Going home

Pictures of Leaning Tower of Pisa

Today we woke up really early to get to the train station to catch a bus to Pisa so we can fly home! We got to the airport and they would not let us check in until 2 hours until departure, and we had a couple hours to spare. We were sitting in the middle of the floor by the check in place with mounds of luggage. Darrin figured out that we could get to see the leaning tower of Pisa if we went in shifts. I really wanted to see it so I went with the first group while others watched our luggage. It was a lot smaller that I thought it would be. I was glad I got to see it. When we got back everyone else had checked in and the line to check in was crazy. They had moved up our time to leave or something and it was crazy. We were asked a million questions by security as we went to check our luggage, then we had to go through security and get our passports checked and all that jazz. The other group couldn't go see the tower, but the ones that really wanted to see it were able to so that was great. There were so many kids on our flight from Pisa. They were running up and down the isles. So annoying. Once we landed in JFK everyone cheered. Glad to be back on US soil. Of course there were delays once we got to JFK, finding our luggage and going through customs was crazy. It was bad weather and our plane was delayed. When we finally got to SLC I think we were like 3 hours late or something like that. Awfully glad to be home, yet I miss Italy and Europe. Can't wait to go back.

Museum Day in Florence--Happy 4th of July

Birth of Venus

Rape of the Sabine Women statue outside of Uffizi

Academia Gallery you can see David at the end of the corridor, captives on the sides

Branacci Chapel. Expulsion of Adam and Eve

Us at Branacci Chapel

Bible Story, Jesus and Tax collector (coin in fish's mouth)

David

Replica of David where it was originally supposed to stand

We had a guide today and he was really good and we learned a lot. He is my favorite guide of the whole trip, but we were all so tired it was hard to concentrate and really appreciate what we were learning, but I loved it. We went to Branacci Chapel which had the first ever Renaissance Painting/Fresco. It had shadow, perspective, and natural stances. Incredible what little differences made such an impact on art and design. And it all started in Florence. Academia Gallery housed The David by Michelangelo. I always loved it and though it an interesting piece of sculpture, but seeing it in person was such a different experience. It is massive and just truly amazing. It also house his captives which were unfinished sculptures so you could see each tool mark and see the progression of how the statues were made. We then went to Uffizi Gallery. It has so many paintings it is crazy. It had the birth of Venus and a lot of self portraits. There was so much to see, but in all of the places we did not stay very long. Another very good day. Happy 4th of July! Going home tomorrow!

I love Florence!

Fountain in Boboli Gardens



Statue in Boboli Gardens


Mosaics in Baptistery




Out side of baptistery




I got a late start today because I wasn't feeling well this morning. I felt so exhausted and dizzy, but I finally left the hotel at 2:00. I went to the Boboli Gardens. I was kind of disappointed and didn't feel like it was worth the 9 euro. I had kind of twisted my ankle walking to the gardens, so I wasn't able to see everything, but I did see the statue I wanted to see of this face. It was so awesome, I sat and sketched it really fast and I wrote this short poem as well:


I gaze upon the mysterious face through the trees
Captivated, yet I know not why.
The face is calm and holds strength and power
Eyes gaze upon a future I cannot see
Lips are almost a smile in serenity.
The cracks of age disguise his youthful completion.
And, I marvel.


After the gardens I ran into Darrin at the Pizza del Duomo, and he recommended that I go into the baptistery. The whole baptistery is in mosaics. The pictures, sadly, do not do it justice. The gold tiles sparkle and It is amazing the detail which was done in the 13th century.

Florence

I love this street lamp!

Pretty sunset


Overlooking Florence



Today we slept in which was fabulous. The hotel has an awesome breakfast. Best one by far. Fruit, juice, pastries, meats and cheese, eggs, etc... There are a bunch of markets right by our hotel, so we basically spent all day at the markets. I got some pretty o.k. stuff. Some girls spent like 100 euro. Crazy. There is supposed to be this hill you climb to watch the sunset, so 4 of us headed out to watch it, but as we were walking we realized the sunset was approaching fast, so we started jogging down the street to try to beat the sunset. We still got some pretty o.k. pictures of the city though. My camera didn't take very good pictures, but here are the best ones. We had spent all day at the markets where it is hot and crowded so it was so nice to see more of the city and to get above it and see some trees. As we were coming home this guy had his guitar hooked up to an amp and was singing. He was pretty good and everyone was just hanging out at the bridge so we sat and listened for 20 or 30 minutes. Stacey bought his c.d. and got it signed when he took a break. It was fun to just sit and chill.

