16 Days in the Tracks of Fodorites - Rome, Pompeii, Pienza, Venice
Jan 9th, 2010, 08:13 PM
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16 Days in the Tracks of Fodorites - Rome, Pompeii, Pienza, Venice
This is a trip report on our 16 day trip through Italy, Oct. 26-Nov. 11, 2009. We began in Rome, then drove to Paestum, back to Pompeii, and then to Tuscany where we based in Pienza. Finally, we drove to Venice where we spent two days before flying home. From start to finish I kept thinking of all I learned from this forum, and how much it enhanced the trip. So - in hopes of paying back in some small way, and with apologies for my long winded ways - here is Part 1 of my trip report.
Planning the Itinerary with the help of Fodorites
This was my first trip to Italy, although I had wanted to see the ancient ruins in Rome and Pompeii for decades. My 27 year old son, who had been twice before on a student budget, said he would go with me at some point. So, when a window opened in his schedule and mine at the same time, for late October, and early November, 2009, we decided to go for it. My son left the planning to me, saying only that he wanted to go to Venice, if possible. I started with little or no understanding of even the basic geography of Italy. All I really knew was that I had to see Pompeii, and the Roman Forum. My son added that he thought I would love the hill towns of Tuscany, and the Amalfi Coast - so I put those on the list. I was concerned that it wasn't a good time of year to go, so before actually booking anything, I went to the Fodors forums, which had served me well planning a trip to Hawaii a few years ago. I wanted to see if anyone else had gone in November, and if so, what their experience had been. I began reading, and soon realized I had a lot more to learn than just what the weather would be like. I was anxious to buy the plane tickets because the fares seemed good (I think this was April). I learned from Fodorites that flying Open Jaw would prevent backtracking, was and I found the best connections and prices flying into Rome and back home from Venice. I knew from reading the forums that it could be a real problem getting to the Venice airport early in the morning, but this flight left at 10am - which seemed civilized. I opted for 16 days, partly because I got good fares on those days, and partly because that would let us do 4 days in each of 4 locations - which seemed to be a pretty basic planning goal recommended by some on the forums. Ideally, I would have been able to plan the full itinerary with more specificity before buying the air tickets, but this quick and dirty approach worked out well in the end. I spent many more months planning how those 16 days would be spent - but my only real regret on the basic itinerary was that we didn't have one more day to spend in Rome. We had the luxury of going at a time of year that wasn't busy. As a result, I only made firm reservations for Rome and Venice. I struggled over the fact that clearly we couldn't do everything, and that choices had to be made. In the process, however, I learned so much ---
I. Four Glorious Days in Rome
We arrived in Rome from Austin, Texas at 7am, and were picked up by Rome Cabs - which of course I learned of on the forum. I was glad we didn’t have to find the train etc. I had rented an apartment through Sleep in Italy - Orbitelli 11. I had studied FRANCO's long thread on Accommodations in Rome - and mapped locations on a Rome map that I created in Google maps before choosing. I probably spent way too much time picking out the apartment - but the huge and unexpected benefit of this exercise was that I learned a lot about Rome in the process – including the basic geography, where things are located, the neighborhoods, how to get around the city, and sights I wanted to see. As a total newbie, I was pretty nervous about this, but the apartment was simply wonderful. It was exactly as pictured on the rental website and in a great area - very quiet and safe, and with a number of restaurants close by that we enjoyed. Franco made the point that the convenience of bus transportation was an important factor in choosing an apartment. Ours wasn’t as central to Piazza Navona or the Pantheon as some, but we were delighted to find that the little electro bus - the 116 - stopped on our corner. We were also a block away from a bus that went to the Vatican and back. The most maddening thing about the bus system - to us - was that because many of the routes are loops, you can’t necessarily go back on the same bus on which you came. For example, the electro was great for going to Campo di Fiore - but not for coming back. We also found the bus map hard to understand. As a result, we walked a lot. It just seemed easier than trying to figure out which bus, where to catch it etc. This meant I was tired by the time we got to what we were intending to see. We bought the Roma Pass and enjoyed knowing we could get on and off at will – but if I had it to do again, I would try to figure out how to use the bus system better.
We couldn't check in to our apartment until 10am, according to the email from Sleep in Italy – but were in the city by 8:30. Folks on the forum recommended we just camp out at a neighborhood coffee shop and that worked out pretty well. Luckily the weather was wonderful so we sat at a table outside - and one of us watched the luggage while the other went to find an ATM, get a sim card for the phone etc. At 10am, we went to the apartment, but no one was there. A lady came out from an office next door, and said she knew the owner, who she called on her phone. The young man who came to meet us was very nice. It was pretty clear to me that we could have gotten in earlier, if we had just called him directly. Next time, I won’t take Sleep in Italy’s word about the check in time – I will call the owner personally on the phone number provided.
The apartment was delightful. It was modern with chic touches. Up one flight of stairs, the windows of the large living room opened onto Orbitelli – a very quiet lane that intersected with Via Giulia. We slept with the windows open, and my son (who slept on the sofa bed in the living room) said that someone came home on a motorcycle late every night – but otherwise it was perfectly quiet. The bedroom, in the back of the apartment where I slept, was silent. Although the water pressure in the shower could have been better, the bathroom was modern and clean. The free WIFI and clothes washer were wonderful amenities. I could see staying in this place for a month!
I had considered signing up for a tour of the Forum and Coliseum with Context Tours, that was scheduled for 2pm that first day. Fodorites advised against it, and I was really glad I hadn't done it, because as it turned out, I had important things to accomplish that first day. When I woke up on the airplane in preparation for landing in Rome, I found my glasses, which I had put in the pocket in front of my seat, smashed on the floor of the plane. No clue how it happened, but they were unwearable. I had my prescription sunglasses, and it was a sunny day thank goodness, but I knew the trifocal, graduated lenses of my regular glasses were going to be hard to replace. My son was aware of a website that lists businesses in foreign countries that cater to Americans. We called an optical company listed on the site that was described as being in business since 1837 - the woman who answered was fluent in English, and she said they could help. So our first outing, after getting settled in the apartment, was to hop on the electro bus and find Ottica la Barbera, located in the Galleria Alberto Sordi. These people saved my trip and I can't thank them enough. They took my smashed lenses, and made a perfect replica, in 3 days. ( It took 10 days the last time I had them replaced in Texas!!!) I was in love with Rome already after they way these folks treated me.
