Rhodes, Greece.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015


I never thought I'd ever make my way to Rhodes, Greece and here I am. Zeke loved Rhodes. I enjoyed it and I had so much fun exploring so many secluded beaches and coves. Our favorite spot was St. Paul's Bay where the apostle Paul came for refuge during a storm out at sea! This has been the trip of historical waters, I'll say that much. My word! The water was the brightest of blues, I couldn't believe how clear and clean it was. I love swimming in the Mediterranean, it might be my favorite thing to do now.

I loved having the freedom of renting a scooter and exploring all of the Greek islands. It was so much fun and we were really able to get the full taste of Rhodes.

Venezia, Italia Part I

Monday, July 20, 2015

^ Truly each wall of the buildings looks like the most gorgeous abstract painting to me. 
^ He was my favorite Gondolier, can you tell? I have so many photos of him.
^ I was obsessed with the pink colored glass of the Venetian street posts!
^ See the water rising? Venice is about to flood!
^ Freak, you can really see the weight gain in my face from this holiday! And no, thats not my real smile. I was beginning to forget how to smile by the end of the month. (Venice was our second to last stop.)

Venice is just one large piece of artwork. Every corner is so picturesque with so many beautiful colors peeling from the buildings only to reveal another beautiful hue! I think my favorite Venetian tradition is the Gondoliers. I love their outfits. The black, navy and red stripes with the scarves is almost too much for me to handle! Venice is truly a treat. We continued to consume the most delicious gelato & pasta for supper in the dim alleyways while Italian music filled the air. There was such a romance to it all. It's as though Italy lives in a different time period and I envy and adore it all at the same time. Sometimes, I wish America was just a tad bit older. We are so young! That's why I just want to continue to explore the world because there is so much history to see and discover and it's so appealing and exciting to me.

I'll say it again and again, I love Italians. They are so so friendly and they love to share their culture with those wanting to take it in. I appreciate their love for their own culture and I am so happy that they keep old traditions alive so that we can experience them just as they once were. Ciao Italy! Io ti amo!

Venizia, Italia Part II

Sunday, July 19, 2015

^ I love, love, love sculptures. Bernini & Rodin are my role models and so when ever I see any sort of sculpture or relief, I stop dead in my tracks and marvel over the beauty. If I could, I would honestly have full body sculptures & head busts all over my home. Don't be surprised if one day when we have a pool in the yard (wishful thinking) it will be lined with sculptures, and they could be nude too (its fine when it's art). 

^ Dodge's Palace. It's about time I saw the real thing. 

 ^ Zekey perfectly color coordinated with Venice. That-a-boy.

^ The Venice Customs House
^ I love this place. I love this place. I can't get enough of this place. Oh how I love this place. 

 ^ Symmetry at it's finest. And look at the bird. Oh he made me so happy when he landed on that head. It's the little things. 

^ The Lion of Venice is seen everywhere. Sculpted as a relief on buildings, or seen as stand alone sculptures. The Lion symbolizes the city Venice as well as their patron saints, Saint Mark. 
 ^ The intricate detailing is remarkable. Absolutely remarkable.

 ^ Look at the shells carved in. Do you see the shell? I love it. 

  ^ Detailed shot of The Procuratie Vecchie which was constructed in the 12th Century. The covered sidewalks along The Procuratie Vecchie echo with live music and bands and at dusk, the window shops & cafe's add the most magical glow throughout the halls. You could feel how aged this building was and how gracefully Procuratie Vecchie had aged. I really felt as though the present slipped from me and I was living a night in the 12th century of Venice. So corny, I know, but there really was magic in the air that night. 

^ Campanile di San Marco (The Bell Tower) is one of the most photographed structures in the world! 

Piazza San Marco, Basilica di San Marco, Rialto Bridge, Campanile San Marco & Palazzo Ducale are a few of my favorite things in the whole wide world. I'm in love with Venezia, Italia! How is it possible that Italy keeps getting better and better? Even though the weather was a bit gloomy with gray skies & misty rains, the romance and magic was still alive. In fact, the weather fit perfectly with the mood in Venice that day and night. It was sort of eerie and the forecast had warned that the city would flood that night at 9:30 pm, on the dot. Apparently, this happens often enough to where locals had their routine down for a flood but it didn't happen enough to where we were all told how lucky we were to be able to experience Venice "under water" if you will.

They weren't lying. The water along the edge of the Venetian Lagoon was rising as well as the waters in all of the canals. Doors and windows of each building were slowly going under and then before you knew it, water was seeping through the cracks and holes of the grounds in the middle of San Marco Square. It was so exciting and all of the tourists were splashing around in the floods while rain decided to trickle down. It was so much fun. It really added to our experience in Venice.

Zeke loved Venice. He says it was his favorite city of the whole trip. He also loved exploring all of the Basilica's in each city in Italy and the Basilica di San Marco was his favorite. It was eerie, for sure. The inside was very dark with lots of black, bronze and gold detailing and you just knew that that place was filled with dark secrets from the past, or so I like to tell myself that because it's more fun that way.

I on the other hand, can't give you ONE city that I loved the best. But I will say this - there were some cities I enjoyed but wasn't wowed by and probably won't ever go back, but Venice; Venice fell into the category of 'favorite cities in the world that I've been to'. If a city is rich in history, art, architecture & great food, then I am sold and will be dreaming of it for the rest of my life. Venice was just that. But lets keep it straight that I do love Rome more than Venice, but I still love Venice. But when I say that, I feel like I'm cheating on my love for Rome. Rome is my most favorite city on the map thus far. Okay?


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