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Europe 2017

settembre - ottobre 2017
Un’avventura di 24 giorni di Laurie Leggi altro
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  • Laurie BestEurope 2017
    Giorno 19

    Rome , the Eternal City ....

    4 ottobre 2017, Italia ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Let me start off by saying that after today our feet are aching! We haven't used the bus or tram once while here , just walking and discovering Rome's streets. We waked about 75 minutes this morning to the Vatican City. Hard to believe it is it's own country , the smallest in the world , entirely within the city of Rome. We started our tour in the Vatican museum which is incredible. It took us about 2 hours and we didn't even stop and look at probably half of the exhibits. There is just so many collections. Once you have toured there you enter the Sistine Chapel. It is a place of silence. They ask you to stand in the middle of the room to get the best view of the masterpieces that cover the ceilings and walls . Photos are not allowed. Words cannot describe what we saw and it is a memory I will never forget. From there we lined up to go into St Peter's Basilica. Our timing was perfect. We waited about 20 min and when we looked back before we passed through the metal detectors the line was snaked around the grounds of the square. Easily a 90min to 2 hour wait in the hot sun. Inside the Basilica it will take your breath away. It is beyond words. The detail , the sculptures, the ceilings.. honestly you must see it in your lifetime. It's beyond anything I can explain or describe. Your eyes don't know where to look and there are so many alcoves and separate chapels. We lined up to pass by the bronze statue of St Peter . The right foot has been worn down by centuries of people who traditionally touch the feet of the statue. Being inside the Basilica, I have changed my mind and can say I have never been in a more beautiful place! From the Vatican we headed back to cover a few sights we hadn't seen. We went to Castel Sant Angelo , crossed the bridge and went to Piazza Navona. From there we went to see the Pantheon. It was well passed lunch time so we decided hmmm we are in Rome let's just get some gelato 🍧!😊. We stopped to briefly rest our tired feet then made our way back to our place. We took our bottle of wine from our host and headed up the spiral staircase to the rooftop patio and enjoyed the gorgeous sunset view💕. Exhausted is an understatement today. Early-ish to bed. Our last full day in Rome will be spent walking(!) areas we haven't seen yet and our plan is to end the day back at the Trevi fountain so we can experience it at night.Leggi altro

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  • Laurie BestEurope 2017
    Giorno 20

    Mama needs a new pair of shoes!!!

    5 ottobre 2017, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    In each of the cities we have visited, we have tried to take at least a half day and get away from the touristy parts of town and have some quieter , relaxing time. On our last day in Rome we decided to walk to Villa Borghese , a beautiful park full of fountains , monuments and paths leading forever. We sat on a park bench by a lake and listened to a man playing Italian music on his acoustic guitar. Just what we needed to take a breath from all the sightseeing we have done over the last few days. From there we headed towards the Spanish steps. We bought some lunch at the Co-op supermarket and of course a quart of Peroni to share and sat in the gorgeous sun on the steps and just people watched. That is where the mission of the shoes sort of started. Anyone who knows me , knows that I am notorious for seeing something I like in a store but always saying I'll come back later if I don't find something else I like. Well ... yesterday I saw a very cute pair of Italian leather shoes that I liked but wasn't sure about the colour. So of course I didn't get them. Today I mentioned it to Barry and he tried to remember where I had seen them over the almost 20 km we had walked around Rome yesterday lol. We back tracked all over the city , until lo and behold we found the little shoe store !!! Thank goodness for Barry and his incredible sense of direction , patience and pretty much doing anything for me , knowing how much I really wanted these shoes after all 💕💕💕 Every time i wear them I will remember our fantastic trip. I was over the moon excited and we went to have a nice cocktail beside the Trevi fountain before dinner. We are so happy we got to see the fountain at night as well. So pretty, especially holding a bag with my beloved shoes in them😂! We headed back towards our place , ate some spaghetti bolognese and are once again ready to pass out from another full day. Up early tomorrow to catch our train to Venice! 💕Leggi altro

