Bologna

We were able to spend a day in Bologna.  

We just walked around the whole day looking at the neat old buildings and enjoying the good food!

This is the main church in Bologna.  When they were building the church they were competing with Rome and were attempting to make this the biggest church in Italy.  Rome stopped them, which is why this church is not complete.  You can see that the marble on the outside just goes half way up the church.

There was a market that lined this entire street.  It was fun to walk around and see all the fresh food.  We knew that restaurant owners shop here every day for all their fresh ingredients. 

Here I am enjoying the yummy, yummy food!

Fiorentina vs. Chevo

Fiorentina vs. Chevo (from Verona)

Here we are in the VIP area at the stadio.

The amazing Fiorentina Fans.  We are told that these are the "cheap seats" but these fans are the loudest and the proudest!

WE WON 2-1!  It was such an exciting match.  We tied the game with minutes to go and the scored again in over-time.  It was a trill to hear the excitement of the fans! 

Fiorentina vs. AJAX

Fiorentia vs. AJAX

Our first Fiorentina Match

The scene at the the "Stadio" was unlike anything we have ever seen.  The fans are "super fans" and soccer is such a huge part of their lives, they live for their team.

J. had to work with the players before the game so I was escorted to the VIP section - where I have a seat for every game!

The game was a ton of fun!  Sadly, Fiorentina lost, 0-1.  Soccer is a whole new world for us.  We are quickly learning the rules of the game and all the players names.  Hopefully one day we will learn all the songs (the fans sing the entire game, it is crazy!!)

Before the game started, the man sitting next to me was talking to me about the game and what I was doing there (he only believed that my husband worked for the team after he went and confirmed with someone that J. did in fact work for the team and he was "the best in the world" - J. swears he has never paid anyone to say that...)  Anyway, this man introduced me to another man, after that guy left my neighbor asked if I knew who that was that I just met.  I said no and he got this look of confusion and said that the man was Pucci a famous Italian designer.  Sure enough, today walking around I saw one of his stores, right next to Louis Vuitton and Armiani...

Climbing the Duomo's Dome

J. had an afternoon off so we decided to climb the Dome of the beautiful Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore).

So we started up the 483 steps...

Up and up...

There were only a few times where I felt nervous about the tight area.  

The dome was built with a dome within a dome and you literally climb up between the two domes.  It got scary when the domes curved at the top, you kind of had to lean to walk up the side... I was very glad it wasn't crowded.

All those steps were worth the beautiful views from the top!!

Then we had to go back down!  463 back down...

After climbing the steps we ended inside the Duomo where we were able to see up to the inside of the dome.  It was a pretty neat experience! 

Florence

We made it to beautiful Florence.  Unfortunately, we still don't have a place to live.  We are staying in a really nice hotel near the city center.  This is the view from our bedroom, you can see the city center with the Duomo.  It is a short 15 minute walk to the center, so I am able to go explore while J. is working with the team. 

Our hotel is very nice, except for one problem... our big bed was just two twin beds pushed together and they are on wheels.  J. fell in the crack - it was very, very funny!!

J. is working hard with Team Fiorentina.  His first week went pretty well.  He feels that he is making more of an impact on the team then he expected to have in his first week.  J. has to wear the team uniform every day at work - he is number 53.  The Italians had to order special extra, extra Large clothes and shoes for J.  He is such a giant - ha!  This is him with his uniform.

It is a little scary for me to wander around the city center alone, but everyday I get more and more brave.  J. and I took a walk to the Duomo, it is so beautiful.

J. and I had a very romantic Valentines Day at the most fancy restaurant we have ever been to.  It was in a little hotel up on a hill in Florence with an amazing view looking down at the city.  We had a seven course meal (with a fork and knife for each one of them) of some of the best seafood and wine we have ever had.  It was a very nice way to spend our first holiday in Italy.

We are still working to get settled into this new life.  We are going apartment hunting this week, so hopefully we will find something soon.

The Italian Adventure Begins in Amsterdam

We arrived in Amsterdam on February 4.  J was there to teach a seminar and he began working as soon as we arrived.  We went to AJAX (pronounced I AXE) to introduced the ARP Program to the team's doctors and therapists.  J. spent the next few days working and teaching.  Thankfully, I was able to spend my time in Amsterdam touring around the city and all the neighboring villages.  I had a wonderful time! 

This is a view of Amsterdam looking over one of the many canals.  It was a rainy day, but it didn't bother me or my wonderful tour guide and friend, John.

Parking was an issue in the center of the city.  It was a balancing act for John to get in and out of the car.  He said that at least once a week a car falls into the canal. 

These are a few pictures from the day John and I spend visiting a few neighboring villages.  I said "cute" a lot that day, everything was just so "cute!"

We are headed to Italy next.  Unfortunately the deal with our apartment fell through, but we are in good hands and we are not worried about finding a place to live.  Soon we will begin our life in Florence.