In this set of photos you will see:
The Arno River
A statue in Piazza Mentana
the Tempio Maggiore Israelitico
Items on display in the Museo di Storia della Scienza
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Florence: Part 2: Hotel Villa Liana
We stayed at two different hotels in Florence. They were on opposite sides of central Florence. I had wanted to stay in a hotel that was in the traditional Florentine or Tuscan style. Wood or tile floors, quaint eclectic furniture, and a long history attached to the building. We couldn’t pick between two so we decided to opt for staying at both.
The first, Hotel Villa Liana was by far and wide not only our favorite but will be remembered fondly our whole lives. It was a beautiful hotel and we had an incredible room. They put us in the second floor room of a little bungalow. We climbed a stone staircase up to a gazebo and a bridge that took us to our room.
We spent several perfect evenings sitting under the gazebo having a picnic dinner. We would stop at a grocery store after a day of exploring and pick up fresh baked bread, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and a bottle of wine. The parmesan cheese we picked was only .99euro a pound which translates to about $1.50 lb. And it was heaven. I think the first time, and probably the second night we had it we were both speechless over the wonderful flavors in the cheese.
The second hotel, Hotel Ariel was also a nice hotel. But it did not hold the magic that the first one did. It was actually in a more exclusive section of Florence a block away from the Arno river. It was also only a few blocks from the US Consulate. The cars were bigger and more expensive and the streets were certainly a bit quieter. We enjoyed our stay and it was very close to the train station where we would both depart from so it was ideal for what we needed at the end of our trip.
The below pictures are from Hotel Villa Liana.
The first, Hotel Villa Liana was by far and wide not only our favorite but will be remembered fondly our whole lives. It was a beautiful hotel and we had an incredible room. They put us in the second floor room of a little bungalow. We climbed a stone staircase up to a gazebo and a bridge that took us to our room.
We spent several perfect evenings sitting under the gazebo having a picnic dinner. We would stop at a grocery store after a day of exploring and pick up fresh baked bread, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and a bottle of wine. The parmesan cheese we picked was only .99euro a pound which translates to about $1.50 lb. And it was heaven. I think the first time, and probably the second night we had it we were both speechless over the wonderful flavors in the cheese.
The second hotel, Hotel Ariel was also a nice hotel. But it did not hold the magic that the first one did. It was actually in a more exclusive section of Florence a block away from the Arno river. It was also only a few blocks from the US Consulate. The cars were bigger and more expensive and the streets were certainly a bit quieter. We enjoyed our stay and it was very close to the train station where we would both depart from so it was ideal for what we needed at the end of our trip.
The below pictures are from Hotel Villa Liana.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday: Madrid Zoo
According to the travel guides Madrid is home to one of the best Zoo's in Europe. So we decided to take a look on Sunday.
We were not disappointed!
We were not disappointed!
Saturday exploring
Saturday was another lovely day in Madrid.
We headed off on the Metro to go to the Prado. What is a trip to Europe without visiting a big famous museum????
The art collection is amazing. It was pretty cool to see in person some of the paintings in my art history books.
Next to the Prado is the botanical gardens. A beautiful and peaceful place to explore.
Not far from the Prado is a huge park called Parque del Retiro. We were not aware at the time but there was a huge rally planned on Saturday to protest changes the government wants to make in abortion laws. Up to a million people were expected to be around central Madrid. It was CRAZY. But we still enjoyed the park.
We jumped on the Metro and packed in like sardines to head to a different part of the city. I don't know that I have ever been so compacted with a group of people ever before. It was very cozy to say the least.
What ended up being an unexpected advantage was in preparation for a million people the police closed off all the streets in and around central Madrid. So walking around was actually a breeze.
We went back to Plaza Mayor and watched dancers perform from several different countries. They were performing traditional native dances.
Because we knew the closest Metro station was in the heart of the rally we wandered down some beautiful streets of Madrid to a different Metro station. We found it! But then discovered that all of the Metro trains were packed full of people. And the number of people cramming onto the train got more and more jammed. But then at one stop everyone got off. We unknowingly picked the Metro line that goes to the stadium. And there was a Football game about to start. (Soccer)
Finally we got back to our neighborhood and had dinner at the big entertainment complex near the train station. All the tv's were tuned to the football game and beer flowed freely. It was a lot of fun. And there was so much energy in the crowds. We only wished we had realized at the time that it was a football match. We would have hopped off with the crowds and tried to get tickets.
