Italy, Part II: Venice

Day 7, June 25: We spent two nights in Venice, so we had one full day to explore it. The pouring rain in the morning cleared out of the way for the afternoon, and so it ended up being a really enjoyable day.

Venice has its own kind of magical beauty. We got lost exploring all the alleyways and took more pictures here than any other place. I'll let the photos tell their own story, except for a few here and there...

The view out our hotel window

Taxi Ride

Museum displaying creations based on Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of his inventions

This way or that way, Jeff?

Back at the hotel after a loooooong day

Italy: Part III will be next, featuring Cinque Terre and Pisa...

Italy, Part I: Rome, Castellina in Chianti, and Florence

We've been back for over a month, and I'm just now getting around to posting photos of our Italy trip! I don't know if it's like this for you, but for me, life can get so busy that finding time to do things like updating my blog tends to sit on the back burner until I force myself to sit down and do it! :/

Day 1, June 19: So here we are on our first day in Italy! We landed in Rome around noon and while all we wanted to do was go to sleep, we forced ourselves to get out and explore the city for the afternoon. Our hotel was near the Spanish Steps, so that was the first place we explored. After that, we meandered through the nearby cobblestone streets lined with shops and restaurants. Delightful.

Spanish Steps

Day 2, June 20: We didn't have anything major on our schedule. We just explored the part of the city near our hotel which was near the Spanish Steps. We visited the Pantheon and Piazza del Popolo and the surrounding streets and restaurants and shops.

Piazza del Popolo

Pantheon

Day 3-5, June 21-23: We drove to Tuscany in our adorable teeny Lancia! We stayed for three nights in Castellina in Chianti at Hotel Salivolpi, a delightful 1600s farmhouse-turned-B&B. Chianti is a region within Tuscany, which is a larger region in central Italy, best known for its wine of course! Tuscany was our favorite place in Italy. We loved the peace and beauty and food and WINE! :) Our first full day there was spent touring Castellina and the neighboring villages as well as a castle. Our second full day was spent in Siena, the nearest city.

Hotel Colle Etrusco Salivolpi

Gelato in the village of Castellina in Chianti

Castellina

Castellina

Castellina

Castellina

Tuscan countryside

Tuscan countryside

Tuscan countryside

Our ginormous pizza at a roadside pizza place in the village of Ghada in Chianti

The overlook from a castle we visited in Chianti

Tuscan countryside

On our drive to Siena

I love all the historic, quaint alleyways. This one is in Siena.

Couldn't resist a shot of a school bus on its way through the narrow streets of Siena

Cars, mopeds, even trucks actually drive on these narrow hilly cobblestone streets

Siena

The main piazza in Siena... I forget its name

Love those Italian cappuccinos

A relaxing couple of glasses of wine back at our hotel after the long day in Siena

Day 6: June 24, our fifth anniversary. We woke up in Castellina and traveled to Florence for a few hours and then on to Venice.

The morning of our anniversary, we enjoyed cappuccinos and delectable pastries at a Castellina cafe

I so admire Italian culture's esteem for aesthetic gardens and greenery

Me and my cappuccino

The cafe where we enjoyed our anniversary breakfast

Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge in Florence

The Leather Market in Florence... with me and my purchase

Venice, Cinque Terra, and more of Rome coming in the next post! :)