The Vacation to Italy and the UK, part 1

My apologies for not publishing this yesterday. It's been a busy week, and I have to summarize this entire vacation in one blog, but I will do my best.

My Flat in Kensington 

My family has decided to take a vacation to Italy and the UK before my graduate school begins. This is due to 2019 being a big year for us, what with my graduation from undergraduate studies, my sister turning 21, and my parents' 25 wedding anniversary. The plan was for this vacation to end with my family dropping me off at my flat in Kensington and giving me a month to settle into the London scene before my graduate studies began.

However, this is not the case. As I'm still completing my visa application, I need to return to the U.S. to finish the application, part of which includes me doing my biometrics (fingerprints, etc) scanning. Thankfully, I applied and received a second passport, which I can use to travel back to the UK and begin school if the visa is still pending. Whew! A lot of paperwork. And a lot of hoops to jump through. I will be glad when this is all over.

So we're still enjoying the vacation before all of us return to the US. My parents are still going to help me mostly move into my flat (clothes, shoes, books...too many books) so that I am all prepared for when I officially move in. All I'll need to do coming back across the pond is buy groceries and school supplies!

Our vacation began by flying 9 hours to Frankfurt Germany, having a layover, and then flying into Florence Italy. My parents booked an Air BnB in the city center of Florence. Florence is divided by the Arno river, allowing one side of the city to be older than the other. The city is famous for being the birthplaces and working spaces of many famous Italians, including Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, and Galileo Galilei. The main church in Florence stands right next to the Dante statue. I thought it only fair to get a picture with the creator of some of the best poetry in the history of literature.

After recovering from jet-lag, we did a day tour to the west coast of Italy, to a place called Cinque-Terre. The area hosts five fishing villages, that were once only accessible by boats. In the 1970s and 1980s, train stations were created into the sides of the hills to connect all five villages together. Because of this, the area became a huge tourist destination. Our tour guide, Gabriel, showed us around four of the five villages as we shopped, took photos, and tolerated the sweltering heat and humidity. If anyone was curious, Italy has had constant 90+ degree weather recently. Ouch! But the colorful houses, great food, and delicious wine made all the difference. Needless to say, we were all exhausted returning to the Air BnB.

 Yesterday we slept in, and then rented a car to journey into the Tuscan countryside. I can't tell you how breath-taking the rolling hills of vineyards and juniper trees are. Medieval castles blend into the countryside. Dad booked a stay for two nights at a spa in the countryside. We all lounged at the outdoor pool before heading into the city of San Gimignano, a medieval city.

We tried so many different wines I've lost count.

 For San Gimignano (which we began calling it San Gimy-Gimy), by medieval I mean formed during the Etruscan days, pre-Roman Empire. I also mean medieval in the sense that I bought a dagger-type letter opener for $12. Good choice on my part. I have no regrets.

The city was amazing because most of it was built on the steep hills of the Italian countryside. As we walked down the alleyways of brick, we could see where the architecture of the city had evolved, as pillars and arches had been plastered over to make way for new buildings. 

Today we did a Vespa tour, driving around another part of the Italian countryside. I remained calm as I drove 50 km/hr while following our British guide named Angus.  Rylee, my sister and I, sat next to Angus as he drove us to the start of our tour. Rylee couldn't resist asking him if he got a lot of "beef jokes" due to his name. She also asked if he could speak in an American accent. Needless to say, I think we made an impression :).

 In our tour, we stopped at various points around the Italian countryside to take pictures. One thing to know about traveling around the Chianti region is that most vineyards don't have fences. They really don't need them. The farmers trust that people will be respectful of their property and not pick the grapes. Of course, we couldn't help but try a couple.

 There are approximately 50 different vineyards in the region we were traveling in.

Eventually we reached the Castle de Poppiano, which was built in 1199 A.D. and still kept by the same family for all these generations. I joked with my family that because they own a castle and 300 acres of Italian countryside I would marry the next heir, however old he is. Still researching that one. The castle makes their own wine, which we got to try. All in all a fun and tasteful day.
Tomorrow we head for Venice, for more adventures. London comes after two days in Venice, and after three days in London, we're back in the States.

Until next week! Stay curious!
Kenna