It’s been 25 days since we arrived to Italy! Despite how very hectic it was during the past 3 weeks, we enjoyed the vacation and time we spent with our siblings and friends.

I have been trying to start writing our travel journals, as was agreed upon,  since the first day we got here .  While we were still in Lebanon,  Abdallah would ask me everyday:  “you’re going to write a new post everyday,  aren’t you?”.
To be honest, I have been very exhausted by the end of  the each of the 25 days, too exhausted to even think  about what I should write, and now i feel so guilty that so many days have passed by without posting anything on my blog!

Better late than never, right? I will try to write everyday from now on, and also write about the past 3 weeks and try to tell you about our numerous adventures here.

Yesterday we decided to visit the Boboli Gardens of Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti), it was the first time we use the  “Amici Degli Uffizi” tickets (which proved to be very practical). Why the Boboli Gardens? well, because I was trying to find somewhere we could hang out,  me wandering around taking photos  and Abdallah working on his laptop.  So I thought that the gardens must have some descent place to sit and enjoy the scenery. It was too HOT! we were barely able to breath. We spent a couple of hours in the gardens, then went out and had lunch in a nearby restaurant and came back to visit the Costume Gallery.
This gallery contains a big collection of theatrical costumes dating from the 16th century until the now. It is the only museum in Italy which details the history of the Italian fashion.

The Palazzo Pitti is a huge Renaissance palace, which was bought by the wealthy Medici family and later became their residence. The palace is divided to several museums and galleries as follows:

• Pitti Palace
• Palatine Gallery
• Gallery of Modern Art
• Costume Gallery
• Silver Museum
• Porcelain Museum
• Boboli Gardens

It is impossible to visit the whole place in one day. So we will have to come back again to check out the remaining works of art.

At last! The letters of  acceptance arrived, and we were chosen as delegates for the 2009 convention in Italy Rome.

I am very excited to visit Italy again, but the preparations should start very early this year.  My husband and I are planning to spend a couple of months (hopefully more if  all is OK) in different regions in Italy during the coming summer. For that we have been busy lately trying to contact people who know people who know other people that can help us find a suitable apartment to rent in Rome or Florence.
Now that it is sure that we are going to attend the convention, we will be staying in Rome from the 4th of August till the 11th. We might extend our stay in Rome if we find a house to rent there. And I am planning to visit all the  sights we weren’t able to visit last year (detailed posts about that coming later!)

Here are some photos of Rome from our last trip.