For FREEEE!
Ah, better than a warm shower, better than hot fudge on a brownie, better than new car smell….sleeping in, where ever, when ever, however…you must! Even in our hotel with freaky yellow yolk walls and furniture that’s been there since dinosaurs roomed…even the beds, and a bathroom with more blue tile than should ever be allowed to be put in one space…It’s the best thing to not set an alarm, and just … sleep! Even better is waking up to Florence and the city at my disposal! We started out walking towards the Palazzo Palace, on the way finding fun shopping and the greatest set of stairs ever…really just the moment to take this amazing adventure in. It was one of those moments that I realized that I would remember this day the rest of my life. Just as we started back towards the Palace there was the most amazing artist…what I really expected every place to have, but sadly the authenticity is usually lacking, not here, he was painting the most beautiful, unique, colorful interpretations of Florence Landscape I’ve ever seen! We sorted though piece after piece trying to decide which on, it was harder than choosing a husband! We got to sit there just watching him paint like it was breathing to him. He was an inspiring man, full great wisdom for life!
We got to the palace and I was so excited to see what these buildings looked like from the inside out, the architecture is very unique, something that I studied throughout history, and even being told and seeing pictures the makeup of the building was spectacular. The Interior Design alone was a work of art, vibrant, incredible use of color, with fantastic use of texture and shape. The textiles alone were something to write home about! Every room a different experience created, a different moment happing…all because of beautiful design. I love the effect design has on the people who inhabit a space and the way it controls the way we live.
Next, we headed out for some much needed refreshments…a little Coke Light, I never thought I would like coke…swore it off actually, but it actually worked for quenching the DDP thirst! We also got one of my favorite treats, the Magnum Bar! Fitting name…Magnum…they are the best! On this warm day nothing is more comforting than a little chocolate, ice cream and coke! Next Whit, Mal and I headed out for some fun shopping, I had this brilliant idea that I would make a necklace with little knickknacks from each county…I had my heart set on a Fleurde le from Florence so we went all over town, hit every shop…loving the journey the whole way though! I did find one and also found one of my favorite characters from my travels thus far. There was this 4’ 10”, 92 lb, grey haired Italian momma mia stopping traffic, shoving grown men out of her way, she cleared that path better than I’ve ever seen an ambulance clear the way. She was on a mission.
We then made our way back to the restaurant we were at the night before, when you find a winner…you keep going! It was so great, although I did get a little mocked by the waiter, he was a fluffy old Italian man with no hair and he was getting after me for asking for the check to early…he said the night is young, this is your holiday time, time to stay up and enjoy the city. It was also funny, we asked for ice and they gave us this little bowl with like 4 ice cubes in it! They were so good though, they kept filling that little sucker up! We headed back to the hotel and to the internet café and I got to talk to the fam again…this time Dave was over there…no baby yet! It made me get all choked up seeing him, it has been so long and just knowing that back home life was going on, but they missed my face! We went back to the hotel and made our plans to go to the Disco, sadly there was a bit of a snag in the plan, we couldn’t stay out past 2 am so we needed to make arrangements to have the door open, well the Dutch man, that spoke no English, and made that very clear as he yelled it to Malory, that that was not going to happen. Disco down…But a great last day in Florence.
