Rule #1 of travelling - Bring these to the airport
Delay #1 out of “All” (flight 8092)
Welcome to Dublin! At 6:00 AM on a Sunday, this is what everything looked like.
We've seen this somewhere before...
Christ Church
We're really tired and hungry...beer should help
Top floor of the Guiness Storehouse and Brewery. Yes, it's only 10:00 AM local... it was the first thing to open.
Crowded bar at 10:30 AM...
Perfect pour + nice views from the top floor
Famous 9,000 year lease for the land the Brewery still sits on
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Bill was ready to fight those 2 ladies on the left so he could nap on that bench
According to our cab driver, it has rained for 63 days...clearly we were lucky
When in Rome...errr...Dublin
We only stopped in to use the restroom and this is what happened
Look! Another castle/church
This is as far as we got
We need more of these (legally of course) in the US
Dublin airport...ready to go to Pisa..flight delayed by over 2 hours
Pisa Airport - 2:49 AM local - trying to call Hertz to yell at them for stranding us. Her smile is fake by the way.
Things with Hertz and local hotels did not go well...we have now become “airport dwellers”
Hertz finally opens at 8:00 and we can now depart for our hotel...2 hours away
It's hard to tell, but our hotel (Castella di Leonina) is up there.
Our room
View from our room window
Countryside around our hotel... the view from the pool
Apparently, the Val D'Arbia is actually a desert
Abbazia de Monte Oliveto Maggiore
Library at the abbey
Abbey is also filled with art of which here is a sampling
Lots of scenes of St. Benedict with devils here and there. St. Benedict is the guy on the right with the less than intimidating whip.
Trying to translate this, but not getting too far...
I thought it might be “St Benedict feeding the demon Campanella”, but I think I am wrong
2nd set of scenery pictures from some high place in Tuscany
Get used to it...this set is from Montepulciano
Along with scenery and wine, climbing hills and stairs will be recurring themes on our journey.
Leaving Montepulciano...home of Nobile wines
Couldn't resist another shot of the town.
“Love Street” in the town of Pienza...
Love Street is only about 15 meters long and it's more of an alley
Siena - the Palazzo Publicco (town hall)
Il Campo in Siena
The Duomo in Florence...beginning our climb to the top of the Dome...
The 463 stairs come in many flavors...
Almost at the top...no AC in here by the way
Top of the Duomo is amazing...but our camera would prefer more light
The climb was worth it!
Different view from the top
Apparently, the friendly tourist who took our picture didn't want to include the scenery.
This is a good one...both the girl and the view
On the way down now...
This name also looks familiar...
This picture doesn't do the Duomo justice...but it was too hot to walk to someplace to get a better shot.
Giardino di Boboli on the other side of the Arno river...better shot of the Duomo... not a better shot of Heather
More from the Boboli Gardens (Palazzo Pitti in the background)
These gardens were huge and we are happy we don't have to take care of them.
Ponte Vecchio
On our way back from Florence, we were hungry and accidentally found this!
Now THIS is a castle - Montereggione to be specific. Sienese fortress north of the town since Florence and Siena were constantly fighting each other
More of il Piccolo Castello
Surveying the castle's defenses...
Bill really like this place and took too many photos. In the castle's defense, our meal there was our favorite of the trip.
Bill cut off the bottom by accident; the missing word is “Torturra”.
The Rack...no description needed.
This was was a favorite of the Inquisition...I will spare you the description.
Happier place...a wine bar in Siena.
Couldn't leave a Siena without a picture from someplace high - Fortezza Medicea
Castello di Brolio (owned by the Ricasoli family - they make lots of wine)
Heather inspecting the castle's defenses, “Is this where they pour the hot tar?”
Town of Raddha in Chianti country
Bill cleaning mud off our precious Acqua with a leaf
Obligatory humanless scenery picture from Raddha
Crazy old wine in Raddha
Look! We had this wine at dinner the other night...ours was much younger though. None of this pesky dust.
Very random banner of Mario.
Not sure why it's a “fort” instead of a castle.
The Fortezza in Montalcino has a wine bar. Don't buy anything here; it's way overpriced.
Buy your wine here instead! We like the town of Montalcino a lot, especially this wine shop... 140 of 200 Brunello wines are available
Montalcino from afar
Grapes! Imagine that.
Wow, more grapes in wine country
Ok, we know this is getting old now.
View from the top of the tallest remaining tower in the “Medieval Manhattan” of San Gimignano
By the way, this place is just a tourist trap.
Shortly after bumping her head, she descends with caution.
Told you there would be stairs.
Beginning of our trek through the 5 villages of Cinque Terre. We have just departed Riomaggiore.
They will grow grapes, olives, lemons and other produce anywhere in this area.
Rocks make for suitable beaches
Town #2 - Manarola
Another shot of Manarola, complete with elevated farm.
On the way to Corniglia...this feels more like a stroll, not a hike.
Now the steps begin...and these were the only ones with railings.
At the top of the one of the more arduous sets of steps, you can call for help if you are having a heart attack.
Corniglia (after we have left) and yes, it took a lot of steps to get this high.
The views (and the steps) took our breath away.
Entering town #4, Vernanzza - I can imagine someone about 1,000 years ago saying “Look, some rocks stick out here. Let's build a town.”
We don't smell good, evidenced by our distance.
Casualty (with Vernazza in the background)
You can see several of the towns in the background.
Approaching #5 - Monterosso
Everyone here knew there was a beach but us.
Heather pushes her way into the water briefly.
Dinner on the long ride home for Bill.
Our version of planes, trains and automobiles. (This is the bus that was part of the car-train-bus-train trip to Cinque Terre)
Last train of the night
Our well-traveled chariot.
Not clean.
One last stop in Pisa before the airport - I thought this was supposed to be leaning.
Maybe these people have straightened it.
Heather is going to make it lean again, lest people stop coming to Pisa. (She would only take this silly picture if she was pushing it over, not propping it up)
Much better, back to a 10 degree pitch.
Babtistry in Pisa
The only 3 things to see in Pisa are conveniently next to each other.
Time to pack to go home...what is the weight limit again? We're looking forward to enjoying our spoils with friends & family back home!
