More to come

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The last night

We were just having a good time. Everyone is amazed we found this hotel. It was a huge place, 1000 rooms, and absolutely full. This was the night of the beatification of Pope John Paul, so the hotel was full of tour groups all booked into banquet rooms. We had to beg for them to open a dining room for us and two other parties. So there we are, three tables spread around an ornate dining room with about 200 tables, one waiter, and one guy making pizzas, the only food they consented to serve us.

Lydia couldn't get over it. She kept saying "there's something very wrong about this place."

Click to watch the video.

From Last Night

Driving, driving, driving

We did a lot of driving. Nearly 2,000 kilometers from Rome to Campobasso to Chieti to Florence to Venice to Pienza to Rome. We crossed the Apennini, the mountain range that bisects nearly the entire Italian peninsula from north to south, four times. Much of the driving was on the Autostrade, the fast four lane toll highway network that criss-crosses the country, complete with bridges and tunnels through the mountain ranges. Some of the driving was in city streets, very unpleasant (Campobasso), some of the driving was on country roads complete with sheer drops, dead-man curves, stone walls, no shoulders, narrow lanes, and miles and miles of olive and grape terraces.

Italy is a beautiful country.



To see pictures one at a time, use the link below:
Driving

Pienza, land of pecorino

The best pecorino cheese in the world comes from Tuscany. The best pecorino cheese in Tuscany comes from Pienza: Pecorino di Pienza. Even in Italy one must go to Pienza to obtain Pecorino di Pienza. We must have brought 50lbs back with us. At least.

Aside from cheese, Pienza is a beautiful hilltop village in the southern Chianti hills in the province of Sienna. Tourism has been good to Pienza, most buildings are in good repair, and the town is far too small for cars. The people are friendly, the food is delicious, and the views are fantastic. What more could anyone want?

Lydia loved it and said if she ever goes back to Italy, she wants to stay here.



To view photos one at a time, use the link below:
Pienza Album

Venice Album

Venice is like no where else on Earth. Beautiful, glamorous, decadent, sliding slowly into decay as the sea rises a bit more each year. Most Venetians don't drive as there are no cars, or even bicycles, in Venice. Venice is comprised of 118 small islands connected by 412 bridges. In her heyday, La Serenissima, as she was called, was a huge naval empire that controlled much of the Adriatic and whose influence extended far to the east. Venice once sacked Constantinople, and brought treasure from all over the Mediterranean to decorate her buildings and squares. Venetian dialect is so removed from Italian that it's almost another language entirely.

We love Venice and had a wonderful time here.



To view the pictures one at a time, use the link below:
Venice Album

Chieti

We went, we waited, we saw idol worshiping, we ate, we left. At some point we managed to trash the hotel room. You'd think we were rock stars.



To view the pictures individually, click the link below:
Chieti Pictures

Firenze

Just a few pictures of our time in Florence. Lots of great shopping and a super meal at one of our favorite restaurants, Baldovino.



Click the link below to view the pictures one at a time.
Florence Album

Roma...

The Eternal City, ancient, enormous, crowded, vibrant. A city where taxis and busses whiz past buildings thousands of years old, and pizza comes smothered in zucchini flowers.



Use the link below to view the pictures one at a time.
Roma Pictures

Debbie gets her groove on

After a long walk to an Internet cafe that turned out to be closed, Deb just collapsed in frustration. (poor Deb) But after a nice glass of wine at the Torino Bar and some smooth jazz, she felt much better! Click to play the video

From Italy

Zumba Girls in Venice

Be warned, this video is not for the faint-hearted! Click the video to play.

From Italy

Campobasso Pics, 21 April, 2011.

For those who don't know, Campobasso is where the Desantis family came from. The name, Campobasso, means low field; the town was founded at least during the Lombard reign (8th century), possibly much earlier. Although this wasn't our first stop, in some respects it was the most important.

Enjoy!



To view the pictures individually, please use the link below:
Campobasso Pictures

After 5 hours and two fight delays...

...can we leave now?

As you know, we were delayed getting started from Jacksonville.

Similarly, we have been delayed uploading the pictures. here's the promise: They are on their way! Videos too, but be warned, some of the videos are not for the faint of heart!