Post Europe Trip...our Travel Counter reaches 5%

Paris

Our final stop on this crazy tour was Paris. We arrived in the evening and took a quick tour of the city of lights at dusk. We took a ride up the Eiffel Tower to see the ultimate view of the city at night.

Unfortunately this was the only city where we actually woke up to a rainy sky :( We decided that since today was the actual funeral of the Pope we would try to catch a glimpse of the ceremony being televised at the Notre Dame. Notre Dame was a mad house filled with people, so we walked by and decided to hit the tourist sites since it looked like all of Paris was at Notre Dame.

The Louvre was amazing....just how I envisioned it from the Di Vinci Code :) We loved roaming through the museum. Saw the Mona Lisa :) and all the beautiful art housed in the massive place. We grabbed lunch at a cute little French cafe. Alby figured since we were in Paris, he might as well try out escargot... so he did....

By mid afternoon the rain had slowed down, and we took a walk up the Champs L'ysee (sp?) shopped and made it up to the Arc Di Triumph.

A lot of people say Paris is their favorite city...I can't really say it was mine....but maybe it was the weather.

That night we went to see the Moulin Rouge. The show was amazing! What a great way to end our trip of Europe.

The land of Swiss Cheese?

After leaving Florence we said good bye to Italy for now (we know we'll be coming back soon we hope!) and drove into Switzerland. So the little I know about Switzerland comes from what my mom has told me and from what I've seen in the Sound of Music! We definitely didn't see Julie Andrews singing in the hills, but we did see the amazing Alps, and the beauty of Switzerland. Lucerne was gorgeous (and super clean). Alby got a Swiss Military watch and we took a cruise out on the Lake Lucerne.

Florence

From Rome, we drove to Florence. I loved Florence. It was one of the cities that didn't seem overly touristy. It might have also been less crowded since so many people were going to Rome for the Pope's funeral. We were able to go see the Statue of David, wander around the street, eat more gelato (the best we had in Italy) and do a little shopping. The evening ended with a traditional Tuscan dinner out on a vineyard. Later at night we went clubbing :) Definitely a fun experience.

Rome

So the day we drove into Italy, we heard the news that the Pope had passed away. It was a very sad time in Italy, and we anticipated a very sorrow filled city when we arrived into Rome. There was a huge pilgrimage of people flooding into Rome and the Vatican, making the city bursting at its seems. Alby and I decided we'd try to visit as much of Rome as we could, but we'd definitely make another trip back to visit the Vatican and see Rome in a happier time.

I have already ready Angels & Demons before the trip, but Alby was actually in the middle of the book when we arrived in Rome. For anyone who hasn't read the book, it takes place in Rome, and there is a scavenger hunt like storyline in the book. Alby and I thought it would be fun to actually read and follow the path the characters take in the book, in real life! What fun! It was great being able to actually see the sites that are described in the book right in front of us, and it really allowed us to see Rome from a different stand point.

The history of Rome and the ancient-ness of the city were overwhelming. Walking into The Coliseum, roaming through the ruins, ogling at the massiveness of the Pantheon, and lounging at the Spanish Steps filled an entire day. We took massive numbers of pictures, but here are a few of our favorites. If I were to go back anywhere, I'd definitely go back to this amazing city!!

Venice...the most romantic city in the world!

Our first stop in Italy, and it is Venice!! Definitely a place Alby and I both have dreamed about visiting. The city was so romantic, with cozy little sidewalk cafes and restaurants. We took in the tourist sites, including a glass blowing demonstration, St. Marks and the Capinelle. Before going on our gondola ride in the Venetian canals we picked up a bottle of the Venetian Peach Drink (tasted like a bellini). We had our first bites of gelato after dinner, and boy was it yummy!!

Venice is amazing city, but really, 1-2 days are all you really need here. I'm glad we had our time here, and I'd love to go back for a romantic weekend!

Austria

With our bellies filled with German beer, we headed south to Austria, specifically the city of Innsbruck. Our drive took us through the Alps, where we got some breath taking views. We sampled snitzel (not too good) and went touring the Swarovski Museum. Nothing too crazy to do here, but it was a nice city to visit.