{ bella italia }

As my time in London wrapped up, I thought it would be a great idea for Mother Darling to trek across the Atlantic and visit in London. She had never been to Europe, and it was the perfect excuse to visit Italy. It was, after all, her dream. And mine (since Italy had been bumped up to #1 on my Top 10 Places to Travel list).

I spent some time researching and came up with a crazy itinerary which allowed us to see 5 cities in just  7 days:

Pisa

Florence

Bologna

Venice

Rome

Here are just a few of my favorite shots from that trip

I have no idea what this building is, but it is gorgeous. This was on a side street off Piazza della Signora in Florence.

I loved this little alley, also a side street off Piazza della Signora

Rach hates this. I don't get why. This is Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence

Sneaky shot of Michaelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia. It was bizarre standing outside for an hour just to go in. In was in this very plain building. I guess I just expected one of the most iconic art pieces in history to be housed in a building of grander scale. It was beautiful though, and definitely worth the wait.

We spent an afternoon in Pisa. That was really all we needed. We didn't climb the tower, but enjoyed walking around the piazza.

A more comprehensive view of Piazza del Doumo

View from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence

All mom wanted for her birthday was to visit a vineyard. It was an interesting day. We didn't book a tour, and all vineyards were closed by the time we made it to Tuscany... so we snuck into one. 

We do what we want.

This is UNREAL. I love Tuscany!

Then mom and I made our way to Bologna. I had just read John Grisham's The Broker, and most of the story takes place there. Don't judge me. In the book, he talks about this portico that is built from the center of Bologna and leads to a cathedral up a mountain. You can walk all 666 arches, or you can take a bus. Well, I HAD to see it, and to Bologna we went. This red baby Fiat was at the Bologna station. 

We made our way along Via della Indipendenza and got to this cathedral right before we hit Piazza del Nettuno

Grishman also spent a considerable amount of the story talking about this fountain. I don't understand his fascination with it, really. It's terrifying.

Mom and I found a bus that took us to the Sanctuary of the Madonna in San Luca. We did not hike up the portico, but we were tight on time. The trip was worth it though. The exterior of the cathedral is not at all representative of the interior. It also provided gorgeous views of the surrounding hills and fields.

After Bologna, we made our way to Venice. It was super rainy, and hard to get around because of the rain, but I LOVED IT. I can't wait to go back.

Mama on Ponte di Rialto in Venice.

We got caught in a monsoon and waited inside the Basilica (of San Marco). I loved how different the architecture was from every other church we saw on that trip... or possibly ever. I've never seen much Byzantine architecture and I loved it. 

On our way out, I realize I had ZERO photos of me in Venice... 

so here is a picture of me on the Grand Canal.

And one of mama at some place in Venice that I can't recall the name of

That night, we arrived in Rome. Time was tight so we headed right for Fontanna di Trevi

and the Spanish steps

The next day we visited Vatican City. I loved visiting the Basilica and loved how no one was telling us that we couldn't take pictures inside. Still, it felt a little weird, so I don't have many from the interior.

It was a gorgeous day in Rome... but seriously like 90+ degrees. 

We breezed through the Vatican Museums as we had a flight to catch, but at last... I got to see Sistine Chapel. It was not at all what I expected, and it was so crowded that I truly didn't get to enjoy it as I had hoped. The fact that so many people were there sort of made it lose its "aura" if you will. I'm still so so grateful that I got to see it. 

This should give you a sense of how crowded it was.

We took a taxi to the Colosseum and didn't feel like waiting in line. We walked around it and enjoyed some gelato before heading to the airport for our flight.