Lucca & Pisa, Italy 2007

We took a day trip from Florence out to Lucca and Pisa in Tuscany. It was incredible! Lucca is both an ancient and medieval city with walls so thick that you can ride bikes on top of them...so, we did! We saw the whole perimeter and ate gellato while sitting up on the walls. Then we went to Pisa. We had our fun with the tower and ate the best pizza I've ever tasted! What a great day.

Florence, Italy 2007

We had a great time in Florence. Tuscany is truly romantic and it was wonderful seeing it from the train. We stayed in Hotel Archi Rosi, a great location to see the city. There was great shopping and my favorite museums. Of course we saw Michelangelo's David. He is so much taller than I had imagined! We ate and drank and enjoyed the medieval ambiance of the city. Limoncello and red wine, yum! It was one of my favorite cities.

Rome, Italy 2007

I can't even list everything we did in Rome! We saw everything and it was unbelievable!! Patrick was the best guide. He planned out all the sites. Everywhere we went there was ancient history nestled right beside the modern city. Unforgettable.

Pompeii, Italy 2007

From Naples we took the train to Pompeii. It must have been a train through time. In the shadow of Vesuvius, we explored the ancient city. There were frescoes and mosaics, arches and columns. It was amazing!

Ischia, Italy 2007

We had planned to stay in Naples, but last minute we changed our plans and headed to the tiny island of Ischia (sister island of Capri).
After running across 6 lanes of traffic to get to the harbor, we caught the last ferry from Naples after midnight. This was a terrible idea. We arrived on the island and were lost and wandering for hours without any hope or English signs. When we finally decided to go back to a bank we had seen near the harbor with a street light to sleep under, we finally found our hotel! After the worst night of my entire life, we woke to the warm sun and friendly sounds of this Mediterranean paradise. We explored the island, found Sorgetto hot springs, visited a 'spa' and enjoyed the beaches. We ate at markets and met some friends. The towns have so much local charm. I would go back in a heartbeat...during the day:).

Romania 2007

Patrick's dad, John was stationed in Romania in 2007. We got to stay with him in Bucharest and he showed us around. It was soooo nice to see him, be with him and relax. I slept like a baby in the car on the way to Brasov. We drove through the Transylvanian Alps and saw the Pelesh and Bran Castle. We were invited to the Ambassador's Independence Day party on the 4th! The Romanian President was there and John was a big shot. We met some Marines, one of whom is from Miamisburg, OH! Small world. It was awesome!

Germany 2007

After England we flew to Munich, Germany. We explored the city and stayed at a really great youth hostel downtown, Wombat. We went to Hofbrahaus for dinner...big mistake, but the beer was great! The next day we took a train into the Bavarian Alps to see Neuschwanstein castle. After touring a fairy tale, Patrick proposed on an adjacent terrace. It was magic.

We went back to Hofbrahaus to celebrate and called our families. Bavaria holds a special place in my heart.