Thursday 19th January

Pete did his last minute shopping this morning, and we did lots of walking around the city, then we had a tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistene Chapel this afternoon.
Our last full day in Rome, and tomorrow we start our journey home.
As our time in Italy comes to a close, a quick summary of the highlights -
Best hotel - most definitely the Hotel Enterprise in Milano.
Best city - Firenze (Florence).
Best experience - for me, seeing the statue of David again, and my birthday dinner; for Peter, taking in the engineering of more than 2000 years. In terms of more modern times, both of us enjoyed the Ferrari museum.
The drivers in Milan are definitely the best; traffic was worse in Rome, but the cars have more dents and scratches!
Both of us are very much looking forward to going home - 5 weeks away is enough.
So for now its arrivederci Roma. We leave Rome in the morning and head home, via Bangkok. And on Saturday night it will be g'day Australia, and Sunday morning we will finally get home.

Wednesday 18th January

A free morning, so of course Peter had to do a bit more shopping, which meant a trip to the Ducati store to admire the bikes and buy a jumper.
This afternoon we had a tour to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and the Church of St Peter in Chains, where Michelangelo's statue of Moses is located. The Colosseum was amazing - and our guide was a (now retired) former director of archaeology for the city, so he provided a wonderful insight into the history of the site.
Our last full day in Rome tomorrow, which will include a return visit to Vatican City to go through the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel.
Photos today of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.

Tuesday 17th January

An early start today as we were off on a tour - a combination of walking and bus rides, which took us to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and then on to Vatican City to St Peters Basilica.
The Pantheon was amazing, to think that such a structure was constructed some 1800 years ago, quite unbelievable.
Unfortunately it wasn't such a good morning for walking around, as by 11.30am the temperature was still only -1 and I think even colder in the shade.
There was a bit of excitement at St Peters as today there was to be a special blessing of animals, so lots of people around with their pets, plus a parade of soldiers, police, etc on horseback. There was a mass being celebrated in the Basilica so we weren't able to get past the altar used by the Pope, but still were able to see most parts of the church. We will be back to the Vatican on Thursday for a tour of the museums and Sistine Chapel.
This afternoon we went in different directions - Peter to do even more shopping, me to the hairdressers. The hairdresser knew even less English than I know Italian, so there was quite a bit of sign language going on.
In other news, we've received advice from FedEx that the most expensive duck in Italy (bought when we visited the glass business on Murano) is now flying south for summer, so should arrive in its new home soon.
Photos today of the Pantheon - the dome and floor (there is no glass in the top of the dome, the rain comes in through the roof and flows away through the holes in the floor (the roped off area in the photo) and into the drainage system, exactly as it has done for the last 1800 years), inside St Peters Basilica, and Peter in St Peters Square.

Monday 16th January

Before news of today, can I report to the girls that I actually got to touch a few pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes yesterday - there was a Jimmy Choo store just down from the Spanish Steps; at €500+ a pair, it was a case of looking and touching but not buying. Pete took a photo of me in the store doorway!
Our last 'official' shopping day today as we have tours planned for the next three days. We went to a shopping centre just outside of the Rome city centre. I've purchased a new suitcase, somewhat lighter than the version I left home with, so hopefully that will help me stay within the luggage limits; Pete did the same, purchasing a new small suitcase that he can have as carry-on luggage, again to help spread the load of all his shopping.
Tomorrow we have organised to go on a tour to the Pantheon and St Peters Basilica.

Sunday 15th January

A day of walking around Rome today. After breakfast (which was an improvement on the offerings in Venice and Sorrento, but still no match for the Hotel Enterprise in Milan), we spent an hour sitting at a laundromat to do a load of washing - seemed many other tourists had the same idea as there were quite a few of us there.
We then walked down to the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, and then went to the Time Elevator - a movie-style presentation on the history of Rome.
After that, more walking - to the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, and eventually back to the Piazza Della Repubblica and our hotel.
Photos today of the Trevi Fountain, and me in front of the fountain, and Peter at the top of the Spanish Steps.