After a short nap back at the apartment, it was time to head towards Piazza Navona for the Context Tours Passegiata walk that we had signed up for that began at 6pm. We got there early enough to stop in at the IT office just off the square, where we purchased our Roma Passes. The walking tour was very pleasant - and kept us awake. It was the perfect introduction to Rome. We strolled from Piazza Navona, through the winding medieval streets toward the river, then down to Campo Fiori. We even went into a church, Chiesa Nuova, where our young art historian guide explained some things about the art. The walk ended in Campo di Fiore, and the guide recommended a restaurant just off the square called - Taverna Lucifera. A single woman who was also on the tour joined us, and we had a wonderful first dinner in Rome including a bottle of Chianti. I had ravioli in a walnut creme sauce that was to die for. We then strolled up Via Giulia to our apartment. It had been a longer walk than I expected, and I realized that the amount of walking on this trip was going to be a challenge for me. The weather was perfect though - and we were so pleased with our lovely little apartment, and slept comfortably.
DAY 2 - Context Tours trip to Ostia Antica. This had been my son's request. He had been to Rome twice before, but never to Ostia. We were thrilled when enough other people signed up for the trip to "make" – (Context requires at least 4). We met our guide at 8:30 at the metro stop where we caught the train to Ostia. We used our Roma Passes for the entire trip. It was a gorgeous day - warm even. The architect who led the trip was wonderful. I had struggled some over the cost of the Context tours, but it was fantastic being in such a small group, and with a guide whose information you could trust. I didn’t find it over our heads. In fact, both of us have studied Latin and ancient history, and if anything, it could have been even more in depth. But the guide did a great job of satisfying the disparate tastes of the four people on the tour. It was an unforgettable experience and we learned things that enhanced our subsequent visit to Pompeii.
We headed back into Rome at about 1:30, with no particular agenda in mind, and got off the subway at the Cavour stop. We didn't even really know where we were, but wandered down Via Leonina, aware that we needed to eat soon or restaurants would be closing. We happened upon La Cicala e La formica - a simple looking place that had some of the best food of our trip (or were we just really hungry?). The two course lunch was 10E and it was fantastic. I had a wonderful plate of homemade spaghetti arbiata, and an omelette with red chicory. So simple and so tasty – this was the first of our happy “accidents” with regard to food. I would definitely seek this place out for dinner when I return to Rome. My son said there is a saying, that 75% of the food in Italy is great, and the rest is fantastic. Maybe it is also that with all that walking, you are truly hungry. For whatever reason, in almost all instances, we had great food without really trying. I just hadn’t spent the time looking for specific restaurants ahead of time, and so instead we ate where we happened to be at mealtime. We tried to avoid touristy places, and a few times checked guide books. It worked!
As we wandered away from the restaurant, we figured out we were in the Monti district, based on some of the signs. I was glad to see this area, which seemed to be full of students. Our destination was Santa Maria Maggiore, where a mass was in progress in Dutch! (or at least that is what my German speaking son thought he was hearing). We enjoyed the fabulous mosaics and then found a bus to the Pantheon area. This was the first place where we encountered a "tourist crowd" , but there was plenty of room to sit inside and enjoy this incredible building. In summer it must be packed. We then had a gelato and walked home down Via dei Coronari - a wonderful street full of antique shops and boutiques. That night, after resting for a couple of hours in the apartment, we wandered a few blocks to Via di Panico where a Sicilian restaurant had been recommended by our Context guide. The menu looked expensive, and too fishy for my son, however, so instead we stopped across the street at Giulio passami l'olio, at Via di Monte Giordano, 28. We sat outside. The other tables were populated by a young, chic looking crowd sipping aperitifs. We were early for dinner. Our waitress didn’t speak English, and it seemed a bit expensive, but I think we were the only tourists in the place and enjoyed the people watching.
Day 3 - doing "The Caesar Shuffle" as Rick Steves calls it. I had really wrestled with whether to hire a guide for this, but in the end we opted to do Context Tours for sites that were less well known. We had downloaded Rick’s Ipod tours, and had a couple of good guide books, so we felt we had plenty of information to use on this part of our touring. Problem was - we couldn't get to our planned starting point - the Coliseum. The buses weren't running, and the cabs were being turned aside, and soon we learned there was a strike of municipal police from all over Italy. They were basically having a parade through central Rome - it went on and on and on. They seemed to be enjoying the whole thing a great deal - but it meant that all transportation options were shut down and we had to walk most of the way - and I was still tired from all the walking the day before. We made it to the Coliseum about noon. Then we spent an hour (literally) while I waited in line at the ladies restroom. Only one stall was working and an angry matron ran away any ladies that tried to use the totally empty men’s room! When we finally began the tour we walked right in, using our Roma Pass (thanks again Fodorites) and were able to hop on the elevator to the top! Perfect. Hardly anyone was there. Afterwards, we wanted to go straight to the Forum, but the signs seemed to direct you only to the Capitoline Hill. If there is a way to enter the Forum without going through the Capitoline, we couldn't find it. It appeared to me this was a way to control crowds - maybe even discouraging many people from entering the Forum. My son hadn't seen the Capitoline before, however, so he enjoyed this quite a bit. The trouble was, that after doing the Capitoline, it was getting to be mid-afternoon, and very shortly after we finally reached the Forum, they began to shoo people out. This was our first experience of several in which the shortened daylight hours resulted in sights closing at 3:30 or so! So we only saw about half of the Forum as a result. I had begun to realize, however, that Rome was full of so many fabulous things to see - that I couldn't possibly see them all - and that there would be another one around every corner. We wandered over to Trajan's column, and sat watching the sun set behind the "wedding cake." Fortunately, the buses had started running again, and we were able to get back to the apartment where we rested our feet, watched the news, and drank the wine we had acquired at the local supermarket. That night, we walked a few blocks to Piazza Moretta, at one end of Via Monserrato, to a little tratoria called la Moretta which was recommended in the Frommers guidebook. We were early, and pretty much the only diners. We sat outside, and watched as locals - or so we thought – dropped by to visit with the owners, or get takeout. It was relatively inexpensive and the house red was good. My son enjoyed a wonderful chicken dish.
