Day 16 - Venice (Last Day!)

Today is the last day of our vacation so we decided to sleep in and take a relaxing day in Venice.  We ventured out around 11:00am after breakfast at the hotel and went to Ca Rezzonico, a palace in Venice that is now a museum.  It was very interesting.  Then off to find lunch, Jackie had found a great little restaurant on a side canal.  We had a great lunch!  Great fish, pastas and pizzas.  Our waiter was really funny!  Then off to do some last minute shopping before our vacation comes to an end and dinner at a restaurant right on the canal…what a spectacular view and a fantastic way to end our two-week adventure.  We have been very blessed to see all that we have seen these two weeks!  We have an early wakeup call – our water taxi is picking us up at 4:20am to take us to the airport…

Arriverdeci Italia…until we meet again

Ca' Rezzonico

lunch

our hotel

Don in the hotel

getting gelato

dinner on the water on our last night

Day 15 - Lucca to Venice

Today, we would take two trains to get to Venice.  First a 7:25am train to Firenze and then a two hour Eurostar train from Firenze to Venezia.  Our Lucca hotel manager, Mario had breakfast ready for us at 6:30 (not usually prepared until 7:00) so we could eat before we left for the train station.  We just love Mario!  After two successful train trips, we arrived in Venice around 11:30.  Found our water taxi and off to our hotel.  After locating our hotel and getting our suitcases put away, we ventured out to find some lunch.

 Well, this city was FULL OF PEOPLE!  There were five cruise ships docked and the narrow alleyways of Venice were packed of people.  Not a great way to get a glimpse of this beautiful city!  We looked for quite some time for a specific lunch place we had great reviews about, we finally found it but it was packed of people.  So, we entered into a place that was available…BAD IDEA!  Place was awful, expensive, total tourist trap!  Back to our hotel for a rest and then made reservations at a restaurant for a GOOD dinner…Well, we decided to leave at 8:00 for an 8:30 reservation to give us enough time to find it.  At 9:15, we still had not found the restaurant – so we found another cute restaurant and hoped for the best.  Food was very good; we finally finished at 10:30pm.  What a day!  Unfortunately, our first day of Venice was not ideal.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better and we can spend our last day of vacation on a high note!

breakfast at Palazzo Alexander

Train!

Nonni on the water taxi in Venice 

the Grand Canal

Day 14 - Last day in Lucca

We had planned to visit the Cinque Terra today.  Unfortunately, we found out yesterday that the trains were going on strike today sooooo our only other option to visit the Cinque Terra would be a private car costing approx. $300 euros.  That wasn’t going to work so we decided to spend the day in the town of Lucca.  Not a bad second choice.

We strolled the beautiful shops, picked up a few additional trinkets we couldn’t do without – had lunch at Don’s favorite pizza place, gelato in the famous Piazza Anfiteatro, some more shopping and then dinner at a restaurant in Piazza Napoleon where the Lucca Summer Concert is now playing.  The manager of our hotel, Mario of Palazzo Alexander also owns this restaurant so he made reservations for us.   We were serenaded by an Italian singer while we ate.  What a way to spend our last day in Lucca.  Lucca, we will miss you and Mario and his son Gabriel of the Palazzo Alexander.  They truly made our stay very special!

Mario at the front desk

Don with his yummy pizza

Nikki with a waiter at the yummy pizza restaurant

at a gelateria

us after dinner

Day 13 - Lucca and Florence, again!

Jackie and I ventured back to Firenze for day 2.  We had to pick up her sandals and there were a few more things she wanted to see.  Don, Nikki and Lois stayed in Lucca.  We started our day in Florence at the Boboli gardens – it was nice to see but didn’t spend a whole lot of time there.  We walked onto the shoe cobbler and picked up her sandals, grabbed some lunch, did some window shopping and then back on the 1:30pm train to Lucca. 

