The John Feikema Family

We pulled into Porto Venere just in time for the golden hour of light (the last hour or two before sunset or sunrise is ideal for photography). The warmth of the light is wonderful.

The next morning we were scheduled to take a ferry to the towns of Cinque Terre. Unfortunately they were cancelled due to high winds. Not to be deterred, our bus took us to a stop above Manarolo. Mary and I had visited this area by ferry nine years ago so we were a bit skeptical that we would see as much, but in the end we had a whole new set of vistas and an expanded perspective on the area. We wandered around Manarolo and the paths above it. We had lunch here and then caught the train to Monterrosso al Mare. We are still in love with this iconic area. 

I had to capture a sunrise shot before we departed for Venice. Early morning photography is becoming de rigueur for me on these trips.

As we headed towards Liguria and the Cinque Terre we stopped for a couple of hours in Lucca. It is known for a couple of things – among them the very well preserved walls that date back to the eleventh century, the church San Michele in Foro, built before 795 and rebuilt in 1070, and the original home of Giacomo Puccini.

I have always loved the way Tuscans decorate their balconies and doorways.

The Duomo, the Duomo, the Duomo (Also known as Santa Maria del Fiore.)

The Duomo up close.

The Duomo from across the river.

The Duomo as a backdrop.

The Duomo after a rain in the early hours of the day.

I am glad I wasn’t shooting film, it would have been expensive.

We left Roma and headed north towards Firenze through the heart of Tuscany. We stopped along the way to visit Siena – one of my favorite cities in the area.

The Palazzo Publico tower can be seen from the outskirts of the city and is even more impressive up close.

Last time we were here (~9 years ago) the Duomo was being restored. It is now almost complete and we were able to really appreciate it.

As always the side streets hold lots of interest.

Today we ventured to some of the piazzas of Roma: Piazza Navona with the Bernini Four Rivers fountain (and the artists trying to sell their wares), the Della Rotunda and the Pantheon, and Piazza Colonna with the carved column dedicated to Marcus Aurelius.

Of course we also had to visit the normal touristy stops; the Trevi Fountain (which had just finished being repaired and was dry), the Spanish Steps, and the wonderful side streets we discovered on the walk back to our hotel.

Lots of walking but with all of the good food we are eating it was wonderful.

Speaking of food, we capped it all off with a dinner at the home of Federica and Barbara in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. Just a small intimate dinner party for 20.

A really short video from the dinner party

We set out for the third installment of European Vacation, Feikema family style. This involved the six of us descending on JFK from SFO, MSP and BNA. After the normal JFK high jinks, we all boarded a flight to Roma. We arrived in time to grab a quick pizza, a beer and/or glass of Prosecco, clean up and get ready for our welcome dinner. We joined twelve other intrepid travelers from across the US for ten days of exploration in the heart of Italy. Our journey was to take us from Rome through Tuscany to Liguria ending in Venice. We were pumped.

The next morning we visited the Forum and the Coliseum. Our guide was great and gave us a good sense of the expanse of the history that we were walking through. I had visited these sites before but the guide made a real difference.

After lunch (which was an amazing plate of Pasta Carbonara – because bacon!) we visited the Vatican Museum and St. Peter. The art and architecture were amazing but difficult to appreciate due to the crowds. In the Sistine Chapel everyone was warned many times, no talking and no pictures. Good luck. It was sad how disrespectful the crowds of seemingly every country were. Selfie sticks, blatant picture taking and noise. Oy.