Italy

We started our journey in Rome, where we met Ellen's parents and spent a few days taking in the Vatican City, the Colosseum and all of Rome's splendid sights. We then left the city behind us and pressed on to the beautiful Amalfi coast, where we spent our time in Sorrento, Positano and enjoyed a trip to the fabulous Roman ruins of Pompeii. After a gorgeous ferry ride along the coast, we made our way north to Sienna and the neighboring Italian hill towns, where we sampled every bit of wine, cheese and olive oil that we encountered. It was in Sienna that Sue became the unfortunate victim of a pigeon bombing (photo below), though held her head high and continued to enjoy her day. :) After the hill towns, we drove west again to the coast, where we spent much of our remaining time in the postcard-perfect towns of Cinque Terre; five small, colorful villages stacked atop ocean side cliffs and linked together by hiking trails. Ellen and I hiked between all five villages, and Sue & Lynn joined us for the last leg, the Via Del Amore. The four of us rented a ville on the coast and spent our time soaking in the views and the sounds of the ocean. We spent our last day wandering the streets of Florence before Sue & Lynn left the following morning, and Ellen and I enjoyed a few more hours in San Gimignano before our evening flight from Rome. Who knew that nearly two weeks with in-laws could be so fun. :)