Insert Trumpets Blaring Here

Gaeta is simply beautiful. Very laid back and not over-run with tourists. Just a bunch of genuinely nice Italian families enjoying the beaches and the view. 

Yesterday was pure heaven. We spent the entire day hanging out on the beach, eating, more beach, more eating. Anyone who knows me realizes this is my idea of heaven. Seriously. Laying around eating all day, with a view?  Yes , yes, yes. That is ME from top to bottom. 

We rented a scooter for our three days here, and I have to say it has been so much fun. It's no Harley, but plenty of fun. There's something about zooming through an Italian beach town on a scooter that makes you feel...I don't know, free I guess. 

Our mountaintop house. Our window is on the left. 

So at the end of a picture perfect day, we went out for dinner. There was an 18th birthday party going on, which actually was a lot of fun to see. They had a DJ playing awesome music...almost all of it was American, but stuff you haven't heard in forever and forgot how much you love. 

Mike disappeared inside for a moment, and the next thing I know they're playing our song (Hey Soul Sister by Train).  He came back out and held out his hand as if to ask me to dance. 

AND THEN!!!!!

He gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him. I couldn't do anything but cry and say, "Oh my god" 800 times, but of course, I said yes. The owner of the restaurant was snapping pictures and I'm so grateful to have those to look back on. 

The ring was his mother's which makes it extra special. It's not "THE ring" but I'll be wearing it until mine is ready. I'm honored he chose to ask me with his mother's ring though. 

He said he wanted to wait until we were in Paris and ask me on top of the Eiffel Tower, but the weather was looking iffy, and since we had such an awesome day, he decided to go ahead and do it. He couldn't have picked a more perfect day, although I'm sure I would have felt that way no matter where he chose to do it. 

Gaeta is officially my most favorite place in the world, and I am over the moon in love with the man who brought me here, Mike, my very best friend, supporter, fellow goof ball, and protector. 

"I knew when we collided/ You're the one I have decided/ Who's one of my kind"

Singing along to all the good songs. 

Rome: Meh...

Ok, I feel a little ungrateful saying this, but I didn't care for Rome very much. And by very much I mean I was ready to leave as soon as I saw the Coliseum. There are beautiful and extremely interesting things to see there, but we just had a bad experience with the city itself. 

To begin with, we broke every single one of the following subway rules. 

Seriously the subway nearly killed me. People absolutely would not move so we could get on and I ended up looking like the first picture. I have the bruise and skinned up hands to prove it. At one point I started to just give up and back off the damn subway, but Mike got this crazy look on his face and pried the doors open. It was insane but I couldn't help but laugh. I could just hear him saying "Hulk smash!"  

After my near death experience, we spent a couple of hours trying to find a place to stay. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't 800 degrees and if the city wasn't entirely uphill. You know when your grandpa told you he walked 10 miles to school uphill both ways?  Yeah, your grandpa lived in Rome. 

We found a place with the help of a really nice, expletive-using woman. She spoke no English, and we speak next to no Italian, but we all understood the cuss words. It's a universal language, I'm telling you. 

We headed to the Coliseum which really was amazing. 

We couldn't find a single outdoor cafe that was open for dinner (seriously!) so we stopped by a grocery store and picked up a little snack which we enjoyed in a little park right outside our hotel.

So, what was not to enjoy?  We are very slow paced, laid back people and this city is crazy high speed. And although we met some really nice people, there were 10 more that we're just flat out rude. And not language-barrier kind of rude.  Like "I won't even look up from my cell phone to answer you, even though I'm running this store" kind of rude. 

Then there was the god forsaken subway. In all the places we've visited so far, things have run efficiently and without any violence. Rome? Not so much. One should not have to throw 'bows to simply enter and exit a train. I'm not kidding!  It was a nothing but giant hoards of people pushing and shoving like their life depended on it to get on and off the subway...at the same time. To the large man behind me after getting off at the last stop...I do not appreciate you literally pushing me, a woman half your size, so hard that I would have fallen over if it wasn't for my dear Mike (who I've decided to name Ramrod) plowing through the people trying to get on like he was born to do it. Not my cup of tea. 

Sitting in the park I finally admitted I wasn't really keen on staying another night, especially since the only other site I really cared to see (the Sistine Chapel) was closed on Sunday. Mike decided we should hop a train to Gaeta this morning, and it was the best decision we've made yet!

More pictures coming soon!

I suck at travel blogging

Sorry, guys!  It's hard to find time and wi-fi to update. We spent the past two nights in Venice and I am in LOVE!  If I fall off the face of the Earth, that's where I'll be, but good luck finding me. That place is a labyrinth. I have never walked so much in my whole life but it was worth it. The food is killing me though!  I should be skin and bones as much as we've walked, but I swear I'm busting out of my pants. Story of my life. 

The view from our hotel. 

Vienna!

We arrived in Vienna this morning around 6am. My first overnight train experience was interesting. Not in a bad way, but interesting. We weren't able to reserve a sleeper cabin at the train station so when we boarded we asked if there were any available. There was but we shared it with two other people; a woman about my age and "The Strange One", both living in Vienna. The Strange One was rather strange. Nice enough, but definitely strange. He was writing very intently when we arrived and I couldn't help but wonder what he had to say.  The women in the cabin next to us are the ones who referred to him as The Strange One. 

We had a quick stop in Prague, which is where we were supposed to be going. I was asleep, but mike hopped off for a few minutes. He said it was a mad house with people trying to get out due to the flooding. O

It's of course still raining and cold. Just our luck. It still didn't stop us, soaking wet feet and all. We stopped in a nice little cafe we found for a cappuccino this morning. Although there are still Starbucks everywhere, I love finding these little places tucked away. 

We also took a peek inside St. Stephen's Cathedral which dates back to the 1200's. It was stunning. Tomorrow we will return for a more thorough look. 

We did a lot of walking again today. I love seeing all the random art around the city. 

After sight-seeing and freezing our tushies off, we had a little nap. Yes, I napped while in Vienna. So sue me. 

We had dinner in an awesome local place called Nestroy. I am in foodie heaven!  I couldn't even take a picture because I scarfed it down so fast. You have never had goulash until you've eaten here. I was hoping to find out that it's tradition in Vienna to lick your plate, but no such luck. 

After dinner and a few beers we walked around for awhile and found another cafe, and had another couple of beers. It's so beautiful everywhere we go. I can't help but wonder what history tookplace  everywhere we go. 

Tomorrow we will do more sight-seeing and then take a night train to Venice. I've had an amazing time so far, but I'm excited for warmer, dryer weather!

Wedding in a castle

Yesterday, after a ridiculously yummy breakfast, we toured a bit of the old city. It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that we're here. 

It's a little chilly and rainy, but that didn't stop us. 

This is the Zwinger Museum and it is beautiful. I need to study up on the history a little more before I can tell you anything about it. I only know two words in German. Nein (no) and bier (beer). I never use them together of course, but it has hindered my understanding of a lot of things. I know it's gorgeous and older than Mike, even. :)

In the evening we headed to a beautiful castle for Ralf and Annika's wedding. It was breathtaking. 

The couple is young and fresh and the wedding really reflected that. Annika spent hours and hours making origami cranes, hand-stitched blankets, and the most delicious cake balls you can imagine. 

We had an awesome time and dragged ourselves back to the hotel around 3am. It's nice coming "home" to this.