In March of 2015, we took a family trip to Italy with the Chaparral Orchestra. This is the story of that trip.
March 22
Our tour guide for the week, Angela
In Milan, Touring Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Spin 3 times on the bulls testicles for a year of good luck!
The Milan Cathedral – Duomo di Milano
A Gelato stand – the first of many this week!
A street vendor carving flowers out of vegetables
Lunch in Milan, our first Cappuccino, also the first of many!
On the bus to Cremona
The Bell Tower of the Cathedral of Cremona
On one side of the Bell Tower is the world’s largest astronomical clock
Touring the Stradivarius Museum in Cremona
Learning about making violins from an artisan in Cremona
Checked into our hotel in Cremona
Dinner close to the hotel
March 23
Breakfast at the hotel
On the bus to Verona, this is one of the many vineyards we saw all week
Walking through one of the gates in the wall to get to the city center
Group picture at the Verona Arena (Arena di Verona) in Piazza Bra
The entrance to Juliet’s House
And Juliet’s Famous Balcony
In the same courtyard, only touch the left one for more good luck
Lunch in Verona
With lunch, we had this incredible bottle of wine!
Leave for Padua
The local church at Padua where the kids will play their first concert
Dinner before the concert
The kids and directors at the beginning of the first concert
Exchanging gifts after the concert
Formal pictures after the concert
March 24
The ferry boat that will take us to Venice
On the ferry boat
The bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica, located in the Piazza San Marco
Some of the artwork inside Doge’s Palace, there was just too much to take it all in
St. Mark’s Basilica
And some of the amazing tile work in the Basilica
Going to take a gondola ride
The girls, Alayna and Mr. Stanfill on a gondola ride
Selfie in the gondola
Mom, Dad & Mr. Stanfill’s mom in another gondola
Doing a little shopping along the Venice streets
The Rialto Bridge
The girls in Venice
March 25
The Italian countryside between Venice and Florence
Olive orchards
Jenna’s reaction to seeing the David
The family with David
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower) in Florence
The painting on the inside of the dome
The teeny shower in the hotel room
Hanging out in the hotel lobby, Mom and Mrs. Calascione were cold
March 26
Pisa, us in front of the Cathedral and the Leaning Tower
Jenna and Thomas
The gang at the top of the Leaning Tower
The spiral staircase up to the top
The marble steps worn down over the years
Group picture at Pisa
The city of Lucca, where the 2nd concert will be held
A local and his dog stopped by to watch rehearsal
All ready for the concert
The local drum, bugle & flag twirlers parade through town to announce the concert
The 2nd concert, with locals all around
March 27
Siena, the cathedral (Duomo di Siena) made of black and white marble
Lots of steps and inclined streets in Sienna
Inside of the Cathedral
A large open area, they used to haul in dirt and have horse races
On the bus to Rome, lots of little towns along the way built on the tops of hills
We were running late, so we had to make a quick stop for lunch at an Italian truck stop
The Trevi fountain in Rome was having some major restoration done
There was a small section left open to throw coins into
The Spanish Steps
A selfie of us sitting on the Spanish steps
The Pantheon
It has a hole in the roof
The center of the room was wet from rain earlier in the day
The Fountain of the Four Rivers in Navona Square
Campo de’ Fiori
March 28
The Vatican wall and the entrance to the Vatican Museum
The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the background
A cool mosaic
A long hallway lined with tapestries and painted ceilings
No picture taking allowed in the Sistine Chapel
The inside of St. Peter’s Basilica
One of the Swiss Guards
The day we were there, they were setting up for the Palm Sunday Mass
All the kids in St. Peter’s Square
The Coliseum
Us in front of the Coliseum
The inside of the Coliseum
One of the buildings around the Forum
The National Monument
Our last dinner