Saturday 14th January

Ah Roma! This morning we left Sorrento and went by train to Napoli, and then by (very very fast) train to Roma. I thought the fast trains we had been on before scooted along, but today there were no stops between Napoli and Roma, so the train driver certainly "put the pedal to the metal". Pete was keeping an eye on the screen showing our speed - first he said we were doing 220kph, then he said we were at 310kph, then we were at 350 kph; I think that's as fast as it got, but I didn't ask!
We were able to find the street for our hotel on the map in the Lonely Planet book, so decided to walk from the train station to the hotel, and it was just a few blocks. The hotel is quite nice, but of course the big test from Pete's perspective is how good the breakfast will be in the morning.
The concierge was very helpful, and has given us some advice on tours, etc. so we will plan out our few days here to try and fit in the highlights. This afternoon we did our usual walk for a few hours, to get our bearings and check out the local area.
We saw the news story breaking this morning regarding the cruise ship that has hit a reef near an island out from Rome - very sad to hear of the loss of life. As you can imagine, it's been on all the news services here.
It's hard to believe that we are now in the last week of our holiday - not too many more sleeps and we will be heading home.

Friday 13th January

Today we went to the Isle of Capri - absolutely beautiful and stunning. We went by catamaran from Sorrento to the island, taking a bus first to the top part of the island - Anacapri - and then down to the larger part, Capri. It was easy to see how this island has become the playground of the rich and famous. Unfortunately no access to the Blue Grotto during winter. One day, when I win Tattslotto, it would be nice to come back and spend a few days on Capri. It was a lovely way to spend our last day in Sorrento. Tomorrow we head to Rome.
Photos today of the Sorrento marina, views of the Capri marina from Anacapri, and us with the famous Capri rocks in the background.

Thursday 12th January

Today we visited Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius. We went by train from Sorrento to Pompeii, and visited the site - could have spent a couple of days there rather than just a few hours as there is so much to see. The size of what was the city of Pompeii is amazing, and the buildings, rooms, artworks, etc that have been excavated were extraordinary.
From there we took a taxi (along with a family of 5 from Victoria) to the drop off point for Mt Vesuvius, and then climbed to the top of the crater. The sign said it would take approximately 20 - 30 minutes, so of course we had to do it in half that time. The views into the volcano crater and looking out over Naples were stunning. Although it was a brilliantly sunny day, there was ice on the track to the top of the volcano, and the wind at the top made it still quite cool. Whilst it was scary enough looking down into the volcano crater, it was even more unnerving to look down the outside of the volcano - there were just a few guide posts and two lines of rope to stop anyone who got too close to the edge from sliding down, so we made sure to keep to the middle of the track.
Photos today of Pompeii, looking down into the volcano crater, us on top of Mt Vesuvius, and views of Naples from the top.

Wednesday 11th January

Today we have walked and walked and walked, and have covered most of the coastal area from Sorrento through to San Angello.
Our first breakfast this morning at the Hotel Gardenia, and it was quite ordinary; not much on offer and a cup of coffee I couldn't drink. Unfortunately we had a similar experience yesterday in a Sorrento cafe - I had one mouthful of a cup of coffee and didn't drink any more.
We've discovered that there is very little on offer in terms of tours during the winter season - no trips to Pompeii, Vesuvius, etc, although there is no shortage of taxi drivers who will gladly drive you to the various sites for around €100 - hence our decision to walk and explore the town of Sorrento. Its a lovely little town and no doubt would be a wonderful place to be in summer, but many of the stores, hotels and restaurants are closed for winter.
We did however find a nice little restaurant not far from our hotel where we went for dinner tonight. It was a very good meal, and very reasonably priced, but we were the only ones in the restaurant, and we only saw four other people walk by.
Just one photo today of Pete at one of the many lookout spots along the coastline, with Mt Vesuvius in the background (and the more observant of you will notice that he is attempting to hide yet another bag of his shopping).

