Italy
Pre-Italy: Philadelphia
Overnight in Philadelphia, on my way to Italy. Hotel: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
Philadelphia City Hall
"Love" Fountain
Segway Tour
Mosaic Art
Italian Market in Philadelphia
Liberty Bell made out of Legos - at Philadelphia airport.
Thanks to frequent flier miles, I did the flight Philadelphia to Venice in Business. Dinner was served cruise ship style, with warm nuts, appetizer, salad, main course (salmon), and ice cream (Ben & Jerry's). After dinner, I converted the seat into a bed and slept until breakfast.
Italy: Venice
Hotel: Hotel Noemi in San Marco.
Venice consists of 118 islands all connected by bridges and canals. The only transportation is boats - no land vehicles and people walk around the streets in Venice, which makes the city pedestrian friendly.
Some main sights in Venice, including the clock and bell towers, Basilica, Rialto bridge, and the Gondola ride through the canals.
At the top of the bell tower, great panoramic views of Venice.
Video: Bell Performance on the hour at the Clock Tower
Glass making factory at Murano, the island of glass.
Video: Glass making demo
Italy: Tuscany Region
Hotel: Villa S. Andrea, in the heart of Tuscany with vineyards and a winery nearby. Our stay included a tour of the winery and a wine tasting dinner.
Pisa, including the leaning tower and the Cathedral. The Cathedral is also leaning, but you can't really tell from the outside. Inside, there is a rope holding a chandelier and when looking at the rope in front of the door, you can see the rope is at a slight angle.
Siena
San Gimignano
Italy: Florence
Hotel: Hotel Pendini, located steps from the big arch in the heart of Florence.
Academy Museum, where the original David by Michelangelo is located. There is also an instrument section.
Italy: Rome
Hotel Sistina, located a few blocks from the Spanish steps. This hotel is centrally located to many of Rome's key sights.
Colosseum, had many uses: sword contests, public entertainment (including re-enactments of battles), dramas, housing, fortress, shrine, and workshops. Over time, the Colosseum became ruined by earthquakes and stone robbers. Today, the Colosseum is a symbol of Rome's past.
Some paintings of Italy and Venice in the Vatican Museum, as well as the St. Peter's Basilica featuring the Pope's balcony. The Sistine chapel is as good and beautiful as advertised - you need to see it in person to appreciate it.
S. Angelo Castle
Pantheon. The circle at the center of the dome is the Pantheon's primary source of light. As a bonus, we got to see a concert by the New English Orchestra. Video of one of their pieces: Handle Messiah excerpt
Italy: Tivoli
Tivoli is a small town about 45 minute drive from Rome. It is off the beaten path; not many tourists visit Tivoli so the town and its villas have relatively small crowds.
Hadrian's Villa, was a retreat for Roman Emperor Hadrian.
Villa D'Este, with an old apartment, courtyard, garden, and waterfalls. This was my favorite of the 2 villas we visited in Tivoli.
Italy: Pompeii
Pompeii is an ancient Roman city near Naples. Much of the city was ruined by volcano eruptions over the centuries.
Gym; bakery with bread machines; amphitheater
Italy: Amalfi Coast
Hotel: Hotel Villa La Tartana in Positano; this hotel is near the beach there are many locally owned shops and restaurants nearby.
The Amalfi coast is a resort section in Italy. Tourism is the primary industry here; many of the towns along the Amalfi coast see a surge in population during the peak summer months and become practically deserted during the winter months. Roads along the coast are windy and narrow but offer scenic views.
Boat ride to Capri Island and a scenic tour of the coastline. I love the bright blue clear water; reminds me of the Caribbean.
The Amalfi coast grows lemons, which are used to make limoncello, a lemon-based liquor. We got to sample some limoncello, which had a strong taste.
Villa Cimbrone, a big park on a cliff. Just before getting near the edge of the cliff, our tour guide had us close our eyes as she led us to the overlook then surprised us with spectacular views of the coastline.
Post-Italy: London
Hotel: Sofitel London Heathrow, luxury hotel that is connected to London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. Very convenient for an overnight layover at Heathrow.
I had an overnight at London on my return trip. After checking in the hotel, I took the train into the city to spend the evening. Walked around Hyde Park, then had dinner at Noorjahan - an Indian restaurant that receives great reviews. I had the lamb dish.
My return flight was British Airways London - Austin, my first time flying on a Boeing 787. Its engines are huge, and quieter than other airplane engines. From a passenger perspective, the most notable change is the windows - they are larger than other aircraft and you push a button to dim or brighten the window to adjust the amount of sunlight (no window shades). The effect is the same as sunglasses or car window tints. A darkened window looks like a blue-gray tint, which blocks sunlight but remains transparent to allow people to see outside. Boeing claims the 787 offers higher humidity and is smoother in turbulence, but I found improvements to be minor in those areas. Again, I was in business class. While the British Airways business seat is a bit narrower compared to American's new seat, it still offers lots of space and the seat also turns into a bed. British Airways service was excellent; as usual the meal was served cruise-ship style.
