More Italy

Day 3 began with a trip back to the Vatican to visit the Vatican Museum including the Sistine Chapel. We also got to see the Pope from afar, tooling around in the Popemobile after addressing an audience. I was able to take a few photos in the Museum, inside and out, but you are not supposed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel. Most everyone did so I tried to take a couple discretely.

Our ride out of Rome began on an ancient road that was modernly paved. The ride was very easy - on a big, airconditioned motor coach. Not too far out of Rome the landscape turns hilly and green. Many homes have that traditional Italian look - stone exterior with terra cotta tiled roofs. Poppyseeds and sunflowers abound. It is not uncommon to see a lone house on top of a hill surrounded by cedar trees and a plot of farmed land. We were in the Tuscan countryside and we arrived in the small town of Burchio. Our stay in Tuscany for next two days served as our base for a visit to Florence. Our villa was tucked between a vineyard and a horse stable. Our room was rustic. 3 twin beds, the 2 kids side-by-side and me over in the corner. Snacks of Limon drink and bruschetta are served before dinner. Dinner was pasta with mushrooms, veal ala Toscano, mixed vegetables and pan cota which we ate on the patio outside.

The kids had a chance to get together and play cards.

I got to spend time getting to know my "buddy" Annette.

Here is our villa in Tuscany.

Day 4 in Italy was Florence - Firenze as the Italians call it. We started out with a tour of the Accademia and were able to view the main attraction - Michelangelo's David. It is an awesome sight. A seemingly perfect specimen carved in marble. This statue was originally commissioned to be placed up high on a wall so the hands and feet look a little large.

From the Accademie we toured the streets, passing the duomo and Signella Square, where we saw many other beautiful statues. Florence was once heavily influenced by the Medici family. The family comissioned and collected many masterpieces - many of them on display at the famous Ufizzi Gallery, which we visited. Here we saw originals by Boticelli, Leonardo di Vinci, Raphael, Titian and Michelangelo. Definitely a highlight.