Italy - Milan - July 23-25, 2012

Originally when we planned our trip to Italy, Rod was supposed to have a Zija meeting in Milan so we planned it that we would visit Milan as well.  After we had purchased all the tickets and booked the hotels, we found out that the meeting was not going to take place in Milan but then it was too late to cancel so we decided to visit the city anyway.

Arriving to Milan train station.

After we checked into our hotel, we were guided to "Valentino" for lunch. This is their version of Caprese salad.

Tyler and Alex having lunch at the Valentino.

My Risotto.

Rod's pizza.

The boys ordered Pasta with truffles and this beautiful dish of Argentinian Black Angus with tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini.

Duomo

Duomo

Duomo

Statue inside the Duomo

Stain glass windows inside the Duomo

Huge Stain glass windows inside the Duomo

Lighting candles

Tyler's shorts were too short so he had to borrow Alex's shorts.

Undressing.

Duomo piazza

Tyler and Alex are waiting for Rod to get off the phone so we could walk some more.

Rod conducting business in Milan.

Home away from home: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II or in English: Great shopping mall

And shop we did.

Hello new purse from Louis Vuitton. It is not Italian but it will do.

Cute little old couple just outside the shopping mall.

The following early morning we had purchased tickets to view "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci.  It is located in the Santa Maria delle Grazie. Of course we couldn't take pictures inside.

Waiting to get inside to view the painting for 15 minutes.

The church Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Then it was time for breakfast and local pastries was just the thing to do.

Because we walk on our vacations, we walked back to the city center

Surprisingly when you walk, you come up on beautiful places like the Castello Sforzesco

Inside the Castello

Outside the Castello

Our family by the water fountain

Just outside the Castello by the water fountain.

Our hotel staircase

Last look of the Duomo.

Tomorrow we fly to Finland.

Italy - Venice - July 21-23, 2012

Our next stop was Venice.  We took the train through Tuscany and got to Venice a couple of hours later.  I think we all are in love with Italy.  So much history, so much to see, experience, smell and taste.

Who is that extremely good looking Italian man? Oh, it is Rod.  He purchased all of his Italian clothes the first day we got to Rome and he is going to a Zija meeting in Verona once we get to Venice, so he was dressed so nicely for that occasion.

Rod looks kind of out of place with the boys who are dressed for the beach.

Alex traveling comfortably from Rome to Venice.

Beautiful Tuscan scenery.

At the Venice train station. We had to catch the boat to our hotel right off the train station. There are no cars in Venice. It was either walk or take the boat.  We purchased a 48 hour pass so we can take the boat as much as possible.

Tyler at the Venice train station

Gondolas waiting for riders right at the Venice train station.

Taking the boat to our hotel.

Gondola ride through the canals. We will be doing this the following day.

Alex in our hotel room. Very vintage.

Our bedroom upstairs.  Rod's legs were swollen.

The boys in our hotel room window.

Hotel Giorgione. Perfect place to stay in Venice.

Cool narrow alleys were everywhere.  Luckily we had a map and could navigate through all the alleys and bridges.

Alex drinking a Pepsi with Marilyn Monroe's picture on it.

Pasta with mussels, clams and seafood.  So delicious.

Lunch at a cafe just outside our hotel.

Semifreddo.

Boys purchased their Gondola riding outfits from a nearby store.

Yeah, they are ready to ride a Gondola.

We started walking through the city. Alex is posing on the Rialto bridge.

Marja in Venice.

Rialto bridge.

Taking the boat from Rialto to Piazza San Marco along the Grand Canal.

The Campanile in the Piazza San Marco

Palazzo Ducale

Basilica di San Marco

View to the Grand Canal from the Piazza

Bridge of Sighs.

Alex and the Bridge of Sighs

Alex is chasing pigeons at the Piazza San Marco

View of the Piazza from the Campanile

 View from the Campanile. Top of San Marco Basilica

The boys spotted these beautiful Spanish girls at the Piazza. The girls spotted the boys too.

Such a cute picture of them all.

Time to buy some jackets because it was getting kind of chilly.

Dinner close to the Rialto bridge. This time we decided to try the lobster. I thought that maybe they flew the lobster from Maine but I was wrong. It was from the Adriatic Sea.

Boys are ready to take that Gondola ride in the morning

Rod and I at the Rialto bridge

Tyler and Alex taking the Gondola ride. The Gondolier doesn't sing. How disappointing.

Rod and I in the gondola.

Totally enjoying the gondola ride.

The buildings in Venice are so interesting and old.

Drying laundry in Venice

Yes, we kissed under each bridge.

Rod and I 

Rod is double fisting his gelato.

The poles of Venice.

Tyler and Alex taking a boat to the Piazza San Marco

Our family at the Piazza San Marco

A lonely gondola at the Piazza

The boys in their Italian short shorts.

Our family with the Basilica and Campanile in the background.

Time for lunch.

I chose the pasta with squid ink and fish. So delicious. I got strange looks while I was eating it.  The boys couldn't look at me when I was eating it.

This is so common.

Yes, my gums were black.

Dinner time around 10:30pm by the Piazza San Marco

Spaghetti and meatballs. The only Spaghetti and meatballs we found on any menu.

Caprese Salad.

Tomorrow we travel to Milan by train.