Dance Number

Had a blast practicing with colleagues. There will be an acquaintance cum get-together party in the office tomorrow, and the Pinoy group is requested to present a number. Having several great talents in dancing within the group, notwithstanding the fact that we have an excellent choreographer, it's a no-brainer for us to choose a dance number to  be presented. The only catch: we have barely 24 hours to work out a complete dance routine...

We decided to meet and right there decided to have sort of a cha-cha/line dance combination as we cannot afford having more complex routines, the kind not unlike the ones we've done previously in other events.

After about an hour and a half of practice, the number was completed. Not yet perfect, but we're going there...

Let's see what will happen tomorrow :)

Climbing the 'Cupola'

Basilica Papale di San Pietro

Cupola from the Vatican Museum

I thought being at the top of the Eiffel Tower gives you the highest 'high'. I was wrong.

The family was able to withstand the heat, the long queue, and a few mood swings to finally got the chance to ‘climb’ the cupola of the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano. We sort of cheated, actually, as we paid 7 euros so that we could take the lift up to the roof level of the Basilica (which will give you great views of the Basilica looking downwards, as well as excellent views of frescoes of the dome as it is now very near). If I recall it right, we saved about 200 steps, and are now only 320 steps away from the top of the dome. At the roof level (after the lift ride), one could look at how small tourists are inside the Basilica, just to have an approximation of the height of the structure. The Basilica’s dome is the highest in the world, and is just a little smaller in diameter compared to the Roman Pantheon.

Rain going down

Climbing the cupola

Climbing the dome is, well… exhilarating. It is advisable to have a ready bottle of water. I had several pit stops during the climb to catch my breath (it felt like the air becomes thin as you climb higher… and the spiral staircase is really, really narrow, sloping as you go higher) and rest my thighs. After the 320 or so steps, however, you’ll find that the view of Rome outside of the cupola is unequalled…

You’ll see Castel Sant’ Angelo (remember Angels and Demons?) at a distance… the view of St. Peter’s square is breathtaking... and of course, the Vatican Gardens. You can also see part of the Tiber River and other Rome attractions, which make the experience all the more awesome.

Truly spectacular.

The Cupola viewed from the floor level

It's hot at the top

Ash viewing St. Peter's Square from the Cupola

View from the Cupola

The family at St. Peter's Square

Part of Vatican Gardens

St. Peter's Square

'Under the Tuscan Sun'

Days of summer in Florence, the Renaissance City.

Florence panorama atop Piazzale Michelangelo

We arrived after about two hours of travelling in one of Italy’s fastest, the AltaVelocita Freccioargento. The afternoon ride introduced us to Tuscany’s beautiful countryside with lots of gold and green farmlands, in particular the rolling hills where Florence is perched. We haven’t really started our ‘formal’ exploration of Florence yet, the scene however, is already worth the visit. I silently thanked God for giving us this journey.

Palazzo Vecchio, now a museum

Hotel Pendini and Piazza della Repubblica

After a quick drop off at the Sta. Maria Novella Station (the Tren Italia AV9418, afterall, continues its journey towards Venezia), we hailed a taxi just opposite the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, which dropped us off at our hotel, Hotel Pendini, at the center of the small city, near the ever-crowded Piazza dela Repubblica. Aside from the vast piazza just beside the hotel, the view from the hotel room shows the top of Florence’s Duomo. Not bad.

Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

Capella di Medici

 Florence is a small city. On our first night, we visited the Florence Cathedral, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (locally known as the Duomo, the tallest structure in the city), and marvel at its gothic design (marbled panel in green and pink). We learned later that it was consecrated during the 1400s and it was built by three different designers/engineers starting in late 1200s. The Duomo complex is comprised of three magnificent structures: the Duomo, Giotto’s Bell Tower or the Campanile, and the Baptistery. Later in the night, we visited the Capella di Medici, particularly the Sagrestia Nuova, or the mortuary chapel for the Medici family. It’s interesting to see a blend of old and new in this area, as we see lots of pizzerias and small hotels dotting this area of the city.

Ponte Vecchio at the back

Santa Trinita

Like any other typical European city, Florence’s streets are narrow, and its lanes, cobbled. Walking early to cover more areas, we felt a slight chill, not unlike that when we were in Paris. Autumn is now slowly making its way towards the continent. Alice had a grand time exploring the city’s streets. With all the branded stores just a stone's throw away from the hotel, and Florence’s other small shops selling authentic Italian leather bags and shoes, what more can a wife wish? Anyways, on our second day, we set our path towards Ponte Vecchio ("The Old Bridge"), and after just about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, reached the Arno River, near the Ponte Santa Trinita. We first visited the Church of Santa Trinita and admired such works as Madonna and Saints and Annunciation, which are housed there. We then moved towards Ponte Vecchio.

Santa Croce

After taking several photos of the family at the Ponte Vecchio, we proceeded to the Basilica di Santa Croce. Although the church is being reconstructed inside, there’s no denying the beauty of its pure gothic structure, with its porticos and cloisters. Along with its campanile, the church of Santa Croce is a huge, imposing white structure. We bought tickets so that we could proceed inside, and there we saw the tombs of, among others, Galileo Galilei, Dante Alighieri, Michaelangelo, and Niccolo Machiavelli.