We had a little extra time in Florence that morning so we headed over to the Duomo to do some sketching. It’s such a complex beautiful building, with so much detail at every inch. It was so interesting to try to convey that into a 4x8” paper! Last little joy in Florence, we waited outside Grom for them to open and had the last best gelato ever! We hopped on a train and headed to Venice the next location on our Grand Tour. We waited in the train station and then hoped on the train, the stress of making sure we all end up on the train is ridiculous…worse than the airport scene! But thus far we are good…no one loss, all ridiculous bags in hand! After a very relaxing train ride…okay, yes I did fall asleep for the whole ride, but when I did open my eyes there was lots of lush green streaking past my view, the beautiful Tuscan valley. Next time I go…and yes there will be a next, as soon as possible, I really want to spend some serious time in the Tuscan Valley. We stepped out of the train station and…oh, my goodness what an amazing city, who’s idea was it to make a city out of all the Venison Island…genius! It was so great getting onto a water taxi and traveling along the water. The city reminded me oddly of Lake Powell, everything is accessible from the water, other than that, no red rock or fish jumping in boils, but the whole water thing was so fan-freaking-tastic! We waited for a bit outside the building that was our hotel, I thought, oh great another hole in the wall!...it was such a great area though, the water reflecting the bright stucco buildings with beautiful flowers flowing out window boxes. Such a peaceful felling there…it must be the water, so very smoothing! Well instead of just getting a key to our place, we got a personal escort to our room. And I am dying, this was the prettiest most fantastically designed hotel room. I felt like I was staying in the Palaces we were visiting! Walls covered with a rich champion damask padded fabric, the bed had a corona treatment with beautiful cream fabric and the head board in a delicious chocolate brown material, smooth as butter. The bathroom, lined with striking marble, the fixtures silvery shining and sparkling! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, especially juxtaposing the ridiculous Florence hotel! So after the best nap ever, we headed out to the city to take a look around. Venice is so crazy, all the buildings are maybe 3 feet apart, just enough room to walk around, and there really isn’t anyway to navigate, so you just walk till you get somewhere, I thought it would be really frustration, but surprisingly it was just a great way to see the city and meander. We headed up the Rialto Bridge to a view that can’t be surpassed…the sun just setting and lighting the sky with magnificent pinks and purples, all reflecting in the water. The over all ambience of Venice is so beautifully laid back and surreal. Gondoliers slowly carting there passengers along, Dinners, laughing and enjoying the overall peace that is Venice. The group of us gals found a great little restaurant and under umbrellas enjoyed a simple Italian meal of Spaghetti, and soders…but sadly, it broke the bank! $6.00 Sprite…that is ridiculous…those small little glass bottles, I should have kept it for a souvenir! We did some fun shopping along the way, I was coined as the master of haggle…the haggle queen, after a few trips to Mexico, I got the grove pretty well. There were these hilarious black guys who would follow you around with Prada and Louis Vitton bags, I got one of them from $50.00 to $15! Not to shabby, Seth would be proud! I loved walking around with the settle lights of the homes reflecting in the water, and the most fantastic bridges at every turn! I have never been so excited to see my hotel room as this night, to climb into my nicely turned down sheets and melt into the softest bed ever…Good Night, I’m sleeping freaking tight!
Ah, better than a warm shower, better than hot fudge on a brownie, better than new car smell….sleeping in, where ever, when ever, however…you must! Even in our hotel with freaky yellow yolk walls and furniture that’s been there since dinosaurs roomed…even the beds, and a bathroom with more blue tile than should ever be allowed to be put in one space…It’s the best thing to not set an alarm, and just … sleep! Even better is waking up to Florence and the city at my disposal! We started out walking towards the Palazzo Palace, on the way finding fun shopping and the greatest set of stairs ever…really just the moment to take this amazing adventure in. It was one of those moments that I realized that I would remember this day the rest of my life. Just as we started back towards the Palace there was the most amazing artist…what I really expected every place to have, but sadly the authenticity is usually lacking, not here, he was painting the most beautiful, unique, colorful interpretations of Florence Landscape I’ve ever seen! We sorted though piece after piece trying to decide which on, it was harder than choosing a husband! We got to sit there just watching him paint like it was breathing to him. He was an inspiring man, full great wisdom for life!
We got to the palace and I was so excited to see what these buildings looked like from the inside out, the architecture is very unique, something that I studied throughout history, and even being told and seeing pictures the makeup of the building was spectacular. The Interior Design alone was a work of art, vibrant, incredible use of color, with fantastic use of texture and shape. The textiles alone were something to write home about! Every room a different experience created, a different moment happing…all because of beautiful design. I love the effect design has on the people who inhabit a space and the way it controls the way we live.
Next, we headed out for some much needed refreshments…a little Coke Light, I never thought I would like coke…swore it off actually, but it actually worked for quenching the DDP thirst! We also got one of my favorite treats, the Magnum Bar! Fitting name…Magnum…they are the best! On this warm day nothing is more comforting than a little chocolate, ice cream and coke! Next Whit, Mal and I headed out for some fun shopping, I had this brilliant idea that I would make a necklace with little knickknacks from each county…I had my heart set on a Fleurde le from Florence so we went all over town, hit every shop…loving the journey the whole way though! I did find one and also found one of my favorite characters from my travels thus far. There was this 4’ 10”, 92 lb, grey haired Italian momma mia stopping traffic, shoving grown men out of her way, she cleared that path better than I’ve ever seen an ambulance clear the way. She was on a mission.
