Sea_Dreamer's photostream on Flickr.
Finally, I have uploaded and organized all of my photos from our Italy vacation.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Ostia Antica and our Last Day
Well, our last day is almost over and I'm a bit sad to be leaving tomorrow morning but it's time, I suppose, to get back to reality. It'll be nice to sleep in our own bed and do our own cooking again, though, as well as be able to get back to some semblance of a routine. Of course, I miss the cats and can't wait for a good, long run on Saturday. I'm really impressed with myself for not getting too out of shape on this vacation - it must have been our kilometers of walking each day. And I even managed not to get sick once.
Today we visited Ostia Antica, an ancient Roman port town that used to be right on the shoreline. Now, it's about 20 km from the coast, which is interesting because you don't really see how land has changed or moved in most cases. It isn't an excavation site, but rather just preserved ruins that were built between 4 BC and 6 AD. The mosaics on the floors that remain still amaze me in the durability that those little stones have.
I think we've both had enough of this heat, if anyone can believe it, as we just came back to the hostel and slept for 3 hours. No beach today, unfortunately but hopefully we get some hot weather back home this summer so we can get back to the beaches around there, maybe.
We are off for dinner and then will likely watch the football game tonight. It's the semi-finals for the Eurocup between Italy and Germany so it might be quite exciting around here. Then off to bed and to the airport for 6:30 AM.
Italy...'till we meet again!
Today we visited Ostia Antica, an ancient Roman port town that used to be right on the shoreline. Now, it's about 20 km from the coast, which is interesting because you don't really see how land has changed or moved in most cases. It isn't an excavation site, but rather just preserved ruins that were built between 4 BC and 6 AD. The mosaics on the floors that remain still amaze me in the durability that those little stones have.
I think we've both had enough of this heat, if anyone can believe it, as we just came back to the hostel and slept for 3 hours. No beach today, unfortunately but hopefully we get some hot weather back home this summer so we can get back to the beaches around there, maybe.
We are off for dinner and then will likely watch the football game tonight. It's the semi-finals for the Eurocup between Italy and Germany so it might be quite exciting around here. Then off to bed and to the airport for 6:30 AM.
Italy...'till we meet again!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Last Destination
We arrived in Lido di Ostia this afternoon to spend the last couple of days just relaxing by the water. I guess I didn't realize just how much of our Cinque Terre and Sorrento experiences would include the beach but in retrospect we are both very glad that I planned things out so that city sights were done first, followed by relaxation and sea sights.
This has been a truly wonderful vacation for me, more so by the presence of Bryan, because originally I was going to come alone. I know now that I would have had no problem traveling to all these places alone but it's been really great to have Bryan as my companion. It has shown us that we really do travel together well and that there will be many, many more vacations in our future.
I'm not looking forward to coming home one bit, aside from missing my cats and the gym. I love it here and am constantly thinking of the next time I will be in Italy. However, Bryan is talking about missing his Jeep and motorcycle and wanting to get back to normal, so I am slowly realizing this vacation is almost done. But, I know I'll be back and now I'm know what I should have wished when I threw my coin in Trevi Fountain all those days ago!
Tonight we are on the prowl for a good restaurant, not really finding anything at all on our brief walk around. Lido di Ostia is definitely a beach town and it's a nice quiet place to spend the last couple of nights. I don't think there is a lot to do here aside from the beach but it's so close to Fiumincino that it works for the timeline. The beach is extensive but the water shallow. I don't like this, having spent my summers growing up at a beach with a swift drop-off! Maybe tomorrow we can find a deeper spot.
I tried a bottle of Antica wine, just to taste something from the region. It's very good, fruity but light and not too dry. My favorite is still the Montelpulcino d'Abruzzo though!
We are staying in another hostel that looks like it was either an old school or a military dorm. It's huge but very plain. Our bathroom is very large, but the facilities small - the shower is about 2' x 2'! (Bryan gets the bottom bunk...)
But the view is awesome!!!
Yesterday we just spent the day relaxing by the beach in Sorrento. We bought some snorkel equipment and an air mattress and just played in the beautiful sea for a few hours. The place we rented chairs from and ate lunch at was great. The staff was super - friendly, funny and diligent. They even had a wonderful American Husky as their "mascot"! Bagni Delfino is a great place, we highly recommend them. I ate mussels with garlic, tomatoes and chili - I don't imagine I will ever order mussels again in Calgary as I've been so spoiled here by the freshness and tender texture!
Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento...
This has been a truly wonderful vacation for me, more so by the presence of Bryan, because originally I was going to come alone. I know now that I would have had no problem traveling to all these places alone but it's been really great to have Bryan as my companion. It has shown us that we really do travel together well and that there will be many, many more vacations in our future.
