Tuesday Travels: Run the Planet

I love to travel and I love to run (although I'm not quite the runner I was when I lived in MA). Regardless, when I travel I love to find running routes. I find that it's the best way for me to see a city the way the locals do.

A couple of years ago I found www.runtheplanet.com. When you go to the home page and click on Running Routes you can type in the city, state and country that you are visiting and you'll find running routes (for most places). The routes are written up by runners who have visited the city, who have lived in the city, or who currently live in the city. I used this to find a great running route in San Francisco for Jon and I when we were there and for Portland, Oregan when we were there and for Amy and I when we ran in Puerto Rico. I've printed out running routes for our upcoming vacation for Munich, Salzburg, and Fussen. I'm excited to check them out.

Run the Planet is a great way to get to know a city and even if you're not a runner a lot of these paths are also great walking paths or biking paths so check it out. Also, another great resource for running routes is the concierge at your hotel. That's how we found a great 4 mile loop through the vineyards in Napa. It never hurts to ask the locals.

Post in Comments:

Where have your favorite runs been? For me my favorite runs have been Land's End in San Francisco, Summit Avenue in St. Paul, The Circus Maximus & Appian Way in Rome, running through the vineyards in Napa.

Tuesday Travels: Review of Homeaway.com

I'm in a little bit of a lull for Tuesday Travel topics (which is why I skipped it last week). Jon and I apparently haven't done anything fun in NYC recently that I haven't already blogged about. Have no fear, Tuesday Travels is going to rock when I get back from our trip and give you guys the detailed blow by blow of 10 days in Germany & Austria!

In the meantime, I thought I would write a review of Home Away. We used this service when we went on our girls trip to Puerto Rico in March. For whatever reason we couldn't find a hotel suite in San Juan that would sleep 5 (suites just don't exist there!) and we didn't want to have to pay for 2 hotel rooms because it was just going to be expensive for 4 nights. My friend Rachelle informed me that for her girls trip to Napa (coming up in September) her and her friends had booked a house through Vacation Rentals by Owner. So that got me thinking, maybe we could rent an apartment for our trip!

Both sites are great resources for the savvy traveler. Renting an apartment or a house is much cheaper then getting a hotel room during your vacation, especially if you're going to be staying in one place. Of course this depends on how many people are traveling, if it's just 2 it's probably not that much different, but for a group of 5 of us it made a huge difference.

We got a great apartment downtown in the Old Historic District of San Juan. If you want to check out the place we stayed click here! For 4 nights and 2 days car rental we each only had to chip in $180! There is no way it would have been that cheap if we were staying at a hotel. I had no reservations booking through Home Away because the reviews I had seen were top notch. It was very easy to work with them. They sent me a contract and I had to put down 1/2 up front and then the other 1/2 right before we left. I also had to put down a security deposit that was returned to me once they saw that the apartment was returned to the way we found it. The woman met us at the apartment when we arrived and showed us in, gave us a tour, told us where things were in the city, gave us the keys and we were on our own. She gave us her cell phone in the event we had any problems and needed to reach her.

The other great thing about renting an apartment as opposed to staying in a hotel is that we were able to go to the grocery store and purchase food for breakfast, lunch and we ate 1 dinner in. We all chipped in about $20-$30 and that covered breakfast for 4 meals, lunch for 4 meals, 1 dinner and alcohol for the weekend. You can't beat that. We also commented that we ate a lot healthier because we were eating "at home."

Now don't get me wrong I love staying in hotels! They're awesome, but if you're looking for a more affordable way to travel with a family or with a big group of friends apartment/house rentals are the way to go!

Post in Comments:

Have you ever rented an apartment/house when traveling?

Tuesday Travels: 2009 Vacation Plan Unveiled!

(View of Munich, Germany)

Jon and I were going back and forth on what to do this year for vacation. If you talked to me before mid-June I had probably told you we were going to go to Burlington, Vermont for 4-5 days. However, in mid-June I brought of the topic of vacation again and we just decided you know, let's take a big trip, why not, what's stopping us?

So Wednesday, August 19th we leave for 10 days in Germany & Austria. We will be spending our first two days once we arrive in Munich, Germany. I was in Munich in December of 1999 on my crazy 8 country in 4 week trek during my junior year abroad. Erin, Sarah and I spent 2 days there and had SO MUCH FUN! I can't wait to go back especially during the summer so I can experience Munich in the nice weather (although the Christmas Market in the Marienplatz is the best I've ever seen!)

While in Munich we will of course enjoy the important museums, cathedrals, palaces, plazas, etc. We'll also be taking a 1/2 day trip 20 minutes outside of Munich to Dachau. And of course we will thoroughly enjoy the beer gardens!

(View of Salzburg, Austria)

On Saturday we will take the 90 minute train ride to Salzburg, Austria. I've been to Vienna (during that same crazy 8 countries in 4 weeks trip in December of 1999 - we actually spent Christmas in Vienna) but I've never been to Salzburg. Everyone that I've mentioned this trip to that has been to Salzburg says it is amazing. I can't wait to see for myself.

While in Salzburg we will enjoy the Sound of Music Tour, the famous Salzburg Music Festival, Mozart's birthplace (and cathedrals, palaces, etc). During our 4 days in Salzburg we will be taking two day trips.

(A View of Lake Konigsee)

The boat ride on Lake Konigsee is a very highly rated tourist attraction in this region. It's a 1 hour and 15 minute train ride from Salzburg and you can get off at two different spots to hike for awhile before being picked up by the next boat that comes by. We're hoping to do this in the morning and then spend the rest of the day in Berchtesgaden (home of Hitler's Eagle's Nest - which oddly enough is now a restaurant). This day is probably our most aggressive travel day!

(Views of the St. Gilgen Lake)

The other day trip that we will be taking is to St. Gilgen. A spot I read about on http://www.slowtrav.com/. This is in the lake region of Austria just 30 minutes outside of Salzburg. We're going to hike from St. Gilgen half way around the lake to the town of St. Wolfgang, have lunch and take the boat back across the lake. We're really trying to incorporate a lot of outdoor activity on this trip something we've never done on an international vacation before.

(View of Neuschwanstein Castle)

Then we will be spending 3 days in the town of Fussen, Germany at the end of the romantic road (or I guess beginnging depending on where you start from!) This region is known for it's quaint medieval towns and great outdoor activities (hiking, biking, boating, etc). It's also famous for Mad King Ludwig's castles (specifically Neuschwanstein Castle pictured above.) Here we will visit the castles, hike hopefully a part of every day, perhaps bike or kayak if we can find a good place for rentals).

Then it's back to Munich for our last day of the trip! So that's the tentative plan as of right now. I'm busy working on the full fledged itinerary so that I can create my packing list and make sure there is nothing we need that we do not already have prior to this trip. We leave 4 weeks from tomorrow. It's pretty unlike Jon and I to so spontaneously decide to take a big trip at the last minute (I know I know this is not really that spontaneous, but planning a big trip like this and buying plane tickets just two months before we leave is spontaneous for us!)