Tuesday 10th January

Today we left Firenze and made our way to Sorrento. We took the fast train from Firenze to Napoli, and then a local train from Napoli to Sorrento - but we only just made it. At 12.39 we bought two tickets for the train which left at 12.41, so it was a mad scramble to find which platform it was leaving from and (as you would expect) it was down a level and there was no escalator, so we lugged what are now two quite heavy suitcases down a flight of stairs, against the flow of people who were coming up the stairs, and raced towards the train. I jumped on and dragged my suitcase inside, Peter jumped and the doors started to close, squashing him and his suitcase as the train started to move. Fortunately a bit of brute strength from Pete managed to shove the doors open a bit so that he could get in, just as the train left the station.
On arrival in Sorrento, we got a taxi to our hotel, which is quite nice. Our room has a little balcony which looks out onto the sea. Its definitely a few degrees warmer here, so hoping for a sunny day tomorrow, where only two layers are required rather than the usual three or four. This afternoon we went for a walk around the main town area. Will investigate the city area and look at possibility of tours tomorrow.
Photos today of one of the scenes which greeted us as we walked down the street - a burnt out Vespa! I know we are now a fair way south, but didn't expect that sort of mafia welcome .... also a view of the cliffs, and Pete near his beach!

Monday 9th January

Our last full day in Firenze, and what a way to spend it - at the home of Ferrari, Maranello. We were picked up from our hotel by Paul and Stefano, and we're the only two people on the tour today, so basically were chauffeur-driven. On arrival in Maranello, we did a drive by the factory complex and past the race track, with a quick stop at the old entrance to the factory for a photo. Then we went to a cafe beside the Ferrari museum for lunch, and of course to the shop - for the third day in a row, Peter has bought more than me! The highlight was the visit to the museum, with road cars and F1 racing cars on display. We spent quite a bit of time in the museum, and then before leaving, Paul arranged for Peter to get to sit in both a Ferrari and a Lamborghini that were available for hire - neither of us were game to get behind the wheel for a drive!
From there we went to a cheese factory to see how Parmesan is made and to sample some young and old parmesan, along with some locally produced Lambrusco to wash it down. And then we were driven back to the hotel - we left at 11am this morning and have returned just before 8pm, so it's been a big day.
We have an early start tomorrow as we are on the 9.14 train to Napoli, and from there we go to Sorrento.
Photos today of us outside the old entrance to the Ferrari factory, Pete with his F1 car, me with a collection of F1 cars, and Pete sitting in the Lamborghini - the guy in the red Ferrari driving suit and beanie is the owner, and you can see that he's keeping a very close eye on Pete in his car!!

Sunday 8th January

Today is the day - I've turned 39 plus postage and handling, which apparently adds up to 50. It's been a wonderful day. Peter gave me a birthday card from Mum which he had somehow managed to keep secret from me since we left home, and then presented me with a beautiful pair of earrings - made here in Firenze of course!
After phone calls home and breakfast we headed down to reception, and were able to get confirmation that our trip to Maranello and the Ferrari factory tomorrow was happening, so that was great news. From the hotel, we went to see an exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings and machines - Pete was very excited to see the engineering drawings, and bought a book which goes into detail about all of Da Vinci's inventions and ideas. From there we did a bit of shopping, and sadly I was out-shopped by Pete again - I think I've created a shopping monster! Now he's checking style and fit, what things are made of, where they are made ....
Tonight we had a "degustazione Toscana wine tasting dinner" in the hotel restaurant. We were the only ones there so had Claudio's undivided attention, and he provided us with lots of information about the regional wines and matching them with different foods. We started off with a champagne cocktail, then two different red wines, a selection of cheeses and fruit (and salami for Pete), then a Tuscan soup. After that it was a dessert wine, accompanied by cheesecake and pear tart, and then of course the obligatory glass of grappa to finish with - way too strong for me, but Pete managed to drink his and most of mine, and still be standing. It was a really lovely evening. Have included a couple of photos - the two of us, and Pete at the table surrounded by plates and wine glasses!

Saturday 7th January

We had nothing specific organised today, so decided to do a few things that we had become aware of during our tours. The first was to climb to the top of the bell tower, which means going up 411 steps. Some wonderful views of the city from the top, and then of course it was 411 steps back down again. From there we joined the line to climb to the top of the Duomo, and that was over 460 steps, some of which are in quite a tight spiral. Again, the view from the top was amazing, and making our way to the top we, we could see how the cupola (dome) had been built - it's actually one dome inside another, unbelievable engineering, and I think this was the first of its type, so the other Duomo domes followed the same line of engineering. And then we made our way back down the 460 steps.
Next we went to the Church of the Holy Cross (Santa Croce) where Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and many others are buried.
After that it was shopping time and sadly I must report that Peter out-shopped me today, purchasing new jeans and t-shirts.
I forgot to mention that one of the buildings pointed out to us by the guide on our walking tour yesterday was the location of the studio where Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, which was "just around the corner" from where Michelangelo's studio was located.
Whilst we haven't done any running during our holiday do far, we've done heaps of walking, usually covering several kilometers every day and usually taking the stairs to get to our hotel room. Fortunately in Firenze we are only on the third floor, as the legs were getting a bit weary after up and down the bell tower and Duomo, then the rest of the walking today.
Still no news to confirm if we are off to Maranello on Monday, so we may miss out on our trip to the Ferrari factory.
Photos today are of views from the top of the bell tower, and Pete on the top of the bell tower with the Duomo in the background; then views from the top of the Duomo, and me on the top of the Duomo.