After our time at the Santa Croce, we proceeded to the crowded Piazza della Signoria, where you can find both the famous Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio. Outside, we took photos of famous statues (copies only, originals inside the museums) such as that of ‘David’ (Michaelangelo) and ‘Hercules and Cacus’ (Bandinelli).

having a taste of Florence's gelato

at Belvedere Fort

We took a rest in one of the pizzerias dotting the area, and of course, we did not pass the opportunity to have a taste of Firenze’s gelato, considered the best in the world. (In fact, during our stay in the city, we always grab a gelato everytime there’s a chance.)

Piazza della Independencia

sign at the Academia Museum

On our last day, we visited the Belvedere Fort, which we learned was built by the Medici family to protect them from rebels. We also passed by Piazza dela Independencia, which covers both sides of the road in a symmetrical fashion, and the Piazza San Marco one of the oldest and most popular squares in Florence among the locals. Of course, we have to go to the Academia where you can see Michaelangelo’s original of ‘David’. We even passed by the Philippine Consulate in Florence along the way. The square of the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata is huge and old, and Alice and the kids spent some time praying inside the church. We then spent the afternoon exploring many of the shops, as well as the local market, and spending a short time at the Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito and the PalazzoPitti.

 







The most memorable evening in Firenze (Florence) however, was spent by the family resting above a hill where Piazzale Michelangelo is perched, marveling at the romantic panoramic view of the Renaissance City. It was really a night to remember for all times: the family just whiling away time, savoring gelato and listening to classic Florentine music on guitar by a local artist, while looking at the Arno River and the medieval structures at a distance as the sun sets.

Priceless.  

A tour along the River Seine

We visited most of Paris' top attractions on foot. It's good to have companions who are willing to 'walk' that 'extra mile' from one tourist spot to another in exchange of the usual kebab sandwich and coca cola smoothy dotting the streets of the "City of Lights".

Nevertheless, having splendid experience viewing Paris' top attractions walking through the city's beautiful cobblestone streets did not deter the family from experiencing other means of exploring the city, especially those near the banks of that beautiful river, Seine. Thus, the family took it to task to also enjoy these attractions by coasting along the river through the BatoBus Tour (www.batobus.com). We purchased our BatoBus tickets online, and we bought one that will alow us a 48-hour ride on BatoBus boats. It allowed us to hop on and hop off on different BatoBus stations (scattered along the river) for two days, which gave us enough time to appreciate many of the top attractions, as well as those near them.

Having a tour along the River Seine allowed us to view the Eiffel Tower, the Pont Alexander, Notre Dame, Musee D' Orsay, and many other places in a different angle. Views of the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral from the River Seine at night are magnificent, indeed!

one of the many kebab sandwiches we ate during our visit in Paris

It doesn't harm, really, to try other means of exploring top sites of new places when you visit them. It gives you that alternative 'high', so they say.

Here are some of our pics.

Sommet de Tour Eiffel

Unbelievable!

I heard this from a father describing the scene on top of the Eiffel Tower to his companions just before we took the lift to the summit. Judging from the faces of the two pretty little toddlers he held on each hand that time, I thought the view at the top will really be an experience for us...

Photo of Tour Eiffel taken from its base

Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the 'Sommet' as they call it there, was the event the whole family looked forward to during our recent trip to Paris. We bought our tickets online (www.eiffel-tower.com) prior to our trip, as we read that it normally takes hours to get your tickets if you follow the normally very long queue at the base of the tower. There are actually two types of tickets: one brings you up until the 2nd floor by lift, wherein you have the option to buy another ticket to the summit (using the stairs), and the other brings you to the top using the lift. We opted for the second one, planning to savor the 360 degree view of Paris on the summit first, before descending to the second floor (there are actually three floors, the summit is the third floor) for another 360 degree view on a different angle. Another advantage of buying your tickets online is that you don't need to wait on the very long queue anymore, as you will have direct access to the lift that will bring you up.

base of the tower's second floor

 As we climb from second floor to the top, the kids start to giggle, as the views keep getting better and better (you need to change lifts between the 2nd and 3rd floors, the lift to the 3rd floor (top) allows you to see the surroundings while going up)... after a few short minutes, we reached the summit.

 

It was awesome! Even surreal, one might say.

We had been on top of several towers already, the Petronas Twin Towers and the Burj Khalifa among others, but the feeling cannot be compared to this. Maybe it's the thought of viewing the panorama of one of the most romantic places on Earth, and the reality that one is finally in Europe and in Paris at that, finally sinks in... maybe it's the appreciation of the city's careful (and aesthetic) planning of its 'arrondisements' and the beautiful architecture of its perfectly preserved structures... maybe it's just one of those things that come and go on a spark. Whatever it is, the feeling is different... and wonderful.

I could see from my wife's and my children's eyes that they feel the same way.  I could only hope that someday, somehow the family gets the opportunity to capture that same feeling all over again.