Honeymoon Part 3 - Rome

The final destination of our unforgettable honeymoon was the historic Italian capital, Roma.

Rome is one part charming European metropolis, one part living museum. Walking down a street of quaint coffee shops, modern business offices, and classical government buildings, you are almost guaranteed to pass ruins that have been standing for 2000 years or more. In every corner of the city are little relics of Rome's important role in western civilization.

We started our short stint in Rome by checking in to the IQ Hotel which was modern, minimalist, but very convenient. It even had a wine and beer vending machine! We used our first night to explore the area around our hotel, grab some food at a local Irish pub (yes, they are everywhere), and try some Italian Lardo. Yes... Delicious, cured pig fat. When in Rome, do as the Romans do eh? I've always wanted to say that! :) We finished the night with some AMAZING penne a'll arrabbiata (Spicy pasta). It was so good that writing about made us want it again. I'm not lying, we're eating some right now (though its nothing like the dish in Rome).

Anyway, we started the next morning with some hardcore tourism! We grabbed a quick cab ride to the Roman Forum and Colosseum. It was about a 10 minute ride, but we passed nearly a dozen archeological sites, ancient cathedrals, and other types of ruins from over the millennia. No matter where you turn in Rome, history is all around you.

The colosseum box office had a very long line, but our friend had given us a hint that you could purchase multi-use tickets at the nearby Palatine Hill/Roman Forum which also got us into the Colosseum. GREAT HINT! Anyway, we quickly got through the line at the Palatine Hill and explored the first settlements of ancient Rome. After walking through the ruins where the first Romans lived since nearly 1000 BC, we eventually moved to the homes and palaces of some of the Roman Empire's famous leaders. Finally, we reached a cliff-top overlooking the ancient Roman Forum where the Roman Senate would meet and discuss politics. To this day, SPQR is still written all over the city... Senatus Populus Que Romanus. S.P.Q.R. Very Cool.

From the Forum we moved on to the Roman Colosseum which must be one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture on the planet. Kate gives us a short tour of the historic arena.

From there we walked up to the famous and amazingly beautiful Trevi Fountain to toss in some coins, have a smooch, and make a wish. This fountain is literally the entire side of a 3-story building.

From Trevi we moved on to the Pantheon, an ancient domed building which is still used as a Catholic Church and was the largest dome in the world for over 1,700 years. We rounded out the day with dinner and some drinks in the Piazza Navona with beautiful fountains and hundreds of local artists selling their wares.

Our second day of wandering the city started early at Vatican City. We learned our lesson in Florence and booked our tickets online. That was one of the smartest things we did as our pre-booked tickets let us skip a queue 2 blocks long! We were literally some of the first people to enter the famous Vatican museums.

We toured the halls of ancient Church collectibles and finished our museum tour in the breath-taking Sistine Chapel. Words or pictures cannot convey the feeling in this room where every surface of the walls and ceiling tell the stories of the bible from creation of the universe, giving life to Adam, the life of Christ, the passing of "the Keys of his Church" to Peter, and the Last Judgement. We were so glad we got an audio tour for this room, because we spent almost an hour just looking up and around at the stories we've heard for so long come to life in images by Michelangelo and other greats. By the time we finished in the Sistine Chapel, things had gotten busier, but we were still able to walk through St. Peter's Basilica and even the underground tombs of the popes below.

As the crowds continued to grow we decided to put off visiting the top of St. Peter's Basilica and decided to relax and get some food. We ended up at the Spanish Steps and enjoyed the sunset as we listened to sounds of guitar, the sites of "Frada" (fake Prada) purse merchants avoiding police, and the quench of a Peroni beer.... or two...

Well, lets just say that by the time the sun set and we wandered back to Trevi fountain for a night viewing, our narration was not as crisp, and our smooches not as subtle... Sorry kids. But just down from Trevi we had a meal so delicious, we were literally singing its praises. No really, we sang to the food. We think the other patrons enjoyed or livery.... here's hoping.

We didn't start the next morning quite as early as we'd hoped, but we still set off in time to head back to the Vatican to climb the 8 million steps (ok more like 600) to the top, but it was well worth it.

We had amazing views of St Peter's Square and all of Rome. When we returned to Earth, we were surprised to find a formal procession of Bishops/Cardinals making their way through St Peter's Basilica with a full church chorus, incense, and ceremony of some importance. We didn't get to see too much, but it was cool to see anyway.

