Rome, Italy

Rome, Italy was a city on our list before we even moved to Germany. We spent a lot of time planning our trip and wanted to make sure we were able to fit in all the major sites in the three short days we had. We choose to stay a block off the Colosseum to give us easier access to the metro and many of the sites on our list.  By the time our flight arrived in Rome Friday night and we made our way to the "Colosseo" area where our B&B was located, it was nighttime.  Even though all the sites were closed due to the late hour, we still managed to catch a late night glance at this beast.

Up and at em' first thing in the AM, our little street had come to life!

Where I stood to take this picture, the Colosseum was directly behind me! I wasn't kidding about the directly behind me part.

First official stop {after our delicious, homemade breakfast thanks to the owner of our B&B!} - Colosseum

Before we left, we each downloaded the Rick Steves audio tour for the Colosseum. It was long, but game a great background and helped orient us to what everything was (or used to be).

 Arch of Constantine

Pantheon

Lunch at Piazza Navona

Four Rivers Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Spanish steps were under restoration :(

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica

I swear I have a sixth sense for when gelato is close.

Trevi Fountain by night.  SO THANKFUL that despite two, very full days, my sweet hubby was still willing to walk all the way to the Tevi Fountain with me for the second time because I wanted to see it lite up at night.  I really love that man.

Pottery Shopping in Poland

Of all the things people expressed their excitement for about me moving to Germany, Polish Pottery was high on the list. "You'll become obsessed!", "I love all of my dishes", "I've had mine for years and want more!". TRUTH.

Before moving here, I didn't know much about it, but living here for even a short time, I quickly became well acquainted with these beauties and knew I needed wanted in on the action. So, one Friday afternoon in the fall, Jette and Courtney picked me up from work right at 3:00 (think that may be the only day I've ever left that early!) and the three of us drove straight to Poland, checked in to our hotel and got some rest before our early morning.

First thing Saturday morning we hit the stores right as they opened, starting at one of the bigger stores, the "Factory Shop".

Pottery is everyone in the town. This is a picture I snapped at one of the intersections in the main part of town. They love their pottery.

Another of our favorite stops, Henry's.

...sometimes there are so many choices you have to sit on the floor to contemplate. 

Fayetteville, NC - what are the chances???

...like I said, sometimes sitting on the floor is required.

We went into close to a dozen shops before closing time. Then headed back to the hotel to unload our spoils before heading off to dinner.

Our cute little Polish restaurant. 

And back at home I couldn't wait to get everything unpacked!

So happy with all of my purchases. They have already been put to good use. The great thing about the pottery is that its "graded" based on quality by something they refer to as "gat".  Before we went, we learned that the quality of the item is labeled on the bottom of each piece, usually with a small sticker. Generally speaking, here is what we went off as a guide:

Gat1: Highest Quality, no imperfections, safe for microwave, oven and dishwasher

Gat2: Safe for microwave, dishwasher, and oven, but may have imperfections in the paint

Gat3: May have a crack in the glaze.

Gat4: May have a chip.

Gat5: Not safe for the oven, but is ok for decorative items 

For me dishwasher safe is huge. As such, I didn't buy anything under Gat2. Several dishwasher spins later, they're all still perfect!  ...def. have my eye on a few pieces to add to my collection in the future. They have also made great gifts!