{Our Europe Trip}

Day 1 & 2 in Paris:Although I was blessed with a trip to Paris last summer, it just wasn't the same in the city of love without my love, so we kicked off our trip in my favorite city. Unfortunately, it was wet and a bit cold, but that didn't stop us from eating delicious french pastries or drinking a Café au lait and many many Cappuccinos. We visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Luxembourg Gardens, River Seine...basically you name it, we saw it. We squeezed everything we could in to 2 full days and then we were off to Italy! Day 3 & 4 in Como: It just so happened that dear friends of ours were also traveling abroad and we were able to meet in Italy! They were kind enough to pick us up from the airport in Milan and it was just a short drive to the GORGEOUS Lake Como. It was so nice to see some familiar faces! This was our favorite part of the trip. I was speechless...it was breathtaking. We rented a boat and cruised past George Clooney's house on the lake. We had the best pasta here AND our hotel was to die for. Our room had a view overlooking the lake and mountains. Can we go back yet?!? I could have taken so many more photos, but I really wanted to put the camera down and live in the moment. I had to soak it all in. Day 5 in Florence: We actually stayed in Florence for 3 nights, but used Florence as a "hub" and did little day trips. On day 5, we arrived in Florence by train from Como and had a short walk to our hotel. We were so happy to see the sunshine and have perfect weather. We had lunch at the Piazza della Signoria and made our way to our Vespa tour. This was my second favorite part of the trip. We were in a very small group and followed a tour guide through the hills of Tuscany and it was an unbelievable experience. It was a great way for us to spend our first day in Florence. At the end of the tour, the guide took us to a private estate where we enjoyed a home cooked Italian meal and took in all of Tuscany's beauty. It was dreamy!! Day 6 in Venice:  We took a high speed train from Florence to Venice and spent our day getting lost in the city...literally. We navigated our way through the maze of tiny alleys, snapped a few photos and enjoyed some tasty Italian food. It was quite the perfect day! Day 7 in Tuscany, San Gimignano, Siena & Pisa: We decided to do a day trip tour to Tuscany, San Gimignano, Siena and Pisa. We hopped on an air conditioned bus with a group of other tourists and a local drove us around all day. It was pretty luxurious! We got to explore Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and even visit an organic farm and winery in Tuscany. It was a great way to see a lot in one day, but boy were we tired when we arrived back in Florence! We spent our last evening in Florence dining at the best Pizza place in town and strolled the streets hand in hand with gelato of course. We were so sad to leave Florence! Day 8 in Rome:  We spent our last day in Rome before it was time to fly home. We still laugh about this day because of how exhausted we were, but we survived! (I was heart broken when I discovered that the Trevi Fountain was under restoration.) We were able to see the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps. Both were incredible. Our last night was spent dining at the top of the Spanish Steps with wine, pasta and gelato. It was the perfect ending to our amazing adventure! Phone Photos  :)