After being impressed by the Vatican for a second day in a row, we grabbed some food and some Gelato from the famous, nearby Old Bridge Gelateria.

After resting our feet for a bit, we went to see one more historic site, the Castle Sant Angelo where Popes could escape from the Vatican in times of war. It was connected by a long, raised walkway that snaked its way from the Vatican through the Roman streets to the Castle.

Needless to say, Rome was an exhausting tour of historic, religious, and culinary wonders.

We climbed more steps in 10 days in Italy, than we ever had before, but I don't think we quite managed to burn off all of our delicious calories. Ah well, you only live once.

The honeymoon may be over, but we are so grateful for the time we spent in Italy, and we can't wait for a chance to return to see more of this wonderful country.

Honeymoon Part 2 - Florence

Sorry for the delay…Now where was I?

A two-hour train ride south brought us to Florence on Friday. We stayed though Monday, which meant a jam-packed visit. After the relaxed pace of Venice, Florence was a bit overwhelming. Tiny cars crowded the narrow streets and the city was still buzzing with tourists despite it being considered the “low” season.

Our hotel, Marignolle, was a cozy little estate located just outside of the city center in one of the surrounding hills. A gorgeous view of the hills and valleys greeted us, but narrow winding roads meant that we had to take a taxi to go anywhere.

We headed into the city on Friday afternoon to get our bearings and plan our Saturday attack. Ponte Vecchio or “Old Bridge” was our first stop. The stone bridge, dating back to Roman times, was once home to many different merchants but is now solely occupied by jewelers.

After a busy day of travel and walking we decided to head back towards our hotel and check out a pizza place that our cab driver had recommended, Pipistrello, which means The Bat, but with our cab drivers thick accent we thought we were heading to a place called The Butt. Instead of hopping in a cab we decided to try and walk to the restaurant, what mistake. Let’s just say it was a bit further than we had remembered, and when we arrived at 6:30pm we are told they didn’t open until 7:30pm. How could we forget that we were on Europe time? So an hour of drinks at a local pub later, we finally did have some amazing pizza

The next day we set out to conquer The Duomo, see the statue of David and view The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery. Our full day began with a two hour wait in line outside of the Uffizi...less

on learned, buy tickets online in advance. The gallery was filled with room after room of beautiful paintings.

Next was the climb to the top of the dome at Santa Maria del Fiore, or The Duomo. Modern day elevators or escalators where nowhere in sight to help with the over 450 step climb. Narrow spiraling stairs lead us higher and higher with tiny windows letting in a few rays of light until we reached the first ring around the inside of the dome. The ceiling mural of heaven and hell was even more fascinating up close, but the height was a bit daunting

The trek continued to narrow until we reached the top where amazing views of the city greeted us. The slight overcast couldn't mask the beauty of the old city and the surrounding rolling hills.

Next we set out to meet David. You can't go to Florence without taking in Michelangelo's iconic work. It was worth our brief visit to the Academia and it's hard to believe that a giant slab of marble can be transformed into such a detailed piece.

Sunday greeted was with rain that stuck around all day long, but showers couldn't keep us from exploring. We walked around the beautiful Boboli Gardens, grabbed a wonderful lunch and finally took in the city from Piazza de Michelangelo.

And here's Adam with a great wrap-up of the city from Piazza de Michelangelo.

I don’t feel the need to return to Florence as we’ve checked the main points off of our list, but the Tuscan Hills are still calling my name to relax and spend time at the local wineries.

More videos and pictures are posted here.

Honeymoon- Venice

We’re back from a few fairytale weeks, and Adam was back on the road, well in the air to Korea, 24 hours after we touched down in Singapore. We feel so blessed to have been able to celebrate our union with our friends and family and then get to explore another country. We had a wonderful time eating and drinking our way through Italy and will share all of the adventures over the next few weeks.

Our journey began in Venice, which you’ve already seen in a sneak peak. The flight was long as we flew threw JFK and Dublin, but we both perked up at the first sight of the canals and winding alleys. I always knew that Venice had many waterways, but I didn’t realize until we arrived that there are literally no roads. Tiny winding alleys and many bridges make up the city and occasionally give-way to a larger open space or piazza.

