RV travels around the USA
We had heard some great things about this little historic city, so on a day with no plans, we booked the regional train from Florence to Lucca for a day trip. The regional train makes a few stops but it was an easy hour and 20 minutes to cover the about 50 miles.
Two of the fun (although touristy) things to do in Florence are searching for the wine windows and taking an authentic pasta making class. What are wine windows you ask? Read on…
Continue reading “Wine Windows and Pasta Making”
I’m continuing the blog post from our high-speed train day trip to Venice. We walked all over that city with 472 bridges and hardly any motorized traffic. It was a joy to walk the beautiful canals and bridge without having to worry about the crazy traffic like in Florence. Our walk today takes us past some of the major sights.
Continue reading “Venice Italy part 2”
As a train and rail fan, we get to combine two experiences together for this one-day trip. I’ve always loved rail travel and combined with the incredible beauty of this coastal/canal city it should be a memorable day. Although a rather long day it was!
Continue reading “High Speed Train to Venice”
My plan was to write this blog post about our recent high speed train trip to Venice but decided instead to write a bit about this city and our lodging. Our goal on this trip was to get back to Italy to explore the very walkable city of Florence, see all the tourist sites, museums, churches, etc., but to also just live our normal Virginia based life with the exception of some daily walks around town or along the Arno River.
Continue reading “Live Like a Local in Florence Apartment”
Another very interesting and beautiful walking tour day. The weather continues to be fantastic with no rain and sunny days into the upper 60’s. The Pitti Palace is an over the top, and once upon a time palace and now turned into a museum. The grounds of the palace, called the Boboli Gardens are a vast botanical garden that provide many great views of the city of Florence from the hilltop location.
Continue reading “The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens”
Before our son Ross left for his sailing adventure, the three of us tried an upscale restaurant and the food specialty the city of Florence is known for: Steak Florentine. We also checked out the huge city market, a place to either buy fresh meat, vegetables, baked goods, candy, and you name it! Then upstairs is one of the largest food courts I have seen with everything. And I mean everything.
We booked a local tour that left Florence on a small 18 passenger bus headed to two of the most picturesque small towns in Tuscany. The tour also included a stop for lunch at a small family run winery. This was a couple of weeks into our European adventure and the weather has made some significant changes. From upper 70’s and humid to highs at barely 60 and nights down into the 30’s. The short pants and t-shirts are now exchanged for warmer wear. We are continuing to enjoy the fall in Italy!
The top two museums in Florence, Italy are the Accademia and the Uffizi. Entry tickets must be purchased in advance or else wait in a super long line. The advance sales tickets were being booked out a week. So, we worked in a few other museums, visited the Cinque Terre coast towns and then it was time for these two!
Continue reading “Florence – Accademia & Uffizi Gallery”
It saddens me to write this post. We have lost a dear lady, Pat’s mom and my mother-in-law died yesterday at the age of 96. She has been in some declining health since this spring when she had to leave her home and go into a care facility. Within 10 months, I have lost both my own mother and now a lady who I always considered to be a second mom. In this post, I will share a few memories and photos. A small celebration of her life, if you will.
Continue reading “Pat’s Mother”