A Georgia Girl in Germany

Labels: Benjamin, Christmas, MacKenzie, Zachary

MacKenzie has her own digital camera, and she took quite a few photos herself when we were in Italy. I figured I’d share her perspective so you can try to see Italy through the eyes of an 8-year-old. The commentary below is in her own words too. Enjoy!

This is the Leaning Tower of Pisa with a statue, but I don’t know what it’s called.

That’s another picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the side of the Cathedral with Mommy and Benjamin in the picture.

That’s a picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the statue and Zachary in the corner.





The dome with the tip on top is the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, which is where we saw the pope. I took this picture from the Orange Garden.

Both of these fountains are in the Orange Garden.





This is the Roman Colosseum with Mommy and Benjamin in it. It was really big and at the inside at the bottom they kept lions.


That is in a church with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. The chains in the back are called St. Peter’s Chains.

This is how I saw the pope. Where the big red curtains are, with the people, that’s where the pope is standing. I saw him better on the screen.

That’s the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square.












Both of these pictures are in Pompeii.



I thought Pompeii was cool because of all the puppy dogs.



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These pictures with the puppy dogs are also in Pompeii. They are stray dogs.



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All the puppy dogs were everywhere we went.



This is the edge of Pompeii.


These two dogs were lying in the street where we bought all of our souvenirs.

The mountain in the back is Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii.

Those cats are in Sorrento, and I took pictures of them because they are cute.

These cats are also in Sorrento.







Those houses are on the cliff on the Island of Capri. I would like to live in one of those houses, but I would be scared of falling.


These two pictures are from the top of the cliff.

You can see the funicular line that we rode to the top of the cliff.

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This picture is in the garden, looking down to the bay.


This picture is of the back of the island.








I took the picture of these rocks because I thought it was cool because they’re kind of like a cliff in the water.


This is another big rock in the water.

This is a seagull looking for food. In the end, it found pizza to eat.

That is the boat leaving the Island of Capri.








That is a better picture of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.


Those are funny people with faces outside in the Vatican.

That is a garden with a beautiful fountain in the Vatican gardens.
These next two pictures are also in the Vatican. That is an acorn with two peacocks.

This is a stone with some weird shapes.

I loved my visit to Italy because I loved the spaghetti because it tastes the best. I was tired on Christmas because I stayed up very late listening to the pope.

Labels: Benjamin, Italy, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary

During our whirlwind tour of Italy over Christmas 2006, our tour escort claimed the two biggest Italian exports are Sophia Loren and pizza. Pizza was a poor man’s food, created with whatever was left in the cupboard at the end of the month. I don't know if that's why Italians prefer plain pizzas, without many toppings. However, we didn’t have much pizza while we were in Italy since there were too may other delectable meals we had to sample.

Zachary is still, to this day, talking about the roasted chicken we had in Pisa. It was so tender it slid off the bones and melted in our mouths. He claims it was THE best chicken he’s ever had, and keeps asking me how they seasoned it. I don’t know what seasonings they used, but I have to agree that it was some of the best chicken I’ve ever had too. Wish I knew what they used so I could try to recreate it at home.

MacKenzie’s favorite meal, no matter where we were, was spaghetti. Good thing it came with every meal. She and Benjamin usually ate the antipasti while Zachary and I enjoyed the main dish. Fortunately, we usually had a little spaghetti as well since the restaurants had plenty of extra (and our tour escort ensured we always had enough food).

Benjamin was on a “rainbow” kick about this time, so was pleased when he managed to inadvertently get a spaghetti rainbow on his fork!


I don’t think there was any doubt that MacKenzie liked the ice cream from the gelato shop near the Trevi Fountain!

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Yes, those are roasted chestnuts. I absolutely loved them! They have a consistency similar to firm boiled peanuts, and a similar taste as well.

MacKenzie wasn’t so sure about the roasted chestnuts though. Although, she was the only one of the kiddos who tried them. She didn’t say they were bad, just that she didn’t want a second one.

