Happy Birthday Ethan!

We can't believe it's been 2 years since Ethan was born. The time has flown by! He's such a wonderful, energetic, fun-loving BOY. And he is ALL BOY!! He loves anything with firetrucks, tractors, and moving parts. He especially likes to terrorize his big sister and pull her hair (but we are working on that)! It's been so amazing to see just how different he is from Allison as he grows up. Even though he isn't a baby anymore, he'll always be my baby!

Ethan's birthday, 1-26-07

To celebrate, we had the Smith and Tucker families over for a brunch party yesterday. It was lots of fun!

We love you Ethan!

The Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica and square.

Yesterday we hit the road early for a day trip to the Vatican with our good friends, the Smiths. It was a perfect day: almost no clouds with temperatures reaching nearly 60 degrees. After the 2+ hour drive, the kids were just a ball of energy.

Enter Saint Peter's Square, which provided the perfect setting for the kids to play catch and chase pigeons while the parents took pictures and found an opportunity to have adult conversation. Next, we headed to a "little known" attraction - the Sistine Chapel. To say it was breathtaking is a gross understatement. As we stood in awe of the magnificent frescoes, Ethan just happened to have some fruit snacks (which equals a few minutes of silence), and Allison curiously looked around before asking with an air of disappointment, "where is the play area?" So, Michelangelo impressed two out the four Bleichers today.

Despite eating their way through the day, the kids hurried us back to St. Peter's Square to have a picnic lunch. Yes, we can now say that jello pudding snacks and cheese sticks have been consumed in St. Peter's Square.

After strolling up and down the banks of the nearby Tiber River, we found an ice-skating rink and spent a while watching the skaters navigate the fast-melting ice while listening to the Beastie Boys. We headed back to the car, loaded up, and headed back to Naples. All in all, not a bad way to spend the day!

The magnificent ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Caroline's great shot of us!

One of the awe-inspiring chambers in the Vatican Museum.

Sorrento

Wednesday we pushed everyone out of the house early to make the 1-hour drive to Sorrento, a beautiful, albeit touristy, cliffside town across the Bay of Naples. We had explored Sorrento before, but had to show Michelle and Richard the great shops, classic 4-star hotels, orange & lemon groves, and delicious limoncello (a lemon liqueur made locally in Sorrento). Gega's jaw dropped when we explored the Grand Hotel Excelsior Victoria, one of the most exquisite hotels in southern Italy. All in all, it was another great day trip!

Ethan in Sorrento

Allison's New Playground: Rome

Tuesday, Dan & Allison took the grandparents to Rome. It was a day trip for Dan and Allison, whereas Papa and Gega spent the night. Allison did wonderful considering she caught an early morning train, went without a nap, and walked to all of the major sites without the help of a stroller.

Allison held Gega's hand most of the day, showing her the colorful fruit on display in Campo Dei Fiori, posing for great pictures in Piazza Navona, tossing good luck coins in Trevi Fountain, and skipping around the Coliseum. At the end of the busy day, Dan and Allison caught an evening train to get home to an eagerly awaiting Ethan, who missed his big sister...and dad.

Perugia & Assisi

Next we explored Perugia and Assisi. Perugia is the capital of Umbria, but make no mistake, by being so it hasn't shed its medieval hill town clothing. Sure, Umbria boasts frescoes from Raphael, awesome views of rolling green hills, and ornate facades, but the real reason we went there was for their world-renowned chocolate!






Just east of Perugia is Assisi, another beautiful hill town that is known for the Basilica di San Francesco. The basilica is amazing; unlike many others we've seen in Europe, this one has several levels, each more elaborate than the next, that make up this stunning complex of chambers illuminated by colorful stained glass and chapels adorned with frescoes. We knew Assisi would be special immediately when we entered the city via a gate in its original medieval wall and saw quaint streets and inviting alleys.






Unfortunately we woke up on Sunday morning to find Tuscany blanketed in snow. We decided to drive home early, but quickly questioned that decision when we got stuck in the snow on a rural road. Thankfully, Margaret's Italian convinced a nearby Italian to leave the warm comfort of his home to help us free the Odyssey. After much drama, we were on the Autostrade heading south.

Villa in Tuscany

After Orvieto we checked into our villa in Tuscany to unwind and get ready for the next day. Here are a few pictures of the villa and the incredible view from the top rooms...

Orvieto

Today we stopped in Orvieto, a small medieval hill town north of Rome. Unfortunately, it was December 26th (San Stefano), as significant a holiday as December 25th in Italy. Many of the shops and even the Duomo (church) were closed. Nevertheless, the nonni (grandparents) immediately fell in love with the quaint streets and amazing views - check out the picture of the castle below. After lunching at a cafe we continued the drive north, through Umbria nad into Tuscany!

Ravello on the Amalfi Coast

The elder Bleichers flew out from South Florida to visit us in Southern Italy for a couple of weeks. After touring Pompeii yesterday, we went for the easy home run by driving to Ravello. As you know from our previous trip to Ravello, it's a gorgeous town nestled high above the Mediterranean on the world-renowned Amalfi Coast.

"Papa" and "Geiga" were in heaven, walking hand-in-hand with Allison and Ethan along the cobblestone paths with breathtaking views. A colorful variety of giant paninis stuffed with fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced ham, basil leaves, and eggplant capped the day before taking the winding road down to reality, in this case, our apartment.