Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Even a Water Taxi!

We did a lot of traveling today from Milan and Venice to London. The Berry’s started off saying good bye to family in Reggio Emilia, and all the others rode a 6am water taxi in Venice to the train station.

We needed to get back to our round trip airport of Heathrow. We met up with Shell, Adrianna, and Grams and Papa in Milan for our hopper flight to London where believe it or not, we had a big itinerary planned! If you ever travel with a Grandma, make sure she’s as cool as this one is 😎

Yes, we had things we wanted to do in our short 6 hours in London before bed and an early flight. We landed and grabbed Uber’s from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow, which rounds out our experience in each of the three England airports. 40 minutes later we checked into the hotel, dropped our bags, and Uberred or trained into the city.

Grams got to see Buckingham Palace which was on her bucket list, and she got to see the guards outside. She wasn’t sure how they weren’t freezing because it’s cold in London! Only 42 as the high yesterday.

We all met up for dinner at a pub that Yelp said had fish and chips. We lucked out by walking upstairs  to essentially a private banquet room where we were able to have a lovely last supper together. The pies and fish were great. We had a lovely dinner talking about our highlights of the trip, what we want to do next time, and what we would do differently.

Since Grams has caught the ick that’s going around, after dinner she was tired and ready for bed. They Uberred back to our airport hotel and hit the sack.

The Berry’s? Oh we hit the town. We started about 8pm and went hard until 11:35pm. We went straight for the 9 3/4 platform to take Harry Potter pictures and shop at the gift shop.

Then we took the tube to Abbey Road for the iconic Beatles photo inspiration. Differences? Ours has three girls, was taken at night, and circa 2018.

Then we jumped on the tube again and went to Baker Street where the kids saw the closed Sherlock Holmes museum (something we can save for our next trip here) and the iconic 221B Baker Street. These were the things they wanted to see in London. No queen or guards for them. A different generation with different interests.

So that’s it guys. We are done with this adventure. Our kids are most looking forward to Cheese-its, cereal, our own beds, and the dogs and cat we left behind. It’s been an adventure and the lesson I learned through it all - save your money on “stuff” and buy a ticket somewhere. Anywhere.  Arrivederci!

La Mia Famiglia a Reggio Emilia

My family in Reggio Emilia! My family is from Genoa, but since my dad’s brother lives in Reggio Emilia, my aunt and two cousins traveled by car to visit us all in one place. Today was such a lovely day visiting my dad’s side of the family in a small town outside Bologna. My dad’s older brother Angelo lives here with his wife Adrianna and they have one daughter Carla that lives here as well. Carla and her husband Stephano were gracious enough to house us for the night and take us around town. We’ve had just a splendid day and I think my Italian has improved ten fold.

We started off by meeting everyone and taking pictures. Some people I’ve met once and others I’ve never met. There’s a resemblance, yes?

That is mia zia Ginetta who I’m named after. We ate a lovely lunch at an authentic Reggio Emilia restaurant where we had rabbit, ribs, and a bird like a pheasant. It’s so cool to try new foods! And can you believe that in this part of Italy (the Tuscan area) it’s customary to serve this bread with dinner? You cut it open and fill it with cheese or meat (like prosciutto) then make a sandwich and eat it. It was very similar to a small pancake. Not what I imagined in Italy!

We had many other great foods as well, but this isn’t a food blog so I’ll skip those. We saw the city center and the shopping mall where many teenagers were hanging out before school starts again Monday. Sounds familiar huh? Some things are the same all the way across the pond! We saw this old Theater where opera and musicals were performed so we stopped to take a picture.

Todd and I had a chuckle when we saw this sign. The Italian word for stop is too long for the size of the sign so they just use stop. We thought it was hilarious.

We were so thankful that two of my cousins went to college and studied language so they speak English very well. Otherwise there would be more hand movements than I’m sure you’re already imagining. We are all hoping she comes to America again to practice her English and visit us.

Guess what - we’re Italian so we eat again! It was dinner time so out came another feast.

We found the erbazzone (not in the picture) to be so good that we looked up a recipe on Pinterest and Emily is going to make it for us. Oh, and we were talking about foods that the twins love (since they tend to be more discerning in their tastes) and we mentioned tortellini Alfredo. Well they’ve heard of tortellini but never have they heard of Alfredo. When we explained it to them they said they didn’t have it in Italy. Say what?!? So we started talking about sauces and apparently they make bechamel sauce which has milk and flour. This is also what they put in lasagne. Yes you heard me right. They don’t use ricotta cheese in their lasagne! Guys, we’ve been doing it wrong. So we found a recipe for lasagne Bolognase with bechamel sauce and Emily shall be making that for us as well when we get home.

Espresso after dinner (short and strong (just like Italian women!)), and more family photos. We were even able to Facebook Video with my dad who can’t travel. It was a beautiful thing to see his brother and sister see his face through technology. They haven’t seen each other in ten years and are all getting too old to travel. I know that so many have issues with technology, but between google translate and Facebook video - Technology wins today. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

We had lovely conversations until near midnight before we realized the time and the early train to Milan that we must catch. We talked about politics, religion, Trump, even immigration. It was pretty interesting to find that the things they talk about, are the same things we talk about. Perhaps we aren’t that different after all. And I’ll leave you with that. Such joy in my heart as I hit the sack this evening. Such joy.

