Did you see our "gangster" Bella? You can always tell when she is done with pictures. This last photo shows Mt. Vesuvius (sp?) in the background which buried Pompeii all those years ago.
Italy - Pompeii
On Sunday, we trained out of Rome and headed south to Naples. Naples is not a place you want to spend a lot of time....even in our brief layover we were stalked, marked for scam and attempted to pickpocket. We ate lunch and quickly caught our connection, spending the afternoon in the ruins of Pompeii. This was a hot but fascinating afternoon. So much of life was still evident througout the city. Paintings and mosaics still decorated the walls, tools and machines were in place ready to work, the theatre and gardens were still inviting...
Italy - Rome
The one country in Europe that has always fascinated Anthony is Italy. (Godfather junkie) When we found out we were moving to France, he knew instantly that Italy was where he wanted to spend his vacation. On my previous tour, I had only seen Venice in the far north so was more than happy to see the rest of Italy. From June 4th through the 14th we had a wonderful time exploring the "old country". Luckily, my cousin Christi who is a teacher was willing to come along and help even the adult / children ratios and we were off...
Our first night in Rome we did the classics; Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and that fabulous Italian treat - gelato.
On Friday, we toured ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the Forum, Palatine Hill and of course had to stop by the Mouth of Truth.
Our first night in Rome we did the classics; Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and that fabulous Italian treat - gelato.On Friday, we toured ancient Rome, the Colosseum, the Forum, Palatine Hill and of course had to stop by the Mouth of Truth. Saturday, we traipsed through the Vatican City, St Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museums.
The Italians LOVE children, speak English fluently and were very warm, welcoming and helpful. Bella was SOOO confused because everyone knew her name and Brooke just argued with everyone because she was NOT "bella" she was "Brooke". The kids all picked up tons of Italian phrases so much more readily than the French. Very interesting dynamic...
May Meanderings
If you ever have the opportunity to live in France for a month...make it MAY! There are five big holidays celebrated so all the work weeks are 3 and 4 days, the weather is beautiful, the gardens and parks are in full bloom, the tourists haven't descended yet and everyone is smiling and happy. We used this month for lots of little day trips around the area which ended up working perfectly.
For Mother's Day (the American one), we spent the day out at Disney Village where we ate and played until everyone was pooped.
One gorgeous day, we visited Claude Monet's house and gardens at Giverny. I honestly have never seen anything like it...the gardens even made my black thumb itch to plant some flowers. The house has been wonderfully maintained and after walking through the water gardens, it is obvious to see why he spent so much time there.
We took the kids back up to Montmarte (see 18th Arrondissement) to the artist's square to have their portraits made. After scouring around and talking to several artists, we decided to go with a woman named Flore who used colored pastels, was affordable and did a marvelous job. These will always be one of my treasures from this year in Paris.
Finally, we went to a park called France Miniature where they have recreated hundreds of significant buildings, monuments, churches, towns and geographical features from around the country. About mid-way through there is a lunch counter and several "rides" that you run yourself, a little creepy for me, but the kids had a ball. Another beautiful day with tired kiddos at the end...who could ask for more? 
The first weekend we visited the Loire Valley which is known for its plethora of "Chateaus" belonging to the aristocracy before the royals and court moved to Versailles, many which can be toured through. We based our excursions out of Amboise so we also got to see Leonardo da Vinci's house and workrooms. His genius is even today, unfathomable. We had great weather and the kids had tons of fun trapsing through all the castles.
For Mother's Day (the American one), we spent the day out at Disney Village where we ate and played until everyone was pooped.We spent one Saturday exploring the 5th Arrondissement. Also known as the Latin Quarter, it is home to the Musuem of Middle Ages, the Pantheon, Roman baths, ruins, and colosseum, the Sorbonne, as well as several famous streets, churches and monuments. It also happened to be a very "walkable" arrondissement which the kids appreciated and we enjoyed gorging ourselves on pancakes at Breakfast in America.
One gorgeous day, we visited Claude Monet's house and gardens at Giverny. I honestly have never seen anything like it...the gardens even made my black thumb itch to plant some flowers. The house has been wonderfully maintained and after walking through the water gardens, it is obvious to see why he spent so much time there. We took the kids back up to Montmarte (see 18th Arrondissement) to the artist's square to have their portraits made. After scouring around and talking to several artists, we decided to go with a woman named Flore who used colored pastels, was affordable and did a marvelous job. These will always be one of my treasures from this year in Paris.Finally, we went to a park called France Miniature where they have recreated hundreds of significant buildings, monuments, churches, towns and geographical features from around the country. About mid-way through there is a lunch counter and several "rides" that you run yourself, a little creepy for me, but the kids had a ball. Another beautiful day with tired kiddos at the end...who could ask for more?
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