Family Beach Vacation 2011

I can't believe that it's almost the end of July. This summer is going by way too fast! I know it's because we have been going non-stop, we have had so many little trips that I have literally been living out of my suitcase when I'm home. So far this summer we've been to Italy, Philadelphia, Stone Harbor NJ, Ocean City MD, and Dewey Beach DE. We still have a trip to Chicago the weekend after next and then possibly a trip to Galveston, TX in the fall. I love to travel, but I'm really happy to just be home right now.

We just got home this afternoon from Dewey Beach. We started going there last year with Frank's sister and her family. This year, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law also came, so we got a bigger condo. It was right on the beach and the perfect size for all of us. Wake up, lounge around, go to the beach, shower, nap, dinner, lounge, bed, repeat. I love it. It reminds me of my childhood family vacations in the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia. I never get bored of it. Unfortunately, due to work and Frank's MBA classes, we couldn't stay the whole week. I did get him to skip class one night so that we could extend it one day. 

Some people might dread spending almost a week living with their MIL, but I'm pretty lucky in the in-laws department. I can't complain. Although she did drive me a little crazy, because she can't waste anything. I threw the end piece of a loaf of bread out in the garbage and she dug it out. I also got a death stare when i didn't drink the milk at the bottom of my bowl of cereal. 

We had a little photo shoot on the beach the last night that Frank and I were there. This was when the crazy east coast heat wave had really started to settle in, so it was SUPER hazy out. I kind of like how it made the pictures look, even though some of them are a little overexposed looking. 

Top row: Frank's brother with our niece and nephew, Frank's mom with them

2nd and 3rd Row: sister in law and her family, Izzy-my god daughter

Las Row: Us with Zach and Iz

These last pictures are straight off the iPhone

I have some more pictures I want to post, including photos from some of our previous trips that I didn't blog about yet, but they're currently being held captive on my point and shoot camera and the card reader won't work. Grr. So hopefully I can figure out how to access those soon.

Epic Birthday/Anniversary Weekend

Can i just say, that this summer is shaping up to be completely amazing already. We have been blessed with some truly beautiful weather lately, and it has almost made waiting out winter worth it. This weekend was Frank's 28th birthday (yesss, he's older than me again!) as well as our 3 year anniversary. We took full advantage of the mid 70's and sunny weather.

On Friday (his actual birthday) we started the day out with presents and then a shopping trip to exchange some of said presents because I suck at picking out gifts. I was supposed to by the Adidas marathon shoes but accidentally bought the trail-running version. We came home in the afternoon, packed up some sandwiches, chips, and beer and then headed downtown with the usual suspects for our first Pirates game of the season. The tailgating, as always, was the best part. We realized by the fifth inning that baseball is basically the most boring sport ever.



Frank recently switched his allegiance from the Pirates to the Phillies. I think he's doing it just to get a rise out of Pittsburghers. For the most part, Pittsburgh people hate Philly, and many of them have never even visited the city. My sister lives there and we love Philadelphia. Bonus points if you understand his shirt. It says "Yachts on the reg."



With the birthday boy and a few of my brothers in law.



The Phillies hat totally matched my outfit, I feel like a traitor!



These are the new kicks I got Frank, once we exchanged the wrong ones!

The next morning, we headed out to see our 5 year old nephew, Zack's, tee ball game. It was hilarious to see all these little kids' first foray into the world of team sports. At the beginning, they would be eager to get out there and hit the ball, run the bases. But as the game went on and their patience started to wane, they would start to get whiney and clingy, and mommies had to go out and stand with them in the field. Its funny how they can seem so grown up one minute and then morph back into toddlers when they get tired. I kept thinking about how I used to rock him to sleep and give him his bottles when I babysat. How did he turn into a little boy?







On Saturday, after watching Zach's tee ball game, we decided on an impromptu trip to Lake Erie to get away for our anniversary. It's only a couple hours north of us, but I had never been there.