Buona notte!

We heard from Adrianna that Grams and Papa John have enjoyed Venice. Here is what they had to tell us about their two day trip to Venice:
Venetian breakout crew Recap
1/5 & 1/6

Friday-
After saying goodbye to the Berry’s, we headed off for our train ride to Venice. It was such a comfortable and beautiful ride there. There were 14 tunnels that Papa and Adrianna counted along the way (possibly more!). We took a water bus and there were lots of “oohs and aaaahs” as we came up the grand canal and San Marco stop. We checked into our hotel and then headed off to meander through the many cobblestone streets towards the famous Rialto bridge. Grams could not keep herself out of all the stores with the pretty Murano glass and beautiful masks.

After having a cappuccino under the bridge we took the water bus tour back to our hotel and rested up for the next  adventure. Papa decided he had had enough and so we had a girls’ night out. We walked through San Marco square and looked at the lights and beautiful shops next to the basilica. We found a place to have a glass of wine and some dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Saturday-
Day two in Venice started with a lovely breakfast provided by our hotel. It has been really great staying here as they even packed us a breakfast for our early morning journey tomorrow. It is also very convenient and close to the main attractions.

Once we were fed and full, we headed off to our very first museum. We walked outside to a misty foggy morning. It was actually not as cold as it had been though.
In San Marco square they have the Doge’s palace where the former ruler of Venice took up residence. This was where the senate met as well. The walls and ceiling were frescos and paintings with gilded gold frames. There was also a prison area that had the “bridge of sighs”. Grams said that she was glad to be a law abiding citizen when she saw the beds and commodes in the prison cells.
We were ready for the next adventure after seeing the weapons area and coming back down to the lovely courtyard. By this time, the sun was peeking out from the fog.

We then took the water bus to the island of Murano. On our way, we saw a walled island filled with trees that we learned was a cemetery. Once we got to Murano we went to the glass blowing museum. It was truly a wonderful experience seeing the movie that showed all of the art making techniques. We also saw glass from Mesopotamia and Egypt dating back to a time long ago. (Can’t remember how old-but they said that glass making started 4000 years ago!!) The different glass pieces were amazing!

We then took a break and had the best cappuccinos and hot chocolate (according to papa) since we had been in Italy. Most of the coffees here have been very strong and luke warm and the hot chocolates gave been more like warm rich dark pudding.  We will forever dream of the Paris Cappuccinos!
We walked through the shops and over bridges on Murano and headed back to the water bus. The day was warmer and so the ride was beautiful.
We rested at the hotel for a spell and then headed out for our last dinner in Venice where we talked about the best parts of the trip. We all agreed that the lunchtime meal near the Vatican was one memory we will never forget and we’re all so thankful for Gina and her efforts in planning this trip. It has been an amazing experience traveling with family and we would not change ANYTHING for the world! We are taking two trains and a plane back to London-town tomorrow and will meet up with the family there. We hope we have enough time to show Papa and Grams Buckingham Palace.
Fingers crossed!

We will miss you Venice and Europe, but we looking forward to seeing the Berry’s tomorrow and also heading home on Monday.

Day Trip to Pisa!

We dropped off Grams and Papa with Shell and Adrianna for they set off for two days in Venice. They are going to have a blast!

We grabbed croissants at a cafe but since some kiddos don’t eat pastries of any sort, we found a different option. 

Yes, gelato for breakfast in the middle of winter. But she’s smiling! It’s so nice that Jess is feeling better. And off we went on a train in a different direction to Pisa! The cool part of taking the train is the ability to see the countryside of these big cities. You get to see farms, vineyards, factories, and houses. There is a lot of greenery here which means they must get more rain than back home. 

Our train stopped right in Pisa near the leaning tower (if you ever go, make sure to use the Pisa San Rossore Station). The trains here are pretty amazing, but their countries and cities are so much closer than in America. Not sure how we could replicate this system back home.

 We walked through a cute market but were distracted by someone’s urge to use the restroom. Bathrooms here are interesting. Many times when you are in public, there’s a bathroom with an agent working and they want you to pay to use the restroom. So...we try to avoid that obviously because 1 euro for each person gets expensive quick. We got a little somethin’ somethin’ at McDonald’s and got to use the bathroom for free! One chicken nugget meal later and our snack stop was done. 

McDonald’s here was different. There’s a machine where you can order in your own language. There are different foods and even a pastry bar. Europe loves their baked goodies!

Next we saw the famous Leaning Tower which started leaning before they even finished construction which began in 1173. It was built as the bell tower for the church nearby. By the third floor it was leaning quite a bit and today it’s essentially sinking at a rate of 1-2mm a year. 

