Spring Fling in Italy XII: Homeward through Zurich

We left beautiful, sunny Venice and headed towards our final stop before going home -- Zurich, Switzerland.

We decided on stopping in Zurich because it was about mid-way between Venice and Belgium. Plus, it would be a great experience to spend a little time in Switzerland and take in the natural beauty of the Alps!

On the way, we passed through Verona (the setting for Romeo and Juliet), where I really wanted to stop at. But since time did not permit a proper visit, Ray was nice enough to at least do a drive-thru. As expected, it looked like a beautiful town, but alas, "Juliet's Balcony" will just have to wait for a future visit..

Our drives through Switzerland took us through some breathtaking scenery. We saw so many quaint little Swiss towns, that I was left a little disappointed when we arrived in the big city of Zurich. However, don't get me wrong - Zurich was lovely.

The girls enjoyed the beautiful koi pond in the center of the hotel lobby and were able to feed the fish on several occasions. Although they should have been fed only once a day, the hotel staff couldn't resist the girls asking for more fish food! Good for the girls, but bad for the fish!

Since our hotel did not have an executive lounge, we ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. And what a surprise! We had heard that Switzerland was expensive, but were shocked to find that our dinner was more than the hotel stay!

After checking out the next morning, we headed into town to see what Zurich had to offer. It was a beautiful day and it just so happened that the Zurich marathon was taking place. Which meant plenty of food booths and a carnival-like setting!

We walked down to Lake Zurich where the girls had fun feeding the swans. DS and PS ate their sandwiches while enjoying the lake view and were treated to chocolate-dipped fruit kabobs.

We also bought some fresh, hot roasted candied almonds - yum!

Soon enough, it was time to hit the road for the 5-hour drive back to Brussels. And, since the next day was a school/work day, we didn't want to leave too late.

It was time to say farewell to Switzerland and end this wonderful vacation...

Belgium welcomed us back with heavy rain and wind. Our beautiful Italian holiday was officially over! After 18-days on the road, it felt a little strange to be back at home , however it was nice to be back in our own beds again!

We will always remember our first time in Italy and the wonderful experience it was for our family.

Arrivederci per ora, l'Italia!!

Spring Fling in Italy XI: Venice

Our last destination in Italy was Venice. Located in the North East quadrant of Italy, it is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But, with all of the beautiful sights we have seen in Italy, how much better could it be? Quite a lot, as it turns out…

We chose to stay just outside of Venice in Quarto d’Altino, at the Crowne Plaza just next door to the train station. As in most Italian cities, you want to leave your car and take public transportation into the city, or else, you’ll be sorry! In this case, Venice is a car-free zone, so public transport is the only way in.

As we were driving up from Florence, we regularly checked Venice weather on all of the major internet weather sites. Most predicted heavy rain for the next two days, except for BBC.com that predicted “patchy blue skies with occasional heavy rain” (nothing like covering all your bases!). We decided to forego going in to Venice until the following day, and instead, headed into Treviso, a nearby town from the hotel.

After our arrival in Treviso, we quickly found parking near the city center. Although Treviso also has canals running through the city, it is unlike the grand canals of Venice. A beautiful town, none-the-less.

Since 5:30pm is way too early for dinner in Italy, we walked around and did some sightseeing before the restaurants opened at 7:00pm. Luckily, the city center had some beautiful structures and shops to keep us occupied until then.

We walked over to the Duomo, dedicated to St. Peter, and took a quick look inside. Beautiful, as you would expect.

Nearby, there were shops and narrow roads that lined the canals. We saw few tourists here, possibly due to it being off-season. However, we didn’t mind having many of the streets to ourselves.

7 pm quickly arrived and we were one of the first to be seated at Da Pino Pizzeria Ristorante. Highly recommended by several sources, we were again, not disappointed. The pizza and salads were great!

The next day turned out to be sunny and clear! (Where do these weather forecasters get their information?) After breakfast in the hotel, we walked next door and boarded the train for the 20 minute ride into Venice’s St. Lucia station.