We're both really looking forward to the trip and while I may not have access to blog every day between August 19th and August 30th I will certainly put a trip recap up when I return with lots of pictures!

Post in Comments:

What are your vacation plans this summer?

Tuesday Travels: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

(James Buchanan's House - Wheatland)

30 years ago my parens took a long weekend trip to Amish Country and my mother has been dying to go back ever since. My dad however was traumatized by the Straussburg Railroad (or as he has dubbed it "the train to nowhere") and has refused to go with her. So for years we've heard her plea of "who wants to go to Amish Country with me"? Last weekend I took one for the team!

My mom and sister are going to Seattle in August and I couldn't go with them so my compromise was that my mom and I would spend a long weekend in Amish Country after my Golf Tournament was through. We left on Friday, June 26th and came back on Sunday, June 28th. It's not a bad ride from NJ - just about 3 hours. I have to say that there is a nice variety of things to do in Lancaster, PA.

Friday when we arrived after lunch we headed to the Sturgis Pretzel Factory in Liditz, PA for a tour and of course to purchase some pretzels. The tour was $3 and lasted about 30 minutes. We started out each getting our own piece of dough that we rolled out and were taught how to twist it into a pretzel shape! It was pretty exciting as someone who grew up in a pretzel loving family (more like pretzel obsessed family!) Then the tour guide explained to us the history of the pretzel and how Mr. Sturgis was the first person to open a pretzel factory in the US. She also explained how they used to make pretzels versus how pretzels are made now. It was all pretty interesting. The tour leads out into the gift shop and of course we had to purchase pretzels. My mom got a nice assortment for my dad and I purchased two bags of Cheese Pretzels (that are divine!) We also shared a soft pretzels straight from the oven. I have to say it was the 2nd best soft pretzel I've ever had (1st place goes to the pretzels in Munich, Germany.) We learned that the average person consumes 2 pounds of pretzels a year and the average Pennsylvanian consumes 20 pounds of pretzels a year. I think my dad should have lived in Pennsylvania!

After the pretzel tour we did a driving tour suggested in my mom's guide book that drove us through typical Amish Country where we got to see some farms and many Amish people traveling in horse & buggy, by scooter or by foot along the road.

(The Carriage House at Wheatland)

On Saturday morning our first stop was Wheatland, where President James Buchanan lived. You know me and my Presidents! James Buchanan was the 15th President, the President right before Abraham Lincoln. He bought Wheatland with the intention of retiring. However, under President Pierce he was the Ambassador to England and then he was nominated for the Democratic ticket. He actually ran his campaign for the Presidency from Wheatland. When he was nominated for the ticket and elected President he made both of his "thank you" speeches from the front porch! He was our only bachelor President, never married. I found the tour very interesting and I love seeing places that were such a part of our history. It was an hour tour.

(Mom with our rail car at the Straussburg Railroad)

After Wheatland we headed down to Straussburg to ride the railroad! After hearing about "the train to nowhere" for 30 years I certainly wasn't going to come all the way to Lancaster and not ride on it! We got there 15 minutes before the next train was about to depart and snagged ourselves "First Class" tickets. We boarded the train at noon and sat in our plush comfy chairs. The train ride began and the conductor pointed out different items to us as we went along. We rode for 20 minutes to a "rail yard" and then the engine moved to the other side of the train and we rode 20 minutes back to the starting point. It really is a "train ride to nowhere"! I could see if you had small children that the novelty of riding on a train would be worth it but as adults I think my mom & I both felt that it was a little overrated. Nevertheless, I'm glad that we did it.

After that we went to the Mennonite Information Center and watched a movie about "Who Are the Amish?" It was a very interesting 30-minute segment that literally answered almost every question that I had asked out loud to my mom over the course of our weekend. I'm glad we took some time out of our day to learn about the people who make the community of Lancaster, PA so special.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of activities that there are to do in Lancaster, PA. There was more stuff we wanted to do but we just ran out of time! I can't say that I'll be running back to Lancaster, PA but if I ended up there again someday I know I'd have a good time.

Post in Comments:

Have you ever been to Amish Country?

If so, what was your favorite activity?

Tuesday Travels: Puerto Rico, Day 3

(The view as we approached the old Fort of Filipe del Murro)

Our 3rd day we spent exploring actual historic Old San Juan. We allowed ourselves a nice slow start to the day and then walked up the hill and down along the water to Castillo Filipe del Murro. You can't see it in the picture above but all outside the fort were hundreds of kids with kites. It was so windy there it was the perfect spot to fly a kite.

(Kirsten, Beth, Amy, Meghan & Alison at the Castillo Filipe del Murro)

We spent a good couple of hours wandering through the castle. It was huge, filled with stairs, ramps and plenty of knooks and crannies to explore. It was incredibly hot though out there with only concrete below us!

(An old guard tower at Castillo Filipe del Murro)

After we felt we had spent enough time exploring the fort we walked down to try and visit the old Cathedral in San Juan where Ponce de Leon is buried. It was closed and someone recommended that we come back for Easter Vigil as that's when the church would be open.

So we walked back down the block to the City Walls. You can walk outside the City Walls and there is this great path along the water. Amy and I had gone running that morning out in a different direction away from the city. It was a beautiful where we ran but if I had to do it again I would have run on this path outside the city walls. The views were just beautiful and it was a little bit nicer. We found a nice shady bench and enjoyed our handmade lunches from our apartment (we're so thrifty!) After lunch some people got icees and then we decided to hit the shops.

It was so funny because a lot of the shops were American and discounted. Discount Coach, Ralph Lauren, etc. I got my ornament (I purchase an ornament from every new place I visit for vacation - it makes my Christmas tree one big story!) We split up for a bit while shopping and agreed to meet up again at 4PM to head to Castillo San Cristobal which was the fort that guarded against a land attack. It was along the same side of the city but at the opposite end from Castillo Filipe del Murro (which guarded against the water attack).

(View from Castillo San Cristobal down the coast to Castillo Filipe Del Murro)

We spent about an hour or so exploring this fort, which was much smaller and much the same as the other fort. Then it was time to head home and get ready for the night out.

Once ready we walked back to the Cathedral and about 2 minutes after we got there they opened the doors. It was nice to see we weren't the only tourists there to see the Cathedral as opposed to attending the Easter Vigil. The church was small but at the same time had this elegance about it. We did get to see where Ponce de Leon was buried which was pretty cool!

After the Cathedral we walked to the other side of the city (all of 7 minutes!) to have dinner at Cafe Puerto Rico which I had read many great reviews about. I think I might have been the only person who didn't love my food (don't get the pork chops with onions -they come fried!) The wine was flowing and we had good conversation and the service was good.

After that we headed to this alley to go to Cafe Nureycan which we had read a lot about - known for it's salsa dancing. When we arrived there was an improv comedy duo on. I could only partially understand what they were saying but it was still pretty funny. We watched the end of their act and then the salsa dancing began! Almost everyone in our group was asked out to Salsa at some point in the night. We were there enjoying the music until after 1AM even though we had an early wake up call.

