Pisa

It really, really, REALLY is the Leaning Tower of Pisa !!!!!!!!

So much more impressive and "leaning" than we expected so it was great fun to spend a few hours here in awe of it all at the end of our mainland expedition.












As you can see, everyone is trying to hold the tower up so we just took it easy and let them do all the work............

Romantic Florence

We had both been to Florence before....alone and lonely--and had both promised ourselves that we would never come again without "the love of our lives" because it was just too romantic.
So here we are living our "dream come true" with one another in one of the most romantic cities in the world !!!


Our hotel was across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge so we crossed over it many times in our to and fro journeys through the city. One evening as we gazed out from the bridge we noticed a young couple beside us and the next thing you know he was down on his knee proposing to her. She cried and kept saying "is this for real" and of course, he said it was. Love and romance everywhere and we were in awe of the magic.




Of course food, food and more food---excellent food and wine that we indulged in all over the city.
Besides just a few touristy outings to the Uffizi Gallery and the Statue of David, we mostly walked and drank in the energies of the art, the people, the music and the "aliveness" of it all.










There was a wild boar statue made of bronze that everyone seemed to have some insight into as they gave it money, rubbed it's nose and made a wish. Sooo, why not Richard thought.....














And what better way for two playful and madly in love crazies to spend their last night in Florence but going round and round on the Merry-Go-Round-- gazing into each others eyes with thankful hearts full of love and awe in the magic of it all !!!!!

Lucca

Okay, so we said we were never leaving Elba........Well, maybe just for a little while.

We decided that since we were so close to the Italian mainland that we would take a little jaunt over to the Tuscany region on our way to a romantic getaway in Florence. After a quick ferry ride and then a train we arrived in the town of Lucca for the afternoon and night. In the midst of beautiful green rolling hills, we stayed in a villa named "Villa Del Papa". The Italians call the Pope "Papa" but we didn't see any sign of him--not even in the little church with the tolling bells right outside our gate.
















The Tuscany region is everything we imagined it to be and though our stay was brief, it was special.

















We went into the old walled city for an awesome dinner at a little romantic restaurant where we ate and drank a little too much. No, actually it was just enough and perfect...........

Elba....Never Leaving

Still on Elba....Never leaving !!!!

We still ask ourselves why Napolean escaped after just 1 year on this magnificent island. What was he thinking?







We finally had our first big thunderstorm of the summer. It was interesting to watch the drama of it unfold over the mountains and feel it's intensity as the rain poured down from the heavens. Living on the water and then being engulfed by the water as it rained down on us was like being in the womb. Safe and protected and totally surrounded by water. Peacefully we cocooned in and immersed ourselves in the water of life.


























This has been an interesting social summer for us on EcstaSea. We are normally solitary in our togetherness and very happy so. But one of our intentions and creations this year was to "Clearly express who we are, inviting more meaningful conversations and relationships in our lives." And apparently we have done so as we have met not only interesting people from all over the world, but they have been people that we have been able to "dig deep" with.
We had no more than dropped anchor on Elba and 5 minutes later a little boat came by and we began a fun conversation with Paola (from Rome), Julia (from New York but now living in Rome) and Dina (from New York moving to Rome). They generously invited us to dinner that night and have become deep and meaningful friends for us. We love and appreciate them for their generous spirits and open heartedness to play with us in a deep relationship that enriches us all.
Once again, we are reminded that when we open up to the possibilities....all is possible!!!

The Island of Elba

Here we are on the Beautiful Italian Island of Elba. Napoleon was exiled here in 1814 and we can not imagine why he would ever have wanted to leave....we don't !!!


The Captain hard at work...




Picturesque little towns scattered here and there along the coast.






First there was just one named Johnathon then there were many fighting over the morsels of bread that Willow was feeding them with....

Sunsets to live for every evening........

The new and modern million dollar yachts anchored here and there....

And the old pirate ships blasting canons from their decks......






The sun fades away once again and says "Goodnight" but not before sizzling hot pink as it sinks into Yemaya..........