Europe 2012: Beach!

While in Italy we stayed at Villa Emilia, a cute little villa right next to the Mediterranean Sea. That was where we spent our Easter and all the nights in between seeing all the places we went. We even got to play on the beach!!! It was actually a bit chilly to go out in a swimsuit, but I just love how oceans and seas sound. I really wish that someday I can live near an ocean. We found an old boat that had washed up on the beach. I thought that was really cool even though we couldn't do anything with it but take pictures. While staying here I was totally inspired to write a novel. It was just so picturesque!

I didn't take this picture, but this is where we stayed. It was so nice. :D

Me in the washed up boat.

Europe 2012: Cinque Terre

The last place I was able to see before I left Italy was Cinque Terre, five cute little towns clinging to the cliffs. It was beautiful. I wish I had been able to hike to each little town, but my family and I got there a little later in the day so we drove around and saw what we could. Most of those towns are accessible by train or walking  trails only, but we got pretty far with the big fat Honda Odyssey.

Europe 2012: Roma!

Rome was quite an adventure! My family, Scott and I all took a tour that left early in the morning. we woke up at three to drive an hour from our villa to Camp Darby. We were all exhausted that whole day! It took a few hours to get there by bus and I slept most of the way. I wish I had been able to stay awake to see the landscape as we passed. Once there the tour guide couldn't say, "watch out for pick-pocketers and gypsies" enough and that the African guys selling fake stuff in the streets were really nice. Honestly, it was hard to fit all of Rome in a day. It's pretty much impossible. My way of seeing it was to skim over it all. I dragged my family all over Rome that day using our feet and the City Sightseeing buses a few times. (Those buses are not cheap!) Here are a few pics of the places we were able to see that day. :)

St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Yeah, I was here.

Trevi Fountain

Pantheon

Pantheon again :D

Victor Emmanuel Monument 

The Colosseum! 

The Colosseum again!