It was the perfect last day in Old San Juan. Overall, San Juan & Puerto Rico is definitely a place I would recommend for a vacation. It's really accessible and easy to navigate. Everyone speaks English and is very friendly and accomodating. It also offers a wide variety of activities (cultural, beach & relaxation, active & exploratory, and of course an enjoyable and relaxed night life).

Post in Comments:

Have you ever visited a fort outside of the US? If so, what fort have you visited?

Tuesday Travels: Puerto Rico, Day 2

(Me, Kirsten, Meghan, Amy & Alison posing at the visitor center before we embark on our day at El Yunque.)

Sorry for the long hiatus - but blogging on vacation is not something I'm ready to do just yet! I'm back though and won't be going anywhere for awhile so let's get right back to it.

Last Tuesday I cataloged our first day in Puerto Rico - for this Tuesday Travels edition - I am going to focus on Day 2 - another adventure filled day. We started the day a little later, since our previous day (wake up time 6:45AM, bed time midnight) was not a very vacation like schedule. We got on the road about 10:30 and headed straight for El Yunque, the national rain forest, in Puerto Rico. It's about an hour drive south east from San Juan.

Upon arrival we stopped by the visitor center to watch the movie on El Yunque as well as to pick up a map. Our only goal for the day was to swim in a waterfall. The guide at the front desk informed us of some good stop points for photo ops and we headed on our way (in the car). We stopped at the observation point, the waterfall along the roadside filled with tourists and visitors climbing all over it, and at the Observation Tower.

(View from the Observation Tower - 100 steps up!)

After that we headed for a "hike" to Minka Falls. The hike was along a concrete path taking a little bit of the fun out of it and said path was pretty crowded. It was a pleasant walk to the waterfall but boy were we shocked when we got there! It was pretty crazy - there were hundreds of people just hanging out at the waterfall, perched on rocks, with tons of food, drinking beers while they swam. We had our lunch and then Alison, Meghan & myself decided to brave the freezing cold waters and the crazy swarms of people to swim in the waterfall. It was chilly but well worth it!

(Minka Waterfall)

After that we packed up and headed back to the car where we drove back to Luquillo Beach (the main entrance this time) and spent about 2-3 hours just laying on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying our time in the sun. On our way home we stopped at the kiosks for a quick snack (eating on the roadside is a big thing in Puerto Rico.)

That night we took advantage of our kitchen. It was Good Friday and everyone we had encountered had warned us that a lot of places would not be open. So we decided to have a night in. We had a simple pasta dinner with salad and wine followed by fun games!

It was a much more relaxing, slow paced day, where we once again got to experience a couple of things and spend good quality time together. My one complaint would be that if I were to go back to El Yunque I would talk to the guide about hiking paths a little less traveled and touristy so that I could really get a feel for the rainforest. I felt that it was definitely a very touristy destination and having so many people crowded around you kind of takes away from the beauty of being in nature!

Post in Comments:

Have you ever felt that a place you were visiting was just "too" touristy? If so, where were you?

Tuesday Travels: Puerto Rico, Day 1

(This picture is from the inside of the Clara Cava, it's the only good picture I got from the inside.)

You may have noticed that I wasn't around to blog last week! That's because I was in Puerto Rico!! Every year starting in 2005 my Holy Cross girlfriends and I get together somewhere for a couple of days. In 2005 we went to New Orleans, in 2006 we went back to HC for our 5 year college reunion, in 2007 we went to St. Louis, in 2008 we visited Philadelphia and in 2009 in celebration of our 30th birthdays we decided to take it up a notch so we decided on Puerto Rico. It was a blast, we had a great trip, fun conversation, and a good variety of activities. I definitely know how lucky I am to have such amazing friends in my life and I cherish that we are able to get together once a year and explore together. I decided to break down the blog entries about our trip into a 3 parts, one for each full day that we were there to explore. So this is Day 1!

We all arrived on Wednesday, April 8th at varying times and had a fairly chill afternoon and evening together. Thursday was when all the craziness began. When we're planning our trips, depending on how many days we have, we each pick 1-2 activities that are a "must do" for us and then we try to arrange the itinerary to accomodate everyones wishes.

The first activity we did on Thursday was to get up early and drive about 90 miles Southwest of San Juan to visit the Camuy Caves. You get there and have to wait for your number to be called. Then you watch a short video on the "history" of the caves and their safety rules for your visit. You then hop into the "modern & fun" trams and travel down 200 feet to Clara Cava the Cave that is open to visitors.

(The above picture is from inside the beginning of the cave looking back up to where the tram dropped us off.)

Once there you walk through the cave out the other side. Inside it is amazing. My pictures didn't come out because it was all lit up inside the cave and so they came out all dark. It was breathtaking. Our guide Hector, was incredibly passionate about his job. Kirsten and I were able to walk up front with him for awhile and ask him questions about caves in general and Clara Cava in particular. You could just tell that he loved what he did and he loved exploring caves.

(Meghan, Alison, Kirsten, myself & Amy wearing our hardhats as we came out the other side of the cave!)

(The view looking up from the other side of the cave.)

It was about a 45 minute tour but definitely worth the drive out there. I wish we could have repelled down the cave but alas maybe next time. The one thing I would say about visiting Camuy Caves is that you have to be patient. We waited about 80-90 minutes before our tour started so make sure to leave yourself plenty of time and if you're in a rush then skip it because you won't enjoy your visit.

Afterwards, we drove back East past San Juan and spent an hour at Luquillo beach. It took us awhile to figure out exactly where the entrance was and as we found out the next day we didn't even go to the real entrance, we were definitely at the local entrance, but we were there. It was beautiful (although very windy when we were there). Everyone was just enjoying themselves, drinking, eating, playing in the sand & water.

(Amy, Meghan and myself wrote our names in the sand and snapped the above picture before the water came and washed it away!)

After our hour at the beach we drove Southeast about 30 minutes for our kayaking tour of the bioluminscent bay. It took us awhile to find it as it was tucked snug away in this little fishing village but we got there with about 5 minutes to spare, which we spent running around finding the restrooms, changing, etc. We paired up: Kirsten & Alison, Meghan & myself and Amy was paired with Matt from Chicago who was in Puerto Rico on vacation with his parents.

The kayaking was amazing, we were kayaking in the dark with the moon shining bright towards a lagoon that was going to glow! The trip to the lagoon was pretty adventures as the current was pushing us towards the lagoon at a pretty good clip. Where we were kayaking was a pretty thin waterway with each bank covered with mangrove trees (let me tell you those things are pretty dangerous, not a lot of give!) After quite the adventure we arrived at the lagoon, a vast open body of water, that was still. When we swirled our hand in the water it worked up the tiny microorganisms and it glowed, when we paddled the wake it left glowed, it was pretty cool. We sat in the lagoon for awhile while our tour guide gave us the rundown on how the bioluminscent bay worked then it was time to kayak back.

Kayaking back was much more difficult as we were against the current, it took a lot of hard work, paddling & communicating to get back to the start but it was worth it. It was by far my favorite acitivity of the trip, although the caves were a close 2nd, it just was so peaceful. I love to kayak and it isn't something I get to do often, I hope it's something I get to do more often in the future!

