More pics from Florence and Tuscany...

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Cortona

Church of Santa Maria Nuova, on the hillside in Cortona

On the way home we stopped in Cortona (that's where the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" takes place). Cortona is considered a classic Tuscan hill town, and it's location only a mile from Umbria marks the end of Tuscany heading south. A quaint small town with lots of character, a few beautiful churches, and a picturesque main piazza sold us on Cortona! As we walked down Via Nazionale (the town's only level road and main commercial street) towards Piazza della Repubblica, we knew we had found another favorite in Tuscany.

ceramiche shop on Via Nazionale

Palazzo Communale (city hall) on Piazza della Reppublica

eating lunch on the steps of Palazzo Communale

wine shop off Piazza della Reppublica

Florence

Founded by an emperor named Julius Caesar, Florence is now the capital of Tuscany (arguably the most beautiful province in Italy) and the indisputable capital of Renaissance art.

On Saturday morning we wasted no time exploring the city. Luckily, our apartment was less than a block from the Duomo so we didn't have far to walk! Even without the main attractions, Florence is a beautiful city with plenty of pedestrian-only boulevards lined with shops selling handmade leather goods, custom suits, and great food. It seemed that whenever we needed to let Allison and Ethan out of the stroller, a piazza magically appeared, giving the kids plenty of space to tire themselves out!

Perhaps the best known art gallery in Italy is the Uffizi Gallery. It is filled with the most comprehensive collection of Renaissance art in Europe - from paintings to sculptures. We gave the kids a bag full of crackers thus affording us a precious 1/2 hour to explore the gallery in peace. Earlier in the day we visited the Accademia which features several of Michelangelo's most spectacular works including the magnificent David. Do you think Allison or Ethan will ever remember the phenomenal pieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Raphael? Didn't think so! In fact, when Allison saw the David she loudly blurted out: "Mommy, he's NAKED!!" I guess, in the end, Michelangelo entertained us all!

Before we knew it, Monday morning came! It was an incredible visit to a wonderful city!

Some of the beautiful buildings in the city.

The David!

The Ponte Vecchio bridge, filled with shops.

An ornate courtyard just off Piazza della Signoria.

The main room of our apartment, just a block from the Duomo.

Montepulciano

This past long weekend we took a road trip up to Florence. In order to break up the scenic 5-hour drive, we stopped at a Tuscan hill town on the way up and back. On Friday that meant a visit to Montepulciano, a medieval hill town known for producing some of the best wines in Italy. Believe it or not, records show that the town has been producing wine since the 1300's! Luckily, we ran into Adamo, the proprietor of the Cantucci Cantina, famous for their Vino Nobile wine. He showed us around the Etruscan tombs where massive oaks barrels hold the delicious wine (see pic below). Oh, did we mention the incredibly scenery Montepulciano offers?

Margaret and Allison make their way down a narrow street.

The surrounding vineyards and olive trees.

The Etruscan tomb filled with enormous barrels of Vino Nobile.


Some more of the great scenery (note the medieval rampart at the bottom of the picture)!

Lots of smiles to go around!

Yes, another gorgeous Tuscan view.

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.