Day 4 - Our fourth and last day in Rome, we were signed up for Context's Underground Tour starting at 10am. This was a great experience, well focused and interesting. The woman who led the tour had performed some of the excavations herself. Ending about 1pm, we went over to the Jewish ghetto area intending to have lunch, but with no particular place in mind. After wandering a bit, we stopped at Il Giardino, on via del portico d'ottavia, in part because there was an available table outside and it was another beautiful day. This turned out to be another happy accident, and is a restaurant that I would seek out when I go back to Rome. The waitstaff was very pleasant. I had read on Fodors about fried artichokes and zucchini blossoms, and was delighted to find them on the menu as part of an antipasti plate of typical favorites. The artichoke in particular was crispy and wonderful. After the antipasti of various fried items, I thought I should order a salad, and cut back on all the pasta. The cute waiter laughed and told me “no” – and recommended the ravioli in an orange sauce. He was soOOOO right. It was incredibly delicious. We then strolled across the bridge to the Isola Tiberina, at which time the phone rang - and it was the optical shop saying my glasses were ready. Oh joy! Although each day had been sunny, and I had gotten used to seeing everything through dark lenses, I was looking forward to getting my sunglasses off. The new frames fit perfectly, and the lenses were spot on. By now it was getting late, on our last afternoon in Rome. We decided to try to get into the Borghese Gallery, even though I hadn't made reservations. We found the electro bus and rode it to the museum. (I LOVED riding around on this little bus – better than any tour bus could have been.) This took us on a lovely route through a part of Rome we had not yet seen – the upscale shops and hotels of the Via Veneto area and into the gorgeous Borghese park. When I checked on-line right before leaving home, there were plenty of spots available at the museum, and I wasn’t sure when, or even if, we would go, so I didn’t reserve. Big mistake - we couldn't get in, but I also wanted to see the Etruscan museum, at the Villa Giulia. So we walked through the park to the Villa, only to find that the fantastic cup they recently retrieved from the Getty museum, was on loan elsewhere. We enjoyed the other exhibits, however, although there was very little signage in English, and no museum guide in English that we could find. By the time we left the museum, it was dark. We walked to the Piazza Popolo, which was spectacular all lit up at night, and then caught a bus home. I felt exhausted and knew there was so much we hadn't seen - but what we had seen was wonderful!
That night we wanted pizza and we wanted it close. Da Buffetta seemed just too far to walk, and we had seen several places nearby, so we started wandering. By pure chance we ended up at O’pazzariello, a few blocks away. We had finally gotten on the right schedule, and were having dinner at 8 or 8:30, when the Italians were showing up. We easily got a table, but soon the tiny restaurant was packed with what clearly were locals. Little did we know that we had once again stumbled into a very special place – rated as one of the 10 best pizzerias in Rome. There was a warm, happy atmosphere and great pizza. I just found this video on Youtube of them throwing pizza dough. Grandi Carlo e Peppe ** 'O PAZZARIELLO ** ROMA . Had we worked at it, we couldn’t have made a better choice.
Day 5 - The morning of our fifth day, we were to pick up our car. My son insisted we at least see St. Peter's before we left Rome, however, even if not the Vatican museum or Sistine Chapel. Luckily, a bus stopped a block from our apartment that went straight across the bridge and to the Vatican. When we arrived at about 8:30 there was no one there. We walked straight through security with no line, and into an almost empty church. After all I had read about the crowds, this seemed wonderful. We were able to appreciate the church in the morning light, without jostling other tourists. My son and I kept congratulating ourselves for planning our trip to Italy at this time of year. The weather was fantastic, and there were no crowds. We then went back to the apartment to gather our things and call a cab. I had reserved the car through Kemwell (Hertz) to be picked up at the Villa Borghese location (thanks to all the advice on the forums about how to do this). My son likes to drive, so we decided not to be fearful of driving out of Rome. The huge benefit was that we didn’t have to drag our luggage around train stations, and it gave us lots of flexibility about our itinerary. We had brought a Garmin, and the trusty device led us to the A1 and very soon we were speeding toward Paestum. And that will be Part II.
Planning the Itinerary with the help of Fodorites
This was my first trip to Italy, although I had wanted to see the ancient ruins in Rome and Pompeii for decades. My 27 year old son, who had been twice before on a student budget, said he would go with me at some point. So, when a window opened in his schedule and mine at the same time, for late October, and early November, 2009, we decided to go for it. My son left the planning to me, saying only that he wanted to go to Venice, if possible. I started with little or no understanding of even the basic geography of Italy. All I really knew was that I had to see Pompeii, and the Roman Forum. My son added that he thought I would love the hill towns of Tuscany, and the Amalfi Coast - so I put those on the list. I was concerned that it wasn't a good time of year to go, so before actually booking anything, I went to the Fodors forums, which had served me well planning a trip to Hawaii a few years ago. I wanted to see if anyone else had gone in November, and if so, what their experience had been. I began reading, and soon realized I had a lot more to learn than just what the weather would be like. I was anxious to buy the plane tickets because the fares seemed good (I think this was April). I learned from Fodorites that flying Open Jaw would prevent backtracking, was and I found the best connections and prices flying into Rome and back home from Venice. I knew from reading the forums that it could be a real problem getting to the Venice airport early in the morning, but this flight left at 10am - which seemed civilized. I opted for 16 days, partly because I got good fares on those days, and partly because that would let us do 4 days in each of 4 locations - which seemed to be a pretty basic planning goal recommended by some on the forums. Ideally, I would have been able to plan the full itinerary with more specificity before buying the air tickets, but this quick and dirty approach worked out well in the end. I spent many more months planning how those 16 days would be spent - but my only real regret on the basic itinerary was that we didn't have one more day to spend in Rome. We had the luxury of going at a time of year that wasn't busy. As a result, I only made firm reservations for Rome and Venice. I struggled over the fact that clearly we couldn't do everything, and that choices had to be made. In the process, however, I learned so much ---
I. Four Glorious Days in Rome
We arrived in Rome from Austin, Texas at 7am, and were picked up by Rome Cabs - which of course I learned of on the forum. I was glad we didn’t have to find the train etc. I had rented an apartment through Sleep in Italy - Orbitelli 11. I had studied FRANCO's long thread on Accommodations in Rome - and mapped locations on a Rome map that I created in Google maps before choosing. I probably spent way too much time picking out the apartment - but the huge and unexpected benefit of this exercise was that I learned a lot about Rome in the process – including the basic geography, where things are located, the neighborhoods, how to get around the city, and sights I wanted to see. As a total newbie, I was pretty nervous about this, but the apartment was simply wonderful. It was exactly as pictured on the rental website and in a great area - very quiet and safe, and with a number of restaurants close by that we enjoyed. Franco made the point that the convenience of bus transportation was an important factor in choosing an apartment. Ours wasn’t as central to Piazza Navona or the Pantheon as some, but we were delighted to find that the little electro bus - the 116 - stopped on our corner. We were also a block away from a bus that went to the Vatican and back. The most maddening thing about the bus system - to us - was that because many of the routes are loops, you can’t necessarily go back on the same bus on which you came. For example, the electro was great for going to Campo di Fiore - but not for coming back. We also found the bus map hard to understand. As a result, we walked a lot. It just seemed easier than trying to figure out which bus, where to catch it etc. This meant I was tired by the time we got to what we were intending to see. We bought the Roma Pass and enjoyed knowing we could get on and off at will – but if I had it to do again, I would try to figure out how to use the bus system better.
