Hotel Terme Neroniane Montegrotto Terme

... steps to the top) and the Piazza del Signoria, a great, bustling pedestrians-only town square. We grabbed a gelato and took a short people-watching break before continuing on to Ponte Vecchio and finally, the day’s climax- the Uffizi Gallery.

The Uffizi has been described as the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere! But it is so much more. It is laid out in a way that walks you through the transition of style, content and technique from the ...

... She wonders where the money went.
OK: now we are driving in Italian traffic. These people drive as if they have nothing to live for. And, yet, we have not seen a single accident. Regardless, driving is nerve-wracking. But we made it safely to Padua, where we visited the Scrovengi Chapel, painted in frescos by Giotto in the early 14th century. It was commissioned by a man whose father was a very bad ...

... endowed a museum of modern art, which seems especially radical in Venice, with its nearly universal focus on the Renaissance.
After dinner and a rest, we finished our day with a night at the Opera! We saw “The Barber of Seville” a great, silly romp of an opera - and to add to the fun, it was performed inside one of the old Venetian palaces, with each act taking place in a different room. (The small audience followed the players and the Piano Quartet from room to room.)

... gave up on the sun ever coming up around seven and took off. The days here are extremely short: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. tops.
Our hotel here is amazing: they were happy to check us in at 7:30 a.m. and could not have been more accommodating. We slept a couple of hours and hit the streets - no, canals - around eleven. Our hotel recommended a restaurant where we had by far the best meal we have had in Italy before starting our sightseeing day’ ...

... pillows and as many makeshift covers (aka jackets and sweatshirts) to another compartment and sprawled out on the seats. When we got to Venice, it was very early in the morning, so we had to find our way to our hostel in the dark. But we made it there, only to find out that it was closed for another two hours (that's what happens during low season). So we wandered around, found a market to get a few ...

... our time was spent doing a lot of shopping, but the overall experience was so much more. I find that if I open my eyes, ears, and all other senses, it is impossible not to have this experience. For me, this is what I will remember about the places I visit. It won't be about some church I saw or some piece of art; it will just be that thing that I can't put into words. (Or, it may be about a meal I had since this is my other love!)

... a place that you could spend a lot of money. We considered getting a gondola, but opted against it when we were given the price of 70Euro! After wondering around we started feeling the drain of the last few busy days, so it was great when we came across the sign directing us to a place that was showing the SA Fiji game. David and I were blatantly the only Saffas watching and we ...

... world's most unlikely city: unlikely that it was built and unlikely that it survives. First settled in 452 by people who were fleeing Attila the hun, "modern" Venezia began with the completion of the Basilica of St. Mark in the 11the century. Trying to grasp the reality of Venezia overloaded our imaginations, and after two nights, our vivid memories included: riding ...

So apparently I don't update enough according to some people who may or may not be called Krystle. (Aww...it is nice to be reminded that your lives are completely meaningless without me) Anyway, after Granada I went to Barcelona where I crashed into a muddy heap for a week of r&r as was still feeling rather blah from Morocco. I did manage to see the Segrada Familia (or as ...

... This is going to be one if not the highlights of my trip. Then one gondola went by with an accordian player and a guy singing, and the gondoliers all wear black and white stripped shirts and hats with a ribbon on it. AH! I couldn't stop smiliing all day. Mom, you would fall in love with this place. I have never had so much fun window shopping in my entire life. There is just so much here. If I had tons of money, I would be a happy girl. Such beautiful things. I wish I ...