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.

The Italy Chronicles II

Pictures of Italy continued....

It's amazing how looking through all of my pictures and video from out trip, has made me completely fall in love with Italy all over again! (Like that's hard to do...) It feels like we were just there yesterday. I hope the pictures that I captured make you fall in love with Italy too.

Saw this bike and fell in love.

Crazy cool historical statue right in the center of the square.

What church in Italy isn't absolutely breathtaking? However this picture is one of my favs.

Eric and I waiting for the bus.

Venice.

Brothers.

St. Mark's Square

Streets of Water.

Eric and I got in our first married fight right before we ate at this restaurant on our honeymoon. I was so happy I found it again on this last trip!

The Italy Chronicles

Recently Eric and I took little trip to Italy (and by little, I mean epic!). We had visited there on our honeymoon and absolutely fell in love. We never thought in our wildest dreams (okay maybe in our wildest) that we would get to go back and visit again. Enter Bill, my father-in-law. It just so happens that he works part time in Bologna, Italy and he and Sharon (Eric's mom) wanted to take Eric and I with them this summer! Be still my heart. We ended up spending two blissful weeks in Bologna, Sardinia, Cinque Terre, and Venice. It really was the trip of lifetime. So much so that there's no way I will be able to cover it all in just one post hence the title, "The Italy Chronicles" (I thought about titling the series, "The Chronicles of Italy" but then you all might find out what a huge C.S. Lewis dork I am, and we can't have that!)

So without further ado, I give you The Italy Chronicles Part I:

Eric is the photographer in the family. I mean, I can take a picture or two, but he really is the one with the talent. He's got the fancy camera and lenses and Photoshop...etc. Me? I have my iPhone. Therefore, the majority of the pictures I'm about to post were all taken with that glorious little piece of technology. I hope you enjoy!

Eric and I on our longest flight: Chicago to Frankfurt

Airport love

My first pizza in Italy (this trip). Delish!

Oh the gelato! We made it a nightly ritual to get gelato after dinner, and no matter how full I was, I somehow always found room.

One of the many lively streets in Bologna. That city never sleeps, I tell ya.

Every night they would show old Italian movies in the square. One of the coolest things I've every seen.

The entire city is made up of Portico's just like this. To them, it's just like our sidewalk. But for me...I couldn't take enough pictures.

A mini square. It looked absolutely magical at night.

Just a building. Nothing too special but it's exceptional beauty.

Restaurants overflowed into the streets all over the city.

Street corner aglow.

Wishing I could go back, 

Lindsay