ataidanu

Walked from the hotel with this as my destination. Figured I couldn’t go to Roma and not see the Pantheon.

What I wasn’t expecting is that even though there are throngs of people outside, getting in to see the Pantheon wasn’t difficult and best of all, it was free.

The outside of the building does not do justice to how spectacular the interior is. Definately worth the trip!

Took a side trip from Firenze to Pisa. Must say, that I was happy that I went, glad that the trains run regularly otherwise there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot (other than loads of stalls full of souvenirs) for this place to offer.

It’s one of those places that you’re glad that you got a chance to see while you were in the area, but definately not worth seeing if that’s the ONLY thing you wanna see/do.

This place wasn’t what I was expecting, which is neither good nor bad.

Didn’t get to see as much of the sights (ie Doge’s Palace, Burano or Murano) as I would have liked (slight hiccup and lack of time) as I would have liked to, but if you don’t mind crowds and enjoy shopping and looking for a bargain, this is the place for you.

We stayed in a hotel in San Marco and we walked from there through Dorsoduro and Santa Croce into San Polo and into bits of Castello and back into San Marco. This took about 3 hours of course that included the stopping into shops along the way.

Suggestions:
Find a street vendor who have maps for sale as the maps provided by some hotels don’t list enough names of the streets on there.

Get lost while you’re walking around, there are some wonderful places off the beaten track.

Hang out with some of the artisans, the ones I met don’t mind your watching them work. I was lucky enough to watch several mask makers work, all were doing unique designs whether it’s on leather with fabric, paper mache with fabric or ceramic with a kind of stain.

Had a lovely time there and since I didn’t get to see as much as I would have liked (ran out of time) I definately want to return.

We spent most of our time there walking around so we got a lovely feel for the city, but I must return to see Uffizi and Accademia.

Fiesole and Piazzale Michelangelo are two of the places I really want to return with my camera and all of it’s varied attachments. The view from there is unbelievable in the middle of the day with a light fog. I can only imagine how gorgeous it will be during a sunrise or sunset.

I suggest walking around with a camera as the sightseeing bus trips are great but due to narrow streets, not easy to take pictures from.

Well this is the first time I’ve been to Rome and I really hope to go back. I had a fantastic time. I was there mid June and the weather was wonderful, the locals were extremely friendly and despite how big the map of the city looks, with a good pair of walking shoes, it’s really not that bad to get around on foot.

I must say that I must have been in the touristy section wherever I went as I can’t see how the locals can afford clothes at the prices listed. This is definately a wonderful place to enrich yourself in history and architecture.

One thing I will say, if you want to see the Sistene Chapel etc, it’s worth it to go with a tour group as the lines to see it on your own were more than 4 blocks long while we were leaving (our tour group was finished at 10am).

It must have been almost 10 years between my trips to Atlanta and one thing that stood out is that Sevananda moved. Was my first experience with a co-op and I’ve never been the same since. Too bad they don’t ship.

It’s amazing that all of the caribbean islands are similar and yet so different.

Loved Cable Beach, Straw Market and lets not even talk about the food.

The hotels in PI are lovely and the great thing about Atlantis Hotel is that they don’t mind your coming there to see the shark feedings etc. Awesome to watch from below but also a tad bit scary (had a moment from Jaws where they break the tunnels).

Provincetown is an unforgetable place. If you’ve been there before, then you know why. Love their freshly made fudge.

When in Cape Cod you feel like you’re in a different world. It’s quiet, clean, almost as though you were transported through time.

Went to a conference in Baltimore. Had a friend doing his grad work at JHU and he was able to show me around a little bit. Had my first taste of Afghan food there and fell in love with the cuisine.