So what is there to do in Venice? Get lost! The tiny alleyways make Venice like a big maze with a new surprise around every corner from wonderful food to endless shopping. You’re never too far from that next espresso, and I may have a new leather purse…or two. When in Italy, right? Lucky for me, I just married a guy who works with maps all of the time and I’ve got a pretty good sense of direction myself, so we only got semi-lost one time and managed to walk a big percentage of the area.

There are a few historic sites to take in as well. Piazza San Marco was the main hot spot as it features a Basilica and the Doge's Palace. St. Mark's Basilica was gorgeous inside and out, and it featured intricately detailed mosaic ceilings and walls that were breathtaking. A gold alter displayed amazing craftsmanship and giant horse statues guarded the front of the building. We climbed to the top and took in the piazza from above. Little did I know that was one of many climbs to come! The Doge's Palace, where the government officials used to meet, featured a gold staircase and many lavishly decorated rooms.

Murano is a small island just off Venice that is known for its glass blowing. Our hotel offered a free boat ride so we decided to check it out. The boat took us to a back entrance and we were greeted on the dock….warning….tourist trap! We tried to just walk into the main part of the village but they asked if we wanted to see the shop so we thought, why not. Watching the master make an intricate statue was very interesting but then they lead you through room after room of bowls and statues and things you would have never thought of. The prices went down with each room they showed but once we got out of that family’s shop we found all the streets to be lined with glass shops as well. The trip to Murano was my least favorite part of the entire trip to Italy just because of the in-you-face hard sell to the tourists.

And what you knew was coming…a gondola ride. It is a must. We started our ride at San Marco Square just as the sun was starting to set. As we made our way into the tiny canals, the sound of the tourists melted away and we took in the city from a different view. The gondola drivers are like dancers, expertly guiding the boat back and forth, mere inches from the edges of buildings, never bumping a single inch as they squeeze by. The ride was very peaceful and the driver pointed out a few key buildings as we glided by them. By the time we arrived back at the dock all that was left of the sun was a burning orange glow across the sky, gorgeous.

For some reason the video we took on the gondola won't upload so you can check it out HERE along with the rest of our pictures.

Venice proved the perfect first stop on our Italian adventure as there were just a few sites to see and we did not feel rushed to get to the next thing. We were able to relax and enjoy a variety of wonderful food and wine.

Tips: Be prepared to pay for transportation if you want to get anywhere quickly. A private water taxi will cost you around $100 Euros from the airport, so pack light and take the public water bus.

Italian Honeymoon Part I

Bonjourno!!!!

Greetings from Venice! We arrived in Venice after 18 hours in the air, NYC, and Dublin. Adam had his first Guiness on Irish soil... :)

Here's a the first introduction video to our landing in Venice from the beautiful Mrs. Kate Gorski:

Our hotel is absolutely beautiful and our room overlooks the famous grand canal of Venice.

Here is Adam's welcome to our room and view:

Wandering the streets of Venice is an adventure all in its own. We've had our first Venetian delicacies of "special toast" (aka fully loaded pizza) and Cuttlefish in Venitian sauce. Venetian sauce is black as night because it is made from Squid ink!

Anyway, there are so many great things to write about, but we will post more later!!!!

No Place like home.... for a wedding!

There will be so many pictures from the wedding, we'll keep this short and sweet to capture the jist for you and posterity.

It was so great to be home in Edwardsville for our wedding. We got in 7 days before the ceremony and spent the first night with family. We spent the next day at a pumpkin patch, and the first half of the week finalizing things for the big day.

On thursday, the bride and groom went their separate ways for bachelor/bachelorette (aka stag/hen) nights. Adam's boys took him around town and Kate's girls took her around t

oo with both groups even having a chance meeting at a St Louis bar. Anyway, thanks to all for a great night, which won't be covered in many pictures... ;)

On Friday, Adam's parent's hosted a great rehearsal dinner at their home with wonderful food from the Camouflage Chef, Lee Conway, and good times had by all.

Saturday was the big day, and went smoother than could have been expected. Michelle Huesgen took AMAZING pictures which have been sneaked on her blog: http://untamedheartphotography.com/blog

Still, it is worth a sneak peak here:

The wedding at Eden Church was

beautiful, and the reception at Sunset Hills CC was elegant yet incredibly fun and dance-rific. Thanks to DJ Jack from Nigh Magic Entertainment for a great time!

Finally, Adam's parents had family over for Wally's famous pizzas on Sunday morning before Kate's parents threw a great bonfire on the Heepke Farm.

