Travel & Tourism

Rome, Pt. 3: The Pope, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and a Date

June 9, 2016 by Shelli

Well, it’s Day 17 of our 29-day Epic Europe Family Adventure. We have had so many exceptional and unforgettable experiences. This is our third day in Rome, and it has nothing short of Epic. It started by seeing Pope Francis!

(By the way, this is my 11th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Jerry and the boys, in front of St. Peter's Basilica, waiting for the Pope. — Jerry and the boys, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, waiting for the Pope.

After seeing the Pope, we hurried over to the Vatican Museum to meet our private guide for a tour of the museum and the Sistine Chapel. We were all exhilarated about seeing Pope Francis, and as we dodged in and out of traffic and crowds of people to get the museum, where we met Alberto and started the tour.

The Vatican Museum is one of the largest museums in world. I knew it was big and spectacular, but I had no idea what we were in for. Now, by now, I realize you may think I’m just easily blown away. After all, it seems like the last 2-3 posts I’ve remarked how I’ve been blown away. But really, I’m not easily blown away. These sights are just spectacular.

Following are several photos of works of art that particularly inspired awe for me.

I had to get this photo since I am fan of this guy, Marcus Aurelius and his works.

A sarcophagus that was for a couple, with a scene of Greeks fighting Amazons.

Emperor Claudius. (The eagle signifies power)

All of the floors are marble, many have intricate designs like this one, made from little tiny tiles of marble from all over the world. Many of the floors in the Vatican Museum were repurposed from Roman homes, etc. Our guide, Alberto, said this particular one was from a swimming pool in a 2,000-year-old Roman home!

This is a mummy of a 19-year-old princess.

A magnificent bronze statue representing Hercules.

The ceiling of one of the many corridors we explored in the Vatican Museum.

We loved the map paintings of Italy's different regions. They date back to 1582, and were all completed in 33 months, and, compared to Google Maps, their accuracy is 95%. — We loved the map paintings of Italy’s different regions. They date back to 1582, and were all completed in 33 months, and, compared to Google Maps, their accuracy is 95%.

This is a Life of Jesus tapestry. It is stunning! It took 7 years to make this tapestry, which is almost 500 years old. (Our guide said it took one man one year to make one yard of this. There were many who worked on it, and it was laborious and detailed work!)

The Sistine Chapel was our last stop, and we were full of anticipation… The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City. The chapel gets its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored the chapel from 1477-1480. The chapel serves as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity, and is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, and most particularly, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.

Before entering, our guide provided a lot of interesting insights that we didn’t previously know. Originally, the Sistine Chapel’s vaulted ceiling was painted blue and covered with golden stars. The walls were adorned with frescoes by different artists. In 1508, Pope Julius II (who reigned from 1503-1513) hired Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the chapel – to change its appearance entirely. Before this time, Michelangelo had gained fame through his work as a sculptor, especially as a result of his great works, David, and Pieta. Our guide explained that at first Michelangelo wanted no part of the project. He loved 3 dimensional work too much. But, our guide explained, about a year later he was compelled to say yes and he began his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The importance of the project was pressure enough, but add to that the working conditions the artist had to experience. Paint and other materials would fall onto his face as he lay on scaffolding to paint much of it. Because he was painting on a ceiling, his neck was always craned, and he had the challenges that came with fresco painting (working with fresh and wet plaster, under a time crunch). It took Michelangelo, who started the project when he was 32 years old, 4 years to finish.

Like I said, visitors are not allowed to take photos, so I don’t have any photos to share. I just can’t find adequate words to describe the experience of standing in such a spectacular chapel and being totally immersed in the beautiful – seemingly miraculous paintings – that tell such important stories so visually and in such an inspiring way. The impact of my experience will be lasting.

While nothing is as good as standing in the chapel yourself, and looking at, and taking in, Michelangelo’s frescoes, the good news is this is perhaps the next best thing – a virtual 360-degree look at the Sistine Chapel, provided by the Sistine Chapel.

Well, after that glorious and epic first half of our day, we found a pizzeria and ate another delicious meal before continuing on foot to see some more sights.

We walked next to the Trevi Fountain, which was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 86 feet high and 161 feet wide, the Trevi is the largest Baroque fountain in the city, and one of the most famous fountains in the world. We can see why. I’m including a photo below.

Trevi Fountain, one of the world's most famous fountains. — Trevi Fountain, one of the world’s most famous fountains.

After having a gelato while sitting in front of the spectacular Trevi Fountain, we went looking for the Pantheon.

The Pantheon. The The Pantheon (temple of every god) is a building in Rome, on the site of an earlier building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian, and probably dedicated about 126 AD.

The Pantheon (temple of every god) is a building in Rome, on the site of an earlier building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). According to Wikipedia, the present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian, and probably dedicated about 126 AD.

The altar, and the interior of the Pantheon is beautiful.