Heading to Florence

Me trying to sleep on the train.


We took the long walk to the train station with all of our luggage. What joy! We took a train to Florence at it was a very uncomfortable train. We were all so tired and we had to get up early to meet the train. We were all trying to sleep on the train and there were just really uncomfortable head rests, they put you head forward at a weird angle. Anyway, we got checked into our hotel, the Hotel Bellettini. The service is awesome. There was this young guy manning the front desk, and they loaded our luggage in this tiny elevator, and then when our rooms got ready, he carried our luggage up the stairs, well actually ran up the stairs, and they are so helpful and they really put the customer first. It is right in down town Florence and it has all this cool furniture and wardrobes and dressers in the rooms. Our room has 4 girls in it so it is pretty big but the air conditioner doesn't work to great, so it really gets hot during the day. At night we open the window wide but it is so noisy on the street, and I have several mosquito bites but it is way too hot to sleep if we don't open them. This is my favorite hotel. We went to lunch at this place Emael (guy at the front desk) recommended, and it was fantastic and pretty cheap. Then several us hit the markets that are near by and then we had an afternoon nap, it was so hot in our room, then we just walked around a little bit at night. We found this great Gelato place down the street from our hotel, the cheapest one that we have found and it is so yummy and the lady is so nice.

Vennice Day 2

Us on the way over to Murano


Guy is going to blow glass




One of the store's displays on Murano.


Breadsticks anyone?



Kelsea, me and Darrin on our never-ending boat detour.




Our Gondolier


Cool Picture, sorry, hard to see


Rialto bridge


We started the day by taking a private boat to Murano. We got to see a glass factory and a demonstration on 2 ways of doing glass, blown and just modeling it. It was way cool. The whole island (very tiny) is full of glass shops and there is anything you can imagine. On our way back, we took the wrong water bus so we had a 3 hour detour, yep. We then went to the Dogma Palace (or something like that) it was interesting but disappointing. We went on a Gondola ride. Sherrie was freaking out she thought we were going to tip over, so as to play a joke, the gondolier rocked the boat really hard. It was hilarious. It was a pretty cool ride. We then ate at this little place and I got the Pesto Pasta and it was the best I have ever had. It had lemon and mint flavor to it and I was in heaven! We split up for a little bit and I stopped by an opera house and this tenor was singing this song, and I can't think of the name, but it was the most beautiful Italian opera I have heard. it was flowing out the windows, so I got me some of the most delicious gelato I had had and sat and listened to opera. What a fantastic day. I Love Venice!!!

Venice day one

St. Marks


Gondolas

Me and Winnie


Alley way






We got to Venice and then we hurried up to wait, yet again. We waited a couple of hours for our train. We weren't actually staying in Venice, but in a city about a 30 min train ride from Venice. We got off the train and we were so excited. Our hotel was right next to the train station. So we all cart our luggage over there and walk into this extremely nice hotel. We were all like, this is where we are staying? So, Darrin goes to check us in, and they have no record of our reservations. We had reservations at Holiday Inn Express, not the regular Holiday Inn. So we walked at least a half mile toting our luggage through this residential area. Now we had just come from rainy Paris, and we land in hot Venice. By the time we all made it to the hotel, we were all dripping is sweat. Eventually we made it back to Venice and had a wonderful time. I love Venice!!! I love being so close to the water and I couldn't help but think of the Italian Job. We met a member who was selling his paintings. He called us brother and sisters and invited us to church, but we weren't going to be there so we were disappointed. He then gave us hugs and air kisses; it was so funny because Zach was a little surprised to have that happen!