After kayaking we had dinner at the Oceanview right near the kayaking start and then headed home. We left San Juan at 8:30AM and got back around midnight. It was a long day but it was so much fun. All are activities that I would recommend for those that are traveling to Puerto Rico. Just make sure to make reservations for the kayaking ahead of time!

Rome - Our Last Day

Jon sitting on The Spanish Steps.
Jon running on the way to the Circus Maximus.
Jon posing for a pic mid-run around the Circus Maximus with the Palatine Hill in the background!
Our feet on the Appian Way!!!

We woke up early and got on a train heading back to Rome! We weren't sure how this last day was going to work out - we had 11:00AM reservations at the Borghese Gallery and weren't getting into Rome until 10AM.

As it turned out our plan to check our bags at Termini was thwarted when we got to the bag check and saw the long long line. So the Borghese Gallery is going to have to wait until we return to Rome (and we WILL return!)

So we went to our hostel and decided to check-in and then start our day. Well we got to our hostel, the same one we stayed in the first time we were in Rome and found out that a water pipe had burst so he couldn't have us stay there that night. We were so disappointed because it was definitely our favorite hostel. He was nice enough to have arranged for us to stay at a neighboring hostel in the same neighborhood. So he brought us over there got us all checked in and then we were ready to head out.

We ended up going back to visit the Spanish Steps because Jon wanted to see them during the day. We got lunch on the way and ate on the steps. Then we went to the Piazza de Popoli because I had wanted to check it out after having read about it in Angels & Demons:) It was raining at this point so we decided to head back to the hostel. We finished some postcards and bought stamps and got them in the mail. The weather had gotten a little better so we decided to go for a run.

We got all ready to go and headed out towards the Circus Maximus below the Palatine Hill. It was a nice little run there and then we ran a lap around the Circus Maximus (which was pretty cool) and then we decided to run to the Appian Way to check it out. We weren't exactly sure where we were going but we knew the general direction. So we headed do the Via Appia Nuova. Maybe halfway down that road towards our destination it started to DOWNPOUR! We headed down to a Metro stop to wait it out and checked out a map while we were down there, which was a good thing given that we had to make a turn coming up and we would have never known that. We waited about 5 more minutes and headed out again with a better sense of where we were going and ran in the rain to the Via Appia Antica, the very first road ever! It was pretty cool, we ran in one direction for a little bit just checking it out, snapped photos, ran in the other direction trying to figure out where the catacombs were. After realizing that everything was closed, it started to get pretty cold and dark and it was still raining so we decided to head back to the bus stop we had seen. We ended up having to sprint over the cobblestones of the Appian Way to catch it in time so we weren't left there out in the cold. It'll certainly be a run that we won't forget. It was about 7 miles in length total - not a bad run for our last day of vacation - after having walked all the miles we did!

We got back to the hostel, showered and got ready to go out. We went back to the Pantheon area and found a sweet little restaurant down an alleyway and enjoyed a nice dinner. Then we headed of course to our favorite wine bar near the Pantheon. When we got there we were the only people there except for the owner who was hosting a couple. It was sweet! We got a seat indoors and ordered a glass of wine. It was the perfect end to the perfect trip. We spent some time there enjoying wine and then the owner, Giovanni, came over and poured us a glass of wine on the house - he remembered us from the other two nights we had been there! I loved it.

After that we hit up our fave gelato/cappachino place and got one last order, then we walked to the Trevi Fountain for one last look and threw our quarters in wishing for a return trip, then we headed back to the hostel.

I have to say I was very sad to leave Italy. I have a dream that I will live there for a year at some point in my life, just traveling all around for the year. After our trip Jon has agreed that he'd love to live in Italy at some point in our life as well! It may not happen until we're 60 but for right now that's our goal! Hopefully we'll get back there before we "move" there though - because it truly is my favorite country that I've been to so far!

So that's it our trip in a "nutshell" or 10 long descriptive posts! I'm going to do a blog on the Italian food and some pics from our trip so stay tuned....

Florence Day 3 - The Lesser Known Museums

Donatello's Mary Magdelene (probably one of our most favorite statues).
Me enjoying some yummy Gelato!

Jon and I were kind of wishing when we woke up that we had spent two days in Florence and used this day to have an extra day in Rome, which we just loved sooo much! Not that Florence isn't a beautiful city, but it's definitely small, and it's really all about the museums. We went to see about changing our ticket but unfortunately it would have cost a lot of money to change it so we set up our day seeing a lot of lessser seen museums and places since we had the time. And truth be told, it was probably one of our favorite days in Florence!

We started out by visiting the Bargello Museum, according to Rick Steve's a very underrated museum. It is housed in this old police station that then became a prison prior to becoming a museum. It's focus is sculpture and there are some beautiful piece including Donatello's David. We spent almost 2 hours here wandering the halls and exploring the art, it was a very nice museum, not overwhelming at all.

After the Bargello we walked over to the Medici Chapels, which was one of the things I was most excited about seeing after reading so much about the Medici's before going to Italy. I have to say it was one of the most disappointing things we visited there. It's just not worth the price of the ticket at all in my opinion. But nonetheless we made we sure we saw the whole thing. Then we wandered the market and picked up some olive oil to bring home.

After lunch we went to the Museo del' Duomo right behind the Duomo. This was by far our favorite museum in Florence! It was such a gem, small and easy to navigate, and easy to see in 2 hours. It houses Michelangelo's last Pieta as well as Donatello's Mary Magdelene (see pic above), which was definitely one of the most powerful sculptures we saw while in Italy.

After the museum we went to Santa Croce church and saw where many of Italy's famous are buried, such as Michelangelo. It's a large church with many paintings, altars, and tombs. It also holds a piece of St. Francis of Assisi's frock. If you go into the book store you can see the pictures of the big flood in Florence that show how high the water came up around the church. It's pretty unbelievable that so much survived that flood.

After the church we went to this paper store where Napoleon used to have his note cards made! We also saw the spot where Savanrola had the big book burning in Florence. After having read so much about it it was neat to see. We saw one more church, Santa Maria Novella and then called it a day.

All in all we saw a lot of great art in Florence, which is what it is known for. If you've never been to Italy and Florence I wouldn't miss the visit - but having now been there twice I can safely say that I feel no desire to return again. Hopefully next time I'm in that region I'll be renting a house in Tuscany for a week and exploring Chianti, Siena, etc!!!!

Florence Day 2 - The Big Hitting Museums

Our second day in Florence was all about the Major Art that many people go to Florence to see. We were no exception! We woke up early for our 9:00 AM appointment to see The David! The Accademia where The David is housed isn't much, there are a couple of other pieces of art that are worth seeing, but really you pay what you pay to see David and I'm sure there are many people who don't even look at anything else in the museum.