The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost 2,000 years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 feet. It was staggering to look up at. (see photo)

The Pantheon's Dome, which is 2,000 years old, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. — The Pantheon’s Dome, which is 2,000 years old, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

The Pantheon is reportedly one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, probably because it has been in continuous use throughout its history. (Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church dedicated to “St. Mary and the Martyrs,” but informally known as “Santa Maria Rotonda.” The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.

To cap off what was another inspiring and fulfilling day for my family and I, Jerry and I went on a date night. The boys were excited to get epic pizza from a pizzeria that is next door to our apartment and some other snacks. They were actually looking forward to a night of “chillaxing.” So Jerry and I headed to the wonderful and romantic Bernini Ristorante, which is just steps away at the Piazza Navona. Here are a couple of photos:
13417427_10207817908939924_272463310646390302_n

Jerry's and my first round last night. Delicious! — Jerry’s and my first round last night. Delicious!

Thank you for reading my blog, and for following along with us on this Epic Europe Family Adventure.

Up next: The Colosseum!

If you’re interested, here are all of my previous blog posts about this Epic Europe Family Adventure so far:
• From Wyoming to the British Museum and Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 24 hours
• Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London and Ice Cream
• Munich Day 1: Glockenspiel, Deutsches Museum, Englischer Garten and Beirgarten
• Biking in the Bavarian Alps, Exploring Neuschwanstein Castle, Epic Beer & Food
• Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland: The Land of Many Fountains, Cows with Bells and Epic Food
• Zermatt: Gornergrat Glacier, the Matterhorn, Mountain Lakes and More Delicious Food
• Moneglia, Italy: The Cinque Terre, Epic Focaccia, Pizza, Pesto, Wine, Olives, and Gelato
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s David, Cathedral of Florence, and Giotto’s Bell Tower.
• Rome, Part I: Ponte Sant ‘Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona & More
• Rome, Pt. 2: Capuchin Crypt, Catacombs of Priscilla, and Ancient Underground Churches

Rome, Pt. 2: Capuchin Crypt, Catacombs of Priscilla, and Ancient Underground Churches

June 8, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from Rome! Today was our second day in Rome. We are so in love with this city. Everywhere we go, we are awe-struck. Last night, after we arrived in Rome, we wasted no time, and walked all over the City taking in as much as we could.

(By the way, this is my 10th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Jerry and the boys behind the Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini, before our tour. The fountain is a 17th Century fountain.

Today, our much-anticipated main event was a small group tour of the Capuchin Crypts, catacombs and ancient underground churches. We didn’t have to meet the tour guide until 1:45pm, so this morning we walked all over Rome, to several piazzas, including Piazza Napoleone, Piazza Novona, Piazza DiSpagna and the Spanish Steps, Piazza Del Popolo, Piazza Barberini and Piazza Venezia. We also went to the Vittoriano, Borghese Park and by the Colosseum. We didn’t spend much time at the latter because we have a small group tour that will include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Underground and Arena in a couple of days.

A few months back, we signed up for the 3.5-hour “Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small-Group Walking Tour,”and what a brilliant move that was. The tour blew us all away. We just returned to our flat after another delicious Italian dinner, and during dinner, Jerry and the boys and I could not stop talking about our experience this afternoon.

Note: We were not allowed to take any photos of videos of what we saw, due to their sacred and religious nature. However, I’m including some photos I found online that I believe I’m permitted to use, because they have common use licenses and I’m linking them to their original source. I sure hope this is okay. I’m not trying to do anything illegal, but rather share some of the intriguing sights we were able to see today.

First off, we had a fantastic guide. Her name is Georgia Darell, and we highly recommend her! She has an encyclopedic knowledge about the Capuchin Crypts, the Catacombs, and the Basilica of San Clemente – and for all of Rome. Georgia is not only informed, but passionate and funny, too.

We met Georgia, and the rest of our group, at Piazza Barberini, and then we all walked over to the Capuchin Crypt at the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione. First, we took a quick tour of the Crypt museum, home to St. Francis in Meditation, a painting by Caravaggio, as well as other artifacts about Italy’s patron saint, St. Francis. Then, we entered the Capuchin Crypt.

The Capuchin Crypt includes several tiny chapels located beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. Capuchin monks used human bones to build and decorate their crypts, which contain the remains of 4,000 monks buried between 1540–1871. During that time, the Roman Catholic Church permitted burial in and under churches. (This is no longer legal, so when a bone falls off the wall in one of the crypts, it is not re-hung, but rather buried in the ground of the crypt, which is covered in soil, brought in from Jerusalem.)

(Photo by Wikipedia.org) One of the crypts we toured.

