Notting Hill

Today I finally picked up my first developed roll of film from our trip. I'm doing it one at a time for now, but hopefully I can pick up the pace and get a few more developed soon. I was really nervous about what would actually turn out, but I'm happy to say I had some great shots, so here are a few of my favorite from Notting Hill and Prague...

Matt & Sayward Bridals

Back to the Books

Well, now that I'm home form our trip, it's time to start off my summer the way I spend all my summers... reading. Lately however, I've struggled finding books that I've really been able to get into. I love finding books that I absolutely can't put down, so I end up spending all night and any free minute reading, just to find out what happens. Those are a rare find, and I've had quite a dry spell! In that time though, I have began a lot of books, and failed to finish them. I have made it my goal that this summer will be my time to finish up all those books I've been struggling with, with a few in between. Just so I can be held accountable, here is the big list I have of what I need to finish:

1. Great Tales from English History: A Treasury of True Stories-The Extraordinary People Who Made Britain Great by Robert Lacey

2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

4. Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

5. Talking to Tesla by Alex Bigney (This was written by one of my professors, and was partially used as a course text, but I feel obligated to read it now that I know the author...right?)

6. Shakespeare on Love by William Shakespeare

7. The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, And Intelligence Evolved from Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans by Stanley Greenspan

8. Select Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson (an amazing 1904 edition I picked up in Hawick, Scotland ;-))

I will say right now, that I know I will most likely never make it through all these books (number 7 especially is a heavy read!) But I think that now that I have the goal, I'll be more likely to finish them. I also need to few great reads to throw in there, so if anyone has read anything good lately let me know! I'm anxiously awaiting the release of Mockingjay (Hunger Games Series). Happy reading!

My Favorite Picture

Well I guess I saved the best of the trip pics for last, because I would have to say this picture from our last stop in Rome has to be one of my favorites. We were walking on the street that leads out of St. Peters Square in Vatican City when a huge gang of scooters came down the street. I have never seen so many driving at once, and all the riders were cheering and waving. It was so fun, and I can't believe I caught this shot- my panning abilities are non-existent, so needless to say, I was pretty excited. No way I could have captured this with the Mamiya, so it was good that I brought so many cameras! (Thank you Todd for carrying them around for me!)

I can't even begin to describe how wonderful this trip was for both Todd and I. By the time we reached Rome we were both ready to be home, but now that I'm back, I want to start planning our next adventure! I am truly grateful for the opportunity we had to go and see so many amazing places and things, and it was exactly what I've been needing at this point in my life.

Florence

What can I say about Florence, other than it is an amazing city! It was so good to be back, and even though it has been 3 years since I was there the first time, I still knew my way around pretty well. Our first day there we met up with my old professor from when I did my study abroad, Steve, and went to lunch, then met with the whole group for dinner later that day. It was fun to be around a group again, and to be able to meet everyone.

We saw a lot of incredible art while we were there. We went to the Uffizi Museum where we were able to see the works of Botticelli (Birth of Venus and Primavera), Titian, Carravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Da Vinci, and a few Raphael works. We also went to the Bargello, where they have a lot of work by Donatello, and the contest panels from Ghiberti and Brunelleschi (for the baptistery doors). And who can go to Florence and not see Michelangelo's David, which is a great experience altogether.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Florence. Our hotel was a dive, but what can you expect for cheap accommodations, right?

This is not the real David, by the way. It's a replica that replaced the real one when they moved it into the museum. We really enjoyed watching all the tourists think this one was the real one though.

Vicenza

While here we stayed with a member that lives outside the city, so we had to get creative if we wanted to go anywhere. The day we went to Verona, we doubled on a bike, Todd peddling while I sat on the middle bar (my bum is still bruised). The closest train station was about 3 or 4 miles.

Great times! Here is a photo of one of the bridges in Vicenza...

Verona

We were able to spend a few hours in Verona during our time in Vicenza/Piazzola. It was such a beautiful city!

The cafe where we ate lunch, and where I had Italian hot chocolate for the first tine- delicious!

Venice!

Todd and I were able to spend the day in Venice. We visited Murano, and walked around a lot. It wasn't until after we got back that we realized we hadn't taken any pictures of ourselves together there! Oh well.

Citta` Alta at night

Bergamo

Here are some pics from when we were in Bergamo, Italy- a city about an hour outside of Milan. Use your imagination about what food is on that plate...

Milan

The internet in Italy is sketchy, so is the transportation system. Enjoy the pics of Milan!

We climbed to the top of the huge Duomo in Milan

Our first gelato in Italy, it tasted amazing!