Honeymoon - Florence

Are you tired of hearing about our honeymoon yet? Time-wise, I've only covered half of our honeymoon. Traveling to Florence marked the middle of our time in Europe.

Our hotel was outside of the big city of Firenze - I never knew this was the real Italian name for Florence! Getting to explore the winding roads, tiny towns and farms of Tuscany for a few days was re-energizing.

There I am, saluting the strong Italian sun and Isaac's panorama photography skills. Our hotel was in part an old church; you can see the bell tower below. It reminded me of being back home - it seemed like even the smallest towns in Italy, like South Carolina, had at least one church. You can see (and hear) the bell towers which rise above the surrounding buildings.

Of course we had to try these chairs out! What a serene view.

We checked out the nearest town, Montelupo, which was adorably small. I looked it up on wikipedia and it has an astoundingly ancient history (click if you're interested). It has a sort-of town square with small shops, with the shop owners sitting outside chatting with one another. It was here that we tasted our first (and best!) gelato in Italy. Isaac had a rich chocolate and vanilla, I had fig-almond and pistachio.

This street is the town square area of Montelupo. We noticed that Italian grandmas love to lean out of their windows and watch you. We saw several grandmas leaning out of these second and third story windows watching the people below.

It took about 20 minutes to leisurely stroll through the heart of the city. Isaac was amazed at how small the place was and by the idea of people living their whole lives here, in such a tiny town.

For a while we tried to find somewhere to eat dinner. But many restaurants in Italy - especially in smaller towns - close between lunch and dinnertime. Again Isaac and I were amazed at the residents of Montelupo, just sitting around and talking, because there is not much else to do. Our search killed just enough time so that our scenic route back to the hotel was during the late afternoon, when the sunlight is golden. Olive trees speckled the grasses and grape vineyards rolled down the hills.

The next day we headed downtown. Florence has a strong and distinct personality - it felt classy and well-made, like its many hand-crafted creations. The city is known for its artisans - making things like fine art, jewelry and leather goods. I kept imagining that Italian women probably love to come shopping in Florence. We admired a few famous old churches from the outside as we wandered the very narrow city sidewalks.

Santa Maria Novella, a church that shares the same name as Florence's main train station, is about 500 years old.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as Florence's Duomo, is even older and I still can't help but think of Dan Brown's book Inferno when I see it.

 We visited the Leonardo da Vinci museum, which had several models and machines based off of da Vinci's journals and ideas. Both Isaac and I find da Vinci so fascinating - he was a dreamer who loved learning - and it was amazing to see just a bit of his diverse interests. One thing I didn't know is that Leonardo da Vinci invented the odometer. His odometer looked like a wheelbarrow that would periodically drop rocks into a bucket as you rolled it along. The museum displayed many of his ideas: war machines, fine art, flying contraptions, and more humble instruments like a clock and retractable ladder.

I was excited to see two weather tools that I learned about with my second graders this past spring. We made our own versions of these devices - the anemometer and hygrometer - to measure wind-speed and humidity.

The da Vinci museum was pretty small, so we were able to enjoy all of it and still have energy left for the rest of the city. Of course we walked around more, and checked out some of those Florentine artisan goods.

I asked Isaac to strike a pose in the picture on the left below - the flag, city street and moped - this place seemed so Italian. On the right is a shot of the San Lorenzo market, it doesn't quite capture how long and overwhelming this street is. There are these tents, and then shop fronts on either side of the tents, and there is a smell of leather flowing through the whole place. I have never seen so much leather.

The next day was Sunday, and we stayed in the Tuscan countryside. We rode bikes from our hotel to Montelupo, and ended up eating the most tasty spaghetti with anchovies. Wanting more gelato for dessert, we walked to the town square, only to learn again that small towns in Italy like to take a rest in the afternoons, especially on Sundays.

We found one place open, kind of like a convenience store with a bit of everything, and had refreshments there. I had a cafe latte - served as shown below. Steamed latte (milk) in the cup, cafe (coffee) in the pitcher. Espresso drinks are very cheap in Italy, my cafe latte was 1.5 Euros.

