Europe

A 27-day adventure by PSGK-A Read more

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Day 11
Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 7:58 PM
☀️ 26 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.438251, 12.33891445°26’18” N 12°20’20” E
Venezia - Day 1 even more pics
June 28, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
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Day 11
Tuesday, June 28, 2016 at 11:35 PM
🌙 22 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.438139, 12.33903545°26’17” N 12°20’21” E
Venezia - Day 1, evening pics
June 28, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
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Day 12
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 9:25 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.438046, 12.33889245°26’17” N 12°20’20” E
Venezia, Day 2 - Doge's Palace tour
June 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Day 12
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 9:32 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.438084, 12.33889945°26’17” N 12°20’20” E
Venezia, Day 2 - Doge's Palace tour 2
June 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Day 12
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 9:40 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.43808, 12.33873745°26’17” N 12°20’19” E
Venezia, Day 2 - Doge's Palace tour 3
June 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Day 12
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 9:59 PM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.438049, 12.3388445°26’17” N 12°20’20” E
Venezia, Day 2, St. Mark's Basilica
June 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Wasn't supposed to take pictures here but i couldn't resist a few. Grace suggested I go to the confessional before we leave.
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Day 12
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 10:14 PM
⛅ 24 °C
Altitude: 16 ft
Italy Piazza San Marco 45.43812, 12.33905745°26’17” N 12°20’21” E
Venezia, Day 2 - Dinner
June 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Just a pic of our view for our over-priced dinner on the canal :).
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Day 13
Thursday, June 30, 2016
⛅ 28 °C
Altitude: 30 ft
Italy Campanile di San Marco 45.434338, 12.33878445°26’4” N 12°20’20” E
Final day in Venice
June 30, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Last day and we enjoyed Murano, Burano and meeting the Barnes' for dinner!
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Day 14
Friday, July 1, 2016 at 9:57 PM
🌙 25 °C
Altitude: 20 ft
Italy San Cristoforo Channel 45.437997, 12.34230445°26’17” N 12°20’32” E
2 1
More final day in Venice pics
July 1, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Went to the Liberia Aqua Alta bookstore...gets high reviews. I heard one woman say it was one of top 10 most interesting bookstores in the world! Maybe if i was looking for an old, Italian book in a damp, cramped room i would have agreed. I need to read up on it some more in order to appreciate it, I guess.Read more
Kim Shaw Uncle Craig would love this!
7/3/16Reply
Tricia Boyd Pretty cool steps! I like the book store! There could be some good finds in there if you had a year or two to look.
7/5/16Reply
PSGK-A The steps were cool and went up to overlook a canal!
7/5/16Reply
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Day 14
Friday, July 1, 2016 at 10:06 PM
🌙 25 °C
Altitude: 174 ft
Italy Giardino Di Valfonda 43.777642, 11.24998543°46’40” N 11°14’60” E
Quick stop in Florence
July 1, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Duomo was immense! Baptistery was stunning!

We also stopped in to see Michaelangelo's David statue which was stunning!
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Day 14
Friday, July 1, 2016 at 10:08 PM
🌙 25 °C
Altitude: 174 ft
Italy Giardino Di Valfonda 43.777642, 11.24998543°46’40” N 11°14’60” E
Climb to the top of the Duomo in Florenc
July 1, 2016 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Kate and Sue led the way while Grace and Paul didn't look down as we climbed.
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Day 16
Sunday, July 3, 2016
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 213 ft
Italy Capannelle 41.820724, 12.54420941°49’15” N 12°32’39” E
2
Biking the Appian Way
July 3, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Riding along the 1700 year old Appian Way. Peter is said to have met Jesus along this road.

It was nice to ride on this ancient road but I'm glad they improved how they make roads!

Maybe some day I'll spend more time walking this road but this was supposed to be a day of rest for us so I didn't push to see too much.Read more
Tricia Boyd You found bikes and a helmet for Kate! I want to tour with you. You have planned so well.
7/5/16Reply
PSGK-A Kate was a trooper...determined as usual to make it work in spite of the difficulty!
7/5/16Reply
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Day 16
Sunday, July 3, 2016
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 79 ft
Italy Trevi Fountain 41.900852, 12.48333941°54’3” N 12°29’0” E
Trevi fountain
July 3, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We made a quick stop to see this famous fountain that originally supplied wayer to ancient Rome. It was determined to be "insufficiently dramatic" by Pope Urban VIII and was eventually made into what it is today,

G&K did the traditional throw a coin into the fountain over your left shoulder using your right hand. According to wikipedia, about 3000 euros go into the fountain each day and the money is used to feed the needy!

These pics don't do it justice but they're the best we got with the large crowd.Read more
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Day 17
Monday, July 4, 2016 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 131 ft
Vatican City Pigna Courtyard 41.90637, 12.4540441°54’23” N 12°27’15” E
Vatican Museum
July 4, 2016 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
We perused this as part of a tour with Walks of Italy. The guide was great but the tour was long and exhausting (maybe because we had to be up at 6AM for it).

The pics are of:
- an early (before the cross) symbol of Christianity
- the ceiling of one of the halls
- us with St. Peter's Basilica in the background
- the tomb of St. Helena (mother of Constantine)
- painted ceiling with a bird that looks like a drone taking video
- view of St. Peter's Square from the BasilicaRead more
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Day 17
Monday, July 4, 2016 at 12:00 PM
⛅ 30 °C
Altitude: 184 ft
Vatican City St. Peter's Basilica 41.90213, 12.4531241°54’8” N 12°27’11” E
St. Peter's Basilica
July 4, 2016 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We came here at the end of our Vatican tour. St. Peter's Basilica, sometimes called the "greatest church in Christendom", is believed to be built on the burial place of St. Peter.