We wanted to take our time though so we thoroughly explored the museum as well as spending ample time with the man of the hour! I'm sorry but he really is just beautiful. It looks as if he could just walk off the stand he's on that's how real he looks. It is an unbelievable piece of art, one that anyone can appreciate, regardless of their knowledge of art. After an hour or so at The Accademia we wandered over to the San Marco Museum. This is an old monastery in Florence that has frescoes in each monks cell from Fra Angelico an important artist in Florence. It was an interesting musuem, very different from most you would normally visit, seeing the cells that the monks lived in as well as the frescoes was neat.

After that it was on to lunch and then getting to the Uffizi in time for our 2:00 PM reservations. Again we had decided to spend no more than 2-2 1/2 hours in this museum, so that we could appreciate it as opposed to being museumed out. The Uffizi is bigger than you think it's going to be, but once again has a very logical layout that is easy to follow. Here we got to see Boticelli's Birth of Venus among other famous paintings.

By the time we left we were done for the day - so we had a nice quiet dinner at this really cute restaurant! Then we went back to our hostel for another night of 500 Rummi and wine! Florence was all about activity during the day and relaxing at night!

No pictures from this day becasue they don't allow you to take pics in any of the museums we visited today. That was something we definitely noticed in Florence as opposed to Rome, you really can't take pictures in most of the museums.

Florence Day 1 - "Hiking"

Jon and I at the top of the Duomo looking out over Florence.

Jon and I at the Boboli Gardens overlooking Tuscany!

Views of the Duomo from Fort Belvedere.

Well, we got up REALLY early to get on a 6:30AM train to head to Florence. We got to Florence around 9ish, checked into our hostel and then headed out to explore.

Florence is this quaint medieval town. First stop, The Duomo! It's free to enter the Duomo so we walked around outside first taking it in. It's white and green which is a very different look from any of the other churches we saw in Italy (outside of Florence that is - it's a very popular look in Florence!) The inside isn't really all that much to look at, what you're really there for is to climb to the top of the Duomo. So we waited in line and then started climbing those steps. When you get to the cupola you can look at the Dome, which is painted. Prior to heading to Italy I had read Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King which describes in detail how historians think Brunelleschi made the Dome, to this day it is still a mystery how it stays up! So it was pretty neat to see it in real life. Then we finished climbing to the top and had beautiful views of Tuscany.

After that we headed over to the Boboli Gardens, our plan was to eat our sandwiches in the garden, but we couldn't find the entrance at first so we ended up just eating them on the street - oh well! We eventually found the Gardens and spent the afternoon exploring the Boboli and Barberini Gardens at Fort Belvedere. We decided to take advantage of being outside most of the day since the forecast was calling for rain for the next two days we were there.

The reason I titled this post hiking was because between the stairs to the top of the Duomo and the hills we climbed in and around the Gardens, we were talking about how we spent the day "urban hiking" our legs were so tired!

On our way back to the hostel to get ready for dinner we spent some time on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge looking out at the Arno and just taking in all the shops.

Then we had a nice dinner and bought a bottle of wine and headed back to the hostel for a chill night of wine and 500 rummi!

Venice Day 2 - Relaxing

Ah...Happy New Year!!!! We took this day to sleep in and just catch up on some rest so that we didn't get burnt out from our trip. Not much was open today so we really just wandered through the city, down all the little streets, over all the bridges, exploring all the neighborhoods.

We got sandwiches and ate them by the Grand Canal. Then we took a 45-minute Vaparetto Ride down the Grand Canal to see all the old Palaces that line the Canal. It was a really nice way to spend an hour - out in the sun, exploring the water of Venice.

We walked St. Mark's Square, through the Jewish Ghetto, over by the University and the Accademia, just everywhere. It was such a fun and relaxing day. We had dinner in Santa Margerita Square near the University and then headed over to San Vidal Church to see a Vivaldi concert performed by Interpreti Veneziani. I had read about these concerts and really wanted to attend one. Since there wasn't much open I figured this would be a good "event" for our day. We were so lucky, we got to see the Four Seasons by Vivaldi performed. The setting was beautiful, they dimmed all the lights and lit candles all around the church. There were a couple of hundred people sitting in the church. They had two intermissions and then like 10 encores - it was crazy! But they were really really good and it was a very special night! Listening to Vivaldi will always remind me of our New Year's Day in Venice. If you click on the link you can listen to them performing - so good.

Venice Day 1 - New Year's Eve!

Ah, overnight trains there is nothing like that experience! We had the two top bunks in a 4 bunk room with two Italian men. I have to say that I slept pretty good, not having to get up at all. I was a little freaked we'd miss our stop in Bologna where we had to switch trains, but luckily the conductor knocked on our door to let us know we were arriving. So at 6:00 AM we switched trains at Bologna and were finally on our way to Venice.

Ah, Venice....I mean can you really find another city more beautiful? (OK, well I'm sure everyone has there most beautiful city, but for me it's definitely Venice!) We checked into our hostel, found our room in an apartment a couple of blocks and bridges away, discovered we had a private bathroom even though we paid for a shared bathroom room (woot!) and then headed out for lunch.

We knew that if we wanted to do anything particular in Venice we had to do it today because with it being New Year's Eve and New Year's the two days we were in Venice we weren't sure what was going to be open. So we went to Frari Church first and then walked over to St. Mark's Square and visited the Basilica. After that we went to the Florian Cafe, the most famous Venetian Cafe, a place where Casanova, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens and Woody Allen have all grabbed drinks. We got a seat right in the window overlooking St. Mark's square and each had a glass of red wine. It was divine!

We took a little catnap because we knew we'd be out late and then headed out to dinner, a dinner in a very touristy but good restaurant. Then with our champagne and red wine in my purse we made our way to St. Mark's Square for the New Year's Eve festivities! It was so great - we got there around 9PM and found a spot on the stairs on the one side of the square. The concert started around 10PM and funny enough they played all american music - go figure. We listened, talked, drank our champagne and just enjoyed the show and watching everyone in the square. The place was PACKED - to the point that as it got closer to midnight - there really was nowhere to move around at all. But we counted down at midnight, shared a kiss (2008 according to the Venetians is the Year of Love after all!) Then watched the fireworks over the square. We had such a great night - usually we back away from these kind of New Year's celebrations but we really just embraced it.

Of course when we tried to leave it was another story - think about it - all these people emptying out into the tiny alleys of Venice. I thought I was going to get crushed a bunch of times! But we made it out and back to our hostel. All in all it was a great day in Venice!

Rome Day 4 - Vatican Museum

OK, so even though I'm back in the US - I'm going to finish blogging about our time in Italy just to get it all down. I hope you will all humor me!

Our 4th day in Rome and our final day in Rome before heading off to Venice we woke up early and headed back to Vatican City. As you remember we hadn't been able to get to the Vatican Museum before it closed at 1:45 (???? does this seem early to anyone else!) We got in line about 1 hour and 15 minutes before it opened and of course this was the coldest of all the mornings in Italy! We entertained ourselves playing Guess Who and watching all the people walking up to the line shocked by how long it was:) We ended up getting into the museum around 9:30ish about 30 minutes after it opened.

