Italy 2003

October 6th, 2003 by alephnaught

Arrival in Roma

I’m really looking forward to this vacation – work has been hard recently (but also rewarding to me) and taking a break now is a good thing I think. As usual, I’m bringing some books along, as I love to read while on vacation: Angels & Demons A Portrait of the Artist as a Young […]

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October 7th, 2003 by alephnaught

One day in Roma

We had a two hour layover in Amsterdam, so we went on a hunt for Shiseido under-eye cream – we found it in a perfume store in the airport (Schipol is an amazing shopping experience for an airport). We arrived on time in Rome; I waited at baggage carousel 10 for over 1/2 hour before […]

October 8th, 2003 by alephnaught

From Roma to Assisi

We woke up to the alarm at 7A (Aviva didn’t sleep through the night but I made it most of the way). We ate, showered, checked out of the hotel and grabbed a cab to the rental agency. And we had another crazy ride right across Rome! We got to the car rental place and […]

October 9th, 2003 by alephnaught

Assisi

We managed to get up, showered and to breakfast so we could be moving out at 9:30A (this is quite a trick for Aviva, she’s not a morning person). We stopped in Chiesa Nuova first – its right by our hotel room. Then we went shopping. While walking through the Piazza de Comune in the […]

October 10th, 2003 by alephnaught

From Assisi to Arrezo

Well, we slept through the alarm – Aviva turned it off, rolled over, and both of us fell fast asleep until after 7:30A today. We needed the sleep but today is a busy day – we intend to drive through Perugia (the chocolate capital of Italy – yes!) to Arrezo. The hotel brought our car […]

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October 11th, 2003 by alephnaught

From Arrezo to Siena

We awoke at 6A (I had control of the alarm clock today). We got breakfast and went out to see Arezzo. The hotel provided a small ma We walked down to the Duomo – there’s a Piero della Francesca fresco of the Madonna on the side wall. The museum was closed (the woman working the […]

October 12th, 2003 by alephnaught

Siena

We woke at 7A. Breakfast was good – this hotel’s buffet includes eggs and Italian bacon, which is saltier and seasoned with pepper. I finished A History of Sparta, 950-192 B.C. this morning while Aviva showered; I’ve started Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. Along the walk from the hotel we found a sculpture of […]

October 13th, 2003 by alephnaught

Siena

We woke at 7A and ate breakfast and showered and planned our day. Aviva’s feet and legs hurt, and my lower back has started hurting, so we went slowly today. We started at the Duomo. This time we got to go inside, and we got lucky – the floors are decorated with inlaid patterns which […]

October 14th, 2003 by alephnaught

San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and Siena

We woke up very early and had a shower and breakfast. Aviva’s legs and my back are still sore – just too much walking on stone surfaces for our old bodies I suppose. The weather for our trip has been superb, as its been in the 70s and sunny every day. Diet Coke is called […]

October 15th, 2003 by alephnaught

From Siena to Bologna

We woke slowly today. We got breakfast and got out – we decided to go to the Pinacoteca de Siena, the painting gallery in Siena. No pictures and no catalog, so there's not much for me to do but say that the art is very interesting. Sienese art is very gothic. We drove to Bologna […]