We then made our way back to the restaurant we were at the night before, when you find a winner…you keep going! It was so great, although I did get a little mocked by the waiter, he was a fluffy old Italian man with no hair and he was getting after me for asking for the check to early…he said the night is young, this is your holiday time, time to stay up and enjoy the city. It was also funny, we asked for ice and they gave us this little bowl with like 4 ice cubes in it! They were so good though, they kept filling that little sucker up! We headed back to the hotel and to the internet café and I got to talk to the fam again…this time Dave was over there…no baby yet! It made me get all choked up seeing him, it has been so long and just knowing that back home life was going on, but they missed my face! We went back to the hotel and made our plans to go to the Disco, sadly there was a bit of a snag in the plan, we couldn’t stay out past 2 am so we needed to make arrangements to have the door open, well the Dutch man, that spoke no English, and made that very clear as he yelled it to Malory, that that was not going to happen. Disco down…But a great last day in Florence.
We had a little extra time in Florence that morning so we headed over to the Duomo to do some sketching. It’s such a complex beautiful building, with so much detail at every inch. It was so interesting to try to convey that into a 4x8” paper! Last little joy in Florence, we waited outside Grom for them to open and had the last best gelato ever! We hopped on a train and headed to Venice the next location on our Grand Tour. We waited in the train station and then hoped on the train, the stress of making sure we all end up on the train is ridiculous…worse than the airport scene! But thus far we are good…no one loss, all ridiculous bags in hand! After a very relaxing train ride…okay, yes I did fall asleep for the whole ride, but when I did open my eyes there was lots of lush green streaking past my view, the beautiful Tuscan valley. Next time I go…and yes there will be a next, as soon as possible, I really want to spend some serious time in the Tuscan Valley. We stepped out of the train station and…oh, my goodness what an amazing city, who’s idea was it to make a city out of all the Venison Island…genius! It was so great getting onto a water taxi and traveling along the water. The city reminded me oddly of Lake Powell, everything is accessible from the water, other than that, no red rock or fish jumping in boils, but the whole water thing was so fan-freaking-tastic! We waited for a bit outside the building that was our hotel, I thought, oh great another hole in the wall!...it was such a great area though, the water reflecting the bright stucco buildings with beautiful flowers flowing out window boxes. Such a peaceful felling there…it must be the water, so very smoothing! Well instead of just getting a key to our place, we got a personal escort to our room. And I am dying, this was the prettiest most fantastically designed hotel room. I felt like I was staying in the Palaces we were visiting! Walls covered with a rich champion damask padded fabric, the bed had a corona treatment with beautiful cream fabric and the head board in a delicious chocolate brown material, smooth as butter. The bathroom, lined with striking marble, the fixtures silvery shining and sparkling! I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, especially juxtaposing the ridiculous Florence hotel! So after the best nap ever, we headed out to the city to take a look around. Venice is so crazy, all the buildings are maybe 3 feet apart, just enough room to walk around, and there really isn’t anyway to navigate, so you just walk till you get somewhere, I thought it would be really frustration, but surprisingly it was just a great way to see the city and meander. We headed up the Rialto Bridge to a view that can’t be surpassed…the sun just setting and lighting the sky with magnificent pinks and purples, all reflecting in the water. The over all ambience of Venice is so beautifully laid back and surreal. Gondoliers slowly carting there passengers along, Dinners, laughing and enjoying the overall peace that is Venice. The group of us gals found a great little restaurant and under umbrellas enjoyed a simple Italian meal of Spaghetti, and soders…but sadly, it broke the bank! $6.00 Sprite…that is ridiculous…those small little glass bottles, I should have kept it for a souvenir! We did some fun shopping along the way, I was coined as the master of haggle…the haggle queen, after a few trips to Mexico, I got the grove pretty well. There were these hilarious black guys who would follow you around with Prada and Louis Vitton bags, I got one of them from $50.00 to $15! Not to shabby, Seth would be proud! I loved walking around with the settle lights of the homes reflecting in the water, and the most fantastic bridges at every turn! I have never been so excited to see my hotel room as this night, to climb into my nicely turned down sheets and melt into the softest bed ever…Good Night, I’m sleeping freaking tight!
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