It is an overwhelming museum - it's so large! Thankfully it's a very easy lay out, start at the beginning and just follow the rooms until they empty out into the Sistine Chapel. The only thing about that is that you really have to be in the mood to see "everything" because you're going to whether you want to our not. We started at the beginning with the Eygyptians and Etruscans and worked our way slowly through history.

We saw Raphael's rooms (which were beautiful), the Map Room (possibly Jon's favorite place in Italy!), among other amazing art! Then we emptied into the room that we were there to see - The Sistine Chapel. You know what I found most amazing - the amount of visitors that just blantantly ignore the guards that are there. They are continually repeating - No Pictures and No Talking and people just act as if they're completely deaf!!! The Sistine Chapel is something - we spent a good 20 minutes in there just staring up and all around us. It's sad when you leave a place like that - I kept sneaking one more look back, because I mean who knows if we'll ever really be back, how do you preserve that memory in your head forever.

We spent about 2 1/2 - 3 hours in the Vatican Museum, which is about our limit before we become museumed out. We went back to the hostel and had lunch around there, before grabbing our luggage and stowing it at Termini Station.

Then we headed back towards our hostel to visit the Basilica of San Giovanni. We had walked past it so many times, Jon really wanted to go back and see the inside. After that we took my sister's advice and visited the Church of San Clemente. It was pretty neat, we paid and went in, it's three churches built on top of each other essentially and you can go down one level and see the 4th Century Church and then below that a church from like 64AD! It was a neat way to end our day of sightseeing - climbing those layers. It must be amazing to be an archeologist in Rome finding everything hidden underneath its streets.

After that we walked over to Campo de Fiori (passing the place where Ceasar was assisinated ont he way!) Campo de Fiori is a very popular place to eat and grab a drink, seeing as it was one of the few neighborhoods we hadn't visited on our trip, we decided to have dinner here. We had a nice meal sitting out on the square (yes, in December! We were near a heater, but seriously I don't think that the Italians mind sitting outside in the cold because the whole time we were in Italy everywhere we went, people would just be having dinner outside regardless of the temperature. It became a running joke between Jon and I!) After dinner we headed over to the Pantheon neighborhood to our favorite little wine bar! We got a table inside and had a few glasses of wine and hung out before our train to Venice left. It was such a great way to end our time in Rome, but of course it made us not want to leave! On our way to Termini we got gelato and cappachino and then walked by the Trevi Fountain. Good-bye Rome we'll be back for one more night!

Rome Day 3 - Vatican City

Boy oh Boy did day 3 start out a little stressful - think of that scene in home alone where the parents yell "we overslept", cue the music! Well that's what happened with us, the one day we actually had to get up to go somewhere at a specific time, we set the alarm wrong. We had a 9:30AM tour for the excavations under the Vatican and woke up at 8:52AM - YIKES! Needless to say we were out the door and on a metro in 10 minutes (looking a little worse for wear). We got to the Vatican stop with 10 mintues to go, sprinted about half a mile to St. Peter's Square (keep in mind that I was wearing my huge blue puffy jacket!) and then across the square past two swiss guards and a cabineiri. We got to the ticket office with about 10 seconds to spare - yes, we were those people - the whole tour was waiting for us - oops!) I will say though, that today was the first day I felt completely rested:)


The Scavi Tour was a tour underneath St. Peter's Basillica, of the area where St. Peter was originally buried. It was a really interesting tour. We started out in this room where our tour guide explained what we were going to see. It doesn't really prepare you though for the feeling you get when you go under St. Peter's. It's like a city of the dead (except the dead aren't really there anymore).

What happened was that the area that we were visiting was originally the Circus Maximus in Rome. St. Peter was cruxified upside down in the Circus Maximus and then they buried him there. All of these people wanted to be buried by St. Peter so families started building Mausoleums around the area and burying their dead. However, when Constantine was emperor of Rome (the First Christian Emperor), he decided he wanted to build a church for St. Peter on the site. So he raised the roofs off the mausoleums and filled them in with dirt until the ground level was higher and flat, and then he built the first St. Peter's Church there, which has now been replaced by St. Peter's Basilica.

When you go underground, it's kind of crazy, it's literally like your walking through a city, because you're walking among the walls that made up the Mausoleums. They are in great condition, you can still see frescoes as well as objects (like urns) that were found inside. Then you walk to this one part where they have the place where they found St. Peter's burial plot and it is lit up so you can see it. It's wild because at one point you're underneath the Vatican and there is a grate where you can see into St. Peter's Basilica and we could hear the choir practicing. We really enjoyed the tour and were happy that we took the time to do it, it was certainly unique.

After that we went in to St. Peter's and visited there for awhile, saw Michelangelo's Pieta and Donatello's bronze altar. It is a beautiful church and it is HUGE! After touring inside we got in line to climb to the top of the Dome, while in line we realized that the Vatican Museum closed at 1:45 so we were going to have to return to do that another day. The line to the top of the Dome was the largest line we had waited on so far this trip, but we spent the time talking so it went by pretty fast. We had the option to take the elevator and then climb 332 steps or climb the whole 500+. We decided to take the elevator because 500+ seemed like a lot, but after we got to the top we had wished we had just climbed them all (and saved the euros!) Although, I'm sure our legs were glad for a little break. It was a little frightening being at the top of the Dome because the metal railing isn't that high, but the views really are stunning! They do however let too many people up top at one time, and it made me very nervous!

One the way down we bought stamps and an ornament in the gift shop and then headed to a late lunch (really late especially considering we hadn't eaten any breakfast!) After lunch we decided to walk to Castelo San Angelo and walk through there. The inside isn't much but again we went out to the top and the views of St. Peter's and Vatican City from there were beautiful. We spent sometime outside just enjoying the views and then we headed out across the Bridge of Angels back into Rome.

We wandered the streets, just loving the feel of Rome. Some parts of it are really just so quaint and quiet when you wander down the back roads in and out of piazzas! It's so beautiful! We walking to the Capucin Crypt right near the metro stop we wanted to take back to our hostel. The Capuchin Crypt is beneath Santa Maria della Concezione. It is donation requested and no photos (click on the link above to see some pics). There are 5 chapels and you walk through them, each chapel is decorated with bones from the Capuchin monks of years ago. At first you are like this is kind of cool, but towards the end it starts to seem creepy. In the last chapel there is a stone engraved with "What you are now we were, what we are you will be". Even the chandeliers are made of bones! It was pretty wild.

After a quick rest & refresh we headed out on the bus to Trastevere a very young, Roman, artsy kind of neighborhood. I loved loved loved it! It was so cute, you can sense that it's very medieval, tons of windy streets (you WILL get lost!), with people spilling out from restaurants and bars. First we visited the Church in the main square. Mass was going on so we couldn't really roam freely, but the mosaics above the altar were incredible! We lit a candle and then headed out to find a restaurant. We found a little restaurant and had a great dinner before heading back over the river to the rest of Rome. It was a neighborhood we only visited once, but when we go back to live there I know we'll get to know this neighborhood intimately!

Rome Day 2 - "Old Rome"

So I am trying to blog now when we take breaks because the hostel we are staying at has 24 hour free internet - woot!

