Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Nearing the End

22 July 2012
 On our last full day Janelle and I decided to focus solely on what the kids wanted. In the Morning they wanted to sleep in and hang out with Nana, so we obliged. We went to the Roma Museum, in an attempt to squeeze in one last museum. Thanks mom and dad for instilling an unreasonable affinity towards museums, now all I want to do in a new city is visit the local "protector of muses". This particular one is full of ancient Roman statues, mosaics, and frescos. Janelle thought we had seen enough renaissance church art and need to mix it up. Most of the statures are Roman copies of Greek originals, it seems that Hollywood was not the first to repeat what worked before.



"Fear the beard!"



I think the best water in town could be found at the neighborhood fountains found through out the city. Then again that could just be my love of public infrastructure and life outdoors. Which for such an urbanized nation is a value the Italians share with me. Life seems to revolve around the outdoor public spaces in the small towns and big cities. Every evening around 7 or 8 o'clock everyone young and old is out talking and just enjoying being with everyone.

After our early morning date, Janelle and I picked up Nana and the little ones. We went to an out of the way place, Explora Il Museo Dei Bambini Di Roma, the children's museum. This is what I imagine the children's museum in Denver should be. There are no instructions for the children just a lot of cool stuff for them to explore and play with. The only rules were for the parents and that was, let the kids make their own decisions. It was like a giant Montessori play house. My kids loved it.





The next request was a bus tour. So we used hopped on a double decker bus with no roof, and off we where. Here are a few highlights.
Beck and his Mommy.

What's left of Circus Massimo, the dirt track in the foreground and some Emperor's Palace in the back.

Saint Peter's and the Vatican, but it is Sunday  so the museum, and the Sistine Chapel were closed. And San Peitro was having mass. Poor planning on our part. Oh well gives us something to see on the next trip.   


One of many churches in the city.
After a very disappointing meal at a place that we picked last night, I asked our pregnant hotelier were to eat, and boy did she send us to the right place. We had one of the best meals of the trip, Lydia even flirted with the waiter. Lesson learned, always ask a local. Then we had our last gelato.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Exploring the Ancient


21 July 2012

We woke up early to send Iris off, with one last pastry and a stroll to the train station. I can believe she was able to get off three weeks of work to join us. It was great having her around.




Janelle and I left the tiered ones, Deanna and the kids, in bed, and went exploring while they got some more rest. Janelle really wanted to see the Pantheon, so we saw the Pantheon. It was humbling to be inside the dome that has inspired all other domes since. Built during ancient Roman times as a temple, it has survived because it has been in continual use as a church after the fall of the Roman Empire. Even though the statues of roman gods have been replaced with those of saints and crypts of famous Italians, that conversion has preserved this once and currently sacred structure.






This is the fanciest looking police station I have ever seen. Only in Italy would even the police have style.






After we did some more wondering of the Roman streets, we picked up Deanna and the kids and walked the few blocks from the hotel to the Colosseo.







Can you imagine what it would have looked like complete with a shiny white marble vernier?








After the Colosseo we did has the Romans did and went to the forum. In my lack of knowledge I thought in correctly that the forum was one special building. It tuns out it is a series of buildings and the central square they surround. Unlike the the Pantheon, the Colosseo and the Foro were never kept up and it shows. But there is something about their ruinous state that is inspiring, because your imagination has to fill in the blanks.







After all the sight seeing both Beckett and Lydia found that doing their own excavating, digging in the dirt, at the Forum was their favorite part.



-Issac
Location:Roma, Italia

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Ciao, Ciao

Today we left Lucignano for Roma. The kids and I took one last dip in the pool in the morning. The kids are starting to show cracks in their armor, I think they are a little homesick, are a little tiered of traveling, and would like to get back to some semblance of a routine.



We said our good-byes to Massimo, and Luigi, our hosts. We also parted ways with the lady at the pastry shop, we became close, as we should have we saw her everyday. Finally to Uncle Don and Terri. I know Uncle Don has been wanting to go on this trip for ten years. I hope he had as much fun as we did. This was a special trip for all of us and I don't know if I will ever be on another like it.

Beckett and Janelle took the train down, no room in the car. Beck loves trains and time alone with his mom, so it was a win win for him. Mom, Iris, Lydia, and I drove down. We may or may not have stopped at an outlet mall on the way.

