Baby Countdown!

Unforgettable...that's what you are!

AFter over 30 hours of no sleep and a very long plane ride, we made it back to good ol' Idaho! We were exhausted and dirty, but more importantly, we were grateful to be home. We had had enough traveling for the time being and were just excited to sleep in our own bed. Thank you all for your prayers as we were traveling. We appreciate our friends and family that wrapped us in prayer for our saftely while we were in Europe. Zach and I went on a trip of a life time that we will never forget. We laughed (a lot), we cried, and really had time to get to know each other all over again. It was definitely a 2nd honeymoon for us...a time that can never be replaced. We learned to love each other in new and exciting ways that somehow get lost in everyday life. We feel very blessed to have gotten this opportunity to take time just for us.

Santorini...the land of love!

Although Venice was my European favorite....I would have to say that Santorini might have tied it for first place. This was the best place possible to conclude our adventure. There was no agenda...no bookings...no rush to do anything. (A lot like Venice...I see a pattern here) This is actually the island they picked to film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1 & 2. And I can see why they picked this island. It full of natural beauty everywhere you look. There is not a bad picture you can take in Santorini. If we had to pick only one place to spend our whole 2 week vacation...this would have been it. There is not one bad thing I can say about this remarkable island. It lives up to everything you see in the movies for sure...white Greek houses built on the side of a cliff, blue-topped churches scattered throughout, and local Greeks playing cards in the streets. AMAZING! The coolest thing that we did was rent a scooter! We called our hog Old Yeller! Holding on tight to my best friend, we zoomed around from beach to beach just laying out and soaking it all in. That was just one of those days that you will never forget...truly the highlight, or crescendo, of our big adventure together.

You are now free to move around GREECE!

After an amazing time in Rome, filled with too many things to comprehend, we hopped on jet-plane to our next destination: Greece! Part of Zach's family originated from Greece. So he has a lot Greek background in his family. So needless to say he (and me) were really excited to be immersed in the culture and befriend the locals. We soon found out that the locals were not so eager to meet us. Unfortunately we were often encountered by rude, unhelpful locals throughout Athens. Not exactly what we were expecting. But we didn't let it get us down...not us...we were on a trip of a lifetime! Probably the coolest thing we saw was the Acropolis. It sits up on this huge hill above the city that you can see from almost anywhere. On it was the Parthenon, Nike's Temple, and other Greek monuments that were under restoration at the time. It was quite the hike up that hill, but we made it! We not only got to be face to face with some of the oldest ruins in the world, but also got a breathtaking view of Athens. The next day we knew we needed a break from all of the site seeing. So we managed to find a little beach that was perfect for a day of swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing. We locked our bags to our sun umbrella, bought from a Greek local, and hand-in-hand ran into the Mediterranean! It was a really nice day just hangin' with each other with no agenda!

When in Rome!

On with our adventure through Europe, hand-in-hand, a little sleepy, but excited for what the next city was going to hold for us. Zach and I both were really excited about going to Rome. Not just for the amazing things we were going to see, but also because we were getting to stay in the local Nazarene church. After getting a little directional help from the locals we made our way down the little street to the Nazarene church. It was a little building tucked between 2 apartment buildings. When we walked in we got a short tour of the sanctuary, where the 20 members congregate, and met the sweet little lady that pastored the church on a regular basis. It was a very neat experience to be apart of and connected with a fellow Nazarene church half way around the world. The first night we were in Rome we made our way to the Trevi Fountain (absolutely fabulous) and the Spanish Steps where we just sat and took in the scenery for about an hour or so ( we lost track of time). With a rose in hand, that my sweet boy bought for me, we made our way back to the church for an early morning packed full of the sites. The Colosseum was first on our list. It was by far the most "colossal" thing I have ever seen. I had to just stand there and stare at it for awhile to even wrap my head around what I was looking at. It's hard to even describe how cool it is unless you are there in person. The next day we had a Vatican City tour booked-that we had to run at least 7-8 blocks to make it on time...pretty awesome! The Vatican City was PACKED!!! There were so many people there that you felt like you needed to introduce yourself to the stranger you were rubbing up against. But it was totally worth it. There was so much to see. Our guide said that if you were to take only 1 minute to look at each piece of art, it would take you 12 years to make it through the Vatican City. WOW!!! I guess I need to move to Rome for a few years. HAHAHA!!!! The Sistine Chapel was awe inspiring. Another thing you just have to see before you die. Michelangelo, even though never wanted to be known as a painter, was truly an amazing artist that created something inspiring for all generations to love. If you ever get to read about the story of Michelangelo's journey to paint the Sistine Chapel, you should read it. It is a neat story that takes you through his trial and hiccups he encounter through his journey of painting this masterpiece. We also went to The Roman forum, Palintino Hill, and the Roman Zoo (we needed a break form all of the museums and churches! It was so much fun...even though there was a torrential down pour while we were there!) All in all...Rome far exceeded all of my expectations!

On to Florence!

Although it was tough for us to leave Venice, we managed to pull ourselves away and continued on our adventure. Florence was our next stop. After stumbling through their train system we finally got on the right train and made it to Florence. Right when we got off the train we instantly realized that Florence had a much different feel and ambiance than Venice. Florence is a VERY fast-paced, upbeat, big town feel type of city. It was a little bit of a shock, coming from such a quiet relaxed city, to coming an inch of my life with the passing motorists and busses. But nonetheless we managed to make our way to our hostel, settle in, and venture off into the streets of Florence. One of the first things we saw was The David. I have seen pictures of this statue before, but it was truly amazing to see in person. It is truly a work of art that is worth seeing in your life time. The thing I liked the most about Florence was the amazing views. We hiked up to the highest lookout point in the city-uphill about 2 miles-brutal! the hike was totally worth it though. The view was out of this world. You could see for miles and miles across this beautiful city....without actually hearing all of the noise of the streets. We got a great view of the Duomo and the vast landscapes that surround the big city. Minus the city noise, it was an amazing experience!

Awwwww....Venice....

I thought Paris was romantic and breath-taking? Venice was leaps and bounds above Paris in that department....if that's possible. Venice is all on water-and sinking a little. Which means no motor-bikes, no cars, just peace and tranquility. The boats and gondolas make there way through the narrow streets of water with ease, fellow Venetians are out in the streets conversing, and every angle you look at would make the perfect picture (hence our 3200 pictures we took throughout this whole trip). By far this was my favorite place we visited on our adventure in Europe. The thing I loved the most about this whimsical little city was the pace of life. No one is even out and about until about 10am. Then you will see people slowly making there way to their little boutique or gondola port to get the day started. The people live a slower-paced life, which means everyone is willing to stop and help you in anyway they can. The people were welcoming, friendly, and genuinely dear. I wish we could have spent more time there. But we did manage to see St. Marks Square-lit up beautifully at night, couples hand-in-hand, and street orchestras playing soul moving ballads. We also saw St. Marks Basilica, ate a romantic dinner on the pier,took a gondola ride through beautiful canals, walked across the Rialto Bridge & the Bridge of Sighs, and got lost on purpose in the twists and turns of Venetian streets. If you ever get a chance to go to Europe, make Venice your first and longest trip...you won't be disappointed! I will never forget it...