A Dork with a Suitcase and a Passport

We had the pleasure of visiting the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam … the emotions you will feel are indescribable. The original bookcase is still there hiding the steps… to stand in those tiny rooms in that attic knowing that’s where 8 people spent 2 years of their lives… it’s one of the most complicated emotions I’ve ever had. The anguish you feel trying to empathize with them… and the elation you feel Bc all she ever wanted to be was a famous journalist and author… and she made that dream come true , posthumously. Sometimes, not even the purest of evil can stop you. (They wouldn’t allow any pictures of the inside at all. I bought a guide book and will post pics from there when I return home tomorrow!

Pompeii! (You can see Vesuvius rearing it’s beauty in the background. We went about 1/4 mile away from the top/crater of Vesuvius, but they had it closed off and guarded due to a landslide so we didn’t get to look down into the crater😩)

This city was covered in volcanic ash and pumice stone from the Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D. I took lots of pictures of the different building materials because I was so fascinated with this ”honeycomb” type of texture/material. I also got some cool shots of the brick columns and how they were made on the inside. In some of the homes, the paintings on the walls , the actual paint used to decorate the walls, and the mosaic tile floors are still there! The colors were so vibrant too considering how long ago this was built and also buried by the eruption in 79 AD.

Raphael’s -The School of Athens (inside the Vatican) He hid a self portrait in this painting! As well as giving the great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle the faces of Leonardo Di Vinci and Michelangelo … There are a few more hidden faces , but I thought these to be the most interesting. The last picture, I’ve circled the Faces of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael to point them out to ya. I will also include a link explaining the painting and the hidden faces in the comments

The Colosseum! Part 1 of 2

A few fun facts:
1. The earthquake of 1349 destroyed the outer two layers of archways just like the ones all the way around the structure. It’s hard to think it was two more layers deep!
2. Some of the damaged pieces are still lying around in the bottom archways (I took pics of those too❤️)
3. You will notice rectangular holes throughout the structure. Those are where the iron/lead/brass pins were to stabilize the structure when it was built. They were taken or striped out on the orders of one of the emperors for a conflict/war situation to be melted down to make artillery. (I wasn’t listening when he said what emperor , what war, and what year😂. I’m sorry. I saw something shiny 🥴🎯 and got distracted)
4. It had a canvas roof to help shade the sun
5. The amphitheater floor was made of wood and covered in sand. The Latin word for sand is

The Roman Forum ! It was built at the end of the 7th century. It was used for political, religious, economical, as well as judicial purposes. It was the nucleus of the city. Take a minute to blow up some of the pics to see the different building materials used (types of brick, marble, plaster) and also see how it has weathered over the centuries. There will be a building with a green door close to the top of the building. This is a church and shows how far they had to excavate down to get to the forum ruins. Approximately 60 feet. The Tiber River is right over the hill and was notorious for flooding the area until in 1875 they started construction on embankment walls which were completed in 1910. I will include a few pics of the walls as they look today around the river. I will also include a pic of what our guide showed us today as to how The Forum would’ve looked way back then.

On this very spot in 44 B.C , Mark Antony gave the iconic speech “Friends, Romans, Countrymen- Lend me your ears! I came to bury Julius Caesar, Not to praise him… (Inside The Roman Forum, Rome Italy)

To say I was ecstatic is an understatement 🎯😎❤️

Tuscany! We did a wine tour that was fabulous! Leslie took one for the team and drank my wine Bc I didn’t like it. None of the many ones they brought out (but I’m not a drinker) The food they brought to pair it with was fantastic! (i didn’t give the food away 😂) And the company of the others in our group made it so much fun! We got to stop off in San Gimignano and Sienna as well! They are like mid evil towns that time hasn’t much touched. It was really special. It was actually just like those romantic movies like Under The Tuscan Sun! ❤️

The Medici tombs were incredible! Michelangelo sculpted the statues on each one! One represents Dusk and Dawn, the other Night and Day , stark opposition to each other/side. The food was fantastic! The street art was amazing! And we “poked” a little fun at the statue in San Lorenzo square! Florence is known for it’s leather and there was plenty of it. It smelled amazing… but in that city, I decided to just put my phone in my purse and soak it all in. The art and the history were breathtaking.

Venice! Even after seeing it I still don’t believe it! We saw so many wonderful things! We found a bookstore that was so cool! The first floor of each building floods inside Venice during high tides and storms… not to mention its sinking 🥴. Check out how they save some of the books, and what they do with the ruined ones from the floods! The Rialto Bridge is just as fantastic as everyone says it is… we also got to see the Bridge of Sighs. It’s the bridge that was used throughout the centuries to transfer recently convicted criminals to the prison after sentencing. It got its name from the prisoners letting out a ”sigh” as they crossed over after losing their freedom… We also had a relaxing evening sipping coffee in St Mark’s Square (it was my Rick Steves Moment🥰) I also found some really cool masks! (It’s where New Orleans borrowed the tradition from) I hope that you enjoy the beauty Venice showed me today as much as I did. ❤️