After all of that we had to say goodbye to friends and family for a fairytale week of wedding and fun which we will never forget.

Thanks so much to our parents, friends, and family, who made it so special for us all!!!!

Can't wait to update you on Italia!!!

High Tea- Just Kathy and Me

I experienced my first High Tea this afternoon with my good friend, Kathy. We met Kathy and her husband, Mike, when we first moved to Singapore though Adam's work. He and Mike work in a similar field and we struck up a friendship almost immediately. They are genuinely great people and have generously watched Bella for us many times. She loves them and they have a pretty good time with her too. =)

Kathy invited me for a girly afternoon before Adam and I head home to get hitched.

We started with pedicures, a first for Kathy, and ended with a high tea, a first for me.

A chic pool view, comfy chairs and pianist set the scene for Tea at the Goodwood Park Hotel's L'Espresso. A buffet of savory and sweet treats offered something to satisfy any palate. The savory treats turned out to be my favorite as each bite offered a unique combination of flavors. My egg finger sandwich was packed a big truffle flavor and a salami sandwich was complimented with a brie center. Yum-0! There was even a little caviar.

After letting our stomachs take a short break we headed back to conquer the deserts (so much for a pre-wedding diet!). Each sweet treat looked like a little work of art. The bread pudding and blueberry scone were delightful and a tiny jar of chocolate/coffee flavors surprised me with some pop rocks in it. I was so full that I didn't even try the chocolate fountain...there is always next time.

Three hours later we left stuffed to the brim and content after an day of girlie chats.

p.s. Moms we are going here when you visit!

Universal Studios, Singapore

Our lives have been jam packed the past few months with wedding planning, but we finally had a blog-worthy adventure this past weekend.

Sentosa, the small island on the southern tip of Singapore is now home to Resorts World which includes Universal Studios. We weren't sure what to expect as the park is still in a period of "soft opening" as it has been for several months. The soft opening period means that all of the attractions are not open yet and while we would have loved to experience the Madagascar and Sci-Fi City areas, the rest of the park did not disappoint.

I've never been to Universal in the U.S. so I wasn't sure what to expect. With a Jurassic Park-loving boy with me, we went straight to The Lost World area of the park and road the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure.

As we waited in line many guests were preparing themselves with ponchos....but

this is Singapore- a refreshing spritz of water would be welcome right? This was more of a giant splash that soaks you and the ride was awesome! (My dress was so wet that I had to borrow Adam's belt to keep it up.) I found that all of the Universal rides had an element of surprise that made each one very exciting. You'd think that a rafting ride you would just float down the river but it was much more...I won't ruin the surprise ending but in the souvenir picture that the park took during the ride, I am hiding in fear.

Ancient Egypt provided one of the best rides I've been on. The Revenge of the Mummy is a roller coaster that is mostly in the dark...so exhilarating! The path that leads you to the ride is quite long so that you feel that you are in an Egyptian tomb. They had an actor hiding around one of the corners that scared the poo out of me and gave all of us a good laugh. We spent the afternoon with two of our friends and we all walked like an Egyptian with one of the actors.

Far Far Away, the Shrek-themed area, was very cute and home to a giant castle where a 3D show, including moving seats, took center stage. The area also had a small roller coaster.

Other areas of the park included Hollywood, New York and Water World. While Water World provided a good live show, Hollywood and New York could use some work.

Sadly the GIANT roller coaster was not up yet...we'll have to check out the progress of the park in a year or so.

All in all, we had a great time letting out our inner child.

Wine, Cheese, and F-16s!

It was another busy weekend of wedding planning, but we managed to fit in some fun with our friends at Siu's Wine and Cheese Party. (We had a blast, but more on that later). To prepare for the party, Adam decided to make a family recipie baked brie in puff pastry. However, having recently tried a similar dish with sweet pecans, Adam decided to spice up the traditional cheese and berry-preserve dish.

After scouring the Singapore supermarket for all the ingredients: brie cheese, raspberry preserve, and a puff pastry, Adam was at a loss to find pecans. (must be an american thing). So, as a last resort, he bought a box of pecan granola cereal, determined to pick out the pecans for his culinary masterpiece.



Back at home the oven was warm, and the pecan-sorting began. I swear, they only included 2 dozen pecans in the whole box, but it was enough. After sifting through cups of granola, Adam had enough pecans to start cooking them in a little butter, and brown sugar.



