so i just put this little video together form our honeymoon trip. We tried to get some little snippets of video everywhere we went. I'm trying to get through all the pictures and post some good ones for you but I'm feeling a bit lazy... So enjoy the video for now.

(double click to play)

Labels: honeymoon

in an effort to catch up on our Mad Man Recap we are pumping 3 shows this week. Here's another one we hope you like it. It's for episode 10 Wee Small Hours. after checking the podcast page in iTunes and seeing that we have listeners Dr.John ran out and got a brand new mic. he sounds great and the show is really taking off....... well in our minds it is. SO! don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and let us know how you're liking it.
enjoy the show



In other news!! Like I said yesterday we are back and Italy was great. I haven't had anytime to really go through all the pictures from the trip but while i was out of town this weekend Kate did me a solid and put some of my pics up on my flickr so you folks could get a little taste.. I'll post a more complete description this weekend with more content but i thought you might be wondering.

Labels: honeymoon, madmen

omg ROMA let's be honest Kate and I were tired going into Rome. This has been a non stop trip. I dare say we've walked over 100 miles before Rome and then we walked 100 more.
Rome was just what we needed after being disappointed by Florence. 
We checked into the hotel around 1 the first day. We decided after all the walking and traveling it would probably be best to take it easy for the rest of the day.……… we didn't do that. We got out on the street and started walking. Got some lunch and headed for the Treve Fountain. You know the Treve Fountain it's in every movie that's ever been shot anywhere near Rome. Then as if with out trying at all we stumbled on the Colosseum. We all know that one as well and yes it is cool and almost surreal to be stand next to. Being that it was the end of the day we saw only the out side and walled around the outside of the Roman Forum as well. Then it was off to dinner at Pizza Ricci which in my humble opinion was the best meal of the trip. It was a real pizzaria with amazing personal size pizzas. It was just what we had been looking for. The resturaunt it's self was amazing inside. 
The next day was the full indepth tour of the Colosseum and the Forum. The hotel had free wifi (the only one on the entire trip (savages) ). So we were able to download to our phones free Rick Steves audio tours of each. Kate and I have a love hate relationship with Mr. Rick that continued on with these audio tours. They were very informative and difficult to follow. Rick's voice rings of an annoying highschool math teacher that thinks he's funny but just makes humor want to kill it's self. Mr. Babula I'm looking at you on this one.  Those two sights took the entire day. On our way to dinner we stopped at an Irish Bar (seemingly the only real bars Italy can figure out how to construct) to relax. Then off to dinner in the square near out hotel for more meat cheese and pasta. Ahhhhhhhhhh. 
The next day as if by requirment after reciveing that papal blessing we went to the Vatican. I know this is going to sound crazy but I thought the colonade that reaches out around the Vatican square was going to be larger but I had built it up in my mind. It was still amazingly large though.  After having lunch with the Pope where he bored us with stores of saints and sinners and heaven and hell, we moved on to St. Peter's basillica which is out of control. There's a reason it's the flagship church for the entire faith. I can't describe it so I won't try but if you can I'd try to make it over here to see it. It's the only over done church that's not gaudy. The sheer size of it is mind crushing.  Little note from our friend Rick. The Catholics stripped marble off the Colosseum to help construct St. Peter's. Not Cool!
After that as if again by requirment we went to see the Sistine Chapel. Too many people! This was in October so I can't imagine the amount of people in the summer. I wouldn't be able to handle it. The Rick Steves audio tour this time was really quite good. 
After a quick lunch it was off to the Spanish Steps. By this time we had walked so much the bottom of our shoes had started to melt but it was our last day and the Spanish Steps was still on the list. After a bit of struggle we made it and sat for at least two hours. We were entertained the entire time by a group of teenaged kids on a school trip drinking like it was the end of days. Kate and I feeling old and uncool went to buy a bottle of wine to try and join in on the debauchery and succeded in our own controled way. Then some shopping and finally found a great Rick recomdation for dinner.  Then one more stop at the Treve Fountain and back to the hotel to sleep and sleep and sleep. 

I'm tapping this out from the airport in Rome ready to see the US again. We had an amazing time but we both miss buttFUZZ and burritos.  In my estimation we've taken over 1500 pictures which I'll post on flickr. The best I'll put here on dport7 along with the much anticipated wedding photos. 
See you all soon!!!!!!! 

Labels: buttFUZZ, honeymoon, travel, vacation

Florence…… italy you can keep it. Not that it's an awful place it just  lacks any kind of charator. It's just a big city with a white and green marble chruch, Mike's David and a ton of 13 and 14 century art (which btw is all religious and the same). We went to the two major art museums the Uffizi and the Accademia. Saw the big ones like the Birth if Venus and some Caravagio's but the majority is JC and Maddona and Child. The main attraction in Florence is The David. We were impressed. It is massive. I think that's what really makes it special. The entire country is packed with sculpture but it's all very similar. David is a triumph.
That white and green marble church I mentioned is the Duomo. no pictures to show you right now but if you went to art school you would recgonize the big red tile dome. What you didn't know is that it was designed by the hambergler. The green and white marble has turned black and grey over time to now resemble prison stripes. The amount of decoration on this place would make the ladies from Long Island cringe.