Venice was spectacular! We were overwhelmed by its’ beauty and by the excitement in the air. Here was one of the most famous cities in the world and we were fortunate to have come during great weather and light crowds. It doesn’t get much better than that!

We boarded the vaporetti (water buses) that will ferry you to different areas within Venice, pretty efficiently, I might add. You just find your route and stand in a small area that looks like a “bus stop”. The boat arrives and you are quickly on your way.

We headed for Piazza San Marco, the famous square where St. Mark’s Basilica and the bell tower are (and don’t forget about the thousands of pigeons there as well!)

The girls all went inside the Basilica, but since my backpack (stuffed full of umbrellas, rain gear and water bottles) looked suspicious, I was asked to go to another security station, or else sit outside. I chose to go outside…

We had lunch at the new Hard Rock Café that just opened in Venice. Although it was a bit hard to find, it was worth it since we all love the food there. We also enjoy seeing their different locations throughout Europe (so far we've been to seven). And it’s a chance (for me, anyways) to have a “real” hamburger and not that thing they call a burger in Europe!

We saw Rialto Bridge, one of the four famous bridges that cross the grand canal, just before PS fell asleep in her stroller. That is my cue to sit down, relax and rock her stroller, while Jo and DS go off to do some more sightseeing and shopping. I am content to just sit and people watch while PS snores soundly asleep. I figure I better enjoy it now, before she gets out of the “nap” stage…

Soon enough, it started to get late and we had to start thinking about getting back to the hotel. Jo decided she wanted to take the vaporetto the “long way” back to the train station, and mistakenly chose one heading the opposite way back. It turned out to be the REALLY long way back! It was ok, though, because how many times are you going to be in Venice? In addtion, the sunset cruise along the canals was quite spectacular...

A quick snack at the train station sufficed for our dinner that night, and we took one of the last trains back to Quarto d’Altino. And conveniently, the hotel was just next door which made it a blessing after the long day on our feet.

We had been told by some Europeans to save Italy for last, because nothing else will measure up to her beauty. Well, that may be so, but if we were to do it again, I definitely wouldn’t wait this long to go there – that way, you can immediately start planning a return visit before time runs out…

Spring Fling in Italy X: Florence

Heading north out of Rome, our next destination was Florence, another "must-see" city in Italy. If you appreciate art, you'd be crazy to miss it. Florence is considered to be the "cradle of the Italian Renaissance", as confirmed by all of the beautiful monuments, churches and buildings, as well as the commissioned works of Leonardo DaVinci, Michaelangelo and Botticelli originating in the area.

We stayed in a small hotel right in the center of town, within walking distance to many of the sights in the city. And again, we purchased tickets for the hop-on/hop-off bus tour which we consider to be one of the best ways to see the city.

One of the first stops for us was at Michaelangelo's Square, which is located high on the hill overlooking Florence, resulting in a spectacular panoramic view.

After taking in the gorgeous views and letting the girls run around and burn off some energy, we hopped back on the bus to see the rest of the city.

For dinner, we found our way to a local restauarant called La Casalinga, which literally means "The Housewife". This restaurant was recommended by a nice family from New Jersey (JOIZEY, they said) whom we met earlier during our trip to Bellagio. It was a good thing we had our hotel make reservations for us, because it turned out to be a very popular restaurant.

Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel and enjoyed the lovely views of the river and the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge, just as the city lights started to come alive...

The next morning, after having breakfast in the charming courtyard of our hotel, we hopped on the bus to take us to the Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts), the home of Michaelangelo's David. When your make reservations, you can walk in the "fast track" lane without having to wait in a queue, as we had done. Without reservations, you have to wait in the "slow lane", which can often result in a 2+ hour wait (no thanks!).

In addition to David, there were other beautiful paintings and artwork that we were able to enjoy. DS and I browsed through the entire museum to take in all of the beautiful artwork. Thankfully, the Accademia is not that large, so we were able to appreciate all that it had to offer.

