We spent three weeks in Italy and everything there was so rich, so interesting, that I decided to break up the report into sections, to make it a little easier to digest.
If you'd like to see our pictures, please visit the gallery. I haven't had a chance to link the pictures to the text yet, but all the images are captioned and dated, so you should be able to tell what you're seeing.
31 August/01 September
On which we fly to Italy, spend a night in Rome, continue by air to Florence, rent a car, check in at our villa, and get groceries.
02 September
Discovering Florence for the first time, Jason and I visit the Baptistery, the Piazza della Signoria, the Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens, and have our first, fabulous, Tuscan meal.
03 September
Heading into more rural parts of Tuscany, we visit Siena briefly and drive through the Crete to Ascanio, Monte Olivo Maggiore, Montalcino and Montepulciano.
04 September
Our day in the Uffizi Gallery.
05 September
Exploring the sites of Arezzo.
06 September
A big day in Florence: climbing the dome, seeing David, visiting the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Orsanmichele and Santa Croce--but not the Palazzo Vecchio--and eating more steak than we could shake a stick at.
07 September
A low-key day in the Prato Magno hills.
08 September
We hit a couple more galleries in the Pitti Palace, saw "Florence As It Was" and investigated the art of "pietro dure," before wrapping up our day at the Basilica e Museo di San Marco and meeting Jason's parents in time for dinner.
09 September
Now a foursome, we explored Lucca and went to watch Pisa's tower not fall over--more exciting than it sounds.
10 September
Working our way through the Chianti region.
11 September
Back to Florence--while the others hit the Uffizi, I finally saw the inside of the Palazzo Vecchio! San Lorenzo, San Miniato and another good meal at the White Boar before the terrible news caught up with us in the street.
12 September
Visiting San Gimignano and getting back to Siena for a more detailed look.
13 September
Getting back to the Musei dell' Opera di Santa Maria Novella e di Santa Croce, as well as another good lunch at Gusto and an excellent dinner.
14 September
Jason and I hit the Bargello museum, while Trish & Steve climbed the dome and then we headed out to Fiesole.
15 September
Splitting up, Trish & Steve headed for Rome, while Jason and I had time enough to see one more Florentine church before boarding the train for Venice.
16 September
We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a dawn walk, plenty of art, and a visit to the Doge's Palace.
17 September
With only one more day, we hit the high points of Venice: the basilica, the campanile, and an exhaustive walk around Murano, the Island of Glass.
18 September
Off to a running start, we get to Rome and dive into the Roman Forum.
19 September
A long day in the Vatican and a river walk with a surprising conclusion.
20 September
A morning at the Villa Adriana and a chance to try Roman sushi.
21 September
A busy day visiting the Villa Borghese, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Palazzo Doria Pamphili, and finally the Colosseum.
22 September
Our last day in Italy, from the Futurists to Hadrian's Mausoleum, and one last wonderful Italian meal.
23 September
London calling...