Today was all about "Old Rome". We woke up early and after a deliciously light breakfast at our hostel we walked over to the Coloseum. I love the Coloseum, it is so beautiful and awe-inspiring when you see it in person. We bypassed the line with our great Roma Pass tickets and got an audio guide to give us some insight on the Coloseum. I have to say the audioguide was definitely worth it, learning about the history of the Coloseum while standing in it was pretty remarkable. It was one of my favorite parts of the day.

After the Coloseum we walked over to The Forum. Our Rick Steves book (sorry I cannot figure out the apostrophe key on this computer so bare with me!) gave a great overview of the Forum and brief histories on many of the ruins. Again, awe-inspiring is the word to describe. To just imagine the Forum at its height - well I cannot even imagine. Jon and I were talking today about Rome and our initial thoughts and he said if he could use one word to describe Rome he would say "magnificent". I did not remember how truly LARGE many of the structures are and they are not even fully intact most of them. After a couple of hours wondering the Forum, we found a cute little place for lunch (Panini sandwiches - my fave).

After lunch we ventured over to the Palatine Hill. This is where all of the emperors lived when Rome ruled the world. The views from up top the hill are pretty spectacular and it's just a neat place to wander (just accidentally found the apostrophe button - yay!) We agreed that if we had it to do over we would have gotten lunch to go and picnicked up there - many people were doing just that. It definitely gives you a feel for the "granduer" of Rome.

Then we headed over to the Mamertime Prison, which is where St. Peter was held prisoner before his execution. They actually still have the column he was chained to there in the prison. It was a pretty depressing place.

After that we climbed the steps to the Capitoline Museum, saw the famour foot, hand and head of the Constatine statue and other incredible pieces of sculpture. It's a beautiful museum, although museums at the end of a long day do not agree with me, I got tired pretty quick. However, from the Capitoline Museum is one of the best views of the Forum. We hit it right as the sun was setting, so we took some time and stood on the balcony and watched the sun set over The Forum, one of those "WOW" moments. It was so peaceful, as The Forum was closed so there wasn't a soul walking through it. Ahhhh.....

After that long (but amazing!) day we headed back to the hostel for a nap before heading out (I know so unlike us, but we had both run ourselves ragged prior to arriving here and new that if we didn't rest up for a little bit we wouldn't enjoy the whole trip.

For dinner we walked over to the Piazza Navona, one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome. There was a Christmas fair going on so we walked around before finding the perfect restaurant for dinner (thanks Rick Steve's). It was located right outside the Piazza Navona and we had a delightful meal there, great wine, amazing bruchetta (I'm telling you it gets better each day!), and I had gnocchi (melt in your mouth kind of gnocchi and Jon had parpadelle with Wild Boar sauce (spicy but delish!)

After dinner we headed back towards the Pantheon to go to this wine bar we had seen the night before - it is too cool to describe. Old barrels for tables, wine bottles lining the walls, really Italian (we were the only Americans in there!) We sipped our wine slowly and vowed to return before our trip was over - I can't wait!

Last but not least before the night was over - Jon stopped for a Cappuchino and I had gelato at the BEST gelato place - Giotti's! (Amy I'm not sure if you remember it from the time we were here 8 years ago?) So good...then we walked to the bus stop to catch our bus back to the hostel as the metro stops running here at 9PM (bizzare!) We learned all this last night so tonight it was smooth sailing.

Well, I'm a day behind blogging so I'll write about our adventure to the Vatican tomorrow (and boy was it an adventure!) But it's time to shower before heading out to Trastvere for dinner.

Italia!!!!

Hello All and Greetings from Italia! I apologize for any typos but the Italian keyboard is a little different from the American one (it took me about a minute to find the @ sign!)

So we arrived safely in Rome on Thursday, December 27th and have been having a really wonderful time. When we first arrived the hostel we are staying at was not ready for us to check in so we decided to check out some sites. We first visited the Trevi Fountain, which personally is my fave place in the world, but it was being cleaned so it looked less than stellar. We then strolled over to the Pantheon and took our time exploring. I am sorry but I do not remember the Pantheon ever looking so beautiful (especially at night!) Rick Steves recommended some churches in the neighborhood so we went and visited two of them. One had a Michaelangelo statue and the other had a beautiful Carravaggio altar. We then stopped for some lunch (pizza and a coke light - love those!) Afterwards we headed back over to the Trevi Fountain and it was looking much better but still nothing like what it can look like at night.

We came back and checked in to our hostel and took a little nap (I was exhausted from not sleeping at all on the flight, the stories of that plane ride are for another post!) Our hostel is amazing - it is like a bed and breakfast in Rome. The guy Maxissimo, who runs it is so sweet.

After our nap we went and walked around the Coloseum and the Forum and then went to see St. Peter in Chains Church. I have to say while the church was not really that much to look at and it took us awhile to get there (we went "the long way") there is this statue of Moses that is incredibly powerful. And the chains that held St. Peter while he was in prison are in a case above the altar.

We decided to head over to the Spanish steps and people watch for a little bit. They look much more beautiful in spring with the flowers but decorated for Christmas they were not that bad either. From there we walked back towards the Pantheon for dinner. We went to this wine bar (I am not remembering the name right now) and had a half bottle with some bruchetta mixta which was delicious (and get this I ate things I did not know what they were!) Then we went to this mom and pop type Italian restaurant near the Pantheon for dinner. While not out of this world, it was hearty and good, which was all we were expecting.

After dinner we walked past the Trevi Fountain again:) This time all lit up at night it was in its glory and we sat and appreciated it for awhile before heading back to the hostel.

Today we had the BEST day exploring the Coloseum, Forum, Capitaline Hill, Palatine Hill etc but I will write about it later as it is late and I should head to bed to get ready for tomorrow!

Hope everyone had a very Happy Holidays!

St. Louis - We Went We Saw We Conquered!

Well, I'm back and I survived despite many warnings of the need to be safe in the most dangerous city in the country (who knew, St. Louis, really?)

I arrived on Friday night after a one hour delay, just before 11PM. I waited in the airport for Awesome Al to arrive from Newark, 2 hours delayed, and then Kirsten and Meghan (the host) picked us up from the airport where we quickly all proceeded to bed to get ready for some Saturday fun.

Saturday morning, despite a late night, I got up at 7PM and went for about a 6 mile run in Forest Park. For those of you that don't know (and I was one of them until this weekend) Forest Park is St. Louis' Central Park. It is larger than Central Park but had the same architect. So I figured I would check it out. I stuck to the edges, afraid to get lost, I had to get back in time to go pick up Okie Amy afterall. I will say that Forest Park is more laid back then Central Park, running wise, but not quite as lush. I thoroughly enjoyed my run, it's one of my favorite ways to familiarize myself with a place.

After picking up Okie Amy from the airport and having breakfast, we headed to our first desitnation, The Gateway Arch! We took the Metro there, then walked along the Mississippi River to the steps leading up the park where the Arch is. I have to say it is really something in person, graceful, simple, elegant - I loved it!

View from the Metro Stop (it's the only picture where I fit the whole Arch in one frame!)

