ITALY Venice 'A Picture Paints A Thousand Words'

ITALY 'Experiencing Venice in style'

ITALY Venice 'Girls Weekend Away' - with the best pizza!

ITALY - Burano: Straight out of a child's colouring-in book!

ITALY Venice - The Dream Continues

ITALY Verona - 'Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?'

ITALY - Easter weekend in Cinque Terre

The last few days were spent in Riomaggiore, one of the five fishing villages of Cinque Terre. They are the most gorgeously colourful buildings perched, often rather percariously, in the cliffs around the different bays. Each had its own character and charm. On the first day, we spent over 5 hours hiking between the bays and the views were breath taking. We almost hired a kayak on Easter Sunday as the weather the day before had been perfect, but the breeze was a little cold and while the med is a divine blue, it is not the warmest!!! So instead we lazed on the beach, an actual SAND beach, not like the pebbled ones that are so prevalent in Europe. The down time was great and much needed, especially as I had a feeling that the best was yet to come... if that was possible!!!

Siena to San Gimignano - Are we stepping back in time?!

Thursday saw us leave Firenze for the country side - the hilltop village of San Gimignano, which looked like a medieval castle and town with it's great surrounding wall, soaring towers and tiny cobbled alleyways! On the way there, we stopped at Siena and drunk cappicianos in the piazza, while being thoroughly entertained by a street performer who would walk back and forwards infront of us picking on the tourists! One time, he got out a whistle and pretending to be a policeman, he redirected a group of asians so that they had to go around the courtyard rather than along the foot path. Another time he used a water bottle and squirted a bald man from behind, twice! The man then proceeded to bend down to get his small child to check the top of his head! We were in hysterics ... and were just so grateful it wasn't us!!!

ITALY Easter 2007

Part 1.
Highlights of my trip so farApril started off with a blast as we hit Pisa late due to a delayed flight but found ourselves in a hotel literally around the corner from the Leaning Tower itself. So we took a stroll only to be rewarded with a breath taking sight... the tower ...lit by lights yes, but framed by a full moon and dappled clouds. As it struck midnight and we realised it was the eve of my birthday, we danced around and felt like we were in a dream!!! The photos we took certainly don't look real - it was as though we're photoshopped ourselves into this wonderland (don't you think?!).

When we awoke on my birthday, I received so many phonecalls from home and felt so loved... happy... full... .....You complete me! Lol. Sounds cheesey but seriously... I was floating along! We visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa by daylight - just to check it really was there and we really were awake and then sat in the sun sipping a free glass of vino in the sun - This came about after a rather forward Italian asked me 'Real or Fake?'! I did consider slapping him but as I was in Italy thought I'd probably better get use to it and so instead was cheeky back - He owned the little restaurant with cute outdoor tables so I decided that he could pay for his insult! And of course he did. The wine was malto bene!

That afternoon we caught the train to Firenze / Florence and after checking in, strolled around the city, taking in all the buzz. A birthday celebration was called for and we indulged in divine pasta, gelato and some real Italian champs!

We did escape the city for a day and took a Tuscan bicycle ride... lead by an Irish and Scotsman!!! A little bizarre, but they knew thier stuff. Rolling Tuscan hills, Olive groves, vineyards, Cyprus trees galore... we began at a castle and were given a short wine tour, rode til luch time where we stopped in a small restuarant then continued along the gentle plains... until we came to the killer hill!!! I did make it half way up but too much pasta (not vino!!!) made the climb impossible! I did make it further than most of the girls though, so I was pleased.

I loved Florence - Michelangelo's statue of David was incredible! So huge and beautiful!!! The determination on his face as he looked towards Goliath was intense! I overheard a guide which gave me so much more to think about... The perfectly sculpted muscles, tense for battle, the idea that he was naked before Goliath -without armour and naked before God.... I could have stood there for hours!

The bridge with all the shops also made for great photos, although not so good for shopping (unless you own a bank!) and the duamo provided a great look out over the city. A brilliant start to an amazing trip ... And there was more to come!

PARIS: Our Final Day

A crazy, random day... from smashing plates and dancing on table tops in a Greek restuarant (Shannon thought it was French but it was a great mistake!), to 'losing an hour' somehow and almost missing the Eurostar. Nevertheless, Paris was perfect and I'll definitely be back... one day.

PARIS: Cathédrale de Notre-Dame

PARIS: Monmartre

This is the most beautiful little place and a real Parisian experience... I had my portrait drawn in the square (an unnerving experience - didn't think about the hundreds of tourists that would walk by, look, stare and comment - quite scary!) and we dined in style, sampling crepes and icecream with more French wine to finish off... the thousands of stairs we climbed that day and the next ensured we could enjoy ourselves to our hearts content!

PARIS: Sacre Coeur

PARIS: The Moulin Rouge

What a show... glitzy costumes, funky dances, a swimmer wrestling with anacondas, mean feats of strength and half a bottle of French Champayne!!! Oh la la! Not quite like the movie but better than Vagas in Shannon's opinion and well worth the wait and the sleep deprivation!