Trip to Italy with the Girls - Friday, October 30

Venice

118 small islands separated by canals and linked bridges.

More than 250 churches, both consecrated and desecrated.

We have 197 left to see before we leave on Sunday.

Today, we left Florence at 11:00 am and took a 2-hour train ride to Venice.  We went first class, private coach, a hand-shower (toilette), cookies/chips, and a beverage. 
 Nothing but the best for us. 
 The ride was really smooth and comfortable.

We arrived in Venice and then had to take the vaporette #2 to Rialto where we were met by Laura.  We took a short walk to the apartment, climbed 1,000 stairs (actually 87) and was greeted at the door by Carlo, Laura's husband.  Laura is really nice and quite funny.  She did an excellent job describing the apartment and Venice, filled us in on where to go and what to do.  She even left us a plate of bread, Nutella, jelly and honey.  Carlo doesn't speak English, but we know we like him too; he's very honest.  We overpaid and he counted the money out a couple times and then insisted we take our money back.  
Good thing because things are more expensive here in Venice.

Jane, Julie and Alice went downstairs to get some pizza and beer, which we enjoyed on our terrace before going on our walk around Venice.  Oh, the sights, breath-taking!  

Exactly as you see in any picture or movie.  

One of our first stops was in Piazza San Marco.  That place is amazing too!  Other than they have this big problem with Venetian Pigeons. 
 Apparently, you aren't supposed to feed them.

Trip to Italy with the Girls - Wednesday, October 28

Galleria dell'Accademia, Duomo and Uffizi Gallery 

We met our tour guide, Mary Grace, by the Galleria Dell'Accademia. Eighty percent chance of rain meant rain for us, but we were prepared and by the time the tour of the Galleria dell'Accademia was over, the rain stopped. Mary Grace was so passionate about her job you could not leave without wanting to learn more.

The Galleria dell'Accademia is where Michelangelo's David stands.  David is a 17-foot tall symbol of victory over evil and comes from a Bible story. Michelangelo created this marble statue between 1501 and 1504.  It's hard not to appreciate David.  Mary Grace walked us completely around this statue so we could see the 4 sides of David.  More to come on that!


Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore

Then we headed to the Duomo, Florence's Gothic cathedral started in 1296 and constructually completed in 1436.  Pink, green and white Tuscan marble - 19th Century.  The Duomo is Florence's main church and one of the largest in Italy.  I will NEVER forget the sight of the dome of the Duomo, just a couple blocks from our apartment.  We turned the corner and saw the dome, but had no idea how magnificant this was.

I took this picture last night on our farewell to Florence walk-about around the Duomo.  Hard not to like this picture taken with my iPhone 6 Plus.  I swore I would NEVER take pictures on more than one camera, but sure enough I have.  It will take me days to sort them chronologically, since the phone changed to the currect day/time, but the camera is on Central time.  When will I learn!   It's true, however,           the best camera is the one you have with you!

Uffizi Gallery

We broke for lunch and said "good-bye" to Mary Grace and then hooked up with Angelo, our afternoon tour guide.  I didn't think tour guides could get any better, but they can/do.

The Uffizi is the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere.  Early in the tour Angelo said "we are not at a buffet, we're here for the main course" and he took us to see the best.  You cannot possibly take it all in.  He told us to pick 5-6 pieces and admire those.  The Botticelli room with the famous Birth of Venus was one of the highlights.

Again, so much to take in.  I could not even comprehend, in it's entirety, all that I saw and was told.  

I just "bought the books".

Trip to Italy with the Girls - Monday, October 26

St. Peter's Basilica
Today we had our "private tour" of the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, and Sistine Chapel.  This by far isn't the best picture I took today; it's the first thing you see when you walk into St. Peter's and words cannot describe the magnificance.

Our tour was a little over 4 hours.  Our tour guide, Sonia, was passionate about everything she showed and explained to us.  She loves her job!  Sonia told me that between 20,000 and 25,000 Vatican Museum tickets are sold everyday.  St. Peter's Basilica holds about 12,500 people seated and the square about 250,000 standing!

St. Peter's is in Vatican City, the smallest country in the world.  Vatican City is an independent city-state covering about 100 acres and is governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope as it's head.  Popes didn't live at the Vatican until the 14th Century and Pope Francis has lived there since 2013.  The population is less than 1,000 people - mostly dignitaries, priests, nuns, and (Swiss) guards.  It's the burial site of St. Peter, one of the Apostles of Jesus, and according to tradition, the first Pope and Bishop of Rome.

The Sistine Chapel serves as a place of both religious and functionary papal activities and is where the election of each successive pope is held.  On the occasion of a conclave (an assembly of cardinals for the election of a pope) a chimney is installed and smoke arises as a signal.  If white smoke arises it means a new Pope has been elected.  Black smoke means no successful election has yet occurred.  After the election, the chimney is taken down.  We sat right where the chimney is installed.  Another surreal moment!

As you may have guessed, I took a bazillion pictures.  I have a lot of homework to do when I get home matching the photos with the history, story, significance, and any other details I can learn.  We saw and learned so much today; I can barely take it all in.

Time for bed.  Tomorrow we check out of our apartment in Rome, take a taxi to the train station and then catch a train for Florence.