(Frank couldn't figure out why there was a straw attached to his Rockstar. Then he realized that it probably had something to do with the fact that it was hot pink and obviously marketed to girls . . . )



Lake Erie is so big that we could almost pretend we were at the beach.









My husband :)



3 years strong!

After lounging on the beach for a while, we drove around the town and then headed to dinner. We picked a restaurant that was on the beach, called the Sloppy Duck. The food was delish and the view was incredible. The best part? The duck pond in front of the restaurant that housed their mascot ducks. They even had their own little duck house, complete with a heat lamp and a little black and white TV that showed vintage Donald Duck cartoons!



Even though we were stuffed, we headed to Erie's annual Wild Rib Festival. There was not much to do around town, so we figured we would just walk around and listen to the live music and check out the local scene. It smelled so good, we kind of wished we had come there for dinner!



The trophies people had won were pretty ridiculous. Barbecue chefs from all over the country came to show off their goods.

The next morning, we got up and headed about 30 minutes east to one of my favorite places in the world, Lake Chautauqua. When I was growing up, we came there every summer for a week-long vacation with my family. My mom went there when she was little and my grandparents went there when they were first married. We stayed at the same spot every year until I was 18. Sadly, we stopped going. My grandma was getting too old to take the heat and all the cousins were starting to get jobs, and get married, and we could no longer find a week that worked for everyone. I really hope that one day we get it going again.

Anyway, I got kind of emotional when I saw the lake for the first time in almost ten years. So many childhood memories came back and I kind of wished for that simplicity again. But I was so excited to show all my favorite spots to Frank!










I miss this place.

Roma! Photo extravaganza

I'm just going to jump into this post without too much thought, because if I give it any more though, I probably won't post again for another month (bad blogger. . . .)

When I was in college, I took a Renaissance Art History class and I fell in love with it. I'm not a religious person, but give me a million paintings from a thousand years ago of the same ten scenes of Jesus' life? Yes please. The class was intense, anyone who wasn't passionate about the art would probably think of it as torture. The exams were 1.5 hours of slides, which you had to label with artist names, dates, location, and title. I decided that one day I WOULD go to Italy, particularly Florence, to see all the masterpieces that I loved. When Frank proposed four years ago, I told him that I would marry him with one stipulation: We WOULD go to Florence before we had kids.

So fast forward four years, we finally had the money (holler) and the time to go, so I didn't take no for an answer. I actually paid for the trip from some freelance jobs, which made me feel super proud. We decided to go with a guided tour. There were several "tiers" of tour companies, and we decided to go with the more expensive one. We're hotel snobs and we figured it would be a once in a lifetime thing, so we wanted to make sure we were comfortable and had hotels close to all the sights.

So no more explanations, here's the first leg of the trip, Rome.

First night there, gelato, STAT.

The next morning, we went to go so Michaelangelo's David, which you can't take photos of (because they want you to buy the postcards!) But here's a picture from the internet in case you can't remember what he looks like :)

The Spanish Steps (yes, we had perfect weather almost the whole trip!)

The Trevi fountain was stunning:

If I see a horse, obviously I'm going to need to pet it and get a picture with it. My doppleganger had the same idea, apparently.

We happened to be in Rome on the day of the beatification of Pope John Paul. One million extra visitors to Rome, on top of the normal tourists? No big deal. There were tons of groups of people from all different countries who basically camped out on the streets for this. This picture was taken inside the Pantheon.

The altar inside the Pantheon:


Tiny cars everywhere, driving crazy!



Palazzo Venezia:


The ruins of Circus Maximus, where the chariot races were held:



Fountain of the Four Rivers, by Bernini, in Piazza Navona



FOOD! We went out to dinner with a friend of ours that lives in Rome. He went to high school with Frank, but after college decided he wanted to be a priest (we didn't see that coming at all!) So now he's in seminary in Rome.



Don't ask about the hair cut. He got it before we left because he thought it was "euro". Side eye . . .



