Today we did some more walking in one of the many interesting neighborhoods of Paris. As we were exiting the rue des Rosiers after partaking in one of the districts famous falafels, we ran smack dap into the “curious bike man” of Le Marais. He was an odd but very cool dude with the most…
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Crossing the Pont Notre-Dame
Today we had crazy weather again in Paris. Wind, sun and rain intermittently throughout the day. Since we’d heard about the crazy long lines at some of the more popular Paris sites we thought we’d go check out how bad they really were before we opted to actually attempt to visit. We hoofed it on…
The Boulevard of Forgotten Photography Equipment
Today we spent the day exploring the area around our apartment. We ended up walking down the Boulevard Beaumarchais and found that instead of being in Paris, we had somehow been transported to “the Boulevard of Forgotten Photography equipment” the place where all cameras go to be re-invigorated. No kidding, there were probably at least…
Paris From The Montparnasse Tower
Today we explored the Paris metro system and took ourselves to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, then walked to the Tour Montparnasse to get a view of the city. You get an amazing 360 degree view of Paris from the top of the building. While we waited for the sparkling light show…
Bridges Over The Arno River
As we leave Florence it seemed most appropriate to post a photo of the sun going down and the amazing view of the bridges over the Arno (yes that’s right “Arno”) River from the Piazzale Michelangelo. Florence really is a beautiful city with so much to see and a great place to just be out…
Beat The Heat And The Crowds
Today I was up early to beat the heat and the crowds. The light in the early morning and the evening is just so much better for enhancing the details of these intricate building and places and most of the wanderers are still tucked in their cozy little beds sleeping, so I can get to…
Rooftops and Antennas
Yesterday we made it to our last stop in Italy – Florence. We are here for 4 days and as our luck would have it the temperature has just reached the high 80s and will climb into the 90s before we leave. It’s a little too warm for my liking, but we are making the…
Our Last Night In Manarola
Tonight is our last night in Manarola. This gem of a town should not be missed if you visit the Cinque Terre. It’s so beautiful here and peaceful in spite of the tourism. There’s great hiking (whether you want to hike or not!), great views, a soft ocean breeze, clear blue pristine water for swimming,…
Colorful Manarola
Today we left Spoleto and took the train to Manarola, the second smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns on the Italian coast. I couldn’t really imagine that any place could be more beautiful than where we had come from, but low and behold “welcome to Manarola”. We arrived in time for a nice walk…
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
Today is our last day in Spoleto. While we’ve been here we’ve visited some amazing places, relaxed and met some very nice people, so it’s very hard to leave. The first historical mention of Spoletium is in 241 BC with the foundation of a colony here. It really is unbelievable how many cathedrals, basilicas, crypts,…
Beautiful Siena
Day 2 with a car we drove from Spoleto to Siena. It’s a town in Tuscany that get’s rave reviews from others who have visited so we had to see it for ourselves. The drive was approximately 2 hours each way which also allowed for us to see some of the Tuscan countryside. We only…
Visiting The Piano Grande
We made it to our next stop in Italy yesterday. A place called Spoleto in Umbria. Today we rented a car so we could finally get away from the city and see some countryside. Our host recommended that we drive to a place called Piano Grande, a huge 16 square kilometer plain surrounded by the…
The Trastevere Neighborhood
After spending much of our week in Rome, walking in the city center we finally spent some time in the neighborhood we have been sleeping in. This district of Rome is call “Trastevere”. Trastevere is small area across the river from the centre of the town, on the right bank of the Tiber and is…
Ostia Antica
Today was the last day that our Roma Pass was valid so we decided to take the train to Ostia Antica. It’s a much larger place than we expected and full of ruins that make it easy for you to imagine what life would have been like when the place was bustling. It’s hard however…
Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
Today we had all the best intentions of visiting the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps but instead found ourselves stopping along the way at other places that just seemed to pop up everywhere we looked. This is the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere. It is one of the oldest churches in Rome. The…