Love,

Rondi

Trip to Italy with the Girls - Sunday Night

By far the highlight of today was Vatican City.  Seeing the Pope was truly surreal.

We walked over the Tevere (Tiber River) and saw the Castel Sant Angelo - spectacular in and of itself.  Turned to the left and walked toward St. Peter's Basilica. We stood in St. Peter's Square in awe of where we really were.  We were THERE.  Right there, right then.

At noon, the Pope appeared from a window, greeted us all, and blessed us for 15-20 minutes (we think).  We have NO IDEA what he actually said, although we know it was good.

Tomorrow (Monday) we have a private tour of St. Peter's, The Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel.  We are setting an alarm to make sure we can be there by 9:00 am.  We don't want to miss that.  Words really cannot explain how amazing it was to see the Pope.

After the Vatican, we walked to Piazza Navona - a magnificant plaza with fountains, artists, cafes, pigeons, and tourists!  The big WOW there was Sant Agnese in Agone, a 17th century Baroque church in Rome.  People come to pray there and when you walk in the door a sign tells you to be quiet and "no pictures".  Bummer, because it was absolutely beautiful.  Then, I noticed people talking pictures and I recalled reading where many places we would be visiting would say "no pictures", but if you took pictures they would not stop you.  So I did.  Jane also lit a candle in memory of Don's parents.  I got a nice picture of that!

We then headed to the Piazza di Spanga and the Spanish Steps - once the artistic quarter of the city, attracting English poets Keats and Shelley, German author Goethe (read one of his books in my Humanities class), and Italian film director Federico Fellini.  All the way there I was hoping I wouldn't have to climb the steps.  You can only imagine how pleased I was to find it "under renovation".  I would have done it, but am so glad I didn't have to.

We put on only 16,500 steps today.  Seemed like more until I realized we stood in St. Peter's Square for over an hour waiting to see the Pope.  We had a couple bottles of wine and it's now 10:30 pm here in Roma!  Going to bed to be ready for our big day tomorrow.

Love, Rondi and Girls

Trip to Italy with the Girls - Sunday, October 25, 2015

Crazy All My Life

We'll do anything for something we want.

The 6-week Health Games Challenge starts Sept. 7.  It's a great way to jump start your health journey and/or accelerate your progress. Anyone want to learn healthy habits with others and earning daily healthy habit points to win prizes and cash with me?

That's Life - Be Joyful, Pray, and Give Thanks

Happy New Year

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in almost a year!  That's not like me...I surely have a enough to say.

Let me start by saying that 2014 was full to the brim.  Some of the highlights of the past year include:
Work... I worked a ton, became a great-grandmother for the first time, traveled more than ever before, we got water at our cabin (big milestone), bought a pontoon, increased our vacation ownership/membership (ensuring many more awesome vacations), spent my birthday in Cabo and came home with an awesome present on my ears, and my husband got two new knees (Feb. & Dec.).

2014 was full of F.A.M.I.L.Y. Holidays, reunions, vacations, and the rest of the things we take for granted.  Our life as we knew it changed in April when my mother-in-law died after a few years of declining health caused by congestive heart failure and her struggle to stay alive.  She was an amazing women and is missed terribly by our family and many friends.  After her death, we did our best to create our new "normal", which has introduced more sadness as we watch my father-in-law's health decline.  He's not able to live alone and is not able to drive anymore.  Dealing with aging parents is bitter-sweet; we are so lucky to have them, but it's so difficult to watch them suffer and lose their will to live.

My MIL lived a pretty full life until she was 80 years old.  Living to age 80 is great, but me personally, I plan to live past life expectancy which today is 86.6 for women my age.  In fact, I plan to live at least 25 more years, which has been my plan for a few years now!  25 more years, just 25 more years!

Midway through 2014, I decided LIFE had to change.  I have spent years of my life hoping it would change.  Now it was time to change it so I could live 25 more years!

Then I got an 'aha moment' from Joyce Meyer:

Life itself doesn't change; in fact, it has the potential to get worse.

WHAT!  If life doesn't change, that means I have to change ME!

I'll spare you with the history of all my attempts to improve my life by losing weight so I'd feel better so I could do more.  None of them worked.  So, let me tell you what did work.

I met and partnered with a Health Coach who introduced me to Take Share for Life.  TSFL is a program for healthy living that begins with changes in your eating and ends with habits of health - healthy eating, healthy activity, and healthy sleep.  It is more than a weight-loss plan.  It is not a short-term solution.  I had to face that my habits are not so healthy.  For years I confused not being sick with being healthy.  There's a big difference.

My health coach is my personal guide on this journey.  She is my friend and she holds me accountable.  By following the TSFL program and participating in challenges, I am happy to say that I have lost 25 pounds!  And, kept if off through Thanksgiving, two weeks in Cabo, and Christmas!

Now it's 2015.  A new year.  But, I'm not resolving to start something new.  I resolve to stay on the path to Optimal Health by following the Habits of Health system by Dr. Wayne S. Anderson, Medical Director and Co-founder of TSFL.

Also, I have decided to become a Health Coach myself.  I want to share my success story and enthusiasm by helping others, which will also help me stay accountable.  By this time next year I will be at my goal weight, much healthier and happier.

Here's to 2015!  Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year!