Michaelangelo's David -- what a masterpiece! It is so mind-boggling to think that this sculpture was created from a single block of marble, took 3 years to complete and was created by Michelangelo at the young age of only 29! DS was very interested in viewing the sculpture, so we made sure to take it in from all different angles.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the city sights, such as the Duomo, and St. Giotto's Tower.

We walked over to Piazza Vecchio to see the town hall, and had an impromptou picnic lunch of panini sandwiches, while being entertained by street performers.

We made our way back on the bus, and while PS napped, we travelled to Fiesole, up in the hills NE of Florence. The skies had cleared which made for a beautiful ride through some scenic areas. After a pretty full day of sightseeing, we headed back to the hotel (just after stopping for a snack of some McDonald's french fries!)

The hotel recommended a restaurant close by called Osteria Centopoveri, which turned out to be excellent. The best restaurants that we have experienced tend to be the ones recommended by the locals, and this was no exception. Ray ordered a hearty Tuscan soup, that was made from local bread, and had a very thick consistency. It was shared amongst the four of us and we all thought it to be very good!

After dinner, the girls and I went out for an evening walk through the town, while Ray went back to the hotel, still nursing his cough.

During our walk, the girls and I walked over the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and made our way to Palazzo Vecchio (or Palazzo della Signoria). There we sat on the steps to take in the beautiful town hall along with the magnificent outdoor statues within the square. It was simply beautiful when illuminated at night. We made sure to stop and have some gelato and didn't make it back to the hotel until after 10pm!

The girls are sure enjoying vacation, because of the late hours they get to keep! However, they still seem to wake up early in the morning, though...

Although we enjoyed the beauty of Florence, we were all looking forward to making our way to Venice, our last stop in Italy before heading back to Belgium. So, after another lovely breakfast in the courtyard, we checked out and headed out towards some ominous-looking dark rain clouds, in the direction of Venice.

We hear that the weather was turning nasty, but are hoping we get lucky for a few more days of sun!

More to follow...

Spring Fling in Italy IX: Rome

After our wonderful stay in Tuscany, we made the 3-hour drive to Rome.

Although I was a little nervous about the apartment we booked in Rome, it turned out that we all loved it there. It was in a great location, just down the street from Campo de Fiori and a short walk to Piazza Navona, in the historic center of Rome. The owner did a wonderful job decorating using beautiful antiques and tapestries. And since it was situated on a quiet street, it made for a nice little retreat here in Rome. The antique, round bed was such a big hit with the girls that Ray got kicked out to the sofa, poor guy!

After getting situated, we took the owner's advice and had a wonderful dinner at Da Tonino, a restaurant popular with the locals. Then, with Rick Steves' Rome guidebook in hand (thanks, Amy!), we ventured on his night walk through Rome. The highlights of this walk took us to Piazza Navona, The Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and The Spanish Steps. We had so much fun enjoying the beautiful weather and spectacular (!!!) sights, that time ran away from us and we didn't get back to our apartment until it was very late (shamefully late for our two little ones!).

Piazza Navona


Trevi Fountain -- A must see at night! Magnifico!

Spanish Steps... It's now a long walk home!


On day 2, as we made our way to the Colosseum, we walked through the Jewish Ghetto and noticed a small bakery, Pasticceria Embraica Il Boccione, that was jammed with locals. It was Ray's idea for me to go in and buy whatever these people were standing in line for, which turned out to be Pizza Embraica or Jewish Pizza -- irresistibly sweet, crunchy cakes filled with raisins, candied fruit and almonds and served hot out of the oven. Also being snatched up "like hotcakes" were the ricotta cakes with sour cherry or chocolate, almond tarts (they looked like macaroons) and honey biscotti. All I can say is that the Pizza Embraica was truly one of the most delectable items we have ever had! And the other treats were incredibly delish as well (I bought a little of everything!).

