Vacation...all I ever wanted...

I love vacations. Let me say that again...I LOVE VACATIONS!!! And my hubby & I have had our fair share of fantastic vacations. That is why I was so excited to see the topic for Friend Makin' Monday was all about these little get-a-ways that we never seem to get enough of.

This week, Jolanthe from No Ordinary Moments is hosting FMM - in for Kasey, who is still trekking across North America with her family. The questions asked this week is as follows:

1. Tell us your best (or worst) vacations you ever took.

Matt & I have been very blessed to have traveled to many incredible locations, but my absolute favorite was a trip we took 2 summers ago on a Mediterranean cruise. We began in Nice, France and ended in Rome, Italy. We had never traveled to Europe before, so this was an adventure for both of us.

This is the port where we boarded our ship in Nice. The tiny ship in the photo is similar to the one we were on. Nice was a fun French town where we enjoyed shopping and french wine. :)

Day 2 was a stop in St. Tropez where we visited ruins of a 17th century village, a winery, and shopping. This was a very busy, fast-paced city.

Day 3 was spent in Portofino, Italy- one of the most romantic spots I have ever been to- this sleepy little village attracts many yachts. We sat on a patio enjoying Italian wine. It was wonderful.

Day 4 found us in Florence, Italy. I had read a fantastic book about Michelangelo's life before the trip, so I was ecstatic to see some of his works all over this city, including The David, which is indoors and much larger that I thought it would be. It was incredible to see actual works that I had read about. To know that Michelangelo's hands had actually created this masterpiece. The above pic is a replica in a square where we had the most amazing Italian pizza and gelato.

Our last stop was in Rome, Italy. We had a busy day that started at the Colosseum and ended at The Vatican. Again, a most incredible day, seeing the amazing history of this city (and we think the good ole' US has history!).

In St. Peter's Square.

The highlight of our trip was a private viewing of the Sistine Chapel. Yes, these are pictures we took while there. (Before you freak out, they allowed us as long as our flashes were off.) But honestly, the pictures do not do it justice. There is such an overwhelming feeling of awe to see this in person- I recommend it to everyone!

As I had mentioned, I read all about Michelangelo before the trip, which included his painting of the Sistine Chapel. He was a sculptor by trade, not a painter. But the Pope at the time hired him (really bribed him) to paint the ceiling of the chapel in exchange for the rights to develop and build St. Peter's Basilica. And he stood upright with his head pointed upward for 7 years painting the ceiling. And it is a masterpiece. The above picture is the wall behind the alter that he also painted several years later. All of it is breathtaking.

Bet ya didn't expect a history lesson with my post huh??

Have a great week everyone!!