Italian Itinerary

Whew! I'm back from Italy with TONS to blog about. I don't feel jet lagged at all, which is great, but I am a little disoriented. It's kind of surreal being back in the states, especially since I only have two days back in Greenville, before I have to get BACK on a plane and take off for my hometown in Pennsylvania. I wasn't really sure what to do with myself, but laundry seemed like a good place to start.

An Itinerary also seems like a good place to start. Partially to help me keep organized in my mind what we did on what days. Don't worry, I go into more details in furture posts.

Here's the run down:

May 27: Flew Raleigh/Durham to New York

May 28: Arrived in Venice, lunch, walking tour with Linda, dinner, bed

May 29: Walking Tour with guide, San Marco Cathedral in the morning, lunch, Acadamia in the afternoon, Italian snack time at the hostel, walked around the city after dinner

May 30: Free Day, visited a huge Venitian cemetery, the islands of Murano and Burano, short movie on the history of Venice, people watched in San Marco Piazza, dinner, bed

May 31: Train to Certaldo in Tuscany, snacks at hostel, grocery shopping for the week, explored grounds at hostel, drinks and dinner in Certaldo Alto

June 1: Italian language lesson, Italian cooking lesson for lunch, free afternoon for hiking to Certaldo Alto, toured palace in Certaldo Alto, visit to ceramics school La Meridiana, pizza party at La Meridiana

June 2: Italian language lesson, trip to medieval town San Gimignano, toured cathedral, climbed the tower, walked around the town, toured and ate dinner at a family run organic farm

June 3: Trip to Siena, guided walking tour through the city, toured the Doumo, Crypt and Museum, Italian snack time, barbecue at hostel with other guests and some of Duiglad's (the caretaker) Italian friends

June 4: Tour through Chianti region, visit to blacksmith's studio, visited the little town of Castalina, went to a fascinating jewelry shop there, wine tasting at a small family farm, Comedia del Arte performance, dinner at hostel cooked by Italian boys, magic tricks during dinner by the Comedia del Arte performers.

June 5: Train to Florence, tour of the Acadamia to see the "David", walking tour of the city with Linda, one of the best meals I ate on the entire trip followed by jazz

June 6: Visit to the baptristy doors and guided tour of the Ufizi Gallery, extra time at the Ufizi, wine and beer drinking while doing laundry, dinner and bed

June 7: walked to the other side of the Arno River, studio tours with Fabrizio including: Brandemarte, the most amazing silversmithing shop EVER, violin maker, shoe maker, small jewelry co-op, lunch, where I ORDERED AND ATE A RABBIT!, tour of a granary that had been converted to a church, drinks, dinner at hostel and out for more drinks

June 8: Free Day, toured the Bargello Museum, found an Italian flea market, shopped, street market, shopped, dinner at hostel, out for drinks

June 9: Free Morning, went to a Surrealist Exhibition, shopped, walked around the city, ate some pastry, train to Montoross in Cinqueterra, ran to the ocean swam for 20 minutes, had delicious seafood for dinner

June 10: hiked the first three towns of Cinqueterra to Corniglia, hiked partway straight up the mountain looking for an olive oil museum, went to a tiny wine museum, spent the afternoon at the beach, swimming and sunning, showers, wine, snacks, more delicious seafood for dinner, pastries, sink laundry, bed

June 11: hiked from Corniglia to Vernazza, nearly died, went to the church in Vernazza, swam on the rocks there, train back to Montorosso, more swimming, rock collecting, showers, packing, wine, postcard buying, calamari for dinner, wine and chocolate on the jetty in the dark

June 12: Train to Rome, quick stop in Pisa for pictures, walking tour with Linda to Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, dinner during the USA game of the World Cup

June 13: guided tour of the Colloseum and Forum, free afternoon, sprint to the Borghesi Gallery, visit to the "Bone Church", three hour dinner, bed

June 14: guided tour of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, re-group and rest at hostel, visited three churches in half a hour, sprinting, finally found Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Tereasa", another quick visit to the Pantheon, paper shopped, dinner during the Italy game of the World Cup, quick walk to Bernini's "Four Rivers" fountain, hostel, packing, bed

June 15: up at 6am Rome time, airport by 7:30, boarded the plane at about 10am, spent 10 HOURS on a plane, customs and connecting flight in New York, short plane to Raliegh, dinner out including fried chicken and french fries, drive home to Greenville, walked into my 92 degree apartment at 10 pm Eastern Standard time.

Whew!