Tuesday, August 14, 2007
We made it!
We finally made it home this morning at 2am. We had a great trip and can't wait to share our stories and pictures with you all. Thanks for all of your comments and for following our european vacation.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Final day of European Tour
Today was our last full day of our trip. It was sad yet exciting because we saw a lot of cool things today. The six of us (just the Delgados and Griffis') headed out for a tour of the city. We went to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Mamertine Prision (where Peter and Paul were imprisioned), and Circus Maximus (where they held chariot races). After we had done all that, no one could make a decision on what to do next and we were wasting time so Candice and I split off by ourselves and let the others do what they wanted to do. We walked so much today it's incredible! We headed to the Trevi Fountain (such a beautiful sight) and then to the Pantheon where we stopped at a great little outdoor cafe for lunch. We both had Spaghetti Carbonara (pasta with a cream sauce with eggs and ham) and split a cheese pizza. The food was amazing. It was a great last Italian meal. Then we headed to the Capuccini Crypt which is where the bones of 4000 monks decorates a church. It was interesting but crazy at the same time. From there we went to the Spanish Steps and sat out and people watched for a little while. From there we just walked and walked and walked around getting lost on purpose to see side streets we wouldn't normally see. It was great!
We all met back up at the hotel and started packing and getting everything together. We will be back home at around midnight tomorrow night. Thanks for keeping up with our adventure and we'll post some more pictures so you can all see what we did.
Arivederci!
We all met back up at the hotel and started packing and getting everything together. We will be back home at around midnight tomorrow night. Thanks for keeping up with our adventure and we'll post some more pictures so you can all see what we did.
Arivederci!
Leaving Cevoli but hold on toyoru privates
This day has to be one of the highlights of my entire trip. Once I tell you the story you will say, “what in the hell is wrong with him?”
We had to leave the Cevoli house for 10 AM. Our train actually left from Pisa at 10 AM so we had to get going early after a very long night of eating and merriment.
Remember 3 cars and 16 people. Candice, Michael and I left in our rental headed to Pisa to return it. Carmen and rest of the crew left a little bit later with her brother to go to Pontedara catch a train to Pisa and we would all meet in Pisa. For the most part the returning of the car and getting to the Pisa train station was mostly uneventful, usual and customary. Candice Michael and I took a quick side trip to the leaning tour of Pisa and its attached buildings. Pretty interesting sight. Loved the street vendors selling stuff even I would not buy.
Carmen and her crew were very late in getting to the station due to some delays in getting to Pontadera with her brother. So were pressed for time. We ran to the Pisa to Rome train. WE all get on find our cabin and that is when it got interesting. I realized some place in between the lobby and the train I had lost my wallet. The train is now moving towards Rome. So, we are all scrambling looking in every bag, under seats, in the hall of the train…you get the drift. So I began to make calls to cancel debit cards etc. After I cancelled the first one the conductor came in and I am trying to speak to him in SpanItalian. I am explaining to him what happened and he cannot understand me. Then he says in very good English. Do you speak English? I say what the heck! So I explained that I had lost my walled would he please call the station to see if by God’s providence grace and mercy someone has turned it in. There was going to be little chance since most of these train stations are full of pick pockets, thieves and con artist. They warn you about all that in Italy especially.
I know this is long but hand in here with me. The conductor gets into the swing of things and calls the Pisa station and there is a big commotion with hollering on the cell phone and everyone is getting fired up. He goes off then comes back and says that the wallet has been found. I really got fired up about this time. So we are at our first stop an hour away from Pisa. I get off the train while everyone continues to Rome. I wait for a return to Pisa. Finally I arrive in Pisa and head to the fine outstanding Police station in the train station. I get there and it is closed. Everything closed for lunch for about 3 hours. But I see a speaker and ring it. I tell them my name and they let me in. They sit me down, we high five and laugh about the idiot who lost his wallet. Nobody spoke English in this station. But all I know that my wallet was sitting there on the counter with all the contents. When they realized I did not speak Italian to go for the commander. Here is where this is really funny.
The commander asks me in broken English, what happened? I told him that I must have dropped my wallet. He said no, you were picked pocketed by an 8 year old and his Egyptian mother. I said, Yes, Sweet! I was fired up that I was picked by an 8 year old. Anyway two hours later after high fiving again and writing out a police report, signing it and congratulating the police on outstanding police work I left heading back to Rome. I really wanted a picture of my police dudes but I did not have my camera.
I finally arrived in Rome about 7 PM that night and met everyone at the hotel and told the story. Guys, this was God watching out for me. Normally these rings of kids in the stations and airports do not get caught. It just happened that two of my police buddies were watching them and actually saw them pick my wallet and caught them on the spot.
Well, after it al settle down we went out to a good ole American meal at the Rome Hard Rock Café. That was the best hamburger I have ever had. After the meal we hired a taxi and took a night tour of Rome. It was just beautiful seeing everything by night. Again it was about 1 Am by the time we arrived back at the hotel.