The crypts we saw included: Crypt of the Resurrection, featuring a picture of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, framed by various parts of the human skeleton. Crypt of the Skulls, which was my personal favorite –probably because of what our guide shared while we viewed it. She remarked that what she likes about the Crypt of Skulls is that it reminds us that, despite the difference we all have in skin color, amount of wealth, beliefs, etc., when we die we all look similar and we’re all equal. She also pointed out one of the designs that forms a time piece with wings. “Time flies.” She said, “so Carpe Diem.” The Mass Chapel, an area used to celebrate Mass, does not contain bones. In the altar-piece, Jesus and Mary exhort St. Felix of Cantalice, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Anthony of Padua to free souls from Purgatory. The chapel contains a plaque with the acronym DOM, which stands for Deo optimo maximo (“To God, the best and greatest”), a term initially used to refer to the pagan god Jupiter, but claimed by later Christians. The plaque contains the actual heart of Maria Felice Peretti, the grand-niece of Pope Sixtus V, and a supporter of the Capuchin order. When she died, Peretti’s heart was donated to the monks, and her heart is in this crypt.

The Crypt of the Three Skeletons is the only crypt with entire skeletons. The three full skeletons are of young children. The center skeleton is enclosed in an oval, the symbol of life coming to birth. In its right hand it holds a scythe, symbol of death which cuts down everyone, like grass in a field, while its left hand holds the scales, symbolizing the good and evil deeds weighed by God when he judges the human soul. A placard in five languages declares: “What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be…” Powerful… The two other crypts are called Crypt of the Pelvises; Crypt of the Leg Bones and Thigh Bones.

After the tour of the Capuchin Crypt, we rode a bus to our next stop: The Catacombs of Santa Priscilla. According to Georgia, about only one-third of Rome is above ground. In fact, Rome is home of some of the oldest and longest burial underground tunnels in the world – hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnels and passages where thousands of Christians were buried during the 2nd Century. We toured the catacombs and old burial sites for over an hour, and it was fascinating!

A glimpse into the Catacombs of Priscilla. (Photo borrowed from CatacombePriscilla.com)

The frescoes were also beautiful. One highlight was seeing the Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman. From CatacombPriscilla.com: This room is named for the picture in the semi-circle on the back wall, in which a young woman, wearing a rich purple garment and a veil on her head, lifts up her arms in prayer. On either side of her are two scenes unlike any others among all of the paintings in the various catacombs, probably episodes of her life. In the middle, the Good Shepherd is painted in the Garden of Paradise, amid peacocks and doves. Before this scene, in the arch above the door, the prophet Jonah is shown emerging from the mouth of a sea-monster, a clear expression of faith in the Resurrection. The semi-circle on the left depicts the Sacrifice of Isaac, while on the right are shown the Three Children in the fiery furnace in Babylon; both of these episodes are expressions of faith in God’s salvation, understood by the first Christians as prophecies of the salvation brought by the coming of Christ. These pictures, which are in a remarkably good state of preservation, date back to the second half of the third century.

Our last stop on the tour was an amazing one – to the Basilica of Saint Clemente, which is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I. The Basilica of San Clemente allowed us to experience history in layers, literally. The present basilica was built just before the year 1100 during the height of the Middle Ages.

Then, we walked down a level to tour the remains of a 2nd century mithraeum. A mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern, or a building imitating a cave. When possible, the Mithraeum was constructed within or below an existing building, such as the Mithraeum that we got to see found beneath Basilica of San Clemente in Rome. From Atlas Obscura: The Mithraic Mysteries emerged and gained popularity throughout Rome between the 1st and 4th centuries. The cult and religious sanctuaries were open only to initiates, and their rituals secret. The central imagery is of the god Mithras slaying a bull, a motif known as “tauribolium”, found in most if not all mithraeums.

The Mithream, in — (Photo borrowed from Wikipedia.org Commons) The mithraeum, in one of the underground layers of the Basilica of San Clemente, in Rome.

As if this wasn’t fascinating enough, we then went down one more level to the former home of the Roman nobleman, dating back to 64 AD. We stood on the actual floor of the 1st Century home. Like I said, we were pretty much blown away by today’s tour. The entire experience and all that we saw and discovered was unforgettable for our whole family, and will remain a highlight when we reflect on our Europe travels.

If you’re in Rome, or planning a trip here, be sure to book this tour: Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small-Group Walking Tour – Rome | Viator Tour.

It was an amazing day for our family. We feel blessed and privileged that we were able to see firsthand the remains of such long-ago and intriguing history. Thanks for following along with us on this Epic Adventure.

Next up: The Vatican!

Rome, Part I: Ponte Sant ‘Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona & More

June 6, 2016 by Shelli

We are so excited, we can hardly stand it. For months we have talked about and anticipated our visit to Rome, and we are finally here. We are in Rome!