Below is the wonderful singer who serenaded MacKenzie and I at Christmas Eve dinner with “That’s Amore.”


Keilani and MacKenzie enjoyed their lunch just down the street from the Vatican. Of course, MacKenzie had more spaghetti.


We all enjoyed the ciambelles in Painter’s Square. Zachary and MacKenzie weren’t going to allow us to leave the market without sampling the sugary donuts.

Benjamin took a while to decide he wanted one too. Fortunately, I held onto his in case he changed his mind -- much to Zachary and MacKenzie’s dismay. I would have had a riotous 3-year-old on my hands had I not done so though. I only gave him small pieces at a time, and he liked it so much that he managed to grab the bag with his remaining ciambelle when I wasn’t looking so he could snag his last piece! I’d say they were a hit!

Christmas evening, we even partook of a Roman orgy at the Papa Rex Restaurant two streets away from St. Peter's. We were met at the door by a Roman gladiator. MacKenzie wasn’t too sure what to think of him...especially when he reached out for her shoulder.


Talk about an abundance of food! Zachary really liked the bruschetta topping on his toasted bread (so did I). Yes, Nana, we thought of you as we tempted our palates with the bruschetta and decided you would have reached for the bruschetta almost as quickly as Zachary did. {smile}

Even the stuffed veggies looked good. I don’t typically care for zucchini or squash, but I figured I should at least try them. “When in Rome...” The peppers didn’t last too long though.

Our dinner entertainment included a tenor-soprano duet-serenade...and Zachary accompanying them on the tambourine. The soprano was very petite, but she sure could belt out the songs operatic style! I particularly liked their rendition of “Funiculi, Funicula.”

Naturally, MacKenzie’s favorite dish was pasta.

The ham and potatoes were delicious.

And for dessert, we had a piece of cake topped with mulberries and other berries. Talk about delicious!

No Italian meal would be complete without a glass of local wine.

When the champagne came out, Benjamin thought it was apple juice and quickly had a death-grip on my glass. It took some trickery to convince him to hand over the glass without gulping it all down!

Fortunately, we sat at the table with “the other Benjamin,” a 2-year-old cutie who shared a little of his apple juice. We quickly poured some into a champagne glass and handed it to Benjamin, and he was happy.


We didn’t have time for lunch in Sorrento (since we were shopping instead), so we bought food from a local stand to bring with us on the ferry to the Isle of Capri. My Piadina -- ham, cheese and tomato on a pita bread -- was another absolutely delicious meal. Zachary and MacKenzie had calzones that they liked equally well (surprise: no spaghetti for MacKenzie -- it wouldn’t have traveled well on the ferry).

For our last meal in Rome, MacKenzie had more spaghetti. By this time, I was not surprised at her food choices. This was a “fast-food” meal of sorts since we were short on time after our Vatican tour and before our bus was to leave for the return trip. She didn’t care what kind of plate it was served on though -- it was all delicious. In fact, I had asked the kids the night before we left if they had enjoyed the trip. MacKenzie didn’t say much at first, but about half an hour later she was in tears. When I asked her why, she wailed that she didn’t want to go home and added, “Because I like the spaghetti!” Too cute!

After our short stop in Florence, we had one last stop before the overnight trek back to Germany. We attended a Tuscan Gala Dinner at the Three Pines Restaurant -- a perfect way to top our stay in Italy. The adults were even greeted at the door with a glass of champagne -- yes, it’s blue.


Our main course was brought out while still aflame, which amazed the kids.

As the meal progressed, the energy level increased, including more serenading.


Benjamin just picked at most of the meal, until dessert came. I think he had more on his mouth than was left on his plate.

In typical European fashion, we didn’t rush out when the meal was over. Instead, we lingered and enjoyed each other’s company while recalling the highlights of our trip...which meant I had more cuddle time with a conked-out Benjamin in my lap.

Every last bite of food we had during our trip was beyond delicious! I think we would all be willing to go back again just to have more scrumptious Italian food! We just may have to do that soon -- like this weekend!

Labels: Benjamin, Italy, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary