The Italy Chronicles III

I have some amazing news! So every day night I wrote down my thoughts and favorite memories from the day. Well after we got back from the trip I thought I lost them all...I was so sad and thought the blogs would just have to get by on pictures alone. Well they have been restored! It's a long technical story and I won't bore you with the silly details. Without further ado here's the first day in Italy:

Italy day 1

Saturday

I just don't want to forget... Hence my keeping record of my days here.
Eric and I departed Albuquerque qt 1230 pm. The flights were for the most part long and uneventful and me feeling nauseated for the last leg of the trip made me want to forget the flights as a whole.
I will say this however - I have the greatest husband in the whole entire world. He moved heaven and earth to get me an iPad for this trip. And would you believe it it I'm typing on one now! Amazing man. I do not deserve him.

We arrive in Bologna grab our baggage and greet our long lost family that we haven't see since Christmas. Immediately, even before we met the Parnell's, I felt like an outsider, a foreigner. I HATE not speaking Italian! (note to self ask for Rosetta Stone for Christmas) We all stood out pretty badly but it is what it is and I am not an Italian no matter how much I wish I am.

Next was the apartment. O.M.G. The apartment. It feels like something that you would only see in the movies... A set designed to make you feel something specific. When I figure out what that specific feeling is I'll let you know. it's beautiful. Classic Italy meets modern. Ikea meets the Godfather.

Bologna surprised the crap out of me. We all went to dinner and got some killer gelato afterwards and I must say I am completely smitten with this city.

Old Italian movies played in the square nightly in the summertime. Free. Come one come all. Scooters and bicycles galore. Wine bars, coffee bars. Restaurants in the middle of the street with candlelit tables strewn across for a whole block and lively Italian chatter filling my ears. Surreal. I can't wait to explore more tomorrow. Hopefully my jet lag doesn't get the best of me and I can go to sleep here sometime in the near future. But first I must spend a few minutes with Jesus. He is after all, the one responsible for this beautiful life.

Me and my love in Venice.

One of the coolest walls I've ever seen.

The Grand Canal

This scooter was destined to be mine. See the Apple sticker?

The view from our hotel room in Cinque Terre.

Somewhere in Cinque Terre.

The clearest water.

Nutella pizza?!?! Yes please!

Yes he rocked a mustache for part of the trip. And yes...I kinda liked it : ).

Gelato. Our nightly tradition.