We couldn't check in to our apartment until 10am, according to the email from Sleep in Italy – but were in the city by 8:30. Folks on the forum recommended we just camp out at a neighborhood coffee shop and that worked out pretty well. Luckily the weather was wonderful so we sat at a table outside - and one of us watched the luggage while the other went to find an ATM, get a sim card for the phone etc. At 10am, we went to the apartment, but no one was there. A lady came out from an office next door, and said she knew the owner, who she called on her phone. The young man who came to meet us was very nice. It was pretty clear to me that we could have gotten in earlier, if we had just called him directly. Next time, I won’t take Sleep in Italy’s word about the check in time – I will call the owner personally on the phone number provided.
The apartment was delightful. It was modern with chic touches. Up one flight of stairs, the windows of the large living room opened onto Orbitelli – a very quiet lane that intersected with Via Giulia. We slept with the windows open, and my son (who slept on the sofa bed in the living room) said that someone came home on a motorcycle late every night – but otherwise it was perfectly quiet. The bedroom, in the back of the apartment where I slept, was silent. Although the water pressure in the shower could have been better, the bathroom was modern and clean. The free WIFI and clothes washer were wonderful amenities. I could see staying in this place for a month!
I had considered signing up for a tour of the Forum and Coliseum with Context Tours, that was scheduled for 2pm that first day. Fodorites advised against it, and I was really glad I hadn't done it, because as it turned out, I had important things to accomplish that first day. When I woke up on the airplane in preparation for landing in Rome, I found my glasses, which I had put in the pocket in front of my seat, smashed on the floor of the plane. No clue how it happened, but they were unwearable. I had my prescription sunglasses, and it was a sunny day thank goodness, but I knew the trifocal, graduated lenses of my regular glasses were going to be hard to replace. My son was aware of a website that lists businesses in foreign countries that cater to Americans. We called an optical company listed on the site that was described as being in business since 1837 - the woman who answered was fluent in English, and she said they could help. So our first outing, after getting settled in the apartment, was to hop on the electro bus and find Ottica la Barbera, located in the Galleria Alberto Sordi. These people saved my trip and I can't thank them enough. They took my smashed lenses, and made a perfect replica, in 3 days. ( It took 10 days the last time I had them replaced in Texas!!!) I was in love with Rome already after they way these folks treated me.
After a short nap back at the apartment, it was time to head towards Piazza Navona for the Context Tours Passegiata walk that we had signed up for that began at 6pm. We got there early enough to stop in at the IT office just off the square, where we purchased our Roma Passes. The walking tour was very pleasant - and kept us awake. It was the perfect introduction to Rome. We strolled from Piazza Navona, through the winding medieval streets toward the river, then down to Campo Fiori. We even went into a church, Chiesa Nuova, where our young art historian guide explained some things about the art. The walk ended in Campo di Fiore, and the guide recommended a restaurant just off the square called - Taverna Lucifera. A single woman who was also on the tour joined us, and we had a wonderful first dinner in Rome including a bottle of Chianti. I had ravioli in a walnut creme sauce that was to die for. We then strolled up Via Giulia to our apartment. It had been a longer walk than I expected, and I realized that the amount of walking on this trip was going to be a challenge for me. The weather was perfect though - and we were so pleased with our lovely little apartment, and slept comfortably.
DAY 2 - Context Tours trip to Ostia Antica. This had been my son's request. He had been to Rome twice before, but never to Ostia. We were thrilled when enough other people signed up for the trip to "make" – (Context requires at least 4). We met our guide at 8:30 at the metro stop where we caught the train to Ostia. We used our Roma Passes for the entire trip. It was a gorgeous day - warm even. The architect who led the trip was wonderful. I had struggled some over the cost of the Context tours, but it was fantastic being in such a small group, and with a guide whose information you could trust. I didn’t find it over our heads. In fact, both of us have studied Latin and ancient history, and if anything, it could have been even more in depth. But the guide did a great job of satisfying the disparate tastes of the four people on the tour. It was an unforgettable experience and we learned things that enhanced our subsequent visit to Pompeii.
We headed back into Rome at about 1:30, with no particular agenda in mind, and got off the subway at the Cavour stop. We didn't even really know where we were, but wandered down Via Leonina, aware that we needed to eat soon or restaurants would be closing. We happened upon La Cicala e La formica - a simple looking place that had some of the best food of our trip (or were we just really hungry?). The two course lunch was 10E and it was fantastic. I had a wonderful plate of homemade spaghetti arbiata, and an omelette with red chicory. So simple and so tasty – this was the first of our happy “accidents” with regard to food. I would definitely seek this place out for dinner when I return to Rome. My son said there is a saying, that 75% of the food in Italy is great, and the rest is fantastic. Maybe it is also that with all that walking, you are truly hungry. For whatever reason, in almost all instances, we had great food without really trying. I just hadn’t spent the time looking for specific restaurants ahead of time, and so instead we ate where we happened to be at mealtime. We tried to avoid touristy places, and a few times checked guide books. It worked!
