We are at the two week mark! The countdown has started and I'm getting excited about getting home. But first things first. We have a trip to take!
Kevin and I are leaving on an overnight train tonight to Rome. It's our first overnight train so I'm interested to see how it goes and what our set-up looks like. Getting the tickets proved a bit difficult so I'm hoping it was all worth it. Initially, we went to our train station in Vipiteno on Monday to get the tickets and the machine was broken and there wasn't a teller working. So we went to Innsbruck to buy them yesterday, but the lady there told us we couldn't buy them from her because it was an inner-Italy trip. I know this is nonsense because we always get our inner-Italy tickets from Innsbruck (because they speak better English there than in Vipiteno). We thought we'd try the machine in Brennero on the way home and it turned out their machine was broken too. Since today was our last chance to get tickets, we woke up bright and early and headed to the train station. The machine was still broken, but the teller was there and was super helpful in getting us our tickets even with our broken German and his broken English.
We get into Rome tomorrow morning at 6:08AM and are going to spend the day and night there. Saturday, we are heading to Sorrento for three days/two nights. In those three days, we will also check out Pompeii, Capri, and Naples. Everything was booked through a tour group, Viator, which we have used a few different times and the nice thing is all transportation, meals, tours, and accommodations are included....one less thing to worry about.
Once we leave Sorrento, we are going back to Rome for 2 days/nights. We want to check out Palatine Hill and the Roman Forums, visit the catacombs of San Callisto, take a tour of the Jewish Ghetto, and do some people watching in Piazza Navona. The last time we were in Rome, we got engaged so I'm not sure this trip can top that, but I'm holding out hope.
After we leave Rome, we are going to Florence for 2 days. Last time we were in Florence, we didn't get to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's David so we definitely want to do that. We are also thinking about taking a Chianti tour and visiting Siena, but nothing has been booked yet. One things for sure, we are eating more Jersey Shore pizza.
Once we get back to Vipiteno, the countdown will be at 6 days. In between packing and cleaning, I'll be sure to post pictures and an update of our trip.
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florence. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wrapping Up Our Time Here In Italy
Kevin got home on Saturday and we've been busy since the minute he walked in the door. We're trying to plan one last trip before we leave, get everything squared away back home before we get there (insurance, jobs), clean and pack up the apartment, and get all our loose ends tied up here.
One of the first things we needed to figure out was our flights home. When Kevin came to Italy, the team booked him a return flight for May 3. But when we booked my flight, we booked me returning on May 17. Obviously, we realized we would have to change one, depending on how long Kevin ended up working. Since Kevin went away with the National Team and we really haven't had a chance to travel by ourselves, we decided we would switch his flight to the same day my flight was on.
Yesterday morning, Kevin called US Airways to try to arrange everything and was told that all the flights on May 17 were sold out, but he could fly on the 16th or 18th. His other option was to fly Lufthansa (a partner of US Airways), but the change fee, along with the difference in fare would be $2600! The person Kevin was talking to was less than helpful and basically told him these were his only two options. On that note, Kevin hung up and we started brainstorming.
1. We could change my flight to May 3 (which had open seats) and not travel. Neither of us were fans of this option because part of the reason Kevin works in Europe is so we can travel.
2. Kevin could fly out on May 16 and I would just stay the night in Munich and fly out on May 17. For me, this was not an option because it would require we to go through Passport Control by myself without any proof as to why I was in Italy for 100 days over my allowed time. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.
3. We could change both of our flight to May 16. Last night, we decided on this option. Yes, it was going to cost us about $700, but it was really the only option that made sense.
First thing this morning, Kevin called US Airways. The first thing he did was ask if there were any open seats on my flight on May 17, but nothing had opened up. Luckily, the guy who Kevin was talking to was actually helpful. After 40 minutes on the phone, he had found a flight that would require Kevin to have two connections instead of one, but would have us both leaving on May 17 and arriving in Pittsburgh within 2 hours of each other. Obviously, flying 11 hours home separately isn't what we want to do, but this solution is the most logical.
