Florence

There's so much to say in so little time...so I'm going to give only the highlights in this post.

We were supposed to be in the south of Italy in Bari, we would then make our way up to Florence. Long story short, Giacomo got sick and we needed to get on the road again... so here we are, Florence. Once the capital of Italy and renound for its history and fashion.

We spent a good chunck of our first day in hospital. G is on the mend (here's praying) and we had two days to see as much as possible.

The Duomo is spectacular! It's ginormous structure makes for a breath taking sight. The inside, even more georgous.

This was the place I was waiting to see, The Galleria dell'Accademia. Inside lies the most famous statue of all time, Michelangelo's 'David'. I remember reading books and hearing facts about Michelangelo's carving but never did I think I'd see him up close. He depicts David with a sling over his shoulder, no one knows if it was before or after he slayed Goliath. Fun fact: Michelangelo was 26 years old when commissioned to carve this piece. It took him just over two years to complete.

Most pictures of Florence are taken from the Piazzale Michelangelo, showcasing the stunning view of old plastered buildings towered by the Duomo and several other cathedrals. The picture doesn't do justice for the view experienced in real life.

Today was raining so I ventured by myself. I used a tour bus to get around, I could get on and off where I wanted. I got off at a random stop, walked around for a while checking out the churches and other sights. Meet a few nice people, one guy from England who needed help with parking and another from India who is working in the U.S. From here I got to see the Arno river that runs through the middle of Florence. Fun Fact: On November 4th 1966 there was a flood that killed almost 40 people and destroyed and/or damaged million works of art and rare books.

I also visited the acient ruins, Fiesole's 'Theatre Romano' which date back to about the 8th or 9th century B.C. Here is displayed an old ampitheatre which is still used today and some baths.

I made an impromtue stop to the Basilica of Santa Croce. Not only is the church a stunner, but there lies the tombs of Michelangelo (as mentioned briefly above) and Galileo (great physicist and astronomer) as shown in the pictures.

Now we're headed off to Pisa to see the leaning tower.

Bologna

We were only meant to spend one night here, but God must of had other plans for us.

When we got to Lisa's aunty and uncles house they served us a standard Italian lunch, first a serving of homemade tortellini and the a serving of meat. Delizioso! Afterwards Lisa and I roamed the city while Lisa's aunty baby dad G.

We roamed around looking at what the city had to offer. The most beautiful interior of a church I've seen so far. Unfortunatley we weren't allowed to take photos. It was massive inside, the walls layes with carvings of different church figures, linings painted with real gold and a massive statue of Jesus on a cross hanging from the rough down the front. In the city there were also two tall towers being held up by some wire as they were leaning. We found a Disney shop (highlighted with the Superheros mug photo) and managed to get some shopping in. We had a hard time finding the right bus home, taking us about an hour and half to get home.

During the night we woke up to a boiling hot Giacomo... straight to the hospital we went. 4am we left the hospital, Giacomo had a small chest infection and is now on antibiotics. Thank God he's ok.

We missed our flight to Bari and have stayed in Bologna two more days than planned. Now we're winging it for a while until we head down to Rome next week. We might be off to Florence tomorrow, fingers crossed G stays well.

Parma

Parma is like the Dunedin of Italy, University central. We stayed here for 4 days, and was good for Giacomo as he got over his cough. We stayed in the country side with Lisa's aunty. Hand built by here late husband and father, it was your typical Italian house made of plaster, complimented by its array of dull colours. Here we experiences good italian hospitality, the main focus being the food! Pasta, meat and cheeses were served daily.

The city itself was busy, students and workers alike. We roamed the city for a good few hours. We didn't really have a plan. We stumbled across a few beautiful churches, once again the hallmark of our visits. It blows my mind how incredibly detailed the designs are. We also stumbled across a small book shop to purchase a book to help me with my Italian.

Lisa's whanau came around on Saturday to meet us, more to meet Giacomo, but we got a mean feed out of it. It was how you see it on T.V, loud and vibrant. The family were very nice, trying to include me as my Italian was limited.

We had a good time in Parma but ready to move on and see what else this country had to offer. We traveled to Bologna to catch a flight to Bark.

One Week Summary

Amazing views, sleepless nights, excitment, joy, tiredness and food are words that pretty much sum up our first week in Italy. Travelling half way around the world, 3 planes, 26 hours of flying and 12 hours spent in transit, walking for hours on end... I'm having the time of my life. Never have I thought I'd ever travel. 5 years ago I meet my wife and I had no plans of travelling, I never saw the benefit in it. Over the years we've had many conversations, and taken small trips which have built a want in me to travel. It has been a blast! Desire the challenges of a 2 and a half year old I wouldn't want it any other way. We've experienced some amazing things; sights and people. Can't wait for the rest of trip! I'm a few days we catch a plane from Bologna to Bari.

La Spezia/Cinque Terre

On the train from Geova to La Spezia we meet a man named Roberto. Having an Italian wife is a bonus because she helps us get what we need in a place where it could be easy to get lost. One man asked me for assistance with a train transfer, something I had no idea about. Enter Roberto. He tries to help with his pidgeon English and my wife decides to translate. After an hour of talking, and me just smiling because I have no idea what's going on, Roberto offers to give us a ride to our appartment.....hmmmm....30 minute walk with 15kgs on my back...or get a lift??? Take the ride. There are many words to describe his generosity but this post would be too long. We were so greatful and feel blessed to have meet him.

La Spezia itself is quite flat and not much to do if staying for a day. It's quite quiet. Cinque Terre on the other hand, WOW! It would have been awesome to see all 5 towns but due to Giacomo being sick we only got to see two; Riomaggiore and Venezza. These towns look exactly like what they do in pictures, absolutely stunning! Riomaggiore is on an incline, buildings were varied in colour and the view from high was amazing. Pictures do not do it justice. Venezza was very pretty. As soon as you walk off the train you enter the rustic look of an old time mediterranean sea side town. It was heavily populated with tourists. The water view was also stunning. Here are some pics:

Genova

Genova is definitley a beautiful place. On our stroll this morning we fell upon some amazing buildings and statues that depict the cities ancient past with its modern present. The streets are lined with high rise buildings looking like backstreet allieways that hold the most shadiest of characters. There's no grass, mostly concrete. The food is amazing, especially the croissants filled with custard and chocolate. The city was surrounded by some walls that 'protected' people and a gate with an English flag flying. We visited a church, a water fountain and a pirate ship. Today we leave, Geonva has been awesome. Here are some pics of our ventres.