Our Trip Home

After a fun night in NYC we made our way to LaGuardia for our final leg, a flight to Atlanta.

Our flight home

As we boarded the plane there was no denying that we were wrapping up our amazing adventure.  We spent most of the flight reminiscing about the trip and writing our thoughts in the journal that we kept through the journey.  The trip home was a little sad, but were very excited with so many people to see at home and the possibilities of new adventures on the horizon.

Day # 287 - Back to where it all began

Day # 1 - Leaving for the airport on December 29

It is hard for us to believe that we pulled off our trip, especially with no major mishaps.  There are so many things that could have gone wrong and thrown us off of our path, and we feel so fortunate that we really made it all the way around the world.

Over the next week we plan to pop back into the blog with a few final trip summaries, packing lists, and maps.  We loved keeping the blog and are thrilled to know that we have all of these memories for years to come.  But it also added a lot knowing that all of you were checking in and traveling along with us!  Thanks for being such great travel partners and stay tuned as we wrap things up!  :)

~Sara and David

New York City!

New York was our first stop back in the USA!  Spending a Tuesday night in the city gave us a chance to rekindle a law school tradition -- Tuesday night wing night!  I can't think of a more perfect welcome back to the States than twenty scorchin' wings and a night with friends in NYC.

Tuesday night wing night at Blondies on the Upper West Side

-David

Bye - We Miss You!

Wow!  We had the most wonderful time exploring, biking, hiking, and eating our way around Tuscany with the Paganellis.  We will be talking about this trip for a long, long time!  We miss you already and we can't wait to see you in Georgia soon!

For the first time on our trip as we waved goodbye we were the ones leaving, heading to Milan by train to begin our trip home.

Bye!

Sabbatano

Italian food is wonderful, but eating Italian food in an Italian home with Italian family takes it to a new level!

Andrea's parents cooking dinner

We walked into Andrea's parents' home in Sabbatano (a little group of homes in the hills above Valdottavo) to the smell of fresh pasta cooking.  But that was just the "primi."  The "secondi" was pork, roasted potatoes, and fresh tomatoes.  And the "dolce" was homemade tiramisu and gelato.  What a meal!

"Action shot" at dinner in Sabbatano

Good family and and good food -- I think that is what Italy is all about!

Our Last Hike!

When we set out on this around the world adventure, I don't think either of us anticipated that our hikes would be some of the highlights of our trip!  From our first hike in New Zealand to our amazing Everest Base Camp trek to dozens of other hikes around the world, we have covered quite a bit of ground!

Long before we arrived in Italy, Katie and Andrea told us about one of their favorite hikes in Vagli to Passo Tambura.  The pass is really exposed, and we knew that we might not be able to hike to the top if the weather weren't perfectly clear.  Luckily we woke up in Vagli to amazing weather and we were off!

The tree-lined path to Passo Tambura

Hiking above the trees to Passo Tambura

The view from the top of Passo Tambura

Once we made it to the top we could see all the way to the Ligurian Sea.  We took in the view for a few minutes and then it was time to try to get a picture of the four of us.  Easier said than done, but after about ten tries we ended up with this one.

The Passo Tambura crew

We made it to the summit for the last time on this trip!  Our poor shoes will welcome a break.

At the summit of Passo Tambura

Now we are looking forward to tackling some of the great hikes back home in the States!

Vagli

We spent a fun couple of days in the mountain town of Vagli Sopra, which Katie and Andrea call home during the winter season.

Katie and Andrea's house in Vagli Sopra

Taking a walk in the mountains above Vagli Sopra

Nearby Vagli in San Romano is the Fortezza della Verrucole.  During our sunset visit to the fort we spent most of our time gazing at the views from every side.  The Italian landscape never gets tiring!

A sunset visit to Fortezza della Verrucole

A Walk through Valdottavo

Valdottavo is a small Tuscan town north of Lucca and Pisa.  It is beautiful, and as I said to Katie over and over, it just feels so Italian.  Katie and Andrea spend the summer in Valdottavo, and it has been such a treat getting to know the town.

Welcome to Valdottavo!

A view of Valdottavo from above

We took a long walk through town one day and took pictures along the way.  Our first stop was a bridge crossing the small river that runs through town.

Sara and Katie on the bridge in Valdottavo

Then we walked down the main street in Valdottavo.

The main street in Valdottavo -- Villa Unita d'Italia

Of course we made a stop at Valdottavo's local grocery store!  We bought some grapes but didn't have the correct change to pay for them.  No problem, just bring it by another day.  Valdottavo is great!

Natalina grocery store in Valdottavo

And then we came across one of our favorite sights of the day -- Andrea outside of his house slicing prosciutto crudo for lunch.  Yum!

Andrea getting lunch ready

We will really miss Valdottavo, but the good thing is that we know we will be back to visit Katie and Andrea!

~Sara