Friday 6th January

We started our day today with a walking tour of the city. Our guide was very good and it was only a small group of 8, so we had the opportunity to ask questions and get quite detailed information on a number of the more significant buildings. The tour ended at the Ponte Vecchio just after midday, so we continued walking over the bridge, window shopping only in the jewelry stores.
Today is a special feast day and public holiday in Italy and we were fortunate enough to be in the right part of town to see the amazing medieval parade making its way from the other side of the Ponte Vecchio to the Duomo. They had set up a nativity scene outside the Duomo, and the parade of wise men, kings, queens and other noble men and women, archers, soldiers, musicians, etc made its way to the Duomo. It was quite spectacular, and the parade itself lasted for nearly an hour. I lost count after about 15 different groups of drummers went by, each interspersed with nobles, soldiers (including those in chain mail and armour), flag bearers and, well, basically lots of men in tights. I'm sure I saw BlackAdder and Queenie too. Have included some photos from the parade.
The good news from today is that it looks like we have confirmation of our trip to Maranello on Monday, to visit the Ferrari factory. We had been hoping to get there, however discovered that the usual tours aren't operating during the winter season, but an email direct to the Maranello people seems to have worked. Still awaiting final confirmation, but it looks like it will go ahead.

Thursday 5th January

Another cold and overcast day in Florence today. This morning we did some more sightseeing around the city and in the afternoon went on a tour to Pisa, which is about 80kms out of Florence. At Pisa, we visited the "miracle square", a term given to the area by an Italian poet, to describe the miraculous arrangement of buildings - the Baptistry, Cathedral, Tower, hospital and cemetery. The main feature of course was the leaning tower, and it certainly is on quite a lean. We were hoping to be able to climb the 294 steps to the top, but tickets and numbers are strictly limited, and the next available spot was too late for us to do the climb and still get our bus back. So we had to settle for the usual tourist thing and take photos of us pretending to push the tower back up straight! So that's today's photos - plus one showing the Baptistry, Cathedral and Leaning Tower.

Wednesday 4th January

A big day of touring today. The morning started with a city tour, taking in a panoramic view of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo, then down to the city centre. Our tour was supposed to just be a walk around the outside of the Duomo, but as the line to get in was short, our guide took us in for a brief visit. Then the highlight of the morning - to the Accademia Gallery to see the statue of David by Michelangelo. It was just as wonderful as I remembered from my last visit.
After a quick snack, it was time for our next tour which was to the Chianti region. Today was quite cold and our first bit of rain so far this afternoon - only light though so didnt really hinder our touring. On the way, we stopped at a little town named after St Brigid - she lived there in a cave in about the 9th or 10th century, dedicating her life to helping others. A lovely little church was built in about the 1100s above the cave. From there we went to Castello del Trebbio - an ancient castle with an amazing history, which is now privately owned and includes a vineyard and olive grove. The tour included visiting some of the private rooms in the castle, plus down to the cellars where the wine is stored, and a visit to the adjoining former prison, along with wine and olive oil tasting.
Photos today are of the city of Florence, and us at the lookout, St Brigids church and the cave underneath (which currently features a nativity scene), and typical photos from the castle - me in front of the wine, Peter in the prison!