Family selfie in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. — Family selfie in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

(By the way, this is my 9th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

We rode a train from Florence and arrived in Rome at 4:40pm. From there, we took our first bus public transport of the trip. It was either that, or walk 2 miles with our heavy (90L) Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag/Backpacks for 2 miles to our apartment. By now, we are accustomed to doing this. Typically we have had to walk 1/4 to 1 mile from train station to our accommodations. But today, with 17,000 steps already on our feet from the morning in Florence, we opted to save our walking for exploring Rome’s attractions, rather than walking from train to hotel.

"The Amazing Race," in St. Peter's Square. My team, June 6, 2016. — “The Amazing Race,” in St. Peter’s Square. My team, June 6, 2016.

After riding in the packed bus for 10 stops before disembarking, there was a bit of an adventure. It felt like we were on The Amazing Race show, and we lost –and yet we very obviously didn’t lose, and still won. 🙂 We kept taking wrong turns and going the wrong direction, and couldn’t find our apartment. Thankfully, after about 20 minutes of wandering up and down streets – and trying every one in the area except the one our apartment was on – we finally found it, and there was a woman waiting outside of it for us. She took us through a huge green door with a small door cut out of it, then through a gate, then up some old marble stairs – one floor, two floors, plus one floor more – and, there it was. This is the second city where we have an apartment (“flat”) that is part of a two?-hundred-year-old building. It’s a wonderful place!

By the way, we have loved the accommodations adventure part of this trip. We arrive to a city or town, and it’s like unwrapping a present and not knowing what we are about to receive. We are always being surprised–anticipating what behind that gate and that door and up those stairs and behind that other green door… It’s been a lot of fun, and so far we have not been disappointed.

As soon as we were checked into our apartment, we were out the door, walking toward Ponte Sant’Angelo.

The spectacular Ponte Sant' Angelo Bridge, in Rome, a bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian. — The spectacular Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge, in Rome, a bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Ponte Sant’Angelo, (once the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius,) is a Roman bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian, to span the River Tiber, from the city center to his newly constructed mausoleum, now the towering Castel Sant’Angelo. The bridge is faced with travertine marble and spans the Tiber with five arches, three of which are Roman; it was approached by means of ramp from the river. The bridge is now solely pedestrian, and provides a photogenic vista of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

According to Wikipedia, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant’Angelo (English: Castle of the Holy Angel), is a towering cylindrical building in Rome. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castle was once the tallest building in Rome. At the top of the castle is a sculpture of St. Michael. Legend has it that the Archangel Michael appeared atop the mausoleum, sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the plague of 590, thus lending the castle its present name.

Here’s a short video capture from one of our moments during the Sant ‘Angelo scene:

After enjoying the music from the harp player, and watching two street performers who appeared to have invisible heads/faced, we continued toward St. Peter’s Basilica, which we could spy from a distance while crossing the Sant ‘Angelo bridge. We couldn’t wait to get up close to it!

Jerry and the boys lead us toward St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome. — Jerry and the boys lead us toward St. Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.

St. Peter’s Basilica is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave in the city of Rome. Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and one of the largest churches in the world. St. Peter’s has been called one of the holiest Catholic shrines.

As we approached it, and took in all of its grandeur, stood in its presence, and wandered about the Square, looking at its beautiful exterior up close, and taking in the whole setting, we were speechless. It is simply awesome. We are going on a private tour of St. Peter’s, the Vatican Museum, and more on Wednesday morning, but for now, this was a magnificent start to seeing the spectacularly beautiful cathedral.

My guys, in front of St. Peter's Basilica. — My guys, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The boys and I in front of the fountain near St. Peter's Basilica. — The boys and I in front of the fountain near St. Peter’s Basilica.

After checking out St. Peter’s, we were famished. In anticipation of our Rome arrival, all we had eaten was a modest breakfast, some crackers and a gelato. We found a trattoria and enjoyed a large and delicious Italian dinner, and then set our sights on Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona is a piazza that is the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and according to Wikipedia, it follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones (“games”), and hence it was known as “Circus Agonalis” (“competition arena”). It is believed that over time the name changed from avone to navone, and eventually to navona.

We were eager to check it out after dark because some locals told us it’s got a great vibe, and that we might see street performers. Of course we needed a gelato, and we are so delighted that we have seen probably no fewer than 50 gelatarias so far in our few hours of walking Rome. We found our way to Piazza Navona while enjoying our gelatos.

We knew where to go by the liveliness we could hear and sense coming from the Piazza. It was very festive. Singers, artists and people throwing lit up twirly objects that shot up high in the air, and the sound of the three major fountains and people talking and laughing and having a great time. Fin bought one of the glowing twirlers with his own money, and the boys had fun taking turns shooting it high up into the black sky.

Here’s a short video capture from our experience at in the Piazza Novena:

We didn’t get back to the apartment until after 11pm. My FitBit reported we had walked 32,000 steps. Another big day! (Thanks, by the way, to all of our friends and family who have made recommendations for this trip, including a special thanks to Mark Randall for tips about what to do when we were first had feet on ground here in Rome!)

