Prego!

Several months back, the wind whistled over the frozen ground with temperatures hovering around -30˚C. Cheeks were rosy.  Fingers were bundled in two layers of mittens.  And the sun could not be coerced to stay in the sky for more than a few hours a day.  It was during this time that travel plans were arranged for warmer and greener lands.  Dad and I skyped back and forth until an itinerary was set and plane tickets were purchased.

Fast-forward two months, and you'll find that Dad and I just recently returned from this long-awaited holiday.  Destination?  41˚N, 12˚E.  Italy.

Rendezvousing at the "Meeting Pole" in the Fiumicino airport, Dad and I jumped into our small, black vehicle and drove off into the sunset an hour north of Rome.  It was during this drive that I learned Dad has a stowaway in his luggage.  With innocent yellow eyes, an oversized head and delicious ears, this stowaway was to become a sort of mascot for our Italian adventures.  This mascot was a chocolate bunny which had the opportunity to see many of Italy's greatest sights despite its proclivity to melt.

(I should probably pause now to let you know that more official trip photos are posted on my Picasa site.  However, if you are interested in hearing more about Bunny's adventures, read on.)

After spending the night in a lovely B&B, Bunny, Dad and I continued north through the Tuscan countryside.  Littered with quaint houses, spring flowers and meticulously prepared vineyards, I think I understand why the rolling green hills of this land may have inspired someone to discover the moons of Jupiter or sculpt a timeless masterpiece of David.  The landscape is beautiful.


Around lunchtime, Bunny suggested that we make a sight-seeing and gelato stop in the town of Siena.  Sitting out on the 'living room floor' that is the town's plaza, it was fun to imagine the annual horserace that occurs in this space. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent taking in a few more sights around Lilliano, Chianti and San Gimignano.  The day was wrapped up with a classic stop at the Leaning Tower.  Boy is that tower leaning.

The following day, Bunny continued to tag along with Dad and I as we made our way east to Venice.  The afternoon was spent getting lost among the canals while photographing the day-to-day life of this island.

We woke up bright and early on the third day to explore the land surrounding Venice.  First stop was at the University of Padova where Galileo and the man who discovered Fallopian tubes taught.  We even got to stand at the base of an anatomy theater where students used to observe human dissections.  Feeling scholarly, we moved on to more cultural sites around some of Venice's neighboring islands.  Murano specializes in glassblowing, while Burano is home to lace-makers and wildly colorful buildings.

On day four, Dad and I drove south to Florence.  Here we saw several amazing things including Michelangelo's David, Bernini's gold doors, Galileo's last two remaining telescopes and the resting places of some of history's greats.  The afternoon was finished off with a panoramic view of the city before heading further south to Assisi.



Day five seemed to come all too fast, but Dad and I were happy about all we were able to see and do.  It was on this last day that we finally made it around to touring Rome.  We started out in the Vatican, joining masses of other people in the Sistine chapel.  While Bunny enjoyed seeing St. Peter's Basilica, the sun proved to be a bit much for him as he slowly melted while hopping from the Pantheon to the Roman ruins and finally the Colosseum. 

Happy but exhausted, Dad and I parted ways on the sixth day.  He flew back to Minneapolis while I journeyed back to Joensuu.  All in all, it was amazing to see so much history in such a short amount of time.  Plus, the vibrant green fields and deep blue skies were a welcomed reminder that summer is just around the corner.

(Again, let me remind you that some bunny-less photos were taken.  They are here.)