Exploring Italy From Rome To Venice, 2010

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A Priceless Family Adventure In A Lovely Land!!

Source: Dave Hagen
10 Oct 10

The Hagens (Jordy, Tessa, Robyn, Jeff, Patty & Dave) explored the Italian countryside, beaches and cities in August of 2010. We had great weather and comfortable accommodations to make our trip a success. We took tons of photos and made lots of memories. It will be a family legacy to remember and cherish for years to come!!

Patty & Dave lounged in the Amalfi Coast for a week before the rest of the family arrived in order to be ready and adjusted to the European clock by the time of their arrival in Pisa. The new arrivals wasted no time in hitting the leaning tower for the perfunctory photo holding up the falling edifice.

Staying in a hillside villa in the mountain village of Castiglione Chiavarese (above Sestri Levante) for the first week allowed all to recover from the travel, to explore both the Ponente and Levante sides of the Italian Riveria—including the old Hagen Homestead from the 1970's in Arenzano. Tessa & Jordy swam in every seaport from Arenzano to Cinque Terre!!!

Then we started a travel adventure, 6 Hagens in a comfy but tight Fiat Mini-Van with lotza luggage!! We covered all of Rome by day & night, then retreated to the Appennini Mountains for some R & R and hikes in the countryside, then set up lodging in Padova in order to explore Venice by train each day. The classic historic settings of these two major tourist sites were absolutely necessary to visit, but we sometimes longed for our villa on the hill with the card games and happy hours on the lovely covered deck and the table-tennis games and fruit tree garden off the patio below!!

We stayed away from most of the tourist traps whenever possible and explored instead the little towns, countryside settings, family-style trattorias and locals-only beaches. We each sought out our favorite foods from Jeff's Pesto dishes and Gnocchi to Tessa's introduction to just about anything adventuresome— especially seafood, shellfish, mussels, octopus and squid!!!

Italy Will Always Have A Soft Spot In Our Hearts!!

After a week in Capri

We picked up the group in Pisa

We stopped quickly at the Tower

Because Jordy was hungry

This is "our town"

And this is "our villa"

We traveled by boat

To Portofino

We strolled the promenade

And climbed to the Castle

We returned to Arenzano

Jeff 'hit' Portochetto and Parodis

We lunched at La Grolla

And Jordy 'hit' the beach

We visited both 'Homesteads'

And feasted in the countrside

We walked the Cinque Terre

& two of us did it all!

Tessa & Jordy swam in each city along the way!!

From Liguria

We moved to Roma

The cuisine was fabulous

And Tess experimented with it all

We explored the Roman Forum

And climbed to the top of St. Peter's

We finished up in Venice, the unique & classic city in the Sea

And took the obligatory Gondola ride!

Great Family Adventure, Breath-taking Views, Centuries of History!

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