If our first evening in Rome is any indication, we’ve fallen in love. We are so excited to be here. Thanks for reading and following along with us on our Epic Europe Family Adventure. Next up: Crypts and Catacombs!

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s David, Cathedral of Florence, and Giotto’s Bell Tower

June 6, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from Florence, Italy. Wow! We have had just 24 hours here, and it’s not enough. I know you’re probably growing weary of me saying it, but we really love this place.

On the move again. Jerry and the boys on our walk to the Moneglia train station.

We like our hotel (Hotel Astrid), but the wifi is pretty dismal. As a result, this blog post will be mostly photos, with one video clip. I’m including pretty detailed captions with each.

In short, though, here are the highlights of our time in Pisa, and Florence, Italy:

–We opted to get off the train in Pisa, so we could stretch our legs and walk to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This was not the highlight of our day, but it was nevertheless wonderful to see it. After two hours of walking around and taking photos, and – of course – having a gelato, we boarded another train that would take us to Florence.

02-ToPisa

–Seeing Michelangelo’s David (1502-04) was an even greater experience than we expected. Michelangelo’s David, standing over 14 feet tall, represents the biblical figure of David, who killed the giant Goliath with a stone from his slingshot. (From the gallery’s exhibit panel: “Nor has there ever been a pose so fluent, or a gracefulness equal to this, or feet, hands and head so well related to each other with quality, skill and design.” With these words, Giorgio Visari attempts to define the reasons behind the marvel that the vision of David provokes in the observer. It has always been the subject of debate among scholars whether David is represented before or after his victory over Goliath. His sling is also barely visible as though to emphasize how David owed his victory not to brutal strength but to his intellect and to his innocence.
(We learned something new too – that on the sculpture, David’s right hand is disproportionately large compared to his body because in the Middle Ages, David was commonly said to be of “manu fortis” – strong of hand.)

04-13322063_10207794684239321_4986411259023672970_n (1)

05-13325525_10207794684999340_4779713434851895847_n

– By the way, we received a huge break when we learned our admission to the Accademia Galleria would be free. (On the first Sunday of every month, free admission is offered; in fact, there are no tours or advance tickets sold on this day. The gallery is closed on Mondays, so this afternoon was our only chance to go. Furthermore, when we arrived, at 3pm, we had to wait in line for only 5 minutes!)

–After seeing David, and other art, we headed for the Cathedral of Florence, (The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in English “Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers”). It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. (The largest are St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in London, and the Milan Cathedral) This spectacular church is the main church of Florence, Italy. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris. We stood in awe as we admired it. The UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting Tuscany. Its beautiful dome remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
Wolf and Hayden and I paid a little money to walk the 414 steps to the top of the Cathedral’s bell tower – Giotto’s Bell Tower – and it was so worth it! We arrived at the very top right at 5pm, so the bell started ringing. It was a beautiful evening and we could see all of Florence, including the best view of the Dome, ever. (See photos, and also a short video capture of our experience.)

07-13393920_10207795299574704_1538369651329235673_n

08-13394096_10207795299534703_7357771216275866393_n

–We ended the full day with an epically delicious Italian dinner from Mercato Centrale, a local produce & everyday goods provided in a high energy, spacious, 19th-century iron & glass market hall that has a great vibe.

Thank you for reading, and for following along with us on this Epic Europe Family Adventure! Next up: Rome!

• From Wyoming to the British Museum and Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 24 hours
• Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London and Ice Cream
• Munich Day 1: Glockenspiel, Deutsches Museum, Englischer Garten and Beirgarten
• Biking in the Bavarian Alps, Exploring Neuschwanstein Castle, Epic Beer & Food
• Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland: The Land of Many Fountains, Cows with Bells and Epic Food
• Zermatt: Gornergrat Glacier, the Matterhorn, Mountain Lakes and More Delicious Food
• Moneglia, Italy: The Cinque Terre, Epic Focaccia, Pizza, Pesto, Wine, Olives, and Gelato

Moneglia, Italy: The Cinque Terre, Epic Focaccia, Pizza, Pesto, Wine, Olives, and Gelato

June 5, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from one of the most charming towns I’ve ever experienced – Moneglia, Italy.

Greetings from Italy's Cinque Terre region. — Greetings from Italy’s Cinque Terre region.

As I write this, the boys are sleeping, but not for long because we have a 6:30am train to catch. Two pretty short train rides will take us to the Leaning Tower of Pisa later this morning, and to Florence early this afternoon. And while today marks Day 14 of our Epic Europe Family Adventure, and we are very eager for what lies ahead – Pisa, Florence, Rome and Portugal – we would not mind having more time in this little paradise!

