Through the Alps Into Italy

I'm sitting in the Da Carlos hotel in Lucca, Italy typing this. I'm 7 miles from the "Pisa Torre" or "Leaning Tower of Pisa" and 45 minutes from Firenza (Florence). Jean and Summer are in the room getting ready for the day. It's 10:40AM September 2, 2007.

We left Germany yesterday (early) morning and drove through Switzerland (Alps) and into Italy. It was a gorgeous drive. The Alps and Tuscony are a visual that I will never forget! We hit a couple of snags along the way; the Autobahn was closed between Karlsruhe (Germany) and Baden Baden (Germany), that was a 20 - 30 minute detour. Then the big one was a Stau (traffic jam) in the tunnels of the Alps. That was another 1.5 hours. No big deal, like I said, it was a beautiful drive!

Today we plan to see the Torre and then train into Firenza. The girls have an opera to go to tonight - La Bohème - it was the inspiration for RENT. Lucky and I will hang out in Florence and maybe do another blog entry with photos from today.

Italy is gorgeous, the people are friendly and the language is awesome!! So passionate!!! BELLISIMA!! Wish you were here! (Click to enlarge the photos)


Driving through the Alps in Switzerland.


The view from our room at the Da Carlos.


Our waiter shot this at dinner last night. We had two bottles (one white and one red) of wonderful local wine. Seafood is the dish here for dinner. I had Sea Bass, Summer had the "fried plate" with squid, octupus, little fish and big fish and Jean had the clams and pasta. It was excellent!



Summer was curious about what she was eating.



The Sea Bass was outstanding!! I loved it!!


Salute! Jean drinking the local white wine (it was YUMMY!)


The (thinking) sexy beast himself sampling the local fruit of the vine.



Lucky enjoying the Lucca morning sun today at breakfast.