The Time of our Lives

We had the Time of our Lives. 

Labor Day Weekend

I am getting an early start on laundry today so I can spend some of the long weekend doing fun stuff. Last year I spent this weekend on lots of trip planning and research. This year I will be working on our Shutterfly photo book.

Photo taken in Dubrovnik, July 5, 2013

Ghiberti's Doors: The Baptistery of San Giovanni (Firenze)

As we neared the end of our Florence and Michelangelo tour, we stopped by the Baptistery of San Giovanni to admire what Michelangelo called The Gates of Paradise, the gold doors crafted by Lorenzo Ghiberti from 1425 – 1452.  One of the boys commented that he was hoping we would see it because he had watched a video about the doors in his AP European History class which means he knew more about them than the rest of us.

 

We couldn’t get close enough to get a full picture of the panels on the doors, but hopefully you can see enough to identify the scenes depicted.  From the top left, moving across: 

A.      Adam and Eve

B.      Labors of Adam, Cain and Abel

C.      Noah

D.      Abraham and Isaac

E.       Jacob and Esau

F.       Joseph and Benjamin

G.     Moses

H.      Fall of Jericho

I.        David

J.        Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

 

This is another of the places where we had a quick stop in Florence that warrants more time to admire.  But since that’s not in our immediate plans, we’ll have to travel there virtually.  The Museums of Florence website has a fuller description of the history of the Baptistery and its beautiful doors as well as detailed photos of each panel.  Definitely worth the look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florence and the Arno River

We had such limited time in Florence and there was so much to see that I knew there was no way we could do the city justice.  When we got back to the ship late that afternoon, I felt underwhelmed by our tour even though we actually saw quite a bit; I just couldn’t process it all.  But as each day passed and I looked at our pictures, read over material we had from the cruise line and our tour guide about Florence (or Firenze as the Italians call her), I realized that we saw quite a bit more than I thought we had, even though most of it was externally.  Also, with the crowds, there was much externally we didn’t get to see.

One thing about Florence is that while there are many museums, there is much to see outside of the museums.  One example of that is Piazza della Signoria where you can see many statues including a replica of Michelangelo’s David.  You may exit from Piazza della Signoria through the not-quite-a-courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery and stop to admire the statues of famous Renaissance artists on display.

As you pass under the bottom of the U-shaped Uffizi Gallery exterior, you’ll come alongside the famous Arno River which divides Florence and tourists cross via the Ponte Vecchio.  We were there on a busy Saturday in June and because of the crowds, our tour guide walked us near the bridge but didn’t take us across it even though that was supposed to be part of our tour.  However, we did linger long enough to take some photos of the Arno River before heading off to the Accademia di Belle Arti Museum to see the original David.

The longer we’ve been away from Florence, and the more I’ve read or seen references to this Italian city, the more I am certain that I would like to visit Florence at a less busy time of year.  Our guide suggested that for those interested in making a return trip to the city, the winter months, while cold and dreary, are some of the best times for viewing the museums.

 

Our Calendar Arrived!

We got our 2014 Calendar in the mail yesterday that I made using photos from our trip.  It was super easy to make; the hardest part was picking out which photos to use.  We look forward to reliving our trip each month as we turn the pages.  In addition to adding your own photos, you can personalize any of the dates with birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, even future vacation days!

 

If you’re looking for something to do with your vacation photos, you might want to look at photo items like calendars, books, cards, even household items. A friend just put some photos on a coffee mug from his Whale Watching trip to Alaska.

 

I have only used Shutterfly for photo books and now, a calendar, so I can’t attest to any other company, but our experience with Shutterfly has been positive.  Click here to learn more about making your own calendar at Shutterfly.  (We are not affiliated, just satisfied customers.)

 

Pastizzi: A Maltese snack

While in Malta, our tour guide suggested that we make sure to try a local snack known as pastizzi.  The pastizzi is a pastry filled with either ricotta cheese or mushy peas.  You can find these from local cafes or street vendors, and they cost less than a euro a piece.  We bought ours to try from the snack stand in the Upper Barracka Gardens before heading back to the ship.  While it was tasty, I don’t think we’d have to have one every day.  But they are definitely worth the try; we had a ricotta one.

 

Matador Mickey Mouse

Mickey's Spanish gear