Italy – September 2015
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So this year for our big trip we decided on Italy. We did a mini – getaway after our wedding to Chelan, Washington before all the fires broke out. So I guess you could say that this trip was a combination of a later honeymoon, early babymoon – since we got to work on that right after our wedding and thanks to God have been blessed. Along the way we met up with some of our family in a few areas of Italy. First of all let me say that I was super happy that the flight was no where near as long as our flight to Thailand which was our last out of country trip.
First we started out in Venice, Italy. We loved Venice, it was small yet happening! We flew into Venice and took the water taxi to where our hotel was located. There were quite a few canal bridges once we arrived onto land, so as you can imagine being pregnant and all, I was pretty thankful that Hotel Mignon – our hotel was close to where we were dropped off. Venice was great we were able to walk around everywhere without ever having to worry about any cars or anything of the like since there weren’t any in the area we were staying at.
The options were endless, mind you I couldn’t enjoy as many things as my husband did, due to the pregnancy. So I did feel a little cheated when it came to all the deli meat, wines and cheeses.
And yes I know that a pregnant person would probably be okay if they didn’t eat too much of anything but I am that paranoid mom who doesn’t want to take any chances with her blessing. In Venice we were able to enjoy some great food, great shopping and museum’s of course! Since we didn’t have a lot of time while visiting Venice we were only able to get a 4 museum pass while visiting, so we grabbed a 4-museum San Marco Pass: http://selectitaly.com/browse/things-to-do/museum/id:152/museums-pass-venice/aff:160 .
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Next we made our way to Bonosella to meet up with our family. We took the train from Venice to Bonosella, it took a little longer than we expected but aside from that it wasn’t too bad. Once we made it to Bonosella we walked around town with our family and checked out the little shops and Catholic Church. We did some hiking while we were there, me not as much as everyone else but still I was able to put in some hours. There were some nice view points, so I was glad that I joined in with the rest of the family. Along with that we were able to spend some time out in the beach area.
After Bonosella we made our way to Monterroso, we hiked to our next destination. Again since I get tired a lot faster than everyone especially now in day, I only walked half-way and got on the train once we reached Lovanto and rode the train the rest of the way. Monterroso was nice, pretty busy and had a beach. We stayed at Hotel Marina, where my husband and I both agreed they had awesome breakfast. While we were in Monterrosso, my husband, myself and my younger sister in law Kk went up to the church in town. I only made it up to the Convent area but they made it all the way up to the cemetary. While in Monterroso we took a train to Manarola and did some hiking. It was a nice hike and definitely worth the views.
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We made our way to Florence with our family after Monterroso. My family was able to go to a few museums one of the days we were there unfortunately I caught my husband’s cold so had to rest that day. That afternoon when they returned though once I was feeling better we were able to visit the Duomo. The church there is spectacular, lots of great paintings everywhere and stained glass. I was able to light a candle for one of the candle trees and pray for our unborn child. That night at dinner we were able to speak to one of the locals who was our waiter, we were surprised to find out that the slowest month is November but that the rest of the year is busy.
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After saying our goodbyes to the rest of our family in Florence we made our way to our next destination to Rome. Okay, so I may be bias since I’m Catholic and all but I personally have to say that Rome was my absolute favorite area of Italy. We were able to check out so many lovely churches, the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Vatican City, the St. Peter’s Basilica, where we climbed up over 500 steps to be at the top of the building and overlook the whole city. The stairs were so scary at some points to the point where I found myself praying that I wouldn’t fall and hurt our unborn child but I have a lot of faith in God and I do feel that he watched over us as I climbed up and down the narrow steps where there wasn’t anywhere to hold on at times.
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We had such an awesome hotel – Hotel Solis, it was in such a great walking location to everything, the staff was awesome, our room was great and the breakfast was good. Really we had nothing to complain about whatsoever at this hotel. I have to say I loved the feeling of walking around the streets of Rome, there were so many Catholic Priests – which I refer to as Father’s and Nuns everywhere. It felt so comforting, again I do have to say I’m Catholic and the older I get, those are the little things that make me the happiest.