Moneglia, with a population of almost 3,000, is in the Province of Genoa, in the Italian region of Liguria, about 30 miles southeast of Genoa. While it is considered a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera, Moneglia feels like an authentic and beautiful “hometown” sort of place for us. Because our visit is occurring during “early season,” we have not seen many tourists, certainly very few, if any, other Americans. Most of the people we have met here were not tourists, but locals, or at least from the region.

We were struck by the family friendly nature of the place. Kids were on scooters and running around, playing with one another, feeding birds, or playing with the water spouting from various fountains. Many families walked their dogs. Everyone was friendly, and extremely welcoming, despite our inadequate efforts to speak to them in their language.

I will include several photos below that hopefully capture some of the essence of Moneglia:

Jerry and the boys on our balcony of Giada Flat.

Our favorite pizzeria is Pizzeria II Ciocco.

The wine, cheese and salami in Italy is to die for. Total bliss for me. :) — The wine, cheese and salami in Italy is to die for. Total bliss for me. 🙂

Moneglia is located on the shores of the Ligurian Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea, situated between the Italian Riviera (Liguria and Tuscany) and the island of Corsica. When we first arrived, we dashed to the beach to put our toes in the water, which is always a very big deal for us. After all, we live in Wyoming, which is spectacular, but also land-locked, and not coastal. After getting our feet wet, we went about solving our hunger pangs.

With three growing boys, and an abundance of real and delicious foods all around us, we have eaten a lot on this trip! I quickly found a little market and bought some genoa salami, gorgonzola cheese, a bottle of red wine and a cantaloupe. I was golden. Oh, and all of it cost me just $14 Euros. Jerry and I shared this on the balcony of our flat that overlooks the ocean, while the boys ate their Ringo cookies, and enjoyed exploring our new digs.

We loved exploring Moneglia’s narrow passageways, used only for walking or bicycling through, and lined by very colorful, old, tall, and usually stucco houses and buildings that towered over us on either side. Small markets offering fresh produce and wines and cheeses, salamis, and/or fresh fish, are abundant, as well as coffee shops, bakeries, pizzerias, restaurants, gelatarias. We could get an espresso for $1 Euro, and an out-of-this-would-delicious gelato – 2 generous scoops for just $2 Euro.

Our favorite pizzeria, which we highly recommend, is Pizzeria II Ciocco. The family members who run the pizzeria are wonderful people, who are kind, generous, and boy, do they know how to make a pizza. We went have eaten there twice during our 3-day stay, and can see why their TripAdvisor reviews are so glowing. We will be adding our own glowing review. Did I mention pesto yet? Oh my God, the pesto in Moneglia is the best I’ve ever had. If you’re in Moneglia, you must go to Pizzeria II Ciocco for pizza. You will thank me!

Jerry and the boys and I discussed last night how part of the adventure so far has been arriving at a new destination, and not only experiencing new sights, foods and people, but also discovering our accommodations. It has been six months since we booked our 28 nights of lodging, which was quite an undertaking considering our itinerary includes several destinations in seven countries. We booked selected our accommodations based on budget, location, and reviews from other travelers. Even though we had a lot of information at our disposal when selecting where we’d say in each destination, including many photos, it still is like unwrapping a present when you arrive at a hotel or flat or apartment, and we turn the key and open its front door for the first time.

After loving our accommodations in Lauterbrunnen, and Zermatt, Switzerland, we were certain nothing else would measure up. That was until we arrived here. We have stayed at the Giada Holiday Flats, and it takes the cake. It is the best home away from home a family like ours could ask for. We are in Room 13, which is on the top floor and our wrap-around deck and balcony overlook the Ligurian Sea. The building is old and quaint – and perfect – for us. It has won us over much like Moneglia has. Bunk beds fold out of one wall, and there’s a sleeper sofa. The boys used these, and Jerry and I had our own bedroom. We had quick access to everything, including 4 gelatarias within 25 yards of our flat, restaurants, coffee and bars, and only a one-minute walk to be standing with our toes in the ocean. The hosts are charming and very helpful.

Our main reason for coming to Moneglia was so we could hike the Cinque Terre Trail, which is in a national park and allows hikers to enjoy incredible views of the sea while passing through five beautiful, colorful and quaint villages. We had two full days scheduled here and both days’ forecasts were not favorable. The first full day called for 100% chance of rain, though, so we decided it would be a lazy, recovery day. This was fine with all of us, especially after our very active and epic hiking in Switzerland, and the fact that we had laundry to do, and I had blogs I wanted and needed to write.

The boys slept in, and I woke up only due to the smell of coffee Jerry was brewing. (I have the best husband in the world. His coffee greets me every single morning. I am a very lucky lady.) After a cup of coffee with Jerry, I returned to bed with my laptop, where I proceeded to upload several photos and videos, before writing and publishing six blog posts here. Whew! While it was productive from a blogging standpoint, I logged only 71 steps on my FitBit during my first 6 waking hours that day!