Instead of dwelling on the 11 hours we'll spend by ourselves on the plane home, we moved onto our next task..planning one last trip. Due to my visa (or lack thereof) issues, we can only travel by car or train. We haven't booked anything, but we think we have decided to go to Rome, Sorrento, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, and Florence. We've been to both Rome and Florence, but don't feel like we've seen everything they have to offer. And we can't wait to see some new places. Make sure to check back in the next week or so to read about our trip.
One of the first things we needed to figure out was our flights home. When Kevin came to Italy, the team booked him a return flight for May 3. But when we booked my flight, we booked me returning on May 17. Obviously, we realized we would have to change one, depending on how long Kevin ended up working. Since Kevin went away with the National Team and we really haven't had a chance to travel by ourselves, we decided we would switch his flight to the same day my flight was on.
Yesterday morning, Kevin called US Airways to try to arrange everything and was told that all the flights on May 17 were sold out, but he could fly on the 16th or 18th. His other option was to fly Lufthansa (a partner of US Airways), but the change fee, along with the difference in fare would be $2600! The person Kevin was talking to was less than helpful and basically told him these were his only two options. On that note, Kevin hung up and we started brainstorming.
1. We could change my flight to May 3 (which had open seats) and not travel. Neither of us were fans of this option because part of the reason Kevin works in Europe is so we can travel.
2. Kevin could fly out on May 16 and I would just stay the night in Munich and fly out on May 17. For me, this was not an option because it would require we to go through Passport Control by myself without any proof as to why I was in Italy for 100 days over my allowed time. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.
3. We could change both of our flight to May 16. Last night, we decided on this option. Yes, it was going to cost us about $700, but it was really the only option that made sense.
First thing this morning, Kevin called US Airways. The first thing he did was ask if there were any open seats on my flight on May 17, but nothing had opened up. Luckily, the guy who Kevin was talking to was actually helpful. After 40 minutes on the phone, he had found a flight that would require Kevin to have two connections instead of one, but would have us both leaving on May 17 and arriving in Pittsburgh within 2 hours of each other. Obviously, flying 11 hours home separately isn't what we want to do, but this solution is the most logical.
Instead of dwelling on the 11 hours we'll spend by ourselves on the plane home, we moved onto our next task..planning one last trip. Due to my visa (or lack thereof) issues, we can only travel by car or train. We haven't booked anything, but we think we have decided to go to Rome, Sorrento, Naples, Capri, Pompeii, and Florence. We've been to both Rome and Florence, but don't feel like we've seen everything they have to offer. And we can't wait to see some new places. Make sure to check back in the next week or so to read about our trip.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Update
I know I’ve been MIA for about two weeks, but we had one of
Kevin’s friends in town and we were out and about. We did a lot of traveling and saw some new places, but it’s nice
to be home now.
Brian got here on April 10.
He flew into Venice and we went there to meet him. It just so happened that we also had family
friends in Venice at that time so we all got together for a day of
sightseeing. We did a tour of the
Jewish Ghetto (something we’ve never done), checked out St. Mark’s Basilica,
walked around the markets, had pizza, and drank Spritz. We thought about trying Bellinis at Harry’s
Bar, the home of the first Bellini, until we saw the price. £16.50 (about $22) for a 6-ounce
Bellini! That price made us all get out
of our seats quickly and hit the streets for the next best thing…gelato.
Pizza break with Emma, John, Cathy, Brian, and Kevin
That night we made our way to Verona where Brian, Kevin, and
I were staying over. It was already
late so we checked into our hotel and then went straight to dinner. After a bottle of wine and a few beers, we
were exhausted so we called it a night.
We woke up the next morning to rain.
I’m not talking about a light sprinkle either. This was a downpour.
After a few hours of walking around in the rain, checking out the Roman
Theater, and rubbing Juliet’s boob, we decided it was time to head back to
Vipiteno.
