Lans and I had an amazing time in Rome and Florence, Italy at the end of May. Ali got to spend the time at Mimi and Puppos in Ohio, so she had a little vacation of her own. She had so much fun with Mimi that she barely missed her mom and dad. Here is a brief synopsis of our trip along with a few pics. On Day one of our trip we arrived in Rome at 8:15 am after a loooooooooong flight. We checked into the Royal St. Regis Hotel . We checked in and immediately went to our room to crash. Neither of us was able to sleep on the 8 1/2 hour flight over. Once we woke up we went to work out at the hotel gym and as we were walking out of the door of our room I turned to see the person who was checking into the room next to ours. It was none other than Patrick Dempsey, aka "McDreamy"!!!! I couldn't believe it. He was staying there because his movie Made of Honor was premiering in Rome that week. Lans actually got to talk with him and he was really down to earth and cool. I kept trying to walk out of the door of our room at the same time, but that first time we saw him was the only time, other than when he was hanging out in the lobby late one night.
In the six days that we were in Rome we toured all over the place. The two standouts for me were going to the Coliseum and the private tour of the Vatican and the Sistene Chapel that we were able to go on. It was one of the most incredible things that I have ever seen in my life. Truly a masterpiece. We had amazing meals in amazing places. Each night was something new and special. The Italians that we met were extremely friendly and welcoming. It is a warm, wonderful country. We had perfect weather for our trip. It was in the high 70s in Rome and in the low 90s in Florence. We have made memories that will last a lifetime. Below are pics from our trip. 
The Coliseum and Imperial Rome
Dinner at Casina dell Aurora
The Ladies on the Trip Our last dinner in Rome
The food was unbelievable! All week we ate the most delicious food that I have ever eaten in my life. The pictures above were from our last dinner in Rome. It was a night that I will not soon forget. Beautiful setting, beautiful music (a string quartet), great food, and fun friends. 
After nearly a week in Rome, we headed off by train to the Tuscan region of Italy by train. It was a short 1 hour ride, but a beautiful way to see the countryside. When we arrived we were greeted by guides who took us on a walking tour through the streets of Florence. We then ate a four course lunch at a quaint little Italian restaurant. We had a gorgonzola gnocchi dish that was my favorite of the trip. We checked into the Villa San Michele that afternoon. It is was absolutely amazing. One of the top hotels in the world. It used to be a monastery and was converted into a hotel. It was very peaceful, up in the hills, overlooking the city. We had our own private little courtyard. It was much more relaxing than where we stayed in Rome, and was a nice way to end our trip. 
Villa San Michele 
our private patio outside our room and a great view
view from the pool
the dining room where we ate breakfasthttp://www.villasanmichele.com/web/ovil/ovil_a1a_splash.jsp
The last night in Italy - this was the place where "A Room with a View was Filmed"
Our last dinner at Vila di Maiano. It was awesome, there was a pianist with a grand piano playing the most beautiful music during the entire dinner. We were the only people at this amazing Villa. We started out with appetizers on a terrace overlooking the city of Florence. 
It was a trip of a lifetime. I can't wait to go back. One of the best things though, was when we flew back to Pittsburg and got to see Ali. She was so excited to see her Mommy and Daddy, she jumped off the seat where she was sitting in the hotel lobby and ran to us. It was priceless. Here is a video clip of her at the airport the next day. She was very excited about riding on an airplane. 