Tomorrow, we are going to the Coloseum, the Roman Forum, the Capitol, the Vatican and complete the 100th stage of the Tour de Gelato.
We will be home Monday. WE are ready to come home but it is really bittersweet. We have had such a great time that it makes it so hard to leave. But we are ready to come home for sure.
Buono Giorno Y’all
We had to leave the Cevoli house for 10 AM. Our train actually left from Pisa at 10 AM so we had to get going early after a very long night of eating and merriment.
Remember 3 cars and 16 people. Candice, Michael and I left in our rental headed to Pisa to return it. Carmen and rest of the crew left a little bit later with her brother to go to Pontedara catch a train to Pisa and we would all meet in Pisa. For the most part the returning of the car and getting to the Pisa train station was mostly uneventful, usual and customary. Candice Michael and I took a quick side trip to the leaning tour of Pisa and its attached buildings. Pretty interesting sight. Loved the street vendors selling stuff even I would not buy.
Carmen and her crew were very late in getting to the station due to some delays in getting to Pontadera with her brother. So were pressed for time. We ran to the Pisa to Rome train. WE all get on find our cabin and that is when it got interesting. I realized some place in between the lobby and the train I had lost my wallet. The train is now moving towards Rome. So, we are all scrambling looking in every bag, under seats, in the hall of the train…you get the drift. So I began to make calls to cancel debit cards etc. After I cancelled the first one the conductor came in and I am trying to speak to him in SpanItalian. I am explaining to him what happened and he cannot understand me. Then he says in very good English. Do you speak English? I say what the heck! So I explained that I had lost my walled would he please call the station to see if by God’s providence grace and mercy someone has turned it in. There was going to be little chance since most of these train stations are full of pick pockets, thieves and con artist. They warn you about all that in Italy especially.
I know this is long but hand in here with me. The conductor gets into the swing of things and calls the Pisa station and there is a big commotion with hollering on the cell phone and everyone is getting fired up. He goes off then comes back and says that the wallet has been found. I really got fired up about this time. So we are at our first stop an hour away from Pisa. I get off the train while everyone continues to Rome. I wait for a return to Pisa. Finally I arrive in Pisa and head to the fine outstanding Police station in the train station. I get there and it is closed. Everything closed for lunch for about 3 hours. But I see a speaker and ring it. I tell them my name and they let me in. They sit me down, we high five and laugh about the idiot who lost his wallet. Nobody spoke English in this station. But all I know that my wallet was sitting there on the counter with all the contents. When they realized I did not speak Italian to go for the commander. Here is where this is really funny.
The commander asks me in broken English, what happened? I told him that I must have dropped my wallet. He said no, you were picked pocketed by an 8 year old and his Egyptian mother. I said, Yes, Sweet! I was fired up that I was picked by an 8 year old. Anyway two hours later after high fiving again and writing out a police report, signing it and congratulating the police on outstanding police work I left heading back to Rome. I really wanted a picture of my police dudes but I did not have my camera.
I finally arrived in Rome about 7 PM that night and met everyone at the hotel and told the story. Guys, this was God watching out for me. Normally these rings of kids in the stations and airports do not get caught. It just happened that two of my police buddies were watching them and actually saw them pick my wallet and caught them on the spot.
Well, after it al settle down we went out to a good ole American meal at the Rome Hard Rock Café. That was the best hamburger I have ever had. After the meal we hired a taxi and took a night tour of Rome. It was just beautiful seeing everything by night. Again it was about 1 Am by the time we arrived back at the hotel.
Tomorrow, we are going to the Coloseum, the Roman Forum, the Capitol, the Vatican and complete the 100th stage of the Tour de Gelato.
We will be home Monday. WE are ready to come home but it is really bittersweet. We have had such a great time that it makes it so hard to leave. But we are ready to come home for sure.
Buono Giorno Y’all
Friday in Cortona, Florence and Tuscany
Our time is coming to end in Cevoli. Words cannot express or explain our stay in this Tuscan Villa, Villa Cevoli.
Today is Friday and everyone is heading different ways. Michael Delgado, Michael and Jill Griffis, The Birds headed out to Florence to see the Academia. That is where you see the Michelangelo’s David. A piece of art to be seen. David is huge except for his penis. This is a work of art everyone needs to see. The Ingram’s headed to the mountains, Charlie and Cathy headed a different way. Carmen, Candice and I headed to Cortona, about 2 hours driving time. It was the most exhilarating drive. I was doing 110 mph. I was rocking. The music was up load and I was trucking on the autostrada. I love this place. Believe it or not I only got lost a couple of times which was good. When you get lost in this country you find another beautiful place.
Cortona is the hill town where the film Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. It is one of the prettiest towns we visited the entire trip. We walked all through the town and continued our “Tour de Gelato” Stage 92. WE have eaten approximately 2 tons of gelato on this trip.
