How did we get Florence from Firenze?

Tuesday was our daytrip to Florence. As we only had a day, we hit just the major attractions.

The Duomo was quite impressive, but a little too ornate for my liking. And the surrounding crowds were unbearable.

This is a literal hole in the wall. You order at the door where there was a tiny kitchen and eat out on the street.

To escape the crowds we hiked up to the Piazza Michelangelo where there was a gorgeous overlook of the city. The Duomo is the church on the left.

We could have spent hours there, but unfortunately we had to rush back to catch our train.

There were David replications all over the city. Earlier in the day we were able to see the original which was breaktaking. And unlike most people there, I obeyed the no photo rule so sadly I don’t have one to show.

Ponte Vecchio, the bridge at the horizon, is another of Florence’s masterpieces.

Scoot, scoot, scoot along

I think I speak for all of us in saying Wednesday's scooter ride was a major highlight of the trip. After walking miles and miles the first 4 days, a set of wheels was a very welcome sight.

Steve happened to be in the city that day so he met up with us for the scooter ride. I'm not discounting Mary's communicating skills, but Steve's fluent Italian was a huge plus in negotiating the Vespa rentals.

We also saw the Pantheon on Wednesday. Of the many churches we saw (and Mary saw even more), this was my favorite. They say when it rains it comes right in the church and down a drain in the center.

No idea what church this is. There are hundreds in the city. I just liked the cross.

Taylor and I went to dinner while Mary had a date with Edward in the piazza. For those of you who have read the Twilight series, you understand.

Ponza, a little piece of heaven

On Thursday we got up VERY early to head out to the island of Ponza, a destination for Italians on holiday.

One benefit of getting up at 4:30 is the beautiful view of St. Peter's.

The view from the ferry on the way in.

Our cutest little bed and breakfast....Villa Laetitia.

We were in the cinnamon room. I've heard B&B's can be a bit sketchy, but this one was really quite deluxe! And breakfast on the patio was amazing.

Ponza had the most narrow and steep streets I've ever seen! And the cars whipped right up them as if they were nothing. This photo doesn't quite do it justice, but this street was almost vertical.

The town was simply adorable.

One of Mary's daily rituals was to buy a peach (or two or three) for the day.

To get to the beach we had to take a little boat across the harbor.

Because everyone has asked...that thing on my head is a bandanna, caught in the wind.

The water was delightful! Brilliant blue and crystal clear. Sometimes we (i.e. Taylor) forgot it was salt water until he dove in and got a noseful of it. Apparently salt water is a great way to clear out the sinuses.

The actual beach wasn't quite as delightful. Notice the pebbles instead of sand. But we still had a great time listening to American oldies and enjoying the sun.

The view from our bed and breakfast.

This was my favorite tree. Now I just need to figure out how to grow something like that on my patio.

As Mary said....Ponza was just a little piece of heaven.

A day on the water

We spent most of Friday exploring the island on a rented boat similar to the one on the bottom left. Another highlight of the trip!

Taylor and Mary took turns driving. I spent the entire day lounging in what Taylor called the "princess quarters."

Ponza has its own version of Arches. But I think Moab still wins.

While Mary was basking in all the sun she could get, poor Taylor wasn't really enjoying it. My skirt made a great turban to shield him a bit.

Not much to say...just a pretty boat.

Anzio was the port town where we took the ferry to and from the island. It was a very charming little town with a lively piazza, though this picture doesn't really show it.

Italia, Ciao!

Our last day was spent shopping and roaming the city (no pun intented).



Mary gave new meaning to the term rapid fire. We just wanted one photo of us dancing, but we got a whole photo montage. I made them into a little video...hope you enjoy (because it took me hours!)

But Taylor and I didn't have all of the fun...Mary got her share of dancing.

Delicious!

On the last day Taylor got a little camera happy. My face probably says what you are feeling now....enough with the photos!!