As we wandered away from the restaurant, we figured out we were in the Monti district, based on some of the signs. I was glad to see this area, which seemed to be full of students. Our destination was Santa Maria Maggiore, where a mass was in progress in Dutch! (or at least that is what my German speaking son thought he was hearing). We enjoyed the fabulous mosaics and then found a bus to the Pantheon area. This was the first place where we encountered a "tourist crowd" , but there was plenty of room to sit inside and enjoy this incredible building. In summer it must be packed. We then had a gelato and walked home down Via dei Coronari - a wonderful street full of antique shops and boutiques. That night, after resting for a couple of hours in the apartment, we wandered a few blocks to Via di Panico where a Sicilian restaurant had been recommended by our Context guide. The menu looked expensive, and too fishy for my son, however, so instead we stopped across the street at Giulio passami l'olio, at Via di Monte Giordano, 28. We sat outside. The other tables were populated by a young, chic looking crowd sipping aperitifs. We were early for dinner. Our waitress didn’t speak English, and it seemed a bit expensive, but I think we were the only tourists in the place and enjoyed the people watching.
Day 3 - doing "The Caesar Shuffle" as Rick Steves calls it. I had really wrestled with whether to hire a guide for this, but in the end we opted to do Context Tours for sites that were less well known. We had downloaded Rick’s Ipod tours, and had a couple of good guide books, so we felt we had plenty of information to use on this part of our touring. Problem was - we couldn't get to our planned starting point - the Coliseum. The buses weren't running, and the cabs were being turned aside, and soon we learned there was a strike of municipal police from all over Italy. They were basically having a parade through central Rome - it went on and on and on. They seemed to be enjoying the whole thing a great deal - but it meant that all transportation options were shut down and we had to walk most of the way - and I was still tired from all the walking the day before. We made it to the Coliseum about noon. Then we spent an hour (literally) while I waited in line at the ladies restroom. Only one stall was working and an angry matron ran away any ladies that tried to use the totally empty men’s room! When we finally began the tour we walked right in, using our Roma Pass (thanks again Fodorites) and were able to hop on the elevator to the top! Perfect. Hardly anyone was there. Afterwards, we wanted to go straight to the Forum, but the signs seemed to direct you only to the Capitoline Hill. If there is a way to enter the Forum without going through the Capitoline, we couldn't find it. It appeared to me this was a way to control crowds - maybe even discouraging many people from entering the Forum. My son hadn't seen the Capitoline before, however, so he enjoyed this quite a bit. The trouble was, that after doing the Capitoline, it was getting to be mid-afternoon, and very shortly after we finally reached the Forum, they began to shoo people out. This was our first experience of several in which the shortened daylight hours resulted in sights closing at 3:30 or so! So we only saw about half of the Forum as a result. I had begun to realize, however, that Rome was full of so many fabulous things to see - that I couldn't possibly see them all - and that there would be another one around every corner. We wandered over to Trajan's column, and sat watching the sun set behind the "wedding cake." Fortunately, the buses had started running again, and we were able to get back to the apartment where we rested our feet, watched the news, and drank the wine we had acquired at the local supermarket. That night, we walked a few blocks to Piazza Moretta, at one end of Via Monserrato, to a little tratoria called la Moretta which was recommended in the Frommers guidebook. We were early, and pretty much the only diners. We sat outside, and watched as locals - or so we thought – dropped by to visit with the owners, or get takeout. It was relatively inexpensive and the house red was good. My son enjoyed a wonderful chicken dish.
Day 4 - Our fourth and last day in Rome, we were signed up for Context's Underground Tour starting at 10am. This was a great experience, well focused and interesting. The woman who led the tour had performed some of the excavations herself. Ending about 1pm, we went over to the Jewish ghetto area intending to have lunch, but with no particular place in mind. After wandering a bit, we stopped at Il Giardino, on via del portico d'ottavia, in part because there was an available table outside and it was another beautiful day. This turned out to be another happy accident, and is a restaurant that I would seek out when I go back to Rome. The waitstaff was very pleasant. I had read on Fodors about fried artichokes and zucchini blossoms, and was delighted to find them on the menu as part of an antipasti plate of typical favorites. The artichoke in particular was crispy and wonderful. After the antipasti of various fried items, I thought I should order a salad, and cut back on all the pasta. The cute waiter laughed and told me “no” – and recommended the ravioli in an orange sauce. He was soOOOO right. It was incredibly delicious. We then strolled across the bridge to the Isola Tiberina, at which time the phone rang - and it was the optical shop saying my glasses were ready. Oh joy! Although each day had been sunny, and I had gotten used to seeing everything through dark lenses, I was looking forward to getting my sunglasses off. The new frames fit perfectly, and the lenses were spot on. By now it was getting late, on our last afternoon in Rome. We decided to try to get into the Borghese Gallery, even though I hadn't made reservations. We found the electro bus and rode it to the museum. (I LOVED riding around on this little bus – better than any tour bus could have been.) This took us on a lovely route through a part of Rome we had not yet seen – the upscale shops and hotels of the Via Veneto area and into the gorgeous Borghese park. When I checked on-line right before leaving home, there were plenty of spots available at the museum, and I wasn’t sure when, or even if, we would go, so I didn’t reserve. Big mistake - we couldn't get in, but I also wanted to see the Etruscan museum, at the Villa Giulia. So we walked through the park to the Villa, only to find that the fantastic cup they recently retrieved from the Getty museum, was on loan elsewhere. We enjoyed the other exhibits, however, although there was very little signage in English, and no museum guide in English that we could find. By the time we left the museum, it was dark. We walked to the Piazza Popolo, which was spectacular all lit up at night, and then caught a bus home. I felt exhausted and knew there was so much we hadn't seen - but what we had seen was wonderful!
That night we wanted pizza and we wanted it close. Da Buffetta seemed just too far to walk, and we had seen several places nearby, so we started wandering. By pure chance we ended up at O’pazzariello, a few blocks away. We had finally gotten on the right schedule, and were having dinner at 8 or 8:30, when the Italians were showing up. We easily got a table, but soon the tiny restaurant was packed with what clearly were locals. Little did we know that we had once again stumbled into a very special place – rated as one of the 10 best pizzerias in Rome. There was a warm, happy atmosphere and great pizza. I just found this video on Youtube of them throwing pizza dough. Grandi Carlo e Peppe ** 'O PAZZARIELLO ** ROMA . Had we worked at it, we couldn’t have made a better choice.