Since Montelupo was having a lazy Sunday, we did too. We went back to our hotel and rested. For dinner, we decided to walk to the village of Turbone, which is even smaller than Montelupo. Turbone has two restaurants and that is about all there is. Even though we arrived an hour before the restaurant opened (at 7:30 p.m.), the family was nice enough to let us sit inside and sip drinks until then. We had fun observing life in this tiny town, where everyone knew one another by name.

I have a few comments about Italian food. We were surprised by the simple flavors we encountered in Italy. Spaghetti sauces usually had only a strong tomato taste and maybe an herb taste too. There were no salt and pepper shakers on restaurant tables, only olive oil and vinegar. Isaac's meat was seasoned with peppercorns and sat in a bed of olive oil. I think Italian food as we know it in America is way more seasoned than the real thing. It seems like Italians like a few strong flavors in their food, and that's it. We didn't come across any spicy food either. I ordered one dish because its description included spicy peppers, and the waitress even warned me that it was spicy. But when I ate it, the dish barely registered as being spicy. I guess the Italian palette is refined and simplified.

Our time in Tuscany came to an end too soon. The next day we packed up and prepared to head to Rome. Our plans were to take the train from Montelupo into Florence, and then head out from there. Our favorite small town of Montelupo had the last laugh. When we called for a taxi to the train station, we were told that the Montelupo train was broken down for the day. We had no other option but to take a long taxi ride to Florence. From there, we took a fast train to Rome. Once again I found myself marveling at the beauty of Italy's countryside as we headed to our last honeymoon destination.

Honeymoon - Lake Como

Our first mission in Italy was to find our way from the train station to the Genova airport to pick up our rental car. The moment we stepped off of the train in Italy, we were moved by the locals' kindness towards us. We found our first steps in an Italian city to be cute and charming, but this did not help us track down a taxi or find our way towards the airport. We hopped on a bus, only to learn we should have bought tickets prior to boarding. The bus driver was kind enough to let us ride two stops for free and then let us off closer to the airport. Stepping off of the bus, the roads were like a pile of spaghetti noodles but we were encouraged because we could see an air traffic control tower. An Italian man saw us going the wrong direction, dragging our luggage along, flagged us down and then said he would show us the way to the aeroporto. He led us on a fifteen minute walk, knowing when to cross the busy highways from one narrow rocky sidewalk to another. When we arrived, he said goodbye with a smile, expecting no money and starting back the way we came.

I snapped this picture as we dragged our luggage, following the kind Italian to the airport. Rain clouds covered the sprawling city and a chilly wind blew, but Isaac and I felt so warm and welcome in this place, where people treat strangers like family.

An afternoon of driving north through the mountains and then flat lands, and then more mountains. We had arrived on the small, twisty roads of Lake Como. Our lodging, a one bedroom flat overlooking the lake, was stunning and made the place seem all the more magical.

Here is the view from our balcony. Our first day in Como was rainy, which felt quite nice since we were loving our cozy accommodations and wanting some rest after two days of travelling.

We tried our first espresso drink in Italy, determined to distinguish it as truly being the best coffee in the world. Laughing as we enjoyed our lattes, we had to admit that it tasted the same as cafes in South Korea. Very delicious.

Not only are the people of Italy generous, the food portions are too. We read online that it can be considered rude not to finish all of the food on your plate. At this particular restaurant, the waiters were very friendly, but once you were served your food they would walk by with evident glares at your plate, checking your progress. Isaac finished all of that meat and I ate my entire pizza too.

And every day we returned to this gorgeous view. We enjoyed coffee and breakfast on our balcony and saw many people come onto our car park and patio (where Isaac is standing) to take pictures of the scenery.

Another wonderful thing about Como is the trails. There are hiking trails that meander through the mountain tops, on both sides of the lake. There are additional trails you can take up to reach the mountain tops and down to the lake shore. Our short stay prevented us from checking out the mountain top trails, but one day we explored a lower road - first going down from our place to the lake, then climbing up into the mountains.

These paths are the original roads used by residents of Lake Como before cars came along, foot paths and oxcart trails paved with old stones. One of the most charming things to me was seeing so much old stone work with plants filling in cracks and cascading down.