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  • Laurie BestEurope 2017
    Giorno 21

    Venice , unique , romantic and confusing

    6 ottobre 2017, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We said arrivederci to Roma this morning and took a 3 1/2 hour train ride into Venice. Our first sight of this city was ...wow there really are no roads , just waterways to get around ! Our hotel was a 20 minutes walk from the train station through narrow streets , alleys and over bridges. We spent the afternoon touring around the Rialto bridge , Doge's palace and watching the hundreds of gondolas taking tourists on the typical boat ride , just like you imagine when you think of Venice. We went in to St Mark's Basilica and one of the very crabby men who worked there told me I had to cover my legs because I had shorts on. With some quick thinking I wrapped my coat around my waist and did the zipper up - instant skirt to my knees lol. Problem solved ! Such a different cathedral from those in Rome. It was kept very dark and it seemed like there were no windows. Barry and I would also like to know who turned the heat off in Venice. This is the first time in 3 weeks we have had to think about pulling out our long pants. And we had jackets on during the day ! It is very chilly here 😬. We ate some dinner and picked up a few things for breakfast and called it a night. We only have one full day here tomorrow and want to be up early. 😊Leggi altro

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  • Laurie BestEurope 2017
    Giorno 22

    Buanosera Venezia !

    7 ottobre 2017, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We actually cheated and slept in a tiny bit today. Barry was awake a few times in the night by this poor lady who has some "issues" and is known to randomly scream at all times of the day and night as per the girl who checked us in 😳. She apparently lives next door to where we are staying 😬. We took the vaporetto #1 (waterbus) from Piazza San Marco all the way along the Grand Canal to the end at Piazzale Roma . Such a great way to see Venice from the water. We walked back through the streets and alleys and along the water back to the Rialto bridge area. After lunch we walked to the point at Punta Della Dogana. We sat in the sun with our feet dangling off the wall of the canal enjoying the view. It is away from most of the tourist area so it was a really nice area just to relax and people watch. We had dinner reservations for 7:30 pm so we decided to go get a drink at an English pub across from the restaurant . Of course Barry had a Guinness in Italy. Why not 😂. While eating dinner we started talking to the couple sitting next to us from Utah. It was their last night too and we were comparing travel stories. Turns out she too counts her steps and was wearing the identical Fitbit as mine and she is an ICU nurse in paediatrics ! We chatted for a while longer over tiramisu then wished them safe travels . We decided to go for a walk to see the Rialto bridge and Venice at night and to walk off our dinner. 😊 before heading back to the hotel to get organized to leave in the morning . This will be our last time to pack up our knapsacks this trip . We will walk along the canal all the way to the bus station to get our bus to the airport and board our plane for home. Happy to be heading home to see the girls and Charlie but not looking forward to the 9 hour flight 😢😊!Leggi altro

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  • Laurie BestEurope 2017
    Giorno 23

    Home sweet home

    8 ottobre 2017, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    This morning we took the bus to the airport and boarded the plane for our return flight home. Such a long flight 9 1/2 hours to be exact ! We took the time to look over all the photos we took along the way. Seems like so long ago since we took the first ones in the Montreal airport. We saw and experienced so many amazing things along the way. We feel very fortunate that we were able to do this trip that we have been talking about for awhile now . We travelled carrying our knapsacks from city to city and found it a great way to do it. We are grateful to our daughters Kaylee and Taylor for helping us plan our itinerary, book our transportation and our places to stay. Their own personal experiences helped us a lot. Each place we stayed whether it was an Air bnb , guesthouse or hotel was unique and each host was welcoming and helpful. We were very lucky with all the places we chose. We saw some magnificent sights , monuments , churches, squares and parks . It was a fantastic trip and we have memories that we will never forget. We are happy to be home but can't wait to start thinking about our next adventure . 💕 Portugal 🇵🇹- Spain 🇪🇸- Italy 🇮🇹 2017Leggi altro

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