We bought our tickets for the "Ride to the Top" and spent the next two hours exploring the museum exhibit they have there on the expansion Westward in the United States after the Louisiana Purchase, the gift store and this old west food store that had a game of Checkers waiting to be played (Meghan and I decided to take on the challenge!)

Now for the "Ride to the Top", they don't really warn you about what it is going to be like so we were under the impression it would be a disney world like tram. Boy were we wrong. Each "tram" car holds 5 people - perfect, as we were 5. The tram however can be better described as a pod or capsule (think the Jetsons!) We all climb in, unsure of the 4 minute ride to the top. It starts off great and we're all laughing at how ridiculous we must look, and then it starts swaying back and forth. Let me tell you - it was pretty terrifying! 4 minutes later we were at the top and smiling for pics under the "You're at 630 feet sign!

Here we are at 630 Feet (from left to right: Amy, Beth, Meghan, Alison (in front) and Kirsten).

We enjoyed the view for awhile then braced ourselves for the 3 minute ride back down in our "capsule". Much less frightening.

When then headed to the Budweiser Factory for the one hour tour followed by "Free Beer!" The tour was pretty interesting, we got to see the Clydesdales, where they make the beer, where the bottle, label and package the beer etc. Then at the end you go back and you get two free glasses of beer. I had...what else...but Budlight! Yum!

Here we all are at the Budweiser Factory (from left to right: Kirsten, Beth, Alison, Meghan and Amy).

After the Budweiser factory we headed out to dinner, a piano bar and of course dancing. It was a fun night in St. Louis with my girls!!!!

Sunday, Kirsten left us (boo!) to head back home to Philadelphia. So after a nice breakfast, where we got to meet Meghan's friend Sarah, we headed out to Forest Park to do a walking tour that Amy had discovered online. At the visitor center they give you iPod shuffles with the walking tour on it and a map so you can follow along. We toured the Grand Basin, which was beatiful and the tour was very informative. It ended at the Boathouse so we dutifully went out on paddleboats for about and hour then sat by the water and enjoyed a drink. It was a beautiful day in St. Louis and I'm so glad that we were able to spend it outdoors enjoying the Park. It was the perfect way to spend the day.

Sunday night was nice and lowkey, we ordered in take out and enjoyed the Amazing Race (we may have converted Amy over to fan status of the show!) and just chatted. Then Monday was a travel day in which we all headed home.

I'm glad we make time to get together each year, even if it is only for a weekend - it's important to do. And I'm so looking forward to whatever adventure awaits us in 2008!

St. Louis Here We Come...!!!

I leave tonight for St. Louis, Missouri!!! I state I've never been to (so I can check it off in my quest to visit all 50 states!)

Two years ago my college girlsfriends and I decided we should go away for a "girls weekend" once a year. So, two years ago we went to New Orleans for 4 days and had a blast, last year we went back to Holy Cross for our 5 year reunion, and this year we're going to St. Louis!!!

I'm so excited to see everyone, visit a new place and just get away for a little bit. So expect some fun posts to follow about my trip and our adventures because it's never a dull moment when we all get together!

Happy Weekend!

Reach the Beach - We Finished in 29 hours and 2 minutes!

Reach the Beach is the running event that I probably get the most crazy reations from people for participating in. When people here the number 203 miles (even though I've said it's a relay and there are 12 of us) they just can't get past that. And yes, for us runners it is a source of pride - because hey 203 miles sounds like a lot even if you're only running 15 of them:)

We arrived at our motel in NH late Thursday night, or maybe EARLY Friday morning (oops!) and got a good quick 7 hours of sleep before our adventure began. Friday morning we headed to Cannon Mountain where this years race was scheduled to begin. There were 12 people on our team (here they are in order that they ran): Boyd, Karyn, Doug, Alex, Peter, Jenn, Matt, Emily, Karen, Jon, Armen & me! We were split into two groups the first 6 runners were Van #1 and the last 6 runners were Van #2. We checked in, went through our safety check and orientation and settled in for a nice cozy breakfast.

At 10:40 AM, our first runner Boyd lined up in at the starting line with the rest of our heat and we were off. For those of us in Van #2 we drove the first six legs and parked at the 1st team transition area where we would wait for the runners of Van #1 to arrive. While a small spot, the bathrooms were plentiful, and there was a beautiful little river with lots of rocks, perfect for having lunch. We also, sat and cheered a lot of the runners that were finishing their legs and handing off to their next van. At soemtime between 3 and 4 PM Jenn arrived to hand off to Matt and Van #2 was underway. We ran until 7:30ish maybe. With Jon, Armen and myself running in the dark. When you run in the dark you have to have a reflective vest on, a head lamp and or a flashlight! My first run was 4 miles so I wasn't feeling too nervous. I was really excited, that is until I realized that I was running the first mile on a trail in the woods! However, I completed my 4 mile leg with no problems.

We finished and drove to our next transition area to await Van #2 who was running their second legs. It was a high school, or some sort of school, where the girl scouts were serving a big pasta dinner (thank you!). We dragged our sleeping bags out onto the lawn and caught about 2 hours of sleep.

At about 12:45 AM, Jenn ran up a huge hill in the pouring rain to finish her leg and hand off to Matt. Thankfully for us, even though it rained on all of us during our 2nd legs, the rain died down as soon as Jenn finished. Our van had that dreadful middle of the night running time! And in acutality it really wasn't that bad. Everyone ran well, and it was over before we knew it. I decided to take the advice of Peter from last year and drink a red bull before my 2nd leg since I had been up for almost 24 hours consecutively except for my little 2 hour nap. Not sure what it was going to do to my stomach I decided to take the risk because I had a 6.9 mile run ahead of me. Let me tell you, Redbull really does give you wings! I haven't felt that good running since the Chicago Marathon. I felt like I was flying and I had the best time running that leg.

So with 2 legs done we drove to our next transition area to await Van #1 who was busy running their last leg. Since it was still raining we all had to stay crammed into our 15 passenger van. At about noon Jenn showed up happy to be done and all but threw the "baton" (really it's one of those slap bracelets from the 80's) at Matt. There was a totally different energy to this leg because everyone out there was running their last leg with their ultimate destination in site - we were "reaching the beach". I got the honors of that last leg, and of reaching the beach. Once again I drank a redbull before my leg, 4.3 miles, I wasn't sure how my legs were going to hold up. It was amazing, running through Hampton Beach, NH right along the water, knowing all your teammates are waiting for you at the finish, it was very cool!

We finished 59th out of 154 teams in our division with a time of 29 hours, 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Our average pace as a team was 8:27. Overall, not too shabby if you ask me! If you want to check out the pictures from this crazy event click here to see Capt'n Karyn's cool website she made for us (thanks Karyn!)

This could be my favorite running event, if any of you out there are big runners, make it a priority at some point in your running career to team up with 11 other runners and "Reach the Beach"! There is nothing like running through the state of New Hampshire in September with the leaves changing color. It's a great way to see and experience the state. And the commaraderie of the runners is so fun. I LOVE THIS RACE!!!! :)