Roar!

For fear of becoming a cat lady - I rarely ever post photos of my two kitties - Petey (pictured) and Captain. I promise I don't dress my cats up in ridiculous outfits, talk to them like they are human -- they are just my little sidekicks! This photo was taken on a lazy Sunday afternoon on his favorite spot - taking up my bed!

Stop 2: Firenze

Many claim that once you stop in Florence, it takes a piece of your heart forever. I very much agree with this, as it was my (and many of my group's) favorite spot. Definitely the most "livable" city of the three that we visited. Our hotel was clean, quaint, and right on the corner of the largest flea market in town.

The local fare included beautiful leather purses and bags, and pashminas (a large wrap/shawl) in every color and pattern that you could wish for! They were 2 for 8 or 10 euro - which is still a great deal. We could barely zip our suitcases home we bought so many!! After checking into our hotel, we went on a miniature wine tour. This was another group activity we purchased in advance (thank you Ashley!) and we met our bus/tourguide right in the center of the city. We drove about 30-45 minutes outside of town to a stunning private castle/winery.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at this little round table over looking the rolling green hills of Tuscany. If I close my eyes I can still feel the cool breeze traveling through the valley. This was my favorite corner of all of Italy. We could have sat there sipping red wine forever - and we almost did - since the tour guide couldn't find us all almost left us behind! I wouldn't have minded...

The Pope's Beer

With Easter quickly coming upon us, I figured it was fitting to talk about this little gem we found in a tiny restaurant just outside of Vatican City. It is named "Pabst Bier" which literally translates to "Pope Beer." You know Pabst Blue Ribbon? Did you know that PBR is actually the Pope's beer? There's your little Easter fun fact! We did manage to get the store owner to let us purchase this. How could we pass up the Pope's beer? Once we got to the states, I almost wasn't allowed to bring the glass bottle through customs - it would have been heart-breaking!!!

Roma!

I have the absolute luxury of my dear friend Ashley (the Travel Agent) that sends me live updates of ridiculous travel deals throughout my workday - and for the most part I just stay seated in my ergonomically sound office chair, and let out a little sigh, dreaming of one day being able to travel the world freely.

So, we decided to jump at the chance for $480 round-trip tickets to Italy! We flew from Phoenix to Rome (after a lovely stint in Detroit) and 14 short hours later, we were sipping red wine in a dainty and perfect trattoria. We stayed for seven whirlwind days, and went from Rome to Florence, Venice and back, and it was truly unforgettable.

Day 1: Straight from the plane, to the Mercedes travel van (they don't mess around here - most of the cabs were luxury brands) and after a brief stop at the hotel, off to the Colosseum! Known as the greatest success of Roman architecture & engineering - although I was half-asleep from the plane ride it was still as impressive as ever. We paid 5 euro outside the walls, and got a quick walking tour along with a cut in line! In the evening, we were all on our own for dinner. Many of us bought pizza and beer from a street vendor. They cut their pizza with a pair of scissors - genius! And, the best pizza I have ever tasted. We came back to this spot several times.

Here is a picture of our hotel patio - which connected the two rooms we were staying in. I could sit on that patio and talk to these people forever. The two ladies in the background (good friends Jacque and Anne) had just found a litter of kittens tucked away in the high planter.

Day 2: Hopped on the Roma metro subway - which is 2 euro for the entire day (what a deal - but during commuting times is absolutely PACKED) and headed to Vatican City. There are very few pre-paid adventures we went on this trip, but this was one of them. I suggest you research the type of tour that intrigues you - with the vastness that is Vatican City it is impossible to comprehend alone!

Breathtaking, awesome, infinite, powerful, bursting with history - Vatican City is a place I will remember for the rest of my life. Everywhere I turned, there was intricate detail. The heaviness that I felt walking through those hallways was such an interesting feeling - knowing that hundreds of years has passed through these walls, and the stories and culture derived from this place, it is worth seeing once in your life. We briskly walked a 5 k tour, my only suggestion is wear comfortable shoes!

We went through St. Peter's Square, the Spanish steps, and ate dinner right by the Trevi Fountain (after we through a coin in it for good luck, romance, and a promised return to Roma).

Day 3: Woke up early, took the Metro subway to the train station to begin our journey to Florence. Not going to lie, after walking nearly 10+ miles throughout Rome, it felt great to sit down! This was a short, scenic two-hour ride through the Tuscan countryside. We opted for first-class tickets (which allows you to keep your luggage with you - instead of stowing it in another cabin) which was $24 increase - WELL worth it!

Stay tuned - in my next entry, I will cover our wine tour, the flea market, and more!