Spring Break 2011 - Italy

One of the first things I learned when I picked up my love of scrapbooking is that pictures do not tell the whole story. They come close, but they are much better paired with the actual story line. Hence, my issue with Facebook. It is easier and quicker to "throw-up" pictures onto FB and get pats on the back about them, but then I don't write about them. And since I feel I have done something with them, I leave them alone where they grow lonely and forgotten on my computer. I need to blog, I need to write about our adventures. It is nice that family and friends can look and read about us, it keeps us connected, but the most important reason is for my sweet little family. To remind us about how blessed we are and the adventures we get to pursue.

Spring Break was back in April. We went to Italy with my in-laws, we conquered and once again fell in love. I am writing about it at the end of May, shame on me. I have already forgotten little details. But I am determined to figure them out.

View Larger Map

I had to stay back and work for the first part of the week, so the family left early and drove down to the house we rented. It was near Aulla but no where near a paved road. We were so glad for a sturdy car and an experienced driver! Here are shots of the house:


In the next picture you get the idea of what the road to the house was a little like:


Before I arrived, the family investigated a couple of small villages close to the house and then spent the morning of my arrival in Pisa:


One of our days out was to Lerici, a little coastal village with a great personality:




The best view in Lerici:

The plan was to spend the next day at Cinque Terre but they weather had a different plan. So we set out on a driving tour through Tuscany. We stopped in Castellina in Chianti to shop for pottery, went on to Sienna and ended our day in Volterra. We told Bailey this was for her, but we all know I wanted to go there just as bad.


This is the view from the top of Volterra, it was amazing and no picture could ever do it justice:
We did the right thing by putting off Cinque Terre for one day. Cinque Terre is actually an area off the coast of Italy, made up of 5 coastal villages. It is now a world UNESCO site and therefore very intact and well taken care of. You cannot access it by car, only by foot, train or boat. It was an amazing day, full sunshine, sparkling water and just about the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Heaven on earth I tell you! We hit it before high season and enjoyed every part of it.


We even tried the local fare for lunch. McKenna still talks about this poor fish:
Here are some pictures of Mark and McKenna on a nature walk near our house.



And finally, because it needs to be said, my girls rock when it comes to traveling. They can ride in a car longer than I can, usually I am the one begging for a potty break or crying out, "Are we there YET?!" Granted we give them an obscene amount of modern day entertainment and force them to look out the window at times, but they are rockin' travel companions and I just want to say THANK YOU and you may vacuum out the car any time now. . .