Italy Trip 2009

The Hydes' Italy Trip, June, 2009

The Hydes' Trip to Italy
June 7 to June 15, 2009

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Sunday June 7 Dan, Mary Jane, our son Scott and Mary Jane's twin Janet departed Harrisburg, PA for Rome, Italy by way of Philidelphia, PA.
We arrived in Rome at 8:45 am local time Monday June 8 after a ten hour flight. Scott, who will attend Drexel University in the fall as a film and video major, watched three full length movies on the flight over. The TV monitor in front of Dan was dysfunctional and flickered in an annoying manner, which was OK, since Dan decided he wanted to sleep anyway.
After passport control and customs we hop on the half hour train from the Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport, popularly known as Fiumicino, to Stazione Termini, the central train station in Rome. We lug our luggage to the Katty Hotel near "Castro Pretorio" one Metro stop from the train station. We settled into our hotel by 11 am local time and because of "jet lag" we planned to take a leisurely half day sightseeing in Rome.
We take the Metro to "Spagna" stop and walk to the famous Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Triton Fountain.
We catch the Metro at Piazza Barberini to return to our hotel. Tired and jet lagged, we collapse in our beds after a great walk around the Eternal City.
Tuesday June 9, our first full day in Rome, we decide to visit the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum area. We walk the short distance to Augustus's Forum, Trajan's Forum and view his famous column then visit the fabulous Capitoline Museum.
Wednesday June 10 we hop on the Metro for Vatican City. To our surprise when we arrive at St. Peter's Square the pope had a scheduled Audience. After the Papal Audience, we walk over to visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. Returning to St. Peter's, we take the elevator to the roof then climb 320 or so stairs to the top of Michelangelo's Dome. After descending over 500 stairs, we are inside St. Peter's Basilica. We leave St. Peter's to walk along Via Della Concililiazone to Castel Sant'Angelo. What a great day!
Thursday June 11 in the morning, we take train from Rome to Florence. We arrive in Florence at about 10:30 am and it is an easy walk to our place of lodging, the Montreal Hotel. After a lunch of sandwiches, we decide to walk and see sights in Florence for the rest of the day. A half a block away, the first stop on our walk is the beautiful Santa Maria Novella. We continue our journey walking Via dei Cerretani and view Florence's famous Duomo in the distance. Next to the Duomo is Giotto's Bell Tower and the 11th-century octagonal Baptistry. Next on our walk is the center of civic life, the Piazza della Signoria with the Palazzo Vecchio (the palace of the Medici in the 15th century) and 14th-century Loggia della Signoria. We need only to stroll a block to walk the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) over the Arno River.
Friday June 12 we have tickets for 9 am at the Uffizi Gallery, a world-class art museuem. We are up early and walk along the Arno River to the Uffizi Gallery. Since photography is not allowed inside the Uffizi Gallery, I can't show you any pictures of its fantastic Renaissance Art such as the Botticellis. After the Uffizi, we visit the Museo Nazionale del Bargello that contains the world's best Renaissance sculptures by such sculptors as Donatello, Giambologna, and Michelangelo. Again, photography is not allowed. After the Bargello, we eat dinner and collapse back in our rooms at the Hotel Montreal.
Saturday June 13 we have tickets for the Accademia Gallery at 9 am. Again photography is not allowed. After visiting Michelangelo's "David," we walk a block to the Museo di San Marco. This convent and cloister were built and decorated by Fra Angelico. Here one can see Fra Angelico's famous "Last Judgement" and the many monk's cells where Fra Angelico painted each with a scene that fosters meditation. For lunch we walk to Mercato Centrale (Central Market). After lunch we are off to visit the church Santa Croce but are very disappointed to learn that Santa Croce is closed for three days due to the annual Calcio Storico Fiorentino (Florentine Football Game). This form of ball game is many centuries old and more like rugby than soccer.
Sunday June 14 in the morning we travel by train from Florence to Rome. Once we are settled back in the same hotel as before, we venture out to walk to the Pantheon. From the Pantheon, we walk over to Piazza Navona with its three fountains.
Monday June 15 we fly out of Rome at 11:15 am and arrive at Harrisburg International at 6:13 pm (same day) with a stop at Philidelphia.
Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update July 22, 2009
No guarantee on the accuracy of the data found on this web site is given or implied by the site owner.
Copyright © 2009 by Daniel C. Hyde

The Hydes' Trip to Italy June 7 to June 15, 2009

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update July 22, 2009 No guarantee on the accuracy of the data found on this web site is given or implied by the site owner.Copyright © 2009 by Daniel C. Hyde

The Hydes' Trip to Italy
June 7 to June 15, 2009

Page maintained by Dan Hyde, hyde at bucknell.edu Last update July 22, 2009
No guarantee on the accuracy of the data found on this web site is given or implied by the site owner.
Copyright © 2009 by Daniel C. Hyde