"The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo"--Mark Twain
David and Holly Niemiec's
Adventure in Italy
It all began with this question. What should we do for our 25th wedding anniversary? We should do something different. We should do something epic. We should do something fun. We should have a grand adventure.
Or maybe we should do all of the above.
And then.....as clear as the bells in the campanile it came to us.
Or maybe we should do all of the above.
And then.....as clear as the bells in the campanile it came to us.
Let's go to Italy!
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First, a little about us:
David and I are from San Diego and love to travel, but have never been to Europe together. Although David's half Polish, the predominate half is all Italian. He grew up with a very large extended family filled the Mastromatteo's, Alessandri's, and Giovannetti's. His mother often had a pot of tortellini soup simmering on the stove and he is passionate about Italian food and European soccer. I on the other hand bring an art background to our adventure. After twelve semesters of art history I am ready to experience first hand the glory that is ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy, if I can possibly remember those college classes of long ago. |
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The Decisions: When, Where, Who, and Which??
The when, where, and who were pretty easy decisions. The when depended on available flights using our precious frequent flyer miles. The where was based on our desire to see the big three (Rome, Florence, Venice). And as for the who, Rick Steves was the clear choice. After seeing countless TV episodes, reading guidebooks and glowing traveler reviews, the small groups, centrally located hotels, and the very active daily schedule checked all the right boxes. Picking which Rick Steves tour was another matter altogether. We originally picked "The Best of Venice, Florence, and Rome Ten Day Tour", but after checking available dates decided on "The Heart of Italy in Nine Days Tour". We added a few days on both ends to adjust to the time difference and dash off to Venice. It was the right decision and just the right tour for us. A nice split between the big city, big sights, and the small village, quaint sights of Volterra, Lucca, and the Cinque Terre.
Andiamo!
- So off we went on our Italian adventure. As you travel with us through these pages I will attempt to narrate the highlights and let my photos do most of the talking.
- At each stop "Along the Way" you will encounter glimpses of the anything we found funny or out of the ordinary.
- I will impart a few "Did you know?" facts we learned from guides and guidebooks.
- Included here and there will be a few "Blast from the Past" photos of my family trip to Italy in 1972.
- Since David works in the automotive industry we've included a section titled "Andiamo Italia", showcasing a few of the more unique modes of transportation.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Did you know? Italy has the world largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites at 46.
In Hindsight: We will also give you a daily look back at what we might have done better, done differently, or will be sure to include on our next trip.