Sienna…… I barely new her. Being that after one day in Florence we had conquored the toursty shit we decided to take our underwhelmed selves to Sienna. Sienna is in the Tuscany region of the country and is said by many to he the most beautiful. So we jumped on a train and headed that way. Sadly we arrived in a thunderstorm. So we ducked into a fake irsh bar (note: one thing we can not stand is the lack of real bars in this country. No! I don't want to have a drink at the corner store. I want to sit in a dark loud bar!) till it blew over and to get some much needed food. While inside we met this guy from Texas named Brandon and he offered to show us around when the
rain stopped. After a bit the rain quit and Brandon walked us down to Il Campo the main square. On our way we asked what he was doing in Sienna. Oh man!!! Long story short he said his baby mama, a rich girl from Texas had been preggers with his kid unbenounced to her parents.  One day right before the child was born her parents said "hey, let's take a family trip to Florence Italy" so they all jumped on a plane ( she's 27 and lives at home btw so family trips can happen like that.) While in Florence she has the child. Her parents both being doctors force her to have the baby in the hotel room so no one would know of it's existance. If you haven't guessed the parents hate our new friend Brandon because he is "black and a DJ". So with a baby birthed in secret the Parents tell the baby mama that she has to abandon the baby or they will take her passport and leave her in Italy pennyless and rich girl stupid. Being stupid she agrees to abandon the baby and goes to leave it at a near by church then flees back to Texes with mom and dad. Once she's back in the US Brandon starts asking questions. Sooner or later he finds out what happened after much struggle. Now he's on Sienna staying with family friends getting a DNA test trying to prove the baby is his. He claims after the media found out about the story 20/20 offered to help him out with everything in exchange for the story. Kate and I don't believe any of this but it did make for a good story. 
The rest of Sienna was nice. I got a new wallet from my favorite Euro store Manderina Duck. Then we hoped back on the train back to Florence. 
On the way to Rome now. Kinda exhausted. See you there!  Sorry for the crap pics. One is a David copy in the square the other well who knows.

Labels: honeymoon, travel, vacation

Cinque Terre like every thing else was beautiful. It's an area in the Italian Riviaria made up of 5 little villages. We stayed at the one named Montorosso. Our B&B was amazing. Brand new and full of modern everything. We had our own terrace (seen below all the way to the left) perfect for an afternoon rest with a bottle of prosecco. 
According to Rick Steves (that know it all travel book bastard) Montorosso was the younger more nightlife rich of all the villages. Well, Rick lies!  Not that it's a problem we hadn't planed on an all night rager but we had hopped for a crowed under 65. We of course rolled with it and got up the next day ready to take what Rick called a sea side strole to the next town over Vernazza. Again Rick pulled a fast one on us. This stroll turned into a 2 and a half mile hike through the mountains on a trail that at some points was no more than a foot and a half wide which we only had flip flops on to travers. Kate and I are starting to expect this Rick Steves bastard is trying to kill us. Eff you Mr. Rick!!!
That aside the hike was beautiful. It was sunny and the veiw of both towns from the top of the mountain was glorious.  The hike really took it out of us. Especally me, my usual work out routine involves a mouse, a monitor and a pint of warnish tea.
With all that hikeing under our belts we enjoyed a dinner at Miky's (a famouse local restuaunt) . This morning we boarded another train and are quickly making our way to Florence. I'm tapping this post out as we zip through little towns just a few minutes from stop 3 on our tour. Chech back in a day or two.... Rome is next!!!!!

Labels: honeymoon, travel

Venice!! I can't even describe it. All the streets are like alley ways so it's one big maze. You can litterally take a picture of everything. It's rustic on top of old on top of rustic. Any where else run down building are off putting. Not here, in-fact the entire city looks as if it's tetering on colapse and it's a gloriouse sight. Kate and I explored the city to the fullest extent in the time we had. Seeing museums churches and resturaunts all one after another. Now listen, I'm not a museum kinda guy but the Peggy Guggenheim museum was a winner. If you like modern art like we do give this one a try while your here.  San Marco is of cousre a force in it's own right. Massive amounts of space surrounded by the Doges Palace. At night the lights in every window and the haze of the city makes for a movie type setting. That and so much more has been our Venice trip.
Right now we are on a train to Monterosso for some sun and relaxation. I've got blisters from all the walking in Venice and I'm looking forward to this part of the trip.
Posted from the train!!! More in a few days!!!

Labels: honeymoon, travel