London...Just the beginning

Hello from London!

 

Wow, what a vacation! We are ready to settle down and relax for awhile! Ready or not, it is time to begin living in London.

 

We arrived in London on a Saturday and there was a driver waiting for us when we got off the plane. It took us almost 2 hours by taxi to get to our flat but we got to see much of London on the way. Lady Gaga was in town that night and there was a festival going on, so the traffic was horrible! It was neat to see the houses change and we drove into town. From the suburbs...

 

 

 to city living, it was neat to see both sides of London. 

 

 

Along the way we saw many things, like the infamous red phone booths:

 

 

to Big Ben:

 

 

 and the London Eye:

 

 

 We cannot wait to go exploring!! That first evening, we decided to walk to Kyle's building to see it up close and personal. Very close to the Gherkin (where Kyle will work), we passed this pub:

 

 

I thought is was very fitting to be near 2 very large insurance companies. Then, we looked up...

 

 

It was unbelievable!!! There it was!!

 

 

It is very neat to stand up close and look up. Kyle was super excited to get inside and see where he would be working but not for another day. Colston loved it!!

 

 

This look says it all, "Wow, Mommy!" 

 

 

The Gherkin is awesome! Hopefully, we can go to the top floor one of these days!! :) We haven't seen much, but know that this will be a very memorable experience!!

Rome and Vatican City

Rome...what a city!! It is so full of history and people and beautiful buildings and old ruins. There are so many things to do and see. It was quite an experience!!

We started our tour of Rome by going to Vatican City. Here is Saint Peter's Basilica.

 

There we took a guided tour through the Vatican Museum and saw many of the famous statues, including this famous one...

 

 

Everywhere we looked, there were beautiful paintings and sculptures. And this was all before we went into the Sistine Chapel.

Nobody is allowed to take pictures, or talk, for that matter in the Sistine Chapel. I listened and didn't take any pictures in there, even though I really wanted to.

After our tour of the Vatican we headed to the Colosseum. Wow!! Its hard to believe so many people were publicly killed inside.

 

 

We stayed in the Boutique Hotel Trevi, just steps from the Trevi Fountain. It is a happening place! No cars were allowed down our street and there were cafes and shops all along the street.

 

 

Everything was huge in Rome!! All of the buildings and statues and fountains and monuments were just ginormous. People looked like little ants next to them. Here is the Pantheon. It was absolutely beautiful inside. Inside, it is actually a round room with a dome for a roof that has a large round opening in the top.

 

We walked all over Rome and came across Roman ruins. It was neat to see what the city looked like before the other buildings.

 

 

And then, just around the corner, it is more modern and updated. Rome really is a neat city!

 

 

We stopped and saw the museum with the tomb of the unknown soldier outside. If you sit on these steps, you get in trouble...

 

 

After our 2 days of touring Rome, we ended up at the Spanish Steps. You can drink the water just about from anywhere in Rome, including from the fountains! And, boy was it good! :)

 

 

We had dinner at a small cafe near the Spanish Steps. In the morning, we would be heading back to London, so Dave and Renee got in some lovin!

 

 

He was such a trooper for our entire 'holiday'. We just love him so much!!

 

 

Before we left for the airport, we had one last thing to do. Legend has it that if you stand with your back to the Trevi Fountain and throw in a coin, you will return to Rome. All 3 of us threw in a coin. Rome, we will be back ;)

 

London, here we come!!

Tuscany, Tuscany, TUSCANY!!

Bonjourno from Tuscany!

Tuscany was my most favorite part of our 'holiday' in Europe! It was absolutely beautiful!! Driving to our resort was a breathtaking drive. We saw a lot of the Italian coast and the beautiful hills and mountains. It was so luscious and just beautiful! Exactly what you think of when you think of Italy.

On our way to our resort, we were very excited! It was going to be beautiful and and was the top/side of a mountain. Our GPS was a lifesaver and gave us turn-by-turn directions. However, it decided we needed to take the 'scenic route' to the top of the mountain, in the dark...let's just say my knuckles were white from anticipating every tight turn and curve up the mountain side. Dave did an awesome job!! I know I would have been a mess if I was driving. We made it though, and the resort was more than worth the long, tedious drive! It was late when we arrived but woke up the next day to these views...

 

We had breakfast on the terrace overlooking the valley

 It was breathtaking!! All around us were mountains and villages and Tuscany!! It was wonderful!!

 

Just so pretty! There was something neat around every corner.

 

 

This picture captures the villages we drove through. This IS Italy! After we explored the resort, we headed to the village of Barga, about 5 mins away. It was such a cute, Italian village with neat little shops and cafes. We did a little shopping and ate lunch. It was just perfect! Here is the road up the hill from the cafe we ate at. Colston loved walking up and down!

 

 

Before leaving the little village, we found out how to go down the mountain with out taking that winding, curving, white knuckle mountain road. The road they told us about was easy peasy compared to the night before. If (and hopefully when :) ) we go back, we will take the "motorway"!!

 

Before we go to Pisa, look at this cute picture I found of Renee and Colston! I'm going to have to raid her pics :)

 

 

I loved Tuscany and cannot wait to go back!!! The drive is beautiful and the people are wonderful and it is just so breathtaking! But we were on a mission when we left...Pisa and then Rome for the night. Better get started...

 

Pisa was such a fun town! It was neat to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa:

 

 

We had a little fun:

 

 

 

It was really neat to stand next to it and see how tall it really is. Right beside it, which no one ever really talks about, is a beautiful church. It has so many intritcate details. You can see a little of it in the picture above.

 

 

Colston loved the chance to run around in the grass for a little while. We had been in the car for a very long time. He was so excited!

 

 

 Pisa was a fun stop along our way to Rome. We enjoyed seeing the country side. From the castles on the hills to the fields of olive trees and grapevines, it was just unbelieveable!

 

 

Someday, we hope to return to Tuscany. Now, it is off to Rome. Ciao!

The French Riviera

Bonjour from Nice and Cannes!

After an exciting day in Paris, we flew to Nice and rented a car at the airport. Boy, we were in for a very interesting time! One good thing about driving in Europe is that they drive on the same side of the road as us (England is the different one). Kyle got in the driver's seat and we made the late night drive to the JW Marriott in Cannes.

The hotel itself was beautiful!! It reminded me of Rio de Janiero with the beautiful beach and curve. Out front of our hotel were many boats and ships. Cannes has many, many high end shops and lots of upity guests. The shop owners and hotel people were very nice! Colston loved the macaroons that we had waiting for us in our room. Oh yeah, he loved to 'kiss the baby' in the mirrors that ran down the hallway in our room :)

He also enjoyed snuggling with Mommy and Daddy!

 

 

 

 After breakfast on the terrace, Papaw and Colston waited patiently to be able to go see Cannes. We started on the rooftop terrace at the JW Marriott. It was beautiful!

 

 

Here is where it reminded me of Rio:

 

 

He loved to look at the boats:

 

 

Dave and Renee met a man from Brazil and had him take our picture. 

 

 

Aren't these outfits just adorable! They were in one of the windows when we were walking around Cannes.

 

 

 

 

After walking around some of the shops and window shopping at Gucci and Louis Vuitton, we headed to Nice. Unlike Cannes, the beach at Nice was all rocks. And both were topless! But that didn't stop us from walking the boardwalk.

 

 

This is one of my favorite pictures from our time in the French Riviera :)

 

 

Now, its off to Tuscany! Oh, I can't wait!