Aka "The Burnt Bakery" (since pastries are purposely slightly burnt)... Notice the line inside the shop.

Pizza Embraica (Jewish Pizza). Delizioso!!

With our tummies happy and after enjoying a nice walk to the Colosseum, the weather took a turn for the worse and started to rain heavily. We decided to hop on a bus tour through Rome to see the rest of the highlights undercover.

The rain dissipated by early evening, so we headed out to Pizzeria da Baffeto for dinner. Again, a place found merely by chance. During the night before, we noticed a LONG line of people patiently waiting to get into the restaurant. Later, as we researched it on the internet, we read that many consider the pizza here as "the best in Rome", so of course, we had to give it a try!

Pizzeria Baffetto - 1st in line at 6:15pm!

A long line starts forming at 6:25pm! 5 more minutes...


We arrived at 6:15pm (a full 15-minutes before opening) and were the first in line. Once seated, we ordered the house specialty: "Pizza da Baffeto" (the owner's own creation) -- consisting of ham, sausage, onions, mushroom, red peppers, artichoke pieces and right before it is served, a fresh egg cracked right in the middle. Trust me, it tastes much better than it sounds!!! We also ordered a white bean salad and a Margherita pizza for the kids. And, of course, I sampled some of their home-made wine. DS exclaimed the white bean salad as one of the best salads she has ever had.

The house specialty "Pizza Baffetto"... Yummy!!

The White Bean and Cheese Salad. We all love this one!

We had the pleasure of meeting a lovely couple, vacationing from Toronto, whom we spent the evening chatting with.

On Day 3, we were blessed with sunny blue skies and headed out early to walk to the Colosseum. It was a beautiful leisurely walk with amazing sights along the way. This week coincidentally was Settimana della Cultura week in Italy, which meant free entrance to all state owned musea which allowed us to walk into the Colosseum free of charge (cool!) . And since we got there early, there was no line!

Seeing the Colosseum in person was truly magnificent!

After leaving the Colosseum, we did the "Caesar Shuffle" and went to the Forum. With DS' souvenir book of Rome in hand, we were able to see the ruins as they appeared today, and with cool overlays, see what it used to look like in the past. One of the amazing facts about Rome is that when new buildings were being built, instead of tearing down the existing buildings, the cities were "filled in" with rubble and new buildings and cities were built on top of the old ones. As such, to this day, excavations will uncover layers upon layers of ancient ruins! The Forum was the political, religious, and commercial centre of the city. In fact, we saw the actual site where Julius Caesar's body was burned after he was assassinated.

Since we had a 2 day pass, after the forum, we hopped on the double decker open-top bus, which on a clear day like today, made viewing the sights absolutely breathtaking, not to mention a lot of fun!

In front of Vatican City...


In front of Circus Maximus...


In front of Piazza Popolo and Colosseum...


We hopped off the bus at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City and took in the sights of the area. Unfortunately, the lines were too long to view the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica, so this will have to wait for another trip... Instead, we had lunch in the vicinity before hopping back onto the bus to our next stop, the Pantheon -- Rome's best preserved monument.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City...


St. Peter's Square...

The Pantheon...

The "Oculus" seen from the interior of Pantheon...

This evening we went to Filetti de Baccala for fried cod fillets, which I read was very good. We met our friends here (who we met from Pizza Bafetto the night before) for another evening of good food and nice company...

On Day 4 in Rome we decided to check out the local outdoor market at Campo de Fiori and stop at recommended bakery, Il Forno al Campo dei Fiori. Ray and the girls bought some zucchini, potato and tomato pizza's and sampled them while I browsed the outdoor market. I bought some pastries (from Il Forno) for the car ride to Florence. Needless to say, the pastries were so yummy that they didn't make it to Florence! Another great find...

After an amazing 4-days in Rome, we were sad to leave. We found this city beautiful and awe-inspiring -- a place we will always remember with fond memories.