As the temperature in Florence was extremely HOT, we were looking forward to an air-conditioned train…not to be.  We sat in the train and were sweating like pigs.  Little by little people were leaving our car.  Jackie decided to get up and walk down other cars.  It seems our car was the only one without air conditioning – stupid Americans!  We ripped our legs from the leather seats and moved down to a different car for our remaining trip to Lucca.  After 1 hour and 40 minutes  we arrived in Lucca (we obviously were on the train that stopped at every city in between Florence and Lucca). 

In the meantime, Don had found the best pizza for lunch that he had EVER HAD!  We found a café in St. Michele and had glasses of vino Blanco, a cheese and prosciutto plate and gelato for Nikki…all is good!  Dinner was at Ostaria Via S. Giorgio – so good!  Don had a tomato and bread soup, I had fresh seabass (which is unusual to find good fish in Lucca). Good food, good wine…mamma mia!

Boboli Gardens

Palazzo Pitti

Jackie's sandals

at dinner

streets of Lucca

Day 12 - Lucca and Florence

This is Jeannine…

Today, we hopped on a 9:30am train to Florence.  Time got away from us this morning so we ended up taking a cab to the train station rather than walking.  When the taxi came to pick us up, it only had room for 4 people so Don grabbed the next one…he made the train by the “hair of his chinny chin chin”.  We arrived into Florence at 11:00am and our first stop was the cute little handmade shoe shop.  We visited this shop eight years ago and Jackie had wanted a pair made and then decided against it.  She had regretted that decision!  So Jackie had her feet sized, picked out the style she wanted and ordered her shoes.  We would come back tomorrow and pick them up.  This place is pretty cool…it is the little old shoemaker!

Off to lunch in the square next to the Uffizi (tourist central) and then a 1:00pm entrance into the Uffizi.  I certainly appreciate the Uffizi more this trip as Jackie is able to explain the paintings…our own personal tour guide. 

Florence is extremely hot!  We stopped at a gelateria on our way to the Duomo.  They brought all our gelato to the table, except Nikki’s – BAD IDEA!  She was not a happy camper.  The day is hot, we just spent hours on our feet walking and we are tired. Her gelato finally came after a few reminders.  We entered into the Duomo and Nikki had to wear this funny drape…again!  We headed back to the train for our trip to Lucca and then a 15 minute walk on the top of the city walls back to our hotel.  Dinner was at a cute little ostaria near the popular Piazza Anfiteatro.  Everything was wonderful…Don had pasta with pesto…Yum!

Arriverderci!

Train Station

Duomo

Nikki wearing a smock in the Duomo

Wall of Lucca

Day 11 - Chianti to Lucca

Hi, this is Jeannine writing again…

Today, we packed up and took off to Lucca.  This was about an 1½ hour drive.  We stopped in a city called Chiesina Uzzese where Don’s great grandmother grew up.  Don and I visited this town with my parents and the girls eight years ago when we visited but obviously this was the first time for Lois. We saw the church that Nonna Casa Casa was baptized in and the home she grew up until age 10.  Her family owned a dry-goods store and she lived on top of the store.  It was nice for Lois to see the town her grandmother walked the streets so many years ago. 

Then onward to Lucca...We had not visited Lucca before so it was very cool to see the high walls of this city.  So note to any of you visiting Lucca within the walls.  A big van (see our picture) and the streets of Lucca do not mix (as our hotel manager said…these streets were made for horses).  We did not know this!  We drive through the opening into the walled city and “attempt” to get through…ha ha!  I got out to assist Don taking the turns and cars are coming up behind him so he keeps going and I am just hanging out there while he is trying to get back around…anyways 30 minutes later he arrives again and our hotel manager assists him…lucky everybody kept their sense of humor.  Needless to say after we checked in and got settled, Don and I returned the car to the city of Lucca and it is public transportation for the rest of the trip.  Ciao Macchina! 

After a rest and walk through the beautiful cobblestone streets of Lucca…we are off to dinner where all the locals eat.  This was a recommendation from someone Don knew, who frequents Lucca a lot.  She told Don to try the “farinata”.  She said we wouldn’t be sorry!  Jackie and Lois ordered it and we all tried it…she was right!  It is corn meal with vegetables…what a great flavor.  Jackie said this has to be visited again before we leave.   It was fantastic!  This was a great restaurant…another wonderful day in God’s country!

