Meandering the Country

January 4-8, 2023 Trevi Fountain - completed in 1732 I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful our time in Rome was!  Josh’s choir continued as our main focus, but mixed into all of it was authentic Italian cuisine and art, art and more art, which is impossible to separate from its historical significance! This being said, by the time we reached Rome, we were on Day 11 of this incredible trip, and our energy was beginning to wane in addition to both of us having a slight cough and some congestion going on.  Josh had a 9:00pm concert scheduled at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church which would have required a 30-minute walk both to and from.  Considering all of this, Dick and I made it an early evening, enjoying dinner with Brandon, Maurice and Julie before heading our separate ways.   Trevi Fountain happened to be not far out of our way as we headed back to our hotel, so we did find the energy to check this spot out!  This was a spot we were at in 2008, where...

January 3-4, 2023 I really need to do more research on the places we visit BEFORE we go there!  It seems we are always so busy enjoying wherever we are that I end up researching facts about that location following our visit there.  Assisi was no exception.  Upon our arrival in Assisi, I admitted to Brandon that I really didn’t know much about St. Francis other than that he loved nature, so he filled me in on a few details! Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as St. Francis of Assisi, was born in 1181, the son of a rich silk merchant.  In his youth, he was pampered with all of the “good things in life”.  He spent money lavishly, although his disenchantment with the world began to grow as he approached adulthood.  Following his enlistment in a military expedition against Perugia, where he was taken as a prisoner for a year, he began to rethink his priorities.  Before too long, he was in conflict with his father over helping the poor and was pr...

January 1-3, 2023 This was our second time to visit Florence (Firenze in Italian)!  In 2008, Dick, Maggie, Laura (Maggie’s friend) and I went on a whirlwind tour through parts of Europe. As part of this tour, we spent a few hours in Florence.  This time, we were thrilled to have a couple of days, but honestly, a week would be much better! Our first full day was spent mostly on a walking tour!  Our guide, Tiziana, met us at our hotel ( Grand Hotel Adriatico ) at 9:30 and off we went!  We learned all about the Medici family’s influence on the city during the 1400’s.  This powerful family’s crest continues to claim many important buildings throughout the historic district!  Medici's were also very supportive of the arts, encouraging others as well as commissioning Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo Buonarroti to do work.  It was amazing to see the Medici family’s church, Basilica di San Lorenzo , which sits adjacent to what was once the...