Oh well..........it was still a fun day!
We headed off on the Metro to go to the Prado. What is a trip to Europe without visiting a big famous museum????
The art collection is amazing. It was pretty cool to see in person some of the paintings in my art history books.
Next to the Prado is the botanical gardens. A beautiful and peaceful place to explore.
Not far from the Prado is a huge park called Parque del Retiro. We were not aware at the time but there was a huge rally planned on Saturday to protest changes the government wants to make in abortion laws. Up to a million people were expected to be around central Madrid. It was CRAZY. But we still enjoyed the park.
We jumped on the Metro and packed in like sardines to head to a different part of the city. I don't know that I have ever been so compacted with a group of people ever before. It was very cozy to say the least.
What ended up being an unexpected advantage was in preparation for a million people the police closed off all the streets in and around central Madrid. So walking around was actually a breeze.
We went back to Plaza Mayor and watched dancers perform from several different countries. They were performing traditional native dances.
Because we knew the closest Metro station was in the heart of the rally we wandered down some beautiful streets of Madrid to a different Metro station. We found it! But then discovered that all of the Metro trains were packed full of people. And the number of people cramming onto the train got more and more jammed. But then at one stop everyone got off. We unknowingly picked the Metro line that goes to the stadium. And there was a Football game about to start. (Soccer)
Finally we got back to our neighborhood and had dinner at the big entertainment complex near the train station. All the tv's were tuned to the football game and beer flowed freely. It was a lot of fun. And there was so much energy in the crowds. We only wished we had realized at the time that it was a football match. We would have hopped off with the crowds and tried to get tickets.
Oh well..........it was still a fun day!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Beautiful Madrid
***UPDATED***
Now with MORE pictures!
Where can 22,000 steps take you?
Hotel to Metro Station
Plaza de Espana
Palacio Real
Plaza de Oriente
Catedreal de la Almudena
Plaza de San Miguel
Plaza Mayor
Plaza de la Puerta Del Sol
Metro to Hotel
The weather has been perfect. The food is wonderful. The people are amazing. Spanish men and women are very beautiful. They seem to embrace life with happiness and pleasure.
It has been easy to get around the city. The metro is clean, efficient, and very easy to learn to navigate. Knock on wood, we haven't gotten lost yet.
All in all the only way I can describe our two days of wandering tourist is perfecto!
Now with MORE pictures!
Where can 22,000 steps take you?
Hotel to Metro Station
Plaza de Espana
Palacio Real
Plaza de Oriente
Catedreal de la Almudena
Plaza de San Miguel
Plaza Mayor
Plaza de la Puerta Del Sol
Metro to Hotel
The weather has been perfect. The food is wonderful. The people are amazing. Spanish men and women are very beautiful. They seem to embrace life with happiness and pleasure.
It has been easy to get around the city. The metro is clean, efficient, and very easy to learn to navigate. Knock on wood, we haven't gotten lost yet.
All in all the only way I can describe our two days of wandering tourist is perfecto!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Living La Vida Insomne
Living the Sleepless Life in Madrid has its advantages. Dinner is a very late affair in this wonderful country. We have been sitting down to eat around 9:30 each night. By the time we get back to the hotel is is usually after 11. By the time I snuggle down with a book it is around 12:30 or 1. Sleep doesn't come till after 2.
But so far I don't mind. I get in a full work day and then go out with co-workers exploring.
We spent almost two hours in a super mercado last night. The store was a Target, a grocery store, a Best Buy, and a Macy's all rolled into one. We had a blast. I was able to get a carton of Kinder Surprise eggs.
We had dinner in Plaza Norte (HUGE mall) at a wonderful Italian place. I had their Tres Pastas Especial with Blanco Parmegano sauce. My co-workers had pizzas which they really enjoyed.
Here are a few more pictures:
But so far I don't mind. I get in a full work day and then go out with co-workers exploring.
We spent almost two hours in a super mercado last night. The store was a Target, a grocery store, a Best Buy, and a Macy's all rolled into one. We had a blast. I was able to get a carton of Kinder Surprise eggs.
We had dinner in Plaza Norte (HUGE mall) at a wonderful Italian place. I had their Tres Pastas Especial with Blanco Parmegano sauce. My co-workers had pizzas which they really enjoyed.
Here are a few more pictures:
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