Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez: June 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Rome and the Amalfi Coast

This past weekend we met our good friends, Lance and Michelle, in Rome for a night then went to the Amalfi Coast to stay in Positano for two nights. This was an incredible trip!

Rome, Italy

We landed in Rome on Thursday night and had little time to see as much as we could. We went to the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Everything was so gorgeous. It was so fun to see all this history in person.

Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain

Roman Forum

Colosseum

Amalfi Coast

We took a train Friday morning from Rome to Naples. Once we were in Naples, we headed to Pompeii. There we took a 2 hour tour of the grounds that had been excavated. We learned so much about the historical town. It was incredible how well preserved everything was. From Pompeii we were able to see Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that buried Pompeii.

Pompeii

Positano, Italy

After Pompeii we continued down the Amalfi Coast. This is a beautiful drive! We got to Positano, the town we were staying in, that afternoon. After getting checked-in to the hotel we headed down to the beach. That night we went to a very neat family run Italian restaurant, called La Tagliata. At the restaurant they don't have a menu. They brought out several appetizers, pasta dishes and a meat platter. Everything was absolutely delicious! They had a band playing music, so we were able to dance. The next day we rented a boat for the day to go over to Capri Island. This was amazing! We stopped at the Green Grotto and swam into it. We took the boat around the island to see all the gorgeous coastline. We docked in Capri and had lunch on the island. For our last night in Positano we went to a great seafood restaurant. This trip was perfect! We had such a great time with our friends!

Amalfi Coast

Headed to the beach

Gorgeous Hydrangeas

On the beach

Headed to dinner

La Tagliata

Dancing at La Tagliata

Boat to Capri Island

Our Captains

Boat to Capri Island

Captain A

Overboard

Dip in the ocean

Boat to Capri Island

Capri Island

On our boat

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Baska, Croatia

This past weekend we took a road trip to the cute town of Baska in Croatia. Baska was absolutely gorgeous! We arrived late Friday night. On Saturday, we spent the day on the beach after a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel. We lounged on the beach relaxing, reading and swimming all day. It was our most relaxing vacation so far! We had a great dinner at a seafood restaurant, Cicibela, on the water. On Sunday morning we ate breakfast and then headed back to Romania. This was a fabulous weekend!

View from the beach

On the beach

Dip in the ocean

Dinner at Cicibela

View of the coast

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Logrono and Madrid, Spain

Logrono, Spain

We flew into Madrid Friday afternoon. We went to Madrid to see some good friends, Luis and Elena, who live there. We drove to Logrono, a city in the La Rioja region, to stay the night. We went Tapas bar hopping Friday night with Elena and Luis and their friends. All the food was absolutely amazing! Saturday we went out to their family winery and vineyard to tour the facility and enjoy the wine! Saturday evening we headed back to Madrid to spend the rest of the weekend.

Logrono, Spain

Tapas Bar

Vineyard in La Rioja

Vineyard

Bodega

Tasting wine

Tasting Wine

Elena and Andy

Andy and Luis

Tasting wine

Tapas before lunch

Lunch at the bodega

Bodega

Inma, Kelly, Andy, Felix, and Elena

Madrid, Spain

Sunday we spent the day walking around Madrid. We saw the Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, and Plaza Mayor. We visited the Royal Botanical Gardens. This is filled with beautiful plants and flowers from all over the world. For lunch we met Luis and Elena and went to several Tapas bars including the famous Taberna Los Lucio. This restaurant is known for their fried eggs over french fries! That night we walked around Retiro Park. The park was filled with people walking, running, tango dancing and enjoying the weather! We had such a great time in Madrid! Thanks to Luis and Elena for showing us such a great time!