Kevin got a quick boob rub in for good luck.
After a day spent in Innsbruck and a day in Vipiteno, we
made our way to Florence. We decided to
drive since we were only staying two nights and it made more sense money
wise. We don’t have a GPS so we figured
Google Map directions would work just as well, but we ended up getting lost a
few times. It took about an hour longer
than it should have to get to our hotel.
We were actually parked illegal in a place we weren’t even supposed to
be driving and started running around asking people if they knew where our
hotel was. Turns out, it was about 40
meters from where we were parked and the parking garage was just around the
corner.
Our first afternoon and night in Florence was rainy. We had drinks, then dinner, then more
drinks, and then called it a night. The
next day, we had scheduled a ½ day trip to Pisa and were bummed when we woke up
to rain. But as we started driving away
from Florence, everything cleared up.
We got a guided tour of the main square in Pisa and then had a few hours
to ourselves. We spent most of this
time holding up the Leaning Tower and snapping stupid pictures.
Piazza del Duomo, Pisa
I'm just holding up the Leaning Tower for a bit.
That afternoon we had a few more hours of no rain in
Florence and took advantage of it. We
checked out the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and walked around until
dinnertime. For dinner, we checked out
a cute little place that had a pasta sampler.
It was served family style so you could just take what you want. Everything was delicious, including the
three bottles of Chianti that we took down.
The Piazza del Duomo in Florence
The Ponte Vecchio
We finally woke up to a clear sky on our last day in
Florence. We walked the 460 steps (give
or take a few) to the top of the Duomo, where the view was breathtaking. Then, we headed over to the pizzeria where
the cast of the Jersey Shore worked (please don’t judge). In started to rain a little so we decided we
should probably just head home.
Luckily, since I was in charge of the directions, we made it out of
Florence and home without getting lost once.
It should be noted that I was with two directionally challenged
men.
The Last Judgement (on the left) is painted on the ceiling of the Duomo.
Kevin and I at the top of the Duomo.
Yep, we ate where the Jersey Shore cast worked.
After two days to recuperate in Vipiteno, we made our way to
Munich. Our first stop was Dachau
Memorial Site, which I would highly recommend to everyone. It was depressing, yet educational and some
of the stuff that happened there is unbelievable.
Once we made it to Munich, we walked around the Marienplatz area and then heading to the Hofbräuhaus for dinner and a big beer. One turned to two and then two turned to three. And by the time we left there, we had each consumed three liters of beer. Well, maybe not me…I was having trouble drinking the third one so I kept pouring it in the boys’ beers when they weren’t paying attention. On our way home, we got so lost because somehow the map had gotten torn and the important part was nowhere to be found.
The gate prisoners passed through when entering Dachau. The inscription means "Work Brings Freedom."
Once we made it to Munich, we walked around the Marienplatz area and then heading to the Hofbräuhaus for dinner and a big beer. One turned to two and then two turned to three. And by the time we left there, we had each consumed three liters of beer. Well, maybe not me…I was having trouble drinking the third one so I kept pouring it in the boys’ beers when they weren’t paying attention. On our way home, we got so lost because somehow the map had gotten torn and the important part was nowhere to be found.
The Marienplatz
Round one of beers at the Hofbräuhaus.
That next morning was rough for everyone, but we wanted to
get an early start because Kevin and I were heading out that afternoon to come
back to Vipiteno. We checked out the
Viktualienmarkt, where I had a big pickle and a coffee and Kevin had a foot
long sausage on a 6-inch bun for breakfast.
After doing some shopping and checking everything out, we headed to
lunch where we all had a Wiener Schnitzels that were bigger than our
heads. Needless to say, none of us
finished it. Kevin and I said our
goodbyes to Brian (since he was staying to fly out the next day) and we headed
back to Vipiteno.
I might have found the cure to hangovers.
You can't visit Germany without getting a Wiener Schnitzel.
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