Hotel Foresteria Auxilium Vitae Volterra

... could use for our research papers on Italian culture. All in all, it made me think how that was exactly how I would like my apartment to be when I get my own one. Tea set and all. I've become surprisingly addicted to tea since I came here. The English variety, of course, with milk and sugar, but I'm still rather surprised that I've come to enjoy tea so much in Italy. Rather than, say, coffee.

... at the kitchen table and we struck up a conversation. I told her about my trip and we discussed our love of Ireland. This topic kept us occupied almost right up until Vilmo picked us up for dinner. Before he arrived Mira warned me about the situation between her and the other woman from Austria, saying that she isn't easy to get along with. I immediately pictured some throwdown like International Realworld 2009. I guess if you put a bunch of strangers ...

... 54,000 also in Italy’s Tuscany region, has been a historic adversary to Florence for centuries. Some say that rivalry continues even today. While Florence is a Renaissance city, Siena is largely Gothic, its medieval center full of majestic buildings and historical significance (the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Indeed, as we found out when we arrived, Siena is an enchanting little town, with eight original city gates, high walls ...

... un prix pour s'assoir a une table! ici c'etait 2 euro par personne! mais sa en valais la peine, les bruchettas., les gnocchis et l'osso buco etaient tous delicieux.

ensuite, la piazza del campo ou il y a un gros chateau avec une tour tres haute, pui une visite a la piazza du duomo pour y voir la seul eglise completement baroque ...

Cinque Terre photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album. php?aid=163678&id=613699523&l=b ae7645b89

Stayed at Affittacamere Patrizia Hostel in Rio Maggiore in Cinque Terre and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
When we got to the Hostel it was just an office and no one was there. Our keys were stuck to the door with instructions on how to get to our dorm room. There was another set of keys there too so we could have taken those too and ...

... the rate. Next day we decide to drive to Sienna we drive over an hour on some of the most ridiculous roads yet (beautiful but very dangerous). Sienna is a pretty nice town (although technically I think it is a city and they have a big rivalry with Florence dating back milleniums. We cruise around Sienna check out the Cathedral and the main Piazza...Jen does some shopping while I snap some pictures. Grab lunch in the main piazza which was at best okay. It ...

... we got under way heading for Mykonos that evening. Mykonos was a beautiful little Greek town on the sea. It was one of the more high end shopping areas within an ancient Greek village. The views were incredible as was the water. The Aegean is a turquoise blue sea that was for the most part flat and calm. You could see 40-50 feet down with no problem. The village itself was small with many interconnected white-washed building, churches, shops with small restaurants and bars. We stopped ...

... can climb to the top of the dome) and the David. The David was probably the coolest thing I have seen at a museam this whole time in Italy. I was just awestruck to be standing in front of it. We also went to this really cool open air market that we spent so much time in. The batteries on my camera died, so I will put up some of my friends's pictures later once they end up on facebook that way everyone can see them.

... we had seen the funeral urns in the Etruscan museum yesterday and we could just imagine dozens of them set side by side on these dark, damp ledges. Then off to the countryside. We were let off at a trailhead and headed into a lovely forest, stopping here and there to enjoy the view...and catch our breath since most of the morning was an uphill climb. (We're really getting in good shape ...

... and we can't wait to see more of this beautiful country. By the way, Matthew has started reading an Italian art book about da Vinci, and I bought an Italian fiction novel that I'm going to tackle this week. Plus, we're reading a little bit of Il Piccolo Principe (The Little Prince, in Italian!) each night - it's such a great story and it's so cool to read it in Italian. Well, we have to go make dinner (pasta of course!), so we're off! Love you all and miss you! Matthew and Nicole