Enter the F-16s... August 9th is Singapore's National Day Parade, and dress rehearsals have already started for the airshow. And some rehearsals they were. Over the sizzle of carmelizing brown sugar came the ROAR of jet engines shaking our apartment. Out our balcony window that overlooks downtown, 5 F-16s were screaming towards us and flew right over our apartment! Apartently the exit corridor for the airshow goes right over us!




So back to cooking my pecanse, but this time we got the camera ready. Then a Chinook helicopter bearing the Singapore flag flew over the skyline, and I finally got to take some pictures. THEN, an F-15 came screaming around the city weaving between the buildings. We managed to catch a video of that.






Finally, the Helicopters and the F-16s flew together over our apartment in a well-coordinated display. I managed to capture a video of that too... But thats when we smelled the unmistakable aroma of burnt sugar... My fascination with planes had cost me the pecans... Tragedy in the kitchen....



So while I was running back to the kitchen assessing the damage of the pecans and gettting the black goo out of the pan, the F-16s made one final after-burner charge over our apartment so quickly, that I was only able to capture their smoke trail disappearing over our roof....



Alas, the the culinary fiasco caused me not to get that prize picture, and the Baked Brie had to go without Pecans, but Siu and our friends still enjoyed it, and the wine and cheese party was fun for all.

The aftermath...

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Sweet Home Chicago

It is July 2010, and Kate and Adam are back in Singapore after a whirlwind trip to Chicago and Edwardsville, IL. We were home as Kate was the Maid of Honor in Sarah and Justin's Wedding in downtown Chicago.

Kate spent the first weekend in Chicago for Sarah's shower and bachelorette party (hen night). For the sake of all involved, those pictures won't make the blog. :) Kate made it home on Father's Day, and there was much rejoicing.

Adam went on to Edwardsville to see his family for that first weekend before he went to Philly for meetings. Adam learned that his dad can still best him in a round of golf.

After some much needed family

time and Adam's time in Philly, Kate and Adam made it back

up to Chicago for Sarah and Justin's wedding. They had a beautiful ceremony and reception at Fulton's on the River. Good times were had by all!

On Sunday, Adam's mom threw a very nice shower in Lockport. We're very glad Kate's Mom, Grandma, and Aunt could meet Adam's family.

On Monday, Kate and her family toured chicago while Adam and his Mom and Dad continued their own exploration of Chicago.

Adam's first culinary adventure was at the infamous Billy Goat Tavern known less for its double "cheeseborger" than its history. So the story goes, the owner of the Billy Goat was denied entry to the 1945 Cubs World Series because he wanted to bring in his pet goat. The Cubs lost that series, and many blamed the "curse of the billy goat." The Cubs have yet to win a World Series since. How could Adam pass up a chance to eat at a place that has caused so many Cubs fans so much misery? :)

Adam and Kate's family met up at a great little place on Michigan Avenue called the Purple Pig: Cheese, Swine, and Wine. Needless to say, we had a little of each! That was the last stop before Kate's family went back to Edwardsville. Adam and Kate were off to the airport the next morning...

It was so great to see everyone, and get a little travel adventure in the US for once. Until next time,

Adam and Kate

Bella's World

So our blog wouldn't be complete without a Bella update because who couldn't use some more cuteness in their life? So here's some pictures/videos to make you smile. =)

Bella's 2010

by Bella G.

A few months ago mommy and daddy took me to a doggie fair. Don't you think I need this carrier? It's hot in Singapore. I can't be expected to walk everywhere! Alas, Daddy said no!

BUT Mommy did get me a pretty dress. I don't get to dress up often as Daddy thinks I look silly.

Though Daddy does approve of this hat that I wore to a hat party.

Then I got to meet great Aunt Beth and Uncle Marco. They brought me a GIANT bone! As you can see I wasn't too sure about it at first. But almost 3 months later I'm still working on that bone. I will conquer it!

We also went for a picnic. There were these tiny furry things that smelled pretty tasty, but I just chased them around. I got the feeling mommy would be mad at me if I ate one.

That's pretty much the highlights of my 2010, other than a few trips to the dog park, some walks meeting other dogs and a crazy adventure with Daddy while Mommy was gone...oh yeah, I love to help clean up the house too!

Love,

Bella

p.s. Come visit me!!