Lake Como is a lovely place, a peaceful escape with plenty of opportunities to explore and eat good food. I'd love to go back and hike along the mountain ridges we admired from our balcony.  I can confidently say that this was a honeymoon highlight for us.

Okay, just one more picture of that view.

Honeymoon - Nice

Nice (pronounced Neese), what a tease.

Isaac and I have never planned an international roadtrip before, so there were bound to be a few hiccups, less-than-ideal things that made us optimistically say "now we know". Nice was one of those things. I did most of the planning, and logistics has never been my thing. I get caught up in the details. Nice ended up being a very out-of-the-way stop on our route from Paris to Lake Como.

We left Paris in the morning and traveled to Nice. It's more than an eight hour drive to the south of France, and we only stayed in the city by the sea for one night. We still tried to enjoy the tiring journey and those sights we could see (mostly out of windows). We grabbed some fun snacks like rotisserie chicken flavored Lay's and the best drinkable yogurt ever.

We both thought that the French countryside looked pretty familiar. If not for the road signs and cars, maybe it could be mistaken for America. Normal, peaceful country.

Then suddenly, CASTLE!

That is different. It became a fun game to spot castles out in the landscape. I was surprised at how many there were, and we only stayed on the big highway.

 
After a few u-turns on the tiny sea-side roads of Nice, we arrived at our hotel just as the sun was setting. We didn't even have to leave our room to enjoy the view.

The sunrise was beautiful too, the most notable difference being that the neighbors' lights were off.

We had a hearty breakfast at the hotel, eating as many French breads and pastries as we could since it was our last morning in France. From Nice station, we took a train that crossed into Italy, taking us towards our next destination, Lake Como.

Honeymoon - Paris

We made it back from our honeymoon in Europe, and what an adventure! For two weeks we traveled through France and Italy, staying in a combination of busy cities brimming with history and more secluded retreats for relaxation.

We experienced so much I'm not even sure what is the best way to share it. We said "wow" and "look" and "yum" a lot. Countless beautiful scenes gave Isaac the opportunity to perfect his panorama shots. I think I will try to share our adventure the same way we experienced it, city by city. Each city was like a different chapter of our honeymoon. In all, we visited five cities, and used a combination of public transportation, rental cars  and of course our feet to get around.

Here are a few of the highlights from Paris, France - our first destination. We were only in Paris for two full days (that's four including travel to and from), but I'd say we did our best to pack those days full. Our main objectives in Paris were food and art.

We started our days with pastries - trying at least one different boulangerie or patisserie every day. This was our "first course" at a place just down the street from where we were staying.

The Louvre must be Paris' most famous museum, and it was here we started, quickly getting lost within its three wings and mazes of artwork, sculptures and artifacts from many different cultures and centuries. Even though it was the weekend, the place is so big we still found ourselves alone in several rooms, able to take some wide shots like this one below. We maybe breezed through half of what this museum holds in the many hours we were there.

Adjacent to the Louvre is the jardin de tuileries, providing fresh air and sunlight after a long time indoors pondering on and viewing things from the past. The white and blue building in both pictures is the Louvre.

We left the Louvre in order to ensure we had time for the museum I was most excited about - Musee d'Orsay. I love impressionist and post-impressionist art most of all, and this museum is known to house a marvelous collection of such dreamy pieces. The museum is an old railway station, making the building itself a sight worth seeing.

The clock's face looks across the river Seine towards the Louvre.







It was such an adrenaline rush to see the works of artists I've admired for so long in the flesh, to be able to lean close and examine each stroke. Seeing each piece felt like taking the first bite of a delicious dessert - it sounds cheesy but that is really what it felt like - some rich cheesecake or chocolately delight that slowly melts in your mouth. It was bliss. Isaac was so kind, taking pictures of the artwork we were most drawn towards so that we can view them again and again and remember our time in France.

I will share just a few of our favorites.

This mostly bronze statue by Edgar Degas captivated me. Although we saw many statues in Europe, marbled works depicting kings, gods and legends, this fourteen-year old ballerina is by far my favorite.

Our feet were tired after more than 8 hours of walking and standing and soaking in the sights. And this was just the first full day.