Tuesday 3rd January

Our first full day in Firenze, and yet again, I've done my bit for Mario and the Italian economy. We headed out this morning to check out in the daylight some of the places we had seen last night, and a little bit of shopping of course. The afternoon was set aside for some serious shopping. I spent a bit of time in the Dolce & Gabbana store, not so much for the bargains but more for the very attractive Italian stallions who worked there ... very easy on the eye ... never have I tried on so many clothes with absolutely no intention to buy, but of course I did end up with a pair of jeans.
Next stop was Prada. I did get the giggles a bit as I stuck my enormous feet into a pair of beautiful Prada patent leather shoes - my feet were of course wrapped in a pair of very ordinary K-mart socks and I was sure the fashion Gods were going to send a bolt of lightning through the roof at the very thought of it, but the shoes and I escaped with only minor damage to the purse. I'm still trying to figure out a way I will be able to sit in a ladylike way, but have my feet in the air so everyone can see the Prada name underneath the shoes ....
Pete of course was fully occupied during this time carrying the shopping bags. He did do a little bit of shopping himself, so we have both had a good day in the stores.
Tomorrow we have a city tour organized for the morning, and a 'Discover the Chianti region' tour booked for the afternoon, so a full day planned.

Monday 2nd January

Benvenuto a Firenze!
We left Venice this morning and just after midday, took the fast train to Florence. And fast it was - at one stage early in the journey, the screens were showing the speed, and it was around 218 kph. From Bologna to Firenze we were mostly in the dark - travelling via tunnels through the mountains.
Our hotel in Florence, the Laurus, is just a short walk from the train station, and also just a short walk from the Duomo. Our room is very nice, and yet again, breakfast is included and we've got free wi-fi. This afternoon we have identified a few tours we would like to do - a couple of them have been booked and confirmed, and we are waitlisted for others. We had a lovely meal at a little restaurant not far from the hotel - and prices were much better than in Venice, which we found to be quite expensive. Sadly, Florence seems to have just as many smokers.
From a quick walk around this evening, the shopping appears to be quite promising, so looking forward to checking it out over the next few days.

Saturday 31st December / Sunday 1st January

Happy New Year everyone!
Saturday morning we headed for the island of Torcello, one of the first islands developed many hundreds of years ago. To get there took three boat trips - from San Marco to Punta Sabbioni, from P.Sabbioni to Burano, and from Burano to Torcello. It was a lovely island, still with many original buildings. By the time we returned to Venice it was mid afternoon. The next event was the Vivaldi concert. We arrived just as the doors were opening, as seats weren't numbered and it was a case of first in, best seat. Well we did quite well, getting a seat in the front pew of the church, and within about 20 minutes the church was packed. The performance was excellent, and the seven musicians were great - the pianist kept looking and smiling at his family who were sitting at the side of the church near us, the viola player looked like a tall version of Rowan Atkinson and had the facial expressions of Mr Bean to suit, the Maestro/violinist was really getting into it, twisting and turning and up and down, getting a very good,work out! And of course, the music was spectacular and even more so given the setting in "Vivaldi's church".
After the concert we headed off to have something to eat - our hotel had a special NYE dinner on for €150 per person, and it seemed most of the other restaurants were offering similar very expensive meals, but we returned to a little restaurant we had been to earlier in the week and were pleased to discover they had the same menu on offer, not some over-priced version. Sitting next to us were a French couple, Christine and Jacob, and after chatting with them for a bit, we agreed to catch up in St Marks Square at around 11.30pm to see the new year in, meeting near the big tower.
When we got there at around 11, the place was already filling up - they were expecting 70,000 and it must have been close to that, you could hardly move. Amazingly, we did spot Chris and Jacob and, as residents of the Champagne district in France, had bought a bottle of the local drop with them, which they kindly shared with us as the clock struck 12. And then there were the fireworks - and 70,000 people tried to move at once just around the corner to see the fireworks over the lagoon. Needless to say it was a bit of a crush, but well worth it when we eventually got around the corner and could watch the fireworks - they were wonderful.
The crush of people was even greater after that though, as everyone tried to make their way out of the area and over the little bridge at once. The usual few idiots who pushed and shoved, and a few tempers flared, but pretty good considering the number of people.
Today (Sunday) is our last full day in Venezia, and tomorrow we will take the ferry back to the train station and get a train to Firenze - the part of the trip I am most looking forward to. Limited services available today due to the public holiday, so we will have a leisurely day exploring a bit more of Venice.
Photos today are from the concert, the scene in the square earlier in the night, and then later when the crowds started filing in, and us in the square.