This is a spectacular place but also, like many of the orher churches we've seen, makes me question the motives of the church on earth when compared with the actual teachings of Jesus. I somehow think Jesus would be disgusted to see the size and expense that was taken to build these cathedrals while the poor went hungry.

The first picture is a 13th century bronze statue of St. Peter. People walk by and either rub or kiss his foot for good luck, I guess.

The second picture is the tomb of Pope John Paul II.Read more
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Day 17
Monday, July 4, 2016 at 1:00 PM
⛅ 31 °C
Altitude: 171 ft
Vatican City St. Peter's Basilica 41.902051, 12.45307641°54’7” N 12°27’11” E
Climb to the top of St. Peter's
July 4, 2016 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
- a mosaic that is on the wall of the dome
- some of the 6 foot tall letters that look much smaller from the floor of the church
- a couple of views from the top
- still happy on the way down
- a viee of the Basilica from the squareRead more
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Day 18
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 85 ft
Italy Pantheon 41.898579, 12.47694841°53’55” N 12°28’37” E
Pantheon
July 5, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
The Pantheon has the worlds largest, unreinforced concrete dome - pretty amazing since it was built over 2000 years ago! There was some pretty amazing ingenuity and engineering being done thousands of years sgo!Read more
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Day 18
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 2:00 PM
⛅ 31 °C
Altitude: 151 ft
Italy Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli 41.893976, 12.48329641°53’38” N 12°28’60” E
Basilica of St. Mary
July 5, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
We didn't intend to go here but we went inside looking for a bathroom and it was interesting nonetheless. Another immense cathedral that seems, in my humble opinion, th go beyond what's necessary to worship God. I, personally, don't think God is looking down with joy on these cathedrals.

Straight from wikipedia: "The shrine is known for housing some of the famous relics, such the ones belonging to Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, various minor relics from the Holy Sepulchre and the Santo Bambino of Aracoeli."Read more
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Day 18
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 4:00 PM
⛅ 31 °C
Altitude: 82 ft
Italy Rostra 41.892578, 12.48407241°53’33” N 12°29’3” E
Roman forum
July 5, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Some pics overlooking the forum.
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Day 18
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 7:00 PM
☀️ 26 °C
Altitude: 174 ft
Italy Punta di Sorrento 40.628114, 14.36165540°37’41” N 14°21’42” E
Puppet painter
July 5, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
This was pretty cool - this marionette was painting water colrs!
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Day 19
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 10:00 AM
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 72 ft
Italy Aedes Herculis Musarum 41.892418, 12.47672741°53’33” N 12°28’36” E
Random ruins near Jewish Ghetto
July 6, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Some random pics including a sign identifying deportation of Jews in 1943.
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Day 19
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 6:00 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 157 ft
Italy Scala Sancta 41.887279, 12.50707941°53’14” N 12°30’25” E
Scala Sancta
July 6, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
This was an interesting stop where we observed many Christian pilgrims ascending these holy stairs on their knees. This picture was taken prior to a large group beginning their ascent who may have arrived to attend mass. This seemed to be a very emotional experience as you could hear some folks wailing as they reached the summit. Since we are not of the faith, we ascended a separate staircase on our feet.Read more
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Day 19
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 7:00 PM
⛅ 29 °C
Altitude: 184 ft
Italy Basilica of St. John Lateran 41.885861, 12.50583841°53’9” N 12°30’21” E
Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran
July 6, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We stopped here as it was adjacent to Scala Sancta. We didn't realize this was the top Papal Basilica in the world and is the oldest christian church in the west.

I'll let wikipedia explain it: "The Papal Archbasilica of St. John in the Lateran (Italian: Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano), commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica, St. John Lateran's Basilica, St. John Lateran, or just The Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope.

It is the oldest and ranks first among the five Papal Basilicas of the world and the four Major Basilicas of Rome (all of which are also Papal basilicas), being the oldest church in the West and having the Cathedra of the Bishop of Rome."Read more
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Day 20
Thursday, July 7, 2016 at 3:00 PM
⛅ 32 °C
Altitude: 98 ft
Italy Basilica di San Clemente 41.889819, 12.49755741°53’23” N 12°29’51” E
Basilica of Saint Clement
July 7, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
This was one of my favorite sites! I think it's important to think about how societies have approached and absorbed religion into their culture over time. This church is a physical example of that layering as it is a 12th century Basilica built over a 4th century Basilica which was bulit over a temple to Mithrias which was apparently built over an early clandestine christian church.

The pics include the sanctuary of the cult of Mithrias church, as well as other pics of the old and current churches.Read more
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Day 20
Thursday, July 7, 2016 at 8:00 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 95 ft
Italy Colosseum 41.890105, 12.49201141°53’24” N 12°29’31” E
Colosseum
July 7, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
This was another of our favorires! We took a tour that included walking on the floor and going underground to see and hear how events were orchestrated. This was very interesting and enlightening. The Colosseum felt much smaller than it looks but we also learned that there were 60 trap doors that could be used to "enhance" the show by injecting additional adversaries into the ring.

We also learned that events were carefully orchestrated all day affairs with animals slain in the morning, criminal executions at mid-day and gladiators fighting at night as the main event.

Historians do not believe christians were martyred here.

The pics include a replica of a trap door that, apparently, was added to the Colosseum for a visit by Obama!

Since the tour was at night, some of these pics are from the tour and others are pics we took on other days as we strolled in the area.Read more
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