The next morning we traveled to the Palace of Versailles, a castle just dripping with the opulence of the last French kings. We really liked the architecture, colors and patterns of the chateau, especially the marble court, below. Behind us on the second floor is the king's bedroom, whose windows looked out east towards the rising sun. Like the sun, he believed everything revolved around and for him.

We had to squeeze in just one more museum, Musee d'Orangerie. Its heart is an oval room housing THREE huge paintings of Monet's waterlilies. This small museum was far less crowded with tourists and its collection was small in size but magnificent.

We had a more laidback evening. We went to buy chocolates from a chocolatier who apparently has the highest honor given to people who make chocolate. We bought several pieces without exactly knowing what all of the flavor combinations were. We grabbed some more refreshments and spent the late afternoon sitting by the Eiffel Tower. All of the chocolates we ate were amazing - flavors like lime and lemongrass, pistachio, I-don't-know-what and jasmine. Isaac fell hard for a drink called Orangina, a yummy carbonated orange juice with pulp. Cigarette butts are sprinkled throughout this grassy area, an unbelievable amount of them. There are many trashcans on both sides; people can be lazy.

As the sun began to set, we raced to the other side of the river seeking a grand view for our last night in Paris. We ran up the 284 steps of the Arc de Triomphe (which got our hearts pumping) not wanting to miss out on the sun setting. What a view.

There is Arc de Triomphe and also the swirling stairs within it. And yes, I kept the bright teal bag from the chocolatier. It is very nice quality and very cute.

Maybe you noticed in the two landscape shots above that there don't seem to be any sky-scrapers in the heart of Paris, only some further outside of the city center. This is because of the countless tunnels beneath the city - old rock mines, catacombs and the metro subway system. Compared to South Korea's subways, taking the Paris metro each day felt quite messy and unorganized. It often made you walk up and down and take many turns to reach your desired platform - I suppose because the builders had to work around pre-existing passages and tunnels. It's pretty eerie and overwhelming to think about everything that has gone on or is going on beneath this pretty city. There is a catacombs museum that lets you tour this underworld but we opted not to do so.

Besides, we had enough mysterious events at our "Parisian home". We stayed on the top (seventh) floor of a beautiful, old-style apartment building in Paris, just a few metro stops from the major destinations. We booked the place through airbnb, a website that lets individuals rent out their place to others. It usually ends up being cheaper and more charming than hotel stays. I really wanted to try using airbnb, and Isaac was nice enough to give it a whirl. We used a mixture of airbnbs and hotels during our two weeks in Europe. This place was no honeymoon suite, but it was a fine and cute home base for our wanderings. When we returned to the place each night, it even had a few memorable quirks.

This one door just would not stay shut. It would not easily close and latch, but required quite some force to make it stick. Isaac would slam it shut, so hard that it would shake the walls and the floor. A little later, without a sound, it would be open again. Each night he forced it closed, then we would wake up to find it open and the city lights streaming through it. There was also one light in the apartment that would turn on by itself. We came home and this one light was shining, the switch flipped into the on position. Perhaps the home-owner had stopped by for something. I turned it off. Yet later in the night the light shone again, the switch moved to the on position. Again I turned it off. When we woke up in the morning the light was on once more.

Isaac humors me as I tease about our place being haunted. Sitting above the tombs of hundred of thousands of unknown people, how can it not be haunted? It was a fun joke and made our not-so-glamorous accommodations more fun and memorable.

We ate our last Parisian dinner at the restaurant shown below. Heading home, we decided to get off one station earlier to find a place to eat. As soon as we walked up the steps and onto the city street, the warm red and gold glow of this place called to us. This is the typical look of restaurants in Paris that we saw: outdoor dining, usually two or three tables deep, often chairs positioned side-by-side facing out towards the street so that you can people-watch while you dine. This meal we both ended up eating an insane amount of cheese. Isaac was crying out for kimchi or shinramyun, but there was no hope for spicy relief on our French plates.

And that was our quick but concentrated stay in Paris. Our honeymoon adventure was just beginning, and we were starting to wonder if maybe we had been a little too ambitious planning to visit 5 cities in two weeks.