Day 5 - The morning of our fifth day, we were to pick up our car. My son insisted we at least see St. Peter's before we left Rome, however, even if not the Vatican museum or Sistine Chapel. Luckily, a bus stopped a block from our apartment that went straight across the bridge and to the Vatican. When we arrived at about 8:30 there was no one there. We walked straight through security with no line, and into an almost empty church. After all I had read about the crowds, this seemed wonderful. We were able to appreciate the church in the morning light, without jostling other tourists. My son and I kept congratulating ourselves for planning our trip to Italy at this time of year. The weather was fantastic, and there were no crowds. We then went back to the apartment to gather our things and call a cab. I had reserved the car through Kemwell (Hertz) to be picked up at the Villa Borghese location (thanks to all the advice on the forums about how to do this). My son likes to drive, so we decided not to be fearful of driving out of Rome. The huge benefit was that we didn’t have to drag our luggage around train stations, and it gave us lots of flexibility about our itinerary. We had brought a Garmin, and the trusty device led us to the A1 and very soon we were speeding toward Paestum. And that will be Part II.
Jan 10th, 2010, 12:44 PM
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I was given that nickname by my funny brother-in-law. We were traveling as a family group in Austria and were reading about the rulers such as Peter the Great, and "so and so the timid." I can be a little bossy about sticking to the plan for the day when traveling with a group, so he decided I should be "Nancy the Nice." I use it because it is easy to remember.
Jan 10th, 2010, 01:55 PM
#5
hi nancy - nice! start to your TR.
glad you started in Rome - that's where we'll be in a month's time and up to date restaurant recomendations are always welcome.
loking forward to more,
regards, ann
glad you started in Rome - that's where we'll be in a month's time and up to date restaurant recomendations are always welcome.
loking forward to more,
regards, ann
Jan 10th, 2010, 02:43 PM
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Love your name and the way you got it. My favorites over the years have been Pedro the cruel and Pepin the short--who was married to someone whose tomb statue suggests she should have been Matilde the big-footed. Keep going on this report. You've got a good start.
Jan 14th, 2010, 05:54 PM
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This is the continuation of the report - afraid it is pretty long-winded but its fun to remember all of this. On Friday, Oct. 30 we started on the second phase of the trip – Paestum to Pompeii.
Day 5 - We called a cab to pick us up at our apartment on Orbitelli, just off Via Guilia, at 10am. It took us to the Borghese Gardens Hertz office, where we picked up our car, reserved through Kemwell, and headed South on the A1. There was advice from Fodorites that given the fickleness of the weather this time of year, it would be a good idea to decide on the actual itinerary for this part of the trip as late as possible. Thus, we didn’t finally conclude that Paestum would be our first destination until we picked up the car. The weather the first four days in Rome had been gorgeous. Warm in fact. Now it was windy and a bit blustery. We hoped to see the Paestum temples, visit the museum, and then spend the night close to the Amalfi Coast – perhaps in Salerno or Vietri sul Mare. It rained a little, and we congratulated ourselves for picking this as a mostly travel, rather than a touring day.
I was surprised at how built up the area was after we turned off the Autostrada towards Paestum. I had pictured pastoral scenery, but instead it was pretty solid with commercial establishments, houses, apartments etc., and the two lane road was congested and made for slow driving. We finally arrived at the parking area across the street from the Paestum temples at about 3:15. I had checked and rechecked the hours, and knew that we could enter the grounds up until an hour before sunset. But surprise! There was a small, handwritten sign posted on the gate – “Closing at 3pm.” This conflicted with the museum website, and every guidebook I had consulted. It was tantalizing to peer through the fence at the gorgeous temples, but even there were plenty of people still inside, they wouldn’t let us in.
We went across the street to the museum which was staying open until 7pm. They let us in for free. We loved the museum, especially learning about the people who settled in the area before the Greeks. As we found with other Italian museums, however, the signage wasn’t available in English for many of the exhibits. There wasn’t even a book for sale in the museum store that explained everything in English. I had a good guidebook, but wished I had brought something even more detailed. We stayed a long time. When we left, it was totally dark and the wind was blowing wildly. The little businesses around the museum were closing and the streets were deserted and dark. We decided that we would try to spend the night in the area, and see the temples first thing in the morning.
Fortunately, I had researched places to stay in the area, and had even communicated with Il Granaio – a B&B across from the ruins – months before. Thus, I knew they were open, although this was their last weekend before closing for the winter. I called, and they had room for us. As it turned out, we were the only ones there, and Il Granaio was so wonderful that it made us glad things had worked out as they did. Il Granaio is an old granary that has been converted to a small hotel. It is a gorgeous old building. As we entered, a fire was blazing in one of the comfortable sitting rooms. We had a glass of the wine we had brought from Rome and decompressed. Our room was upstairs. It was large, with its own porch, wonderful old furniture and a large well equipped bathroom. We asked for a dinner recommendation. It was clear that many things were closed but we were told that La Pergola, back in Paestum proper (the modern town is a few miles from the ruins) would be open for dinner. This made me smile. I had created notes from all my Fodor reading for each area we would be visiting. For Paestum, the only restaurant name I had written down was --- La Pergola!!!
We were early for dinner, as usual, arriving at the restaurant long before the Italians. None of the waiters spoke English, so we puzzled over the menu – and consulted our Italian dictionary. We started with a sort of quiche or tart that was absolutely wonderful, and very much enjoyed the wine and the rest of our food. This was clearly a restaurant that used local ingredients, including fresh seafood from the area, and knew what to do with them. We capped it off with gelato at the little store back near Il Granaio and slept well.
Day 6 – Paestum to the Amalfi Coast.
After breakfast in the lovely morning room at Il Granaio, we toured the temples. It was bright and sunny – much better weather than the day before. Getting to the ruins early was a treat - we had the area to ourselves. This was one of my favorite memories of the trip. The Paestum roses were blooming, and the temples glowed in the morning sun. I must of taken 500 pictures. After drinking in this magical site for an hour and a half, we got in the car and headed for Vietri sul Mare.