Thankfully, around 1pm, the rain ceased, and the sun came out. Our two oldest sons, Wolf and Hayden, and I went out for our first walkabout of Moneglia. We explored all the paths through towns, and stopped in to several markets, shops and restaurants to discover new foods and souvenirs, arts and other items. Here is a random sampling of photos I took during our little walkabout:

Wolf and Hayden and I went out for a walkabout when the sun came out during our rest day.

We also wanted to check out a church. Our flat’s balcony was a stone’s throw from a beautiful church bell tower, that chimed a beautiful tune every hour, and we were curious about the church.

At first we didn’t find the church next to our flat, the one we were searching for. But in our exploration of the area, we stumbled upon a different church. We poked around the grounds around the church, and were about to walk away when I decided to take my chances and open a green door…

Oh my God. The church is something to behold. Wolf, Hayden and I were all caught off guard, surprised by the spectacular beauty and grandeur of what we saw. This is the Church of San Giorgio, built in 1396 by Benedictine monks, who were replaced by Franciscan in 1494. According to Wikipedia, the interior houses a wooden sculpture by Anton Maria Maragliano, a canvas of St. George Killing the Dragon attributed to Peter Paul Rubens, a Madonna with Saints by Carlo Dolci and an Adoration of the Magi by Luca Cambiaso. It also has a notable cloister. We were completely taken by the beauty of the church.

After that, we set out to further explore. We followed a cobblestone, narrow ramp/walkway up, up and up until we had wonderful views of the church bell tower (on the church we were still looking for) and the Ligurian Sea behind it. It was a good little uphill workout, and we were rewarded by great views that provided a different perspective of Moneglia.

We descended and continued looking for “the other church.” Soon, we found it. And, again, Oh My God!

The Church of Santa Croce was built, according to some sources, in 1130, but probably pre-existing. The modern church, in Baroque style, dates to 1725, and houses a statue of Madonna by Maragliano and a Byzantine Crucifix.

This is all to say that this is a day when we had no plans, which allowed for us to stumble upon things that have turned out to be very meaningful experiences that we won’t forget. We likely would have missed these if the day had been filled with pre-planned activities. Furthermore, I had not researched top things to do in Moneglia, as I did our many other destinations, simply because I considered Moneglia a base camp for our Cinque Terre Hiking experience, and little more. Boy, was I wrong about that. Somehow, accidentally opening the door to the church made that experience much more powerful than had we been anticipating what we were about to see due to advance trip-planning.

So there are two takeaways here that I want to record so I remember, but also to share with you: One, and I know this is not original, and I’m still a huge fan of planning, especially for a trip of a lifetime like this one that we’re on that is a significant investment of time and money: Don’t plan every single activity, and every single day of your trip. And, second, don’t be afraid to open a door. We almost missed the first church because the door looked so normal and unassuming. Thankfully, I was just curious enough to stop and open the door.

The next day was our only opportunity to hike the Cinque Terre Trail, and we were all excited about it.

Cinque Terre means “Five Lands,” and is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. The five villages includes Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My guys were ready to hike. (Waiting for the train to Monterossa.)

Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination. We couldn’t wait to hike the trail. We have hiked many trails before especially in our beloved Wind River Range of Wyoming, and in Yellowstone. But we had never hiked where we could stop for gelato or pizza every 2-3 miles. The boys were really excited about these “rest stops.”

Jerry and I were up by 6am, and were planning to have us all out the door and on the train to Monterossa, where we’d start the hike, by 8am. However, it was dreary and wet outside again. Bummed! After talking things over, Jerry and I decided to let the boys sleep in, and we’d still do the hike, but we’d start around 11am so as to give the weather a chance to improve. The forecast indicated it would likely be a good day for hiking if we were willing to be patient.

We all got off the train in Monterossa, and went directly to the National Park Service office to buy our pass to the park so we could hike the trail, and to get a trail map. Unfortunately, our dream ended here. Due to the heavy rains, and landslides resulting from recent rains, the Cinque Terre Trail was closed. We were not going to be hiking the Cinque Terre.

I know the weather is one of the things we cannot control. Especially because I am an adventure guide, I know that the weather holds a lot of power when it comes to an adventure, and today would not be our day. We were all very disappointed, but we did our best to stay positive. In fact, we have been quite blessed thus far in the trip. During our time in Switzerland, there were 100% chance for rain forecasts on both of our hiking days. Even though we started our two epic hikes in rain, we ended up with spectacular days. A person cannot be lucky all of the time. Certainly we’ve been lucky most of the time.

We decided to explore Monterossa, and we licked our wounds by – you guessed it – eating gelato. That helped a lot! Monterosso al Mare is located at the center of a small natural gulf, protected by a small artificial reef, to the east of Punta Mesco in the Riviera of La Spezia. It is the westernmost of the Cinque Terre. The town is divided into two parts: the old town and the new town. The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that caters to pedestrians and the very few cars in the town. We explored all of Monterossa, before heading to catch a train to the next village, Vernazza. If we couldn’t hike Cinque Terre, we’d at least see some of the villages.