Steelers bar in Rome that we had to go into for a drink. I can't get away from it anywhere . . .



I look thrilled, right?



The next day, we woke up bright and early to get on the tour bus and go to the Sistine Chapel. It was the most crazy fast-paced tour ever. Think mandatory wake-up calls at 5:30 am. We needed a vacation when we came back from our vacation. There aren't any photos from inside the actual Sistine Chapel (not allowed) but these photos are from the hallways and rooms leading up to it.



In some courtyard at the Vatican (I'm so knowledgeable)



We're so grown up and mature. Did I mention we were the youngest people in our tour group, by at least 20 years, in most cases, much more?



And this is just leading UP to the Sistine Chapel. Crazy.











And if you can't remember what the Sistine Chapel looks like, here's a photo I found:



More to come!

Guess where I'm going?

I have some exciting news. I'm going somewhere. Want to know where? Here are some hints:

Come on . . . Italian stallion, Italian greyhound, Italian . . . hoagie? I'm going to ITALY!

In three agonizingly long months I will be saying Adios (I don't know any italian) to America and spending 11 amazing days in Europe. Which is pretty special because I've never been off of my lovely continent before. 

Why Italy and not another country?  Well, I knew I had to make it to Europe before I settled down and had kids and everything. Because I hear they suck the life out of you and make you not able to do fun things. 

I took a class on Italian Renaissance Art History in college and it was probably my favorite class ever. It was hardcore too, we had to memorize the name, date, location and artist of seriously hundreds of works of art. But I loved it. And I promised myself I would go see this stuff in person some day.

Because we probably won't get a chance to do something like this again anytime soon, we thought about the possibility of doing several European countries in the trip. But because we only have 11 days, a trip that hits, say, Rome, London and Paris would leave us traveling most of the trip. We'd rather totally experience one region instead of being rushed through a bunch of cities just to say we did it. As it is, the trip we're taking is going to be pretty intense, as we're exploring a bunch of different areas.

We also decided we were definitely going to do a tour. It seems much more romantic to fly by the seat of our pants, explore on our own, etc. But let's face it, we're as "tourist" as it gets. I don't understand things like exchange rates and Frank thinks we're going to get kidnapped or extorted everywhere we go. We simply would not survive without a tour guide. 

We went with Insight Vacations, which is one of three tour guides that AAA works with. Contiki is their low range, Trafalgar is mid range, and Insight is the priciest. We're definitely not trying to break the bank on this trip, but we both have problems when it comes to hotels. That is to say, we're hotel snobs. I'm not the kind of girl who likes to rough it and thank God my husband isn't either. The AAA lady said that she recommends Insight because their hotels are nicer and more centrally located. A cheaper tour group might save money by booking a hotel in the suburbs of a city rather than right in the middle of the action. This becomes a problem when you have free time during the day and its not so easy to just walk outside your hotel and explore. With this tour group, we'll be able to do that. Has anyone ever gone on one of these tours?

Here's the itinerary. Let me know if you've been to any of these places or any travel advice you have! 

Day 1 - DEPART USA

Board your overnight flight

Day 2 - ROME AT LEISURE

Welcome to Rome, a glorious city filled with Classical antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces & baroque churches. On arrival at Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport, your airport shuttle service leaves for the tour hotel at 09:30, 12:30 & 15:30. Tonight meet your Tour Director for a Welcome Drink. Hotel: La Griffe/Cicerone

Day 3 - ROME SIGHTSEEING

Enjoy an in-depth sightseeing tour with a local guide who will take you inside the Vatican Museums to gaze upon the treasures of the Popes. Enjoy clear commentary via your audio headset as you admire Michelangelo's famous ceiling inside the Sistine Chapel. Now enter St Peter's Basilica to wonder at another of his works, the emotive 'Pieta'. Then cross the Tiber to visit the Colosseum, scene of many gladiatorial contests. After seeing the Roman Forum, the rest of the day is yours to sightsee or shop. (BB)

