The Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's

There were no photos allowed in the Sistine Chapel, of course. But Filbert wanted this shot to prove that he really did have the experience! After visiting the Sistine Chapel, we proceeded through more of the museum and had another Filbert Moment of Fame. Somehow, a squirrel just doesn't seem to be the right fit here. Maybe if he was marble instead of wool?? Nah!

We assured Filbert that we love him Just The Way He Is, and then went across the courtyard to St Peter's Basilica. Another wonderous and unforgettable moment, you can get an idea of the beauty and size of St. Peter's with this Filbert pose.

Simply crossing the street in Rome can be an experience. We happened upon four sculpted figures at one intersection, so (of course) had another photo op with Filbert. Not the quality of the museum pieces, but still beautiful.

We had an early morning flight back to Frankfurt, with a short layover before the non stop return flight to Vancouver. When we arrived in Frankfurt, we of course headed straight for the Business Class lounge. They had a special perk at this airport, by the way. Showers!! So after having a bit of breakfast with a glass of champagne, we felt the need to freshen up before our long flight home. Off to the showers! Here's Filbert, feeling all brand new!!

On the flight home, we enjoyed our Super Wonderful Reclining Massaging Stretch Out and Relax Seats once again. I love Business Class!!! While The Hand and Filbert were having a nap, the pilot announced that we had an unusual view of Greenland out the left side of the airplane. Since I happened to be on the left side of the plane, I flipped up the window shade and snapped this photo of the glaciers. I thought it was interesting that after visiting Italy and seeing stunning man made treasures for a week, it was somewhat humbling to see this display of nature's art. I hope the photo does it justice, it was amazing to see the miles of glaciers from this view!

This post will wrap up Filbert's tour of Europe. From now on, we're back in the daily routine of the yarn shop. But you never know what Filbert might be up to next! Laura has plans to take Filbert on her mini vacation, so watch for updates on his adventures.

I have lots of news coming about new fall classes and yarns, too! Stay tuned...

Ciao,

Becky

Filbert visits the Vatican

The Hand, Filbert and I caught the train from the station near the Spanish Steps and headed off for the Vatican. Here's Filbert, patiently waiting in line, and casting a pretty good shadow for such a little squirrel!

I wore the Dawn shawl knit in the Angel Lace pattern that you may remember from an earlier blog entry. It was a huge hit both in the Vatican and while waiting in line. It is considered poor form to have uncovered arms (or knees - a really nice young couple in line behind us from the Netherlands hadn't thought of this and he was wearing walking shorts - they solved the problem by quickly purchasing a "silk" scarf from a street vendor which he was planning on wearing sarong style!) My thought was what better place to wear Angel Lace??? Evidently it was a good choice, as several people during the day made lovely comments.
In the Vatican Musems, we were simply overwhelmed by the artwork, statues and treasures at every turn. Filbert had dreams of grandeur when we found a pedestal that apparently had a statue in the shop for repairs - he INSISTED on posing for this photo!







Then just around the corner he found another new friend and felt the need to show off again. I think he wants to send this to the Roaming Gnome. I don't know what his friend's name REALLY is, but Filbert wouldn't stop referring to him as Guido.





The Vatican, St. Peter's and the Museums are simply and absolutely overwhelming. There are no words to describe the experience! There are so many works of art everywhere you look, that one almost becomes numb to these amazing pieces of history ... I was amazed that everything is so accessible. People are sitting on benches from hundreds of years ago, chatting near beautiful fountains, and you can literally walk up and touch many of the works. Filbert was on a roll of posing for photos, and we found one more photo op at the beginning of the Egyptian Hall. What a ham!

Becky

Roma, the end of the journey...

We ended our trip in Rome, but it was glorious while it lasted! Rome was gorgeous, but I still maintain Venice as the favorite city and Florence as the second-favorite. While in Rome, we stayed at a hotel next to the Trevi Fountain - here's Filbert at the fountain. He's looking at the beautiful fountain, so all you can see in this shot is his tail.

Here's a shot of the Trevi Fountain, with Filbert out of the way:

We then made our way to the Spanish Steps, and later in the evening found a wonderful restaurant recommended by a couple who were staying in the same hotel. The restaurant had indoor dining as well as outdoor, so we chose the outdoor option, as it was situated right in front of the Pantheon. Dining with a view has an entirely new meaning after this:

Oh, I almost forgot to share the photo of Filbert at the Spanish Steps!

The next post will finish up with our tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's, then we thud back home to reality and the daily routine. Sigh.

Becky

David and Filbert, in Florence

My goodness, I'm falling behind and can't catch up!! I have so many photos of Venice, but it's time to move on to Florence. I plan on making up an album of Filbert's Adventures as soon as time allows (I clearly need a clone or two!!)

We made ready (with great sadness and regret - if you get the chance to visit Venice, GO! By all means, go there!!) to catch our train from Venice to Florence. Here's Filbert, packed and ready to go:

Upon arrival in Florence, we caught a taxi to our wonderful hotel, the Hotel Degli Orafi. This is the hotel that was used in the movie "Room with a View" and one can easily see why it was chosen. It has a rooftop terrace and bar (which they call an "American style" bar, interestingly enough) with a view from the front of the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio Bridge, and from the back the Pallazo Vecchio and the Duomo. We drank in both the view and something called a Very Berry Martini (which I highly recommend - yum!)

This is the view toward the Palace & Duomo.

In the morning, we headed for the "breakfast room" which was unbelievable! Views from every window, this was a huge room with a fabulous buffet style breakfast...and check out the ceiling! The high point had to be the cappucino. I am a coffee fanatic, and there is NOTHING that I've tasted at home that even comes close. I can now be caught gazing longingly at the $900 espresso machines in the Macy's houseware department. Unfortunately, they are out of my budget. Maybe the $15 stovetop model?? Anyway, see if you can spot Filbert in the photo. He blends in a bit, but you can see his head poking up into the picture just under the nearest chandelier.

Later in the day, we headed for the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's David, and then a visit to the Uffizi to gaze upon priceless paintings and sculpture. A note in one of the guidebooks made an impression - it said that Italy is the home to over 60% of the world's important historical artwork, and that over half of that is located in the city of Florence. What an experience! I would love to go back and spend a month or two!!

On to Rome in the next post...

Ciao,

Becky