I'm not looking forward to coming home one bit, aside from missing my cats and the gym. I love it here and am constantly thinking of the next time I will be in Italy. However, Bryan is talking about missing his Jeep and motorcycle and wanting to get back to normal, so I am slowly realizing this vacation is almost done. But, I know I'll be back and now I'm know what I should have wished when I threw my coin in Trevi Fountain all those days ago!
Tonight we are on the prowl for a good restaurant, not really finding anything at all on our brief walk around. Lido di Ostia is definitely a beach town and it's a nice quiet place to spend the last couple of nights. I don't think there is a lot to do here aside from the beach but it's so close to Fiumincino that it works for the timeline. The beach is extensive but the water shallow. I don't like this, having spent my summers growing up at a beach with a swift drop-off! Maybe tomorrow we can find a deeper spot.
I tried a bottle of Antica wine, just to taste something from the region. It's very good, fruity but light and not too dry. My favorite is still the Montelpulcino d'Abruzzo though!
We are staying in another hostel that looks like it was either an old school or a military dorm. It's huge but very plain. Our bathroom is very large, but the facilities small - the shower is about 2' x 2'! (Bryan gets the bottom bunk...)
But the view is awesome!!!
Yesterday we just spent the day relaxing by the beach in Sorrento. We bought some snorkel equipment and an air mattress and just played in the beautiful sea for a few hours. The place we rented chairs from and ate lunch at was great. The staff was super - friendly, funny and diligent. They even had a wonderful American Husky as their "mascot"! Bagni Delfino is a great place, we highly recommend them. I ate mussels with garlic, tomatoes and chili - I don't imagine I will ever order mussels again in Calgary as I've been so spoiled here by the freshness and tender texture!
Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento...
Monday, June 25, 2012
First Dive
I survived my first scuba dives today! We took a four hour dive excursion this morning with a local dive shop, Diving Futuro Mare, who took the small group to two different dive spots. There isn't a lot of large marine life here to see but we did see a number of different fish species, swimming in large schools, plus lots of starfish and corrals. It was very cool to be swimming along, just enjoying the water, sites and life around me.
I was a little nervous before the first dive and got frustrated as I could not figure out my buoyancy once we had descended. Finally after checking and testing my air and BCD, the dive master just look off my weight belt and threw in a 1kg weight into my BCD. That actually helped! I guess I don't need a lot of weight...am I built like a rock then?!?!
The second dive was much more relaxing for me as I had buoyancy and could just move easily through the water. Our dives were a bit shorter than the rest because Bryan was going through his air so fast. He had to take some from the dive master on the first dive, so we just ascended early on the second when his supply ran too low.
No pictures today, as our cameras don't work underwater. We planned an afternoon at the beach snorkling but ended up having a 4 hour nap instead! I guess our late night out watching Italia in the Eurocup semi-finals caught up with us. It was pretty entertaining to be included in the crowd of such avid football fans though, especially when Italia won in the kick off/shoot out after over time (I'm not sure what that's called in European football). The restaurant staff at Davide "Il" Gelato did a stellar job of keeping up with the patrons too, which is incredible considering some of the poor service we've experienced. The sauce on my pasta was simple yet tasty, and I plan to attempt to recreate it once at home; four ingredients - olive oil, garlic, hot pepper spice, and basil.
Tonight we ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, which gave us some spectacular views of the sunset, the lights across the harbor, and Mount Vesuvius. I'm not sure if Bryan and I are doing or saying something wrong, but the service was good up until we had our plates taken away, but after that point we sat there and had to ask for our bill 3 times, and still they took their sweet time giving it to us. It's really annoying, but it seems to happen everywhere we go. I'm tempted to just throw down some cash and walk out!
We did have a wonderful experience for lunch today though, and we plan to go back for dinner tomorrow night. The restaurant is called Inn Bufalito, and their concept is as follows:
"Light, simple and creative, our cuisine takes inspiration from the traditional Campania Region gastronomy. Our Philosophy is to use only local and fresh products, in particular buffalo meats and cheeses."
The food was amazing! Bryan had a great pasta with buffalo ragu sauce, and the buffalo mozzarella I had was so light and creamy. I'm looking forward to a buffalo steak tomorrow!
I was a little nervous before the first dive and got frustrated as I could not figure out my buoyancy once we had descended. Finally after checking and testing my air and BCD, the dive master just look off my weight belt and threw in a 1kg weight into my BCD. That actually helped! I guess I don't need a lot of weight...am I built like a rock then?!?!
The second dive was much more relaxing for me as I had buoyancy and could just move easily through the water. Our dives were a bit shorter than the rest because Bryan was going through his air so fast. He had to take some from the dive master on the first dive, so we just ascended early on the second when his supply ran too low.
No pictures today, as our cameras don't work underwater. We planned an afternoon at the beach snorkling but ended up having a 4 hour nap instead! I guess our late night out watching Italia in the Eurocup semi-finals caught up with us. It was pretty entertaining to be included in the crowd of such avid football fans though, especially when Italia won in the kick off/shoot out after over time (I'm not sure what that's called in European football). The restaurant staff at Davide "Il" Gelato did a stellar job of keeping up with the patrons too, which is incredible considering some of the poor service we've experienced. The sauce on my pasta was simple yet tasty, and I plan to attempt to recreate it once at home; four ingredients - olive oil, garlic, hot pepper spice, and basil.
