All posts filed under: Europe

Vatican Museum

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Ahh, the Vatican Museum. When I think of our museum experience, the first thing I recall is the hardcore 30-minute walking jog we took to make it to the museum before they stopped giving out tickets. And thank goodness we made it. The word that best describes the art and interior of the Vatican Museum is “grand,” and if I had to choose another word, it’d be “overwhelming.” Here is where we saw Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, though I regrettably didn’t take any photos. Partly because we weren’t allowed, and partly because I was afraid I’d get caught. No worries though, because I’m determined to return one day! The tapestries room. Raphael’s workshop designed the tapestries, and they were made in Brussels. Above at left is the map gallery, which displays 16th century maps of Italy. I love how the color pops in this photo. If you can imagine what it looked like in person, you’d be even more impressed. Up next: St. Peter’s Basilica

Rome lights up

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Every evening, after the sun set around 5 p.m., we’d stroll the streets and watch the city come alive with lights. Monuments, ruins, you name it, are beautifully lit. The view of St. Peter’s from Ponte Sant’Angelo. Castel Sant’Angelo St. Peter’s Square inside Vatican City, the world’s smallest country. One of my favorite shots of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Victor Emmanuel Monument, locally known as the Vittoriano, is a monument to Italy’s first king. This guy puts D.C.’s monuments to shame… If you must know, I fell up these marble steps not once, but twice. In an effort to protect my camera, I made sure I landed on my side. The results were not pretty. I’m thankful that my camera came out unharmed, but even more thankful that my good friend Kate resisted the urge to snap a photo of me, probably because she was laughing too hard. At the base of the monument is Italy’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Marcus Aurelius sits in the center of Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitol Hill Square). Side …

Amalfi Coast

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After several hours of walking through the streets of Pompeii, we jumped in the car again to drive along the Amalfi Coast. I can’t begin to describe with words how beautiful the scenery was, so I’ll let the photos do the talking. Above, at left, I want to live in this house. Pretty please. And doesn’t that water look inviting? We wanted to dip our toes in it, but we were running out of daylight and it was a good hike to get to the shore. Rocky cliffs with charming towns. I thought this only existed in books. Our friend Rob deserves most, if not all, of the credit for these pictures since he had to concentrate on the narrow, windy road the whole time. He also learned how to stop and pull over on a dime so Kate and I could jump out to take photos. Thanks, Rob!! We stopped in Amalfi to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery. I will always remember Amalfi for the breathtaking views and terrible pizza (it was …

Pompeii

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Pompeii was a short drive away from Mount Vesuvius. This is probably the best time to give kudos to Rob, Jay’s work partner, for driving like a champ in Italy. Rob, you did a great job with driving and not killing any of us though it seemed like that was the goal of our fellow Italian drivers. Thanks, Rob! :) A couple of observations about Pompeii – Huge! Sprawling! The city streets seem to go on forever and in every direction. I had no idea how large the ruins were. Pompeii was home to 20,000 residents before Mount Vesuvius’ ash buried it in AD 79. Above, in bottom left photo, is the basilica of Pompeii. At right is an awkward person who is trying to look cute. It was amazing to walk on the original Roman pavement. The stones sticking out of the roads told you if the street was one way (one stone), two-way (two stones) or three-way (three stones). Top left is the Temple of Jupiter in Pompeii’s Forum. In the marketplace, there …

Mount Vesuvius

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I’m taking a break from Rome and digging into our day trip photos. On the Saturday that we were in Italy, four of us woke up super early to hit the road with our road maps, non-smartphone and no sleep. It was time for an adventure! First stop – Mount Vesuvius, which was about three hours away. I will try not to harp on the fact that most of us were ill-prepared to climb this bad boy (no warm clothes and a bad knee that resulted in an embarrassing limp), but let me tell you, I was thisclose to walking away from Mount Vesuvius without climbing it. But I’m glad I did. It was €8/person for admission and €20 for a cab to the top. Even with my limp, I wouldn’t pay. In fact, I laughed when the cab driver told me his price. Friendly mountain dogs greeted us at the entrance to the trail. Notice the squint in their eyes; it was super windy. The trail had great yet hazy views of Naples. We …