A Tale of Italy 2010

 Viva Italia

Around the first month of two thousand and ten,

A St. George outing created a yen..

To ‘trip off’ to Italy, land of romance,

The seed had been planted, did it have a chance?

Jim, feeling not quite in traveling form,

Resisted the idea, but he would soon warm,

So winter turned spring and with Lindsay’s on board,

The planning began and the trip was assured!

‘Bishop’ Bruce worked hard to determine the route,

Joanne figured hotels with ‘Amex’ clout!

Trains, planes (no autos) worked into the plan,

Then with ‘Rick Steves’ uploaded the journey began!

Direct flight to France on September one/nine,

Carry-on’s loaded we four feeling ‘fine’!

Ten hours later, safe landing for us,

Bruce and Shari to Venice, Jim and Jo ‘ahh Paris’!

Airport shuttled right onto the Champs Elisee‘

Dragging luggage and looking for our ‘place to stay’!

Jim’s French was quite helpful, if not ‘apropos’,

To get us around and to quite delight Jo!

Starving we soon dined at chic ‘Chez Andre’.

Then the Eiffel Tower was just minutes away!

Up, up to a view of the city of love,

Miles of Paris were sited above!

Then quick to the Bateau Mooches for a ride,

Down the Seine, with a tour group of Chinese beside!

Dusk turned to dark passing sites long admired,

Loved it all (with full moon) even though…oh so tired!

Slumber at the Francois Primier, ooh la la,

The back of our eye lids was all that we saw,

‘Till early to rise and brunch buffet delight,

We were off to the airport to catch our next flight!

Fourty five minutes to sweet Switzerland,

The rain ride to Lausanne was really quite grand!

Hotel Angleterra on Geneva’s blue lake,         

Ice cream on the pier then to bed in a shake!

Up early next morning and off on the train,

Headed to Italy (are we insane?)

No, just way excited to join with our peers,

Bruce and Shari, ‘we’re comin’ - Cinque Terre, cheers!

 The email said only eight minutes up stairs,

To our room with a ‘view’, but right then, hey who cares!

Up, up and up climbing Verazza’s grand peak,

Would we get there before the end of the week?

Our room built right into the side of the hill,

But the view of the village and ocean, a thrill?

A good laugh was had as we dined near the sand,

 Company charming, scenery grand!

Thursday by now and we’re off on our hike,

In between village landscapes, a wondrous sight!

On the lovers hike over Via d’ la more

Our sore feet and sunburns would soon tell our story!

Back to Vernazza to take a cool dip,

Into the harbor to finish our trip!

Boat ride to Monterossa, food a bit pricy,

But couldn’t have ended a great day more nice-y!

Florence on Friday was next on our plan,

The train ride a breeze as we four caravanned!

Stepped out of the station to sheer ambiance,

Transporting us back to the Renaissance!

Right in our bath the D’Omo appeared,

More awesome it loomed as the busy crowd cleared!

Lindsays went left, Riches went right,

And soon our hotels were clearly in sight!

 Hotel Brunelleschi did not disappoint,

As ‘four stars’ go, a pretty nice joint!

  But happy travelers are busy ones too,

So we dropped off our bags and joined up with our crew!

The Uffizi museum was first on our list,

Alter tops, paintings, well you get the jist!

Beautiful view of the river Arno,

A scene from above to the city below!

Musicians and mimes could be seen here and there,

Adding their artistic charm with such flair!

But more beauty even to add to this show,

Was seen as we crossed the bridge, Ponti Vechio!

There on the opposite side of the city

A view putting to shame that old trite word, ‘pretty’!

Up on a hill near the old city wall,

Breathtaking Florence was viewed over all!

From here we could sense earth’s beauty thru time,

Created with Gods own palate divine!

Then humanity entered this wondrous scheme,

Adding their talents to His grand earthly theme!

All right now, so much for the flowery prose,

Let’s talk about food, that’s how this next part goes!

Have I mentioned ‘gelato’ and ‘pasta’ galore

Was our everyday menu, “could we please have more”?

Speaking of ‘fetishes’ we had quite a-lot-o,

Of that smooth classic favorite, Italian gelato!

Even Rich Steves had a favorite place,

Not yet, that’s in Rome, our next traveling place!

Our waiter at restaurant ‘Lion’ was real swell,

Noticed we were from Utah, (‘no wine!?’), he could tell!

Had worked for Bill Marriott back in the states,

Brought tasty delights to garnish our plates!

Sleep was a dream on our soft hotel sheets,

Then up the next morning to more arty treats,

The Accademia and ‘David’ a highlight for all,

Michaelangelo’s marvel, amazingly tall!

Shopping on street ‘Calazone’ ( not sure),

Suddenly things are beginning to blur,

Morano glass jewelry for Shari and I

Trying on diamonds (wow) hey girls, nice try!

Met the boys at our table, the two were a ‘hoot’,

Thought we ditched them, how could we, when they had the lute!

Laughs and good food to complete our short stay,

In beautiful Florence, ‘long Italy’s way

Up Sunday morning, nice breakfast to eat,

Then a taxi to church made our Sabbath complete!

Be it ever so humble, wherever you ‘roam’,

The church in the world makes you feel right at home!

Speaking of ‘Rome’, we hustled, well sort of,

To the train bound for ‘Roma’, the city of LOVE!

Just off the platform and out on the street,

Loomed the famed Coliseum, a marvel, a treat!

Was it days without drugs or a lash in her eye,

Or sheer ‘overwhelm-ment’ that made Shari cry?

There we stood awestruck by ancient Rome’s wall,

Amazingly beautiful for one, for all!

Rolling our suitcases not far away,

To the Hotel Nerva, our home for this stay

Asked where a good place for pizza would be,

Unpacked and took off, so much more left to see!

Rick Steves on our ipods our night walk began,

All this a part of our big three day plan!

Italians and tourists out walking the night,

Made the atmosphere thrilling, a wondrous sight!

A marvel, the Pantheon right there – for real,

And the Fountain Treve, a long awaited thrill!

Jim gave advice as photos were shot,

Me thinks those Italian girls thought he was ‘hot’!

We noticed Bruce keeping a quick lively pace,

Come to know he was looking for ‘Rick’s’ favorite place!

To have, yup you guessed it, gelato delight,

One scoop or two, big decision all right!

Next day to old Rome’s magnificent places,

The Coliseum and Forum with such well kept traces,

Of Romans and ruins and Christian reform,

Talk about these tours not being your ‘norm’!

Jim had called Luke, our nephew from home,

And planned to meet up at McDonalds, (in Rome?)

A bit late, we worried, had we missed our boy,

Then two white shirts appeared and great was our joy!

How wondrous to know that the Lords work goes on,

In this land where the Romans jut had it…all wrong!

That the Gospel restored had come to this place,

With hard work and surely God’s infinite grace!

A trip to the Pantheon by light of day,

Then dinner at Cul’d Sac restaurante!

Luke started in with questions of kin,

Then the day ended sweetly (gelato), for all a win-win!

Last day in Rome and it didn’t prove dull,

St. Peter’s Basilica, Pieta’s and all!

The Vatican Museum and Chapel ‘Sistine’,

Right out of a Dan Brown novel, this scene!

Oblisque’s, paintings and frescos galore,

Halls and ceilings and then halls some more!

Romanesque busts in plaster to view,

Many who looked like some people we knew!

With our tired feet and well worn out shoes,

We stopped at the souvenir shop to peruse!

Dined at a quaint little street-side café,

A find way to end a wonderful stay!

Goodbye to our company, travel stuff one,

Next day off to Paris before break of dawn!

The airport Marriott, our room for the night,

Then bus ride to Paris to more tourist sites!

Quick paced our steps to the Musee ‘d Orsay,

Impressionist paintings on ground floor display!

And we were ‘impressed’ yes, that’s for darn sure,

Then to Notre Dame to end our day tour!

Stained glass windows of Chapel St. Chappell,

Artistic marvels with stories to tell!

But alas we were weary and needed some food,

And a Champs Elysee café now set a fine mood!

Back to the Marriott tired and fulfilled,

Cheesecake to share and milk glasses chilled!

We settled right down on our mattress of down,

And quiet enfolded we two, all around!

The story ends here, well at least the FUN part,

‘Cause the airport was crazier than at our start!

But then what to our wondering ears should we hear,

But an ‘ooh ooh ooh ooh’, from the Lindsays’ now near!

Back together again, what a great way to end,

Trip made complete ‘cause we shared with our friends!

‘VIVA ITALIA’, might sounda a bit trite,

But THAT it was NOT, now to all a ‘good night’!

END

jpr