Tonight we ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, which gave us some spectacular views of the sunset, the lights across the harbor, and Mount Vesuvius. I'm not sure if Bryan and I are doing or saying something wrong, but the service was good up until we had our plates taken away, but after that point we sat there and had to ask for our bill 3 times, and still they took their sweet time giving it to us. It's really annoying, but it seems to happen everywhere we go. I'm tempted to just throw down some cash and walk out!
We did have a wonderful experience for lunch today though, and we plan to go back for dinner tomorrow night. The restaurant is called Inn Bufalito, and their concept is as follows:
"Light, simple and creative, our cuisine takes inspiration from the traditional Campania Region gastronomy. Our Philosophy is to use only local and fresh products, in particular buffalo meats and cheeses."
The food was amazing! Bryan had a great pasta with buffalo ragu sauce, and the buffalo mozzarella I had was so light and creamy. I'm looking forward to a buffalo steak tomorrow!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Herculaneum
Over the years, I have read a small number of books that have scenes set in the archeological site of Herculaneum, a town lost to the world when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Unlike Pompeii, this town was forgotten and it wasn't until 1709, when Austrian Prince d'Elboeuf was digging for wells, that the town was rediscovered. The excavations that can be seen today are the work of many people over the past 300 years, and there is still so much to be uncovered.
We spent an engaging 3 hours touring the "houses" of Herculaneum today, which was as interesting and humbling as I expected. These walls and their frescos, embellishments and, in some cases, possessions were buried by boiling mud almost 2000 years ago, yet it was because of this mud that the preservation of artifacts and wooden structures occurred. These pictures don't really do the excavation justice so I recommend visiting the site yourself. Pompeii is supposed to be equally interesting but it's also more visited, so Herculaneum was a nice, relatively quiet experience for us.
We arrived via the Circumvesuvian train from Sorrento, where we were accosted by tour buses offering cheap shuttles to the site. I'd done some research that had said the excavation was six blocks down the street so I didn't think the bus was worth it. Good thing we didn't get a ride because, yes, the site really is straight down the street, six blocks, as you walk out the train station exit!
Between the two of us, we took over 200 pictures today so I'm going to have to try to sort through them all to figure out which areas we captured. I also bought a couple of books so hopefully I piece it all back together!
I think Bryan is starting to wish he were home again. He told me that he is not feeling up to going out for dinner tonight and wants to do some work. Granted, he just got his computer to boot up after a week or so of it looking like it had crashed but we are in a beautiful town with amazing weather and I think it would be sad to just sit in the room all night! I suppose, though, he isn't as used to this heat and humidity as I am so I will spend the night out walking around alone if he does decide to stay in. Sorrento is small and easily navigational so I think I will be fine wandering the streets myself! After all, everyone will be preoccupied by the Italy football game going on tonight anyway!!!
We spent an engaging 3 hours touring the "houses" of Herculaneum today, which was as interesting and humbling as I expected. These walls and their frescos, embellishments and, in some cases, possessions were buried by boiling mud almost 2000 years ago, yet it was because of this mud that the preservation of artifacts and wooden structures occurred. These pictures don't really do the excavation justice so I recommend visiting the site yourself. Pompeii is supposed to be equally interesting but it's also more visited, so Herculaneum was a nice, relatively quiet experience for us.
We arrived via the Circumvesuvian train from Sorrento, where we were accosted by tour buses offering cheap shuttles to the site. I'd done some research that had said the excavation was six blocks down the street so I didn't think the bus was worth it. Good thing we didn't get a ride because, yes, the site really is straight down the street, six blocks, as you walk out the train station exit!
Between the two of us, we took over 200 pictures today so I'm going to have to try to sort through them all to figure out which areas we captured. I also bought a couple of books so hopefully I piece it all back together!
This is Bryan and I waiting in yet another line to get tickets!
The streets are very similar to current Italian streets.
Wooden doors, they were preserved as initially burnt wood and behind the glass you can see how black and cracked they are. Yet, they still stood and maintained their shape.
Triton on the floor of the female baths in mosaic stones.
I think Bryan is starting to wish he were home again. He told me that he is not feeling up to going out for dinner tonight and wants to do some work. Granted, he just got his computer to boot up after a week or so of it looking like it had crashed but we are in a beautiful town with amazing weather and I think it would be sad to just sit in the room all night! I suppose, though, he isn't as used to this heat and humidity as I am so I will spend the night out walking around alone if he does decide to stay in. Sorrento is small and easily navigational so I think I will be fine wandering the streets myself! After all, everyone will be preoccupied by the Italy football game going on tonight anyway!!!
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