble monument to some dead
guy. Literally, every corner. We were making a beeline for the train station
and not really stopping at anything anymore because of experiencing
monument overload. We really had hit our max. And then we saw this! A
monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king over a unified Italy.  

Though almost too small to recognize, the Colosseum sits just to the left
of this white marble monument. Also, I forgot to take a photo of the
unique trees in Italy. They reminded me of Zambia. All of the lower
branches are trimmed so that it looks like a little mop of green
hair sitting on top of the tall thin trunk.

One more little gem as we popped around another corner. We didn't even
take the time to figure out what this church was! Overload for sure.

This is a better shot of the trees. They were this way all over Tuscany, too.

We ended up having to run to catch our train. We could have caught the next one an hour and a half later, but by the time we were close enough to catch the 5:30ish train, we really wanted to be on it. As if we hadn't gotten enough exercise that day! The last ten minutes of our day in Rome were spent hoofing it to the train. We made it with just minutes to spare. And talk about pure joy in sitting down for the two hour ride back to Grosseto! We were already feeling sore from all of the walking but what a great day that we had!