If you have not seen the movie please rent it. It is not only a great love story but a great setting in this movie. We found the house of the author that wrote Under the Tuscan Sun. WE got caught in the rain so we sat inside of an ancient Catholic church and just enjoyed our time in there. After the rain stopped we walked all through the town. There was only one level street in the whole town. Needless to say if heaven isn’t what is cracked up to be and Gimmenwald is full and Cinque Terre is not available and Cevoli doe not have any vacancies then send me to Cortona.
Everyone met up back at the house late that evening and went out to eat in a hill town close by. We arrived about 10 PM and left at 1:30 AM. What a meal in this quaint local eatery. Somme of the guys got the 28oz T bone. It was incredible. I got the deer ravioli in a rare pork sauce. Don’t ask me what rare pork sauce is but it was really good. WE had a grand time for a last night meal.
What a week in Cevoli!
Buono Sera, Y’all
Today is Friday and everyone is heading different ways. Michael Delgado, Michael and Jill Griffis, The Birds headed out to Florence to see the Academia. That is where you see the Michelangelo’s David. A piece of art to be seen. David is huge except for his penis. This is a work of art everyone needs to see. The Ingram’s headed to the mountains, Charlie and Cathy headed a different way. Carmen, Candice and I headed to Cortona, about 2 hours driving time. It was the most exhilarating drive. I was doing 110 mph. I was rocking. The music was up load and I was trucking on the autostrada. I love this place. Believe it or not I only got lost a couple of times which was good. When you get lost in this country you find another beautiful place.
Cortona is the hill town where the film Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. It is one of the prettiest towns we visited the entire trip. We walked all through the town and continued our “Tour de Gelato” Stage 92. WE have eaten approximately 2 tons of gelato on this trip.
If you have not seen the movie please rent it. It is not only a great love story but a great setting in this movie. We found the house of the author that wrote Under the Tuscan Sun. WE got caught in the rain so we sat inside of an ancient Catholic church and just enjoyed our time in there. After the rain stopped we walked all through the town. There was only one level street in the whole town. Needless to say if heaven isn’t what is cracked up to be and Gimmenwald is full and Cinque Terre is not available and Cevoli doe not have any vacancies then send me to Cortona.
Everyone met up back at the house late that evening and went out to eat in a hill town close by. We arrived about 10 PM and left at 1:30 AM. What a meal in this quaint local eatery. Somme of the guys got the 28oz T bone. It was incredible. I got the deer ravioli in a rare pork sauce. Don’t ask me what rare pork sauce is but it was really good. WE had a grand time for a last night meal.
What a week in Cevoli!
Buono Sera, Y’all
Thursday in Cevoli
Today for the most part was a rest day. We stayed around the villa most of the day swimming, cooking local food, sunning, reading under the Tuscan sun. What a life. I could live here the rest of my life. The lifestyle is so laid back and easy going. It is easy to get accustomed to the Italian lifestyle. NO stress and no worries. That is for me. I love this place!
Late in the afternoon we took a ride to a local vineyard/winery and had a wine tasting. All 16 of us.in 3 cars which ended up a fiasco. One of the cars got lost and went to a different winery than the one we had chosen. They had their own wine tasting while we waited for them. They finally arrived at the right place, just an hour late. While we were waiting for our lost wine tasters we had a tour of the wine making operations. It was totally awesome. The wine tasting was very formal andIt was just tough for me to spit the wine out once it was tasted. I just kept drinking it until someone reminded me that this was a wine tasting not a drinking contest. Anyway, we tasted some of the good wines of Tuscany at Badia di Moronna. We cleansed our palate we some wonderful local salami and cheeses. The winery was set in this beautiful hill town with vineyards surrounding it. The grapes are just about to be harvested so the vines are indescribable with the grapes hanging off of them. We got some great pics.
After that we came home and drank some of the wine we purchased and cooked a wonderful pasta dinner, salad and brushchetta.
What a way to end the day. I haven’t been to bed before 1 am any night since I have been here.
Buono Sera Y’all
Late in the afternoon we took a ride to a local vineyard/winery and had a wine tasting. All 16 of us.in 3 cars which ended up a fiasco. One of the cars got lost and went to a different winery than the one we had chosen. They had their own wine tasting while we waited for them. They finally arrived at the right place, just an hour late. While we were waiting for our lost wine tasters we had a tour of the wine making operations. It was totally awesome. The wine tasting was very formal andIt was just tough for me to spit the wine out once it was tasted. I just kept drinking it until someone reminded me that this was a wine tasting not a drinking contest. Anyway, we tasted some of the good wines of Tuscany at Badia di Moronna. We cleansed our palate we some wonderful local salami and cheeses. The winery was set in this beautiful hill town with vineyards surrounding it. The grapes are just about to be harvested so the vines are indescribable with the grapes hanging off of them. We got some great pics.
After that we came home and drank some of the wine we purchased and cooked a wonderful pasta dinner, salad and brushchetta.
What a way to end the day. I haven’t been to bed before 1 am any night since I have been here.
Buono Sera Y’all
Thursday, August 9, 2007
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