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And last but definitely not least about our stay in Rome -was that actually the best part about going to Italy was that we were able to catch the end of a service at the Sistine Chapel where the Father welcomed people from the audience up to do confession or ask for a blessing. So of course, I had to go up and ask for one of the greatest in a lifetime opportunities and ask the Father to bless our unborn child. And really at the end of the day it doesn’t get better than that for me, I can’t imagine our child having anything more precious in this world then being able to say – My mom was in Sistine Chapel and was able to have me blessed before I even came into this world. You see being Catholic and being married Catholic, I can only pray that one day our child will learn the meaning of being Catholic and will hold as many fond memories as I have of growing up Catholic. The older I get the more I understand the meaning of my Religion and am proud to be Catholic, I’m not saying I’m the best at it but I’m a lot better than I used to be.
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After Rome, we made our way to Amalfi Coast – First we took a train to Naples, from there we took a smaller train to Sorrento and after reading our guidebook we learned we could take a bus to the Amalfi Coast. Which let me tell you was the worst part of the trip for me. Because no where in the guidebook did it say anything about the bus ride being all on narrow curvy roads. If you have a strong stomach than you will probably be fine with this ride and it’s less than 3 Euros from Sorrento. I do have to say my husband has a pretty strong stomach and there were times where he himself admitted to not feeling so great. But I for one will never take that hideous bus ride again, I get motion sickness pretty easily. And even though I had taken my motion sickness medication it didn’t help at all and I was completely sick for most of the bus ride and had to take the rest of the day easy in order to feel better.
Something to remember is that I was pregnant on this trip but then again this was the only time that I have been really sick during my pregnancy. We decided to take the Ferry back to Sorrento which was about 17 Euros but honestly I would have paid 50 Euros if it meant not going back on that bus. In the evening once I started to feel better we were able to walk around the town, which has many different dining options and cute little options. Along with that we were able to walk out on the pier and also spend some time in the beach. The sunset sure is gorgeous and the way the buildings are built on the hill side is amazing especially when it starts to get dark and all the lights start coming on.
Our hotel was decent and not too far from the bus stop. In the Amalfi Coast my favorite thing to do was to relax, especially by the beach but along with that there is some hiking available and musicals on certain nights of the week. After the Amalfi Coast we made our way back to our last stop before flying out, we made it to Naples. Naples was a little different from the rest of the places and if I had to do it all over again I may have started our trip out in Naples instead of having left towards the end of the trip.
Naples was a little on the rough side, which of course I expected it to be since according to crime rate it is said that Naples has higher crime rate compared to it’s surrounding areas. With that being said Naples does have great pizza and our hotel was cute, we stayed at Le Stanze del Vicere which was great. Another reason to visit Naples is to go to Pompeii which is an archaeological site that has excavated ruins which you can walk around but make sure to not miss the bus/shuttle back into town because you may be waiting for a while.
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All in all I would say that Italy was an amazing trip and I would definitely recommend it to others. The churches are amazing, the food is amazing, the leaning tower of Pisa is great, the people are amazing and the list goes on and on. While we were here the weather was nice it was in the 70s and 80s. It was humid the whole time we were here, since I do better in the humid weather instead of dry this wasn’t a problem for me at all but for others it might be. But then again this was in September so I’m sure that the weather isn’t like this all year round so you will want to make sure to plan your trip accordingly to your wants and needs.
And as you will hear from others while you are in Italy beware of pick pockets and watch your belongings. Also, maybe traveling when not pregnant would be best for those who enjoy all meats, cheese and alcoholic drinks. If you have a weak stomach like me make sure to take the ferry instead of the bus to and from the Amalfi Coast. When it comes to the language there are quite a few people who speak English and some that even understand Spanish which was great for us. Well that about wraps this post up for this trip, it was great to share as usual until next trip y’all. Have fun and enjoy life because that it something this cowgirl intends on doing for the rest of her life!!