I had read about Vietri sul Mare on the forums, and being a ceramics nut, really wanted to do some shopping there. In fact, the plan in the back of my head was that we would spend the night in the area, perhaps even for several nights and use it as a base for visiting Pompeii as well as Paestum. I was glad we had left things flexible though, and now we drove into town about noon, parked, and began strolling through the shops. After a bit, it became clear that everything was starting to close down for the midday siesta. We had seen things we liked in one shop, and got back there just as the shopkeeper was locking up. She opened back up and helped us buy some treasures. We purchased mozzarella sandwiches at a little butcher shop and sat on a park bench gazing out at the sea. The weather was perfect. But we had no time to waste because we wanted to drive the Amalfi Coast road.
This was one of the choices I had purposely decided to make at the last minute. As a Fodorite had said, driving the AC road wouldn’t be fun if it was raining or foggy. But we were fortunate with the weather, and my son, who had done it on a bus in the height of the summer crush, was eager to drive it now, especially since it was the off season. We had a blast doing it. We didn’t have time to stop and explore the towns, but loved the views and the experience. We pulled off several times to drink it all in, including a place where someone has built a miniature village along the side of the road. In fact, he was there tending it when we stopped. We put a coin in the donation box and continued. As we neared Sorrento, the sun was low and often hidden behind hills. We didn’t yet have a place to stay and I wasn’t very well prepared for eventuality. I had thought we might drive on to Pompeii and stay there, but it was swiftly getting dark, and the roads were small, twisty, and confusing, even with the Garmin. I had done enough research to know that parking in downtown Sorrento would be difficult, and at the last minute before leaving home, I had jotted down the name of a hotel out of town, with Bay of Naples views, that a poster on Trip Advisor raved about. It was called Il Nido. I called. They had a room, at a good rate, and promised a good internet connection which was VIP for my son, because our beloved Texas Longhorn football team was playing, and we hoped to get updates. We never would have found it in the dark without the Garmin - lots of switchbacks and it seemed like it took forever. It is a family run hotel, in a spectacular spot. Our room, although a little dowdy, had a balcony, a great internet connection, and a magnificent view of the Bay. We gazed at Mt. Vesuvius while fireworks went off in the distance (it was Oct. 31.) Fortunately, the hotel serves dinner every night, because we were too tired to venture down to Sorrento. There were a couple of large groups (perhaps extended families?) taking dinner. And it seemed there were several Brits who may have been on a plan that included dinner. (My son was incensed that the fellow at the next table ordered fish and chips.) The food was fine, but not great. The family who served it were wonderful, and the view from the dining room was even better than in our room. When I exclaimed happily over the bruschetta that was brought without being ordered, I was told to be careful in my pronunciation – because as I had said it, it meant a mafioso. I thought, “Cool – we are near Naples.”
At first I thought we might stay here a couple of nights as base for seeing Pompeii and Naples. The hotel offered a free shuttle at frequent intervals to Sorrento where we could catch the train - but that would require about a drive to town, and then an hour on the train – each way. In addition, I had figured out that zipping back and forth between places on the Sorrento peninsula in our car, as I had imagined, was simply not going to happen. I was amazed at how built up and congested the whole area seemed and that unlike Texas, the mileage between places was pretty irrelevant to how long the drive was going to take. Bottom line, although I was keenly aware that Bob the Navigator would not approve of us staying in 3 different hotels in 3 nights, we decided that the next morning we would drive on to Pompeii.
Day 7 – Pompeii and Naples.
The next day was Sunday Nov. 1. We were sorry to leave the nice folks at Il Nido, and to leave without exploring Sorrento, but after snapping some morning pictures from our balcony, and enjoying the full English breakfast which my son RAVED about, we set off for Pompeii. This turned out to be a great choice. Even though it was Sunday morning, there was plenty of traffic and I was glad we were doing the drive at a time when commercial traffic was reduced. I had done a lot of research on hotels in Pompeii because it was a primary reason for my trip to Italy, and I had considered staying there all along. I called the Forum hotel. It was a splurge for our budget, but the rate at Il Nido was very reasonable, so I thought it would even out. We negotiated for the Junior Suite at a reduced rate, and opted to sign up for the night time tour of the excavations that the hotel offered to arrange. Parking was included in a secure lot across the street. We were able to check in, even though it was before noon, and unload our things. We then went immediately to the train station, which was a short walk away, to catch a train to Naples.
We arrived in Naples about noon, and followed the very explicit directions from Rick Steves on how to get to the archeology museum on the subway. Steves also recommended a pizza restaurant a block away from the museum. We found it and inhaled the delicious pies. The “Americano” that my son ordered cracked us up – it was corn niblets with cream. You would never find it in America! We loved it though. Then, it was on to the museum. Oh what a joy! It wasn’t crowded, and we were able to see everything. Even the room with the erotic pieces was open. After several hours, we hopped the train back to Pompeii. I know we gave Naples short shrift – but we simply couldn’t do everything. It is on my list for a much longer visit on the next trip.
Arriving back in Pompeii in time for the nighttime tour of the excavations, we were told that it was only being offered in Italian that night because it was so late in the season. I was glad to return to the hotel and soak in the first bathtub we had encountered in 7 days instead. My son went ahead with the tour and said the lighting and sound effects were fabulous, even if he couldn’t understand the narration. Our room had a small balcony that overlooked the street that separated the hotel from the excavations. It was a mild night, and they had closed the street to traffic. We didn’t know if it was because it was a holiday, Nov. 1, or if they did it every Sunday, but it was full of strolling families and young people until late at night. What fun to gaze upon that scene. We picked up street food being sold out of several very popular spots on the block and ate in the room.
Day 8 – Pompeii
After a lovely breakfast at the Forum, we checked out and took our bags to the car. We were allowed to leave the car in the parking lot for the day, and it was secure enough that we felt our things were safe. It was overcast, but not cold, so we took our rain gear along just in case. The Forum is across from one of the secondary entrances to the excavations. Even though the audio guides are not offered there, we had two good guidebooks, and just wanted to wander, so it was a perfect location. There was almost no one else in that part of the excavations, so it was like exploring a deserted ruin. When we finally made it up to the forum area, there were throngs who had clearly just arrived on tour buses. All I could think was how I wouldn’t want to be there in the height of the tourist season, at which time it must be mobbed. We stayed for five hours, stopping for a quick lunch at the restaurant that is in the middle of the excavations, which was quite good, and ended up walking from one end to the other, and back! I have the feeling that Pompeii may not be available to the kind of touring we did much longer. It appears to me that it is being ruined by too many people, who treat it like an amusement park, or some sort of Disney experience. It is clearly fragile, and isn’t being taken care of in a way that is likely to preserve it. I am so glad to have been there, and to have gone at the time of year we did. I loved it.