Day 4 - ROME - ASSISI

Leave Rome & follow the valley of the River Tiber to the hills of Umbria, which form part of the Apennines. Your destination is the peaceful hill-top town of Assisi, the home of St Francis. Visit the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels, then continue up Mount Subasio to the town. Step inside the huge Basilica, built in the 13C after St. Francis' death, where the frescoes by Giotto heralded a new era in Italian art. Hotel: Giotto/Roseo (BB,D)

Day 5 - ASSISI - VENICE

A pleasant drive leads to the romantic city of Venice, & what better way to see it than from a private launch? Cruise past Palladian churches & 13C palaces to St Mark's Square. See the Doges' Palace, connected to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. It was from here that Casanova made his daring escape. Now admire the mosaics of the Basilica & watch one of the few remaining masters blow molten glass into a unique creation at a Venetian glass-blowing factory. Relax & enjoy the atmosphere as you cruise along the Venetian canals by gondola. Continental/Principe/Amadeus (BB,D)

Day 6 - VENICE - FLORENCE

Back on the mainland, drive along the scenic Brenta Canal with its magnificent Palladian villas, once the summer residences of Venetian nobility. Cross the plain of the Po River & traverse the Apennines to reach the Arno valley. Then follow the river to the coastal town of Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower. Time also to admire the marble cathedral and Baptistery before continuing to Renaissance Florence for a two-night stay. Hotel: NH Firenze (BB,D)

Day 7 - FLORENCE SIGHTSEEING

Join a local guide for a walking tour of the historic city centre. A highlight is the visit to the Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo's monumental figure of David. Continue to the multi-coloured marble Cathedral to see Giotto's bell tower & 'Gates of Paradise' before visiting the Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence. The area around Santa Croce Basilica is famous for the quality of its luxury goods; see a demonstration of leather work in the very place this craft first established itself. Then, there's free time to shop for Florence's finest or continue sightseeing. (BB)

Day 8 - FLORENCE - SORRENTO

Hear an informative tutorial about the famous Chianti wines that make this region so famous as you take the smooth motorway south. Continue through the rich volcanic hills of Frascati to Cassino where you visit the Commonwealth Cemetery, overlooked by the austere monastery of Montecassino. Now follow the scenic cliff top road towards the picturesque resort of Sorrento. Hotel: La Favorita/Grand Hotel La Pace (BB)

Day 9 - ISLE OF CAPRI EXCURSION

Investigate the art of 'intarsio' or marquetry wood inlaying before cruising to the sun-drenched island of dreams, Capri - a rock rising from the Mediterranean. Take the funicular train up to Capri Town, where you can explore the narrow alleyways, browse in the exclusive boutiques & enjoy the views over the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps join an optional tour to Anacapri to visit Villa San Michele before returning to your hotel for some relaxation time. Why not immerse yourself in the Italian culture & work up an appetite on a traditional evening stroll (passeggiata) - it's a time to 'see & be seen'. Later you are offered a selection of local restaurants for your dining pleasure. (BB,DA)

Day 10 - SORRENTO - POMPEII - ROME

Only a short drive from the hotel lies Pompeii, the opulent Roman town which was preserved by layers of ash from the disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. A walking tour with a local guide through the cobbled streets & extensive excavations reveals the daily life of ancient Roman civilisation. Afterwards, the smooth motorway leads back to the 'Eternal City' of Rome. Tonight, join your fellow passengers for a last night celebration Highlight Dinner of local cuisine, complete with wine & entertainment. Hotel: Sheraton (BB,HD)

Day 11 - RETURN TO USA

Arrivederci Roma! Sadly, your tour comes to an end after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 & 09:30. (BB) Sorry for the longest post ever! I will be spending the rest of winter staring at gorgeous pictures of Italy in springtime and learning some key Italian phrases. I'm sure I'll have a million questions, if any of you have experience traveling to Italy. Let me know!