Buona Notte!

terrace at hotel in Chianti

church in Chiesina Uzzese

dropping off the car

outside our hotel in Lucca

la farinata!

Day 10 - Chianti

Hi, this is Jeannine writing…

Another glorious day in the valley of the Rooster, Chianti!  Today, we researched a local winery to do wine tasting.  We selected Rocca delle Macie, about a 10 minute drive from our hotel along the Tuscan countryside.  Not only do they have chianti, but they make olive oil, grappa and vino santo.  We had a private “free” wine tasting (unlike the Napa Valley) and we tasted the olive oil.  Don tasted the grappa (that stuff will kill you!) and then she served the vino santo with homemade biscotti for us to dip into the vino santo…HEAVEN ON EARTH!  Great way to start the day.  Oh by the way, please notice by the picture – Nikki had carefully selected a special “wine-tasting outfit”.  Don and I would sing the song to her from The Muensters…as her shoes remind us of the Munsters…I don’t think she thought that was funny!

After the wine tasting, back to Castellina for a stroll around the town, back to the shoe store where I got a beautiful pair of blue suede loafers…just like the song and then off to our midday nap.

We researched a restaurant in the nearby city of Radda…another darling town and a drive about 15 minutes through the Tuscan countryside.  They start with a basket of bread which includes homemade focaccia with cherry tomatoes and Italian herbs, twisted rolls –there goes the non-carb diet.  Don and I shared a Carpaccio dish with gorgonzola sauce…oh my god!  Great restaurant in a beautiful setting with shuttered windows overlooking the countryside.  Another Va Bene evening!

Ciao.

Winery

Nikki's Wine-tasting outfit

at dinner

Day 9 - Chianti

Today we woke up in Castellina, Chianti.  It doesn't get much better than this!  Our hotel is on a pedestrian walkway so we walk out the doors and walk around the cute town.  We stopped at a great little shoe shop on our way...they were really nice here.  She is originally from Chicago and was great to talk to.  Everything is handmade, Nonni got two pairs of shoes, Nikki got a pair, Dad got a pair and I got a beautiful totebag!  Mom is going back tomorrow...think I will go back too!

The pool at our hotel...aah!

 My new tote bag...so exciting!

we love this shoe shop!

Lunch was at Tre Porte (three doors).  Yumo!  Then off to chillin at the pool, more gelato and a midday rest.  Ah...the good life!

The best lasagna ever!

A beer after the wine



Day 8 - Leaving Spoleto and Arriving in Chianti

This morning we left Spoleto and drove 2 hours to get to Chianti.  Nikki was very excited "to get her bronze on" at the pool.  The pool is very beautiful and Nikki has decided it is "va bene."

hotel in Spoleto

Nikki getting her bronze on minutes after arriving at the hotel in Chianti

We had our yummiest gelato yet here in Castellina which is good for the yum yums but bad for the waistline.

lunch in Chianti

me eating nummy noms Gelato in Chianti

Nikki Nunu at gelato shop

Then we had dinner at Osteria Il Gallo.  Yum yum again! 

Nikki getting schwasted

Day 7 - Spoleto

We woke up.  We had breakfast at the hotel.  Then we went to Assisi where St. Francis is from!  It was fun even though I wasn't sure if it would be fun.  We walked around and shopped and we bought many souvenirs.  And we went into the church where Nonni really enjoyed the mass.  Nikki had to cover up with all sorts of cloths because she wasn't wearing enough.

St. Francis of Assisi Church, where St. Francis is buried

mom and pops

yum!

escalator in Spoleto, and me looking snazzy in my dress

dinner in Spoleto!

Then we returned home and went to dinner all the way up the hill in Spoleto.  The town on the hill is so high up that you have to take a huge outdoor escalator up there.  Our dinner was very good as well.