Dear readers, I hope you and your children enjoy summer vacation. As an educator, I love this vacation and we always try to take time off. We went to Pittsburgh and New York City last summer. In the summer of 2020, we were at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2019 we went to India and three countries in Europe. Read this post about our first trip to Europe, where we visited Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic: https://dawnandhope.com/our-1st-europe-trip/ . Today’s post is part of our trip to Rome, Vatican City, Florence and Pisa, Italy. In the next travelogue I will cover our visit to Venice, Cinque Terre, Milan and Lake Como in Italy.
To continue our summer vacation list, in 2018 we went to Cancun, Mexico. In 2017, we took a road trip to Minneapolis and Chicago, as well as parts of Iowa and Indiana. 2016 was a trip to India. 2015 was a local trip from Texas to San Antonio, 2014 was a New England vacation, we visited Boston and parts of Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire, and summer 2013 was a trip to India and Canada, 2012 was a visit to New York and Washington DC, 2011 was a local Texas city, 2010 was a trip to India, 2009 was a local tour because we just bought a house for the summer, and 2008 was Disneyland and Las Vegas .
Our December winter break includes San Francisco and Yosemite National Park in 2021, none in 2020 due to the pandemic, Walt Disney World in 2019, none in 2018 because my husband is traveling abroad, Wyoming and Utah in 2017 California, Upper Gatlinburg 2016, Tennessee and parts of Arkansas and Atlanta, Georgia, 2015 Calgary, Canada, 2014 San Antonio, Texas, 2013 Santa Fe, NM, and Arizona, 2013 Canyon, Texas local city in 2012, Walt Disney World in 2011 and Corpus 2010, Christie and South Padre Island family visit. Phew, this took me down the path of my memory and it was such a great feeling to be able to remember all of this so fondly. So, as you can see, we consider ourselves to be travel lovers and always take any opportunity to travel. Read the first part of our trip to Italy in this post, we went to 4 cities in total.
start
Our summer vacation started on June 23rd with a flight from Houston to Calgary, Canada. The Italian holidays started on June 28th and we arrived in Rome after a 9 hour flight from Calgary. Due to the time difference and one of our layovers in Amsterdam, we left Canada on Monday night and arrived in Rome on Tuesday afternoon. Rome is the capital of Italy, known for its architecture, cuisine and culture. Our taxi driver was waiting to meet us at the airport and drive us to our perfect apartment. It has 2 rooms, a master bedroom with a king-size bed and a living room with a sofa bed, dining room, a bathroom, a hallway space, and each room has windows, providing excellent Lighting and brightness, and a fully functional kitchen. After refreshing, we rested and went out for dinner in the evening.The streets of Rome are lively and we spent an hour in Trevi Fountain Ice cream after Italian dinner! Tevi Fountain is an amazing masterpiece. At 26 meters high and 49 meters wide, it is one of the largest fountains in Rome. The statue decoration is beautiful. It is said that if you want to go back to Rome, you should toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain! So it was a great start to our Italian holiday, we wish our grown-ups a happy birthday at the Trevi Fountain at midnight, first ice cream and finally eating it almost every day during the holidays 🙂
Day 2
The next day, we started off with a delicious breakfast and spent a few hours exploring the Colosseum as we had purchased tickets for the Colosseum tour in advance. It wasn’t too crowded and it was a great experience to read the history and see the architecture. The Colosseum is one of the greatest and most famous sights in Rome. The Colosseum is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest Roman amphitheater in the world and it still stands today despite multiple natural disasters including fire and earthquakes.For more information, please read their Official information site. We also visited the Spanish Steps, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Pantheon. We had a great lunch, explored and walked a lot and ended up having dinner at an Indian restaurant to celebrate our old man’s birthday. This was the perfect second day of our trip!
3rd day
Today the Vatican is on our list of travel destinations. We also bought these tickets in advance and took a taxi to Vatican City around 10am, which was our entry time. Vatican City is the smallest fully independent nation-state in the world. The Vatican is the smallest country in Europe and the smallest country in the world! according to their official website, the Vatican Museums Museum, not only contains a large collection of art and archaeology, but also contains the most extraordinary and artistically significant rooms. The masterpieces, paintings and sculptures on the walls and ceilings are breathtaking, nuanced and exquisite. The Sistine Chapel is a real treat – the most recognizable imposing building in the world, whose interiors are world-renowned.you can read here Find the most famous artworks in Vatican City and discover more. We had lunch at a cafe and then took the train from Rome to Florence in the evening.
Day 4
Accommodation in Florence is again an apartment, comfortable and comfortable, albeit a little smaller than before. But no complaints as the kids have their own separate beds and there are plenty of food options nearby, just like in Rome. Places we visited included Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza Duomo, Santa Maria Maggiore, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Giotto’s Campanile and the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. We walked through Florence and took the train across the Arno River. We used Trenitalia trains for most of our trip and enjoyed the experience. The sunsets at Piazzale Michelango are stunning and therefore the favorite spot for most tourists. You get a breathtaking view of Florence sky-high, with the cathedral’s iconic dome soaring above all other roofs.
Day 5
On day 5, July 2, we took a bus tour to a company, Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Siena and the Leaning Tower of San Gimignano. The highlight of the bus day trip is the wine tasting. On our 12 hour day tour starting at 8am we travelled in a comfortable luxury bus which was easy for a day trip. We stopped in Siena for some shopping and snacks, then wine tasting before visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is one of the most outstanding architectural structures in medieval Europe. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the four buildings that make up the complex of the Cathedral of Pisa, Italy, called Campo dei Miracoli or Piazza dei Miracoli, which means Land of Miracles. To learn more, visit their official webpage here. We also found an Indian snack bar in pizza and enjoyed our evening tea and samosas there 🙂
wrap up
The first stop at the end of a trip to Italy was pleasant and fun. There is beautiful architecture and history to study and explore. Rome will be one of my favorite places to visit again because of the rich culture, vibrancy, delicious food and historical sites there. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and is known for its art galleries, history and ornate architecture. We visited the sights on foot in Rome and Florence as most of them are easily accessible and close to each other. The train is very convenient to transfer between cities. In my next travel journal, I will continue to the lovely Cinque Terre, Milan, Venice and Lake Como in Italy.
Dear readers, we would love to hear from you. Have you been to Italy or anywhere else in Europe? Share your most recent travel destination or a place you look forward to next visit.
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