We had fun goofing around and being tourists with everyone else taking silly photos. We didn’t want to venture up the 251 steps but we did find other monuments to check out. There is a Cathedral, baptistery, and cemetery (which the kids said hey didn’t want to go to, but in actuality was actually really cool)! There were so many frescos on the walls that you can see history being lost. They are deteriorating and fading and it’s just interesting to see that without restorative efforts, these pieces of history and culture will be lost. 

Anyway, after the cemetery we checked out the church which was very cool. Something notable about Pisa is the lack of crowds that we’ve become accustomed to in Rome and Florence. There are far fewer buildings here as well. Still a beautiful church!

And then we checked out the Baptistery which is literally a place to baptize people. The acoustics were amazing in that large dome and one of the workers even started singing so we could hear the echo. Super cool. A short staircase up and we were looking down on the architecture.

Another cool place to see but we were done with all of this pretty quick. Off to lunch we went! Apparently the Tuscan area is known for their meat so Todd and Katie got steak for lunch. Em, Hawaiian Pizza, me onion soup. Everyone was full but we made room for dessert and then we were happy! And Jessica is taste testing all of the tomato sauces of Italy. It’s literally the thing she orders at lunch and dinner. Hey, it’s a vegetable right? Tomatoes? No? Okay, moving on. 

We shopped a bit and stopped for picture taking. Smiles and laughter were had by all. We are relaxed and having a lovely time. 

Yes, some of us got gelato again. We walked back to the train station and waited for our train a bit early. Something wired happened and we got our times mixed up and we actually got on the wrong train headed in the right direction. When the attendant checked our tickets after about 15 minutes, he pointed out our error but said we could stay on. So we got back to Florence a bit earlier than planned. If I haven’t mentioned it lately, we are tired. It’s 6pm and we are already in for the night.  Time change, walking all day, sleeping weird. Whatever it is, we are taking time to rest. Until tomorrow!

Day 11: A New Italian City - Florence!

We had to leave Rome this morning. It was actually rather sad because I want to eat pizza from that little place under our apartment every day for the rest of my life. Here’s our last view of our building. Even with no hot water for showers two mornings, I would stay there again.

But alas we caught an Uber with a very entertaining driver. He told us about a few historical areas of Rome, including the area where Julius Caesar was killed. We actually walked past it a few days ago and I snapped a photo but didn’t know what it was. He seemed to know a lot about Rome!

Isn’t that last sign the cutest? We need this in America! More love people! We took the high speed train up to Firenze which is how Italians say Florence. It was actually a really fun train ride and we even had a cute table! A quick 1.5 hours and we were done. You can even buy breakfast on the train! But we had leftover pasta for breakfast so we were good. When in Rome!

We checked into our Air BnB and and met Serafino who gave us a map of Florence and directed us to a few highlights. We only have a day here, so we had a limited itinerary. Serafino told us the place downstairs had great pizza so we checked it out. Funny thing though, few of us listened and actually ordered pizza. Shell did, and hers was amazing.

The rest of us enjoyed lunch but weren’t thrilled. Em and Papa somehow ate the entire calzone they each ordered.

Gelato. Gelato is always on the itinerary! We found a great place on our walk to the Duomo and this sure hit the spot. Everyone was happy for sure. Just because it’s winter doesn’t stop anyone from buying gelato. You know how there’s a Starbucks on every corner in SF? Well that’s how gelato is here. And oddly enough, no Starbucks.

We found the Dome which is a massive dome that is in front of a church. The cathedral wa a built in the 13th century and famous dome was added in the 15th century for Brunelleschi. Pretty amazing. It’s huge. So very tall.

Off we went to the famous statue of David. You know, the naked guy. Well guess what guys, we found another line.

Yup. This is us in line, but luckily it was getting later in the day and it moved quickly. We waited maybe an hour. It was super quick at the end. Kids were free and we adults were just $12.50. Another museum!!! Can you believe our kids let us take them to so many museums? I’m actually a little impressed by them and their willingness to take in so much history.

Pictures! Many pictures of David in all his glory... which isn’t much. We all noted that his left hand is very large and his feet are disproportionate to his body. My kids all seeemed to know that David is falling down and there’s a steel bar in his right leg to keep him from falling down. I guess he is a few hundred years old.

There are many of statues there carved by Michaelangelo but they are considered “unfinished.” I put that in quotation marks because there was an interesting plaque that explained that they aren’t really unfounded, but rather Michaelangelo left them unfinished because he wanted to portray the soul trapped in the mortal body. Pretty deep huh?

There were other artists on exhibit as well and an entire room of busts and pedestals. Super cool. So much history in one place!

After this iconic trip, we headed back through the center of town and stopped for souvenirs and dinner. Yes, we eat a lot! Good food, good wine, and an early night. Emily found a banana cream filled donut. She seemed happy.

We are tired. It’s been a long vacation already and we have a few more nights left, but the Bostrom’s and Wilson’s are leaving us tomorrow and heading to Venice. We are staying in Florence one more night then heading up to visit family from my dad's side. We'll be meeting back up in Milan in two days.

Night all. If you’re tired of reading these, I understand. I write these for me. For us. For memories. I definitely have tips for anyone traveling here though! Sure have learned a lot after this trip.