When you plan a two-month vacation so far in advance, you can gloss over some important details. Like: Italy is amazing! And: what was I thinking when I only planned eight days here?!

Still, we have had an amazing time in our few days visiting this beautiful country. First Rome with its wonderful history and antiquity. We made sure
to hit the main attractions: The Forum, the Coliseum, the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. But what was most amazing to me was our random walks through the rest of Rome. Wandering into working churches that were every bit as spectacular as the Sistine Chapel (to my eyes), but somehow disregarded by most passersby. I took this picture of the archway just inside one of these random churches:

And the food. Oh my. I took the advice of a friend and usually let the waiter of each restaurant tell me what dish I should try. That was very good advice. I’m certain I’ve never in my life had so many delicious meals strung together like here in Italy. You could make a very good case to travel here just for the food. I’m still trying to figure out how Italians stay so slim eating all this great pasta.

And then there’s Florence, the very birthplace of the Renaissance. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Galileo, Dante, all walked these streets. You can feel their presence just about everywhere you turn. We visited the main museums, but again I was struck by how much art and history exists in common places.

We took a break from the city on our last day in Florence and took a bike tour through Tuscany. Good to work off some calories and take in the breathtaking scenery along quiet country roads.

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