Buongiorno!!

Okay, so we've been back for a couple of weeks, but haven't found the time to update our blog...so here we go! My mom, sister Jayme, Misty and I had a blast in Italy. It was truly a learning experience...learning their customs, learning how to order food and drinks, learning to keep a close eye on your money, and learning how to hover over the toilets since they don't believe in seats!! We spent the first portion of our trip in Rome and toured the Colosseum, the Forum, and Trevi Fountain. One day we traveled to Pompeii, which was one of the highlights of the trip. We were able to spend a day on our own, shopping and exploring.

Halfway through the week, we packed up and transferred to Florence by bus. On the way to Florence, we stopped in Orvieto. Orvieto is a beautiful hilltop village surrounded by the Tuscan countryside. We shopped and had a catered lunch in an old theater.

Florence was a bustling city, smaller than Rome, and has the Arno River flowing through it. We spent one day on our own doing some shopping and one day we went to Lucca and Pisa. We even made a stop at the Mediterranian Sea for some quick photos. Lucca is a small village surrounded by a fortress wall. It is the birthplace of the Italian opera composer Puccini (he composed La Boheme and Madama Butterfly). Of course, we had to do MORE shopping there! We enjoyed Pisa, also, and seeing how much the Leaning Tower actually leans. You can actually pay a small fee to climb the stairs to the top of the tower. I'd rather keep my feet on solid ground, rather than climbing to the top of a tall tower that looks like it's going to tip over!

We had lots of Gelato while there. Misty discovered she liked the Tiramisu flavor the best and we are currently searching for a local gelato shop that serves Tiramisu flavor.

We are so thankful for the experience of traveling to Italy. Misty and I missed Lynn a lot and were glad to come home to see him. He missed us, too, and we were able to talk over the phone several times while we were gone. Misty and I each threw a coin into Trevi Fountain, which means that we will return to Italy again someday. Hopefully, next time we go, Lynn will join us...he would love it!