Vernazza is often raved about as being a favorite, and we could see why. Vernazza has no car traffic and, according to some of our travel resources, remains “one of the truest fishing villages on the Italian Riviera.” Vernazza’s name is derived from the Latin word verna, meaning “native,” and the aptly named indigenous wine, vernaccia (“local” or “ours”), helped give birth to the village’s moniker.
First records recognizing Vernazza as a town date back to 1080. Wikipedia states that Vernazza was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defense of pirates.

We loved Vernazza. My good friend, Joel, who spent some time studying art in Italy during college had suggested to us, “You have to take a swim off the pier in Vernazza.” If only! It was a dreary, not-warm day and no one else was swimming. Even an attempt to bribe our boys with all of the pizza and gelato they could eat, they wouldn’t dive in. We fell in love with the beauty of the colorful buildings of Vernazza, all of the shops, and the view of and from the pier, and a church we toured called the Church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, c. 1318.

We decided to ride the train back to Mongolia. For one thing, we love it, and second – and this is no small thing – it has a nice bathroom! This was our first experience with “porcelain holes in the ground” for toilets. While the boys managed, I had a very difficult time using such toilets. The toilets in Monterossa and Vernazza’s train stations unclean and gross and unserviced.

We got on the train, and during our ride to what we thought would be Moneglia, the boys snarfed a huge bag of Italian potato chips as we arrived to Levanto. After sitting there for a few minutes, the train started moving again, but in the wrong direction! Dang! We were going back to Monterossa (for our second time today). This marked our first train mistake of our first 13 days. I don’t mean to brag but we’ve successfully made probably 50 different train connections to this point. We laughed it off, and rode back to Monterossa.

Once off the train, I went to the national park office again, just in case a miracle happened and the Cinque Terre Trail had opened. No such luck. However, there was a couple in front of me in line who had hiking poles and looked like they had been hiking. They were German, and so there was a bit of a language barrier, but I was able to understand that there was a trail open to hiking between Monterossa and Levanto, and we were welcome to follow/join them. I could have hugged and kissed them both 100 times. Suddenly, we would be hiking after all.

The boys followed me, as I followed our two new German friends who showed us a hiking trail that was open between Monterossa and Levanto.

We followed Heika (sp?) and Gelt (sp?) up a wonderful trail. It went up, up, up for about an hour and the views behind and below us were exceptional. In fact, at one point, we could see all five villages – the Cinque Terre — perfectly, and the ocean below was a wonderful sight during the entire hike.

We got to see the Cinque Terre (the five villages) and the trail we would have hiked had it been open, on this alternative hike.

IMG_9114 (2)

A cool Bed & Breakfast above Levanto that had these hand carved figurines on its roof.

It took us about 2.5 hours to hike from Monterossa to Levanto. We had made some wonderful new friends from Germany, while getting a glorious and epic hike. Once in Levanto, we walked another mile to and through the beautiful center of town and eventually, to the train station, where we treated the boys to a Fanta and Jerry and I had cold beers. Yeehaw! What a day. We boarded the train at about 6pm, and by 7pm we were ordered our favorite pizzas from Pizzeria II Ciocco in Moneglia.

This small town on the Ligurian sea that is called Moneglia has won all of our hearts! If you plan to explore the Cinque Terre trails, or even if you don’t have any interest in the Cinque Terre hike, I highly recommend you stay in Moneglia and just use the train to ride 10 minutes to start the hike in Monterossa. Moneglia, in my opinion, is a true gem, that despite my blogging about it now, will remain somewhat of a best kept secret. Stay at the Giada (if you’re a family, request Room 13!).

We have explored its many nooks and crannies, and we have (extensively) tried out its pizzerias and gelatarias. We are not only in love with this place, we are also in love with its people, and yes it’s food.

Extra snapshots from our time in Moneglia, including random shots from our rest day in the flat when it was raining outside:

After making 4 successful train connections, we crossed over from Switzerland to Italy, At the first train station in Italy, the boys promptly located a pizzeria. “We have officially arrived,” one of them quipped.

A piece of pizza from Italy and our oldest son, Wolf. (Or, can we get a little Wolf with that pizza?)

We’re starting to feel like world travelers. However, I’m careful not to completely confirm that, because sometimes when I boast, the wheels come off, and we have many more trains to catch and exciting things to do in our next 14 days – the last half of our this Epic adventure. So let’s just say we’re getting more accustomed to getting around Europe using their rails system, and it really is a dream for getting from point A to point B and C and D and E and F and so on.

And on that note, we have a train to catch, so I’ll sign off for now. Thanks for reading, and please check back again soon.

Next up: Pisa and Florence, then Rome!