October 11, 2012: We're Home

We are now home and laundry is underway.  We had a wonderful trip with memories which we will cherish for a long time.  We are still blown away by the beauty of Switzerland.  Much to our suprise, while waiting at the airport in Amsterdam, we ran into the couple we sat beside on the Glacier Express train through Switzerland.  The return trip was our first time flying KLM and we enjoyed the flight as much as you can a 9 hr flight. 

Now it is time to work on plans for next years trip in August.  We are taking Tim's mom and stepdad to the UK visiting London, Liverpool, Scotland's Highlands, Edinburgh for theTattoo and throwing in a few days in Paris so we can visit Normandy. It will be thier first time outside the US and we are really looking forward to it.  It always help ease post vacation blues if you have your next trip already in the planning stages :)   

End of trip: 4 nights in Venice

Can't think of another city anywhere to end a perfect vacation than Venice.  We had no plans and just soaked in all that was Venice.  We took a day trip to Burano with Ramah as mentioned earlier, found the gluten free store and made purchase for Becky, Tim found the perfect mask to bring home and I revisited the artist near the Rialto and bought one of his originals this trip instead of a reproduction.

The church in San Barnaba square just behind our apartment was a pleasant suprise.  They happened to have models from Leonardo di  Vinci's codices on display.  He was a man of many talents for sure.  We learned from the exhibit that he was much more interested in engineering than art, which he did to feed himself.  It was amazing the groundwork he laid for so many later inventions.  Truely a great genius of all times. 

front of train station

gondola workshop

sculpture in Murano, the glassmakers island

produce boat behind apartment

Ruby Princess leaving without us

cicchetti bar

Doge's Palace early in morning

St Mark's square early

Rialto Bridge

cranberries on left--who knew they grew on stems in bunches?

shop where Tim found a mask to bring home

Di Vinci's flying machine

Apartment in Venice

Once again we rent an apartment in Venice.  This time we chose the Dorsoduro district.  We had a ground floor apartment with a garden 3 doors away from the Ca’ Rezzonico vaporetto stop.  Only thing lacking was no internet service which was suppose to be there.

view from front door to water bus stop

entrance door to building apartment is in

 

garden entrance

 

apartment entrance

view to garden behind apartment

dining room light

dinner in--pumpkin ravioli and caprese salad

pomegranate tree

Tim with Ramah when she visited

one of 2 turtles who live in the garden

 

Venice

Day 8: Venice

We had a pleasant 2 hr train ride to Venice and got checked into our apartment where we will be staying the next 4 nights.  We wandered around some and went to the3 grocery store where we found the pumpkin ravioli we love and cooked dinner in tonight.  We also made a caprese salad which is fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese topped with a basil leaf and slice of tomato then drizzled with olive oil and pepper.  At home every time we run across a brand of fresh mozzarella  which we haven’t tried we always get it but have never found any near as tasty as what you can get in Italy---nor tomatoes as good either.  Sure wish some could travel home with us!

Later tonight tried to post to blog and found no internet connection as I thought there would be.

Day 9: Venice

Met up with Ramah, one of our cruising buddies who happened to be in Venice getting ready to cruise back to Ft Lauderdale. We are so jealous but still had a wonderful land trip.  We had a very enjoyable day together on a trip to Burano for lunch.  Afterwards Tim took a nap while I went to her hotel to use the internet.  No time for photos and unless we get internet connection fixed at our apartment I will post the rest after we return home on Thursday.  Wonderful weather today and we still love Venice!

Day 6-7: Florence

We have enjoyed a couple of restful days in Florence just wandering around with a little shopping thrown in.  On this, our 3^rd time in Florence, I finally got a purse, made it to the Ponte Vecchio bridge while the jewelry shops were open, and went up on hill to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset views over Florence.  Friday we went to Academia to see David and topped it all off with a delicious Florentine steak for dinner on our last night in Florence.  

Basicila di San Lorenzo

Duomo

Ponte Vecchio

Chiesa di San Miniato al Monte

Plazza della Repubblica

hotel room

room balcony

Florentine steak for 2

It was that good!