A door inside a door

David

I always pictured Goliath being 17 feet tall...well I was wrong, apparently in Michaelangelo's world David is freakishly large.  The picture you see is a replica standing in the spot where the real David stood for many years at the Palazzo Vecchio.  We saw the real David, he now is in a museum at the Academia.  Originally David was meant to stand on the roofline of the Duomo. 

I can't quite put into words how amazing Michaelangelo's David is.  Realistic based upon the Bible, not so much.  I guess when it comes to realistic I prefer Donatello's David, a boy standing on Goliath's head.  

Quick trip to Paris

We decided to do a last minute trip to Paris, check out the Mona Lisa kids.  Isn't she beautiful?

American dollars

Apparently there's not much value to the American dollar, for some reason this building has been decorated with $1 bills.

Mopeds

More people drive mopeds than cars in Florence.  If there's an opening on the road, mopeds will find it.  They don't have to stay in their lane but rather zig zag thru traffic.  Staying on the sidewalk walking is important.  

Dinner

We found our favorite restaurant in Florence.  

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Look kids, I'm going to push this tower down...don't I look like a giant?

Mommy is trying to hold it up.

Florentine Grandma

Rick Steves was so right, staying with Marcella is like staying with your Italian grandmother.  There's quite a language barrier, so she usually demonstrates everything to communicate like showing us how to use the shower and what can and cannot go in the toilet.  For Jordan Earle, no you can't put a bottle down the toilet!  

As she talked with us on the couch she played with the back of my hair...wow.

Clean clothes

I only brought so much underwear and socks, and following the advice of Rick Steves I simply washed clothes in the sink.  Our last room had a clothes line...this one did not.  You know when you've arrived in Italy, you see clothes hanging out to dry everywhere.  

We are so tired of living out of a suitcase, can't wait to get home to see the kids!

Fun time with our waiter

Here's Becky talking to our waiter Andrea who made our dinner extra fun.  I've found I have to hold Becky close as she attracts a lot of attention in Italy.  

Shadows

On the way back from dinner...

Waiting for me

So fun to see Becky waiting for me as I come out if the small little alley ways leading from our hotel.  Kids - can you find mommy?

Beach at sunset

What a way to finish the day yesterday on the beach.  So relaxing and calm.

Big Waves

It's a new day in the Cinque Terre, 20 mph winds and an angry sea.  The beach. We enjoyed the last two days has been overtaken by big waves.  See the picture below.  The second picture is from the main square in the spot where normally there are many people waiting for the boat to arrive.  No boats today.  We leave shortly for Florence.  

Morning wake up call

We found out the first morning why sleeping with the windows shut in Vernazza is important.  There is a multitude of church bells, followed by a rooster crow, a speeding train, and even a barking dog.  15 years ago the priest was mysteriously murdered and the replacement priest brilliantly came up with the idea of turning off the church bells at night.  No one in town talks about the murder, I say, mystery solved.  

Last dinner in Cinque Terre

While mom played it safe with her spaghetti, I went all out with my shrimp, squid, prawn, anchovies and whatever other fish landed in their nets this morning.  The atmosphere in the restaurant, the view, and my company couldn't be beat.  Love this place!

Lunch on the Mediterranean

Wonderful lunch overlooking the coastline.  It will be hard say goodbye to this!

Day in the Sun!!

Yesterday's weather was made to order perfect. We spent just about the whole day in the sun.

I found this formation on the beach...actually they were everywhere. I tried to build one but it's pretty tough!

Instead I made this. ;)

It's not exactly sandy here...more like finely crushed rocks...but it looked like a black sand beach.

View from the beach.

I keep having to pinch myself...I'm in Italy!!!

Daddy in the cold water...Vernazza behind him.

St George

Sully

Check out St George slaying the dragon.   This was my favorite in the Wittlesbach Treasury in Munich.  See all the jewels?

Potsdamer Platz

See mommy taking pictures at the Somy Center in Berlin?  It's a really neat shopping area, it felt like an outdoors mini Mall of America.  The Berlin Wall used to go right through here.  Funny thing, I just met a guy at the train station named Bruce Peters from Colorado Springs who said he was in East Berlin in 1961 when they built the wall and he couldn't get out!  I'm anxious to eat breakfast with him tomorrow as he is staying at our hotel.  I carried his bags up 100 stairs for him and he asked me if there was a porter because I wouldn't be here when he and his poor wife leave.  I have no idea what he's going to do, Vernazza is not made for him but when he told me they went to the Himalayans last year I guess he can pull it off.