I heard all these horror stories about how crazy the drivers are in Roma. The drivers were no worse than Milano, but by now I am use to Italian diving. The most difficult and infuriating part about driving in Roma is the one way streets that change direction every block or two. You're driving down a one way street the all of a sudden you have to turn because of the oncoming traffic. Thanks to Iris, Google maps, and a few kind Romans we managed to drop off the trusty little Peugeot, I drove for 5000 km all over central Italia.

Tiered of Italian food we found a Chinese place for dinner. Aperently we weren't to only Americans craving food from another culture, the place was full of our countrymen. We saw one thing before turning it in, the Trevi Fountain. The piazza were the fountain is was not just busy, but no-personal-space packed with tourists. In spite of that it is a beautiful sight at night with the horses seemingly coming out of the water. The only special effects being some well carved stone, water, and lights. Iris has the pictures so she will add them later.


-Issac

Location:The Autostrata

Galleliooooo!

We have been in the Cinque Terre for the past few days. I will post more one that later.

19 July 2012
Beckett, Issac, and I headed to Florence again. Issac was on a mission to outfit our little ones with some soccer gear. It was also Beckett's special day with his parents. Lydia spent a grumpy day with Nanna, Iris, and Don. They are all very brave!

Our other reason for visiting Florence again was to see the Gallelio Museum. It came highly recommended by Don.



The museum features some really amazing tools and inventions by Gallelio, Medici, and Newton.



Here is Issac with Gallelio's actual telescope. Beckett's favorite part was seeing how the pendulum and gears to a clock work. There was an interactive portion to the museum at the very end.
Needless to say, it was a science lover's paradise! We would highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting Florence!



Caio!
- Janelle NG

Location: Firenze, Italia

Monday, July 16, 2012

Birthdays!

Please don't feel that I have been neglecting y'all. I have had trouble with the internet. But I have been writing.

We had a wonderful time cooking together. And ended with gelato birthday cake for Don and Lydia.

Sorry about the short post, we have to get on a train to the cinque terre.
















-Issac

Location:Lucignano, Italia

The Cousins




Cara and Amy talked me into driving to another town, San Gimignano, today. An activity I am tiering of. The driving, not the hanging out in Tuscan cities.



The town had almost as many towers has it did tourists, each one taller than the next. San Gimignano is maybe twice as big as Lucignano, but has one hundred times as many tourists. It seems like the town 20+ years ago was not unlike Lucignano, a mix of local Italian life with some tourists helping sustain things. But now it seems to me that nearly the entire economy revolves around tourism. Oddly enough though, San Gimignano maintains a small town feel. The shops are focused on artisan works. We bought jewelry from the woman who makes it in the shop.







-Issac

Location:San Gimignano, Italia

Neighborhood Dinner

14 July


Every year on the last two Sundays in May the town of Lucignano has a big parade. Each of the four contrati builds Rose Parade style floats and unofficially competes for the best one. Well, 2.5 story floats covered in flowers cost money so the neighborhood thew a benefit dinner. We were more than happy to help, and join in the festivities.






This was not a benefit dinner at the Elks Lodge, there was wine, sparklers, champagne, and street full of Italians eating, drinking, dancing, and living it up into the wee hours. Right has dessert was being served Cara and Amy rolled in. Uncle Rich was dancing, with all the young people, Lydia and Beck stayed up late with us, and there was a smile on everyone's faces.


Unfortunately Teri missed a step and hurt herself. She should recover fine.

Blogs are supposed to be interactive, so feel free to leave comments.


-Issac

Location:Lucignano, Italia

Firenze con kids

13 July
Waiting to see Michealangelo's David. Worth the wait.





The David. Only one picture. No pictures allowed, but Lydia and I like to live on the edge.




The other big site we saw was the Duomo with Brunolesci's dome, the first dome built in the renaissance. The western US has the some of the most amazing natural places in the world, and I have been to them. But to be in the places were events happened that changed the trajectory of history is nearly unbelievable.






Beck, Iris, and I made it all the way to the top of the dome. To get there you climb from the top of the main building in between the inner dome which you can see from inside the Duomo and has the fresco on it, and the outer dome which you can see from the outside with the red roof tiles and white ribs.








The kids were actually next to a Real Michael Schoumaker Ferrari. But this one didn't talk.


I am not sure what kind of "trade" the Midici family did to amass such wealth. But if what they bought with that money reflects on their character, then they weren't all bad.

Firenze is the only place I have been to, packed with tourists, and over commercialized, that I was not only worth it, but I want to go back.

-Issac

Location:Firenze, Italia