At about 3:30, we returned to the car. I couldn’t have walked one more step. The weather was supposed to change, with rain coming in to the area for the next couple of days. For that reason, and because we needed a break from the hectic schedule of the last few days, we decided to get on up the road to Tuscany. The first drops of rain fell as we hit the Autostrada and soon it was a full scale downpour. My son and I kept exclaiming over how fortunate we had been with the weather. So far we had been in Italy a week and not one time had our chosen activities been impacted by weather. I was glad I didn’t have to drive in that downpour, but at least we were in the car, just traveling from one place to another. Once again, we chose our precise destination after we got in the car. I know we couldn’t have gotten away with this at another time of year, but it was wonderful having this freedom. The next installment will cover our time in Umbria and Tuscany.
Day 5 - We called a cab to pick us up at our apartment on Orbitelli, just off Via Guilia, at 10am. It took us to the Borghese Gardens Hertz office, where we picked up our car, reserved through Kemwell, and headed South on the A1. There was advice from Fodorites that given the fickleness of the weather this time of year, it would be a good idea to decide on the actual itinerary for this part of the trip as late as possible. Thus, we didn’t finally conclude that Paestum would be our first destination until we picked up the car. The weather the first four days in Rome had been gorgeous. Warm in fact. Now it was windy and a bit blustery. We hoped to see the Paestum temples, visit the museum, and then spend the night close to the Amalfi Coast – perhaps in Salerno or Vietri sul Mare. It rained a little, and we congratulated ourselves for picking this as a mostly travel, rather than a touring day.
I was surprised at how built up the area was after we turned off the Autostrada towards Paestum. I had pictured pastoral scenery, but instead it was pretty solid with commercial establishments, houses, apartments etc., and the two lane road was congested and made for slow driving. We finally arrived at the parking area across the street from the Paestum temples at about 3:15. I had checked and rechecked the hours, and knew that we could enter the grounds up until an hour before sunset. But surprise! There was a small, handwritten sign posted on the gate – “Closing at 3pm.” This conflicted with the museum website, and every guidebook I had consulted. It was tantalizing to peer through the fence at the gorgeous temples, but even there were plenty of people still inside, they wouldn’t let us in.
We went across the street to the museum which was staying open until 7pm. They let us in for free. We loved the museum, especially learning about the people who settled in the area before the Greeks. As we found with other Italian museums, however, the signage wasn’t available in English for many of the exhibits. There wasn’t even a book for sale in the museum store that explained everything in English. I had a good guidebook, but wished I had brought something even more detailed. We stayed a long time. When we left, it was totally dark and the wind was blowing wildly. The little businesses around the museum were closing and the streets were deserted and dark. We decided that we would try to spend the night in the area, and see the temples first thing in the morning.
Fortunately, I had researched places to stay in the area, and had even communicated with Il Granaio – a B&B across from the ruins – months before. Thus, I knew they were open, although this was their last weekend before closing for the winter. I called, and they had room for us. As it turned out, we were the only ones there, and Il Granaio was so wonderful that it made us glad things had worked out as they did. Il Granaio is an old granary that has been converted to a small hotel. It is a gorgeous old building. As we entered, a fire was blazing in one of the comfortable sitting rooms. We had a glass of the wine we had brought from Rome and decompressed. Our room was upstairs. It was large, with its own porch, wonderful old furniture and a large well equipped bathroom. We asked for a dinner recommendation. It was clear that many things were closed but we were told that La Pergola, back in Paestum proper (the modern town is a few miles from the ruins) would be open for dinner. This made me smile. I had created notes from all my Fodor reading for each area we would be visiting. For Paestum, the only restaurant name I had written down was --- La Pergola!!!
We were early for dinner, as usual, arriving at the restaurant long before the Italians. None of the waiters spoke English, so we puzzled over the menu – and consulted our Italian dictionary. We started with a sort of quiche or tart that was absolutely wonderful, and very much enjoyed the wine and the rest of our food. This was clearly a restaurant that used local ingredients, including fresh seafood from the area, and knew what to do with them. We capped it off with gelato at the little store back near Il Granaio and slept well.
Day 6 – Paestum to the Amalfi Coast.
After breakfast in the lovely morning room at Il Granaio, we toured the temples. It was bright and sunny – much better weather than the day before. Getting to the ruins early was a treat - we had the area to ourselves. This was one of my favorite memories of the trip. The Paestum roses were blooming, and the temples glowed in the morning sun. I must of taken 500 pictures. After drinking in this magical site for an hour and a half, we got in the car and headed for Vietri sul Mare.
I had read about Vietri sul Mare on the forums, and being a ceramics nut, really wanted to do some shopping there. In fact, the plan in the back of my head was that we would spend the night in the area, perhaps even for several nights and use it as a base for visiting Pompeii as well as Paestum. I was glad we had left things flexible though, and now we drove into town about noon, parked, and began strolling through the shops. After a bit, it became clear that everything was starting to close down for the midday siesta. We had seen things we liked in one shop, and got back there just as the shopkeeper was locking up. She opened back up and helped us buy some treasures. We purchased mozzarella sandwiches at a little butcher shop and sat on a park bench gazing out at the sea. The weather was perfect. But we had no time to waste because we wanted to drive the Amalfi Coast road.
This was one of the choices I had purposely decided to make at the last minute. As a Fodorite had said, driving the AC road wouldn’t be fun if it was raining or foggy. But we were fortunate with the weather, and my son, who had done it on a bus in the height of the summer crush, was eager to drive it now, especially since it was the off season. We had a blast doing it. We didn’t have time to stop and explore the towns, but loved the views and the experience. We pulled off several times to drink it all in, including a place where someone has built a miniature village along the side of the road. In fact, he was there tending it when we stopped. We put a coin in the donation box and continued. As we neared Sorrento, the sun was low and often hidden behind hills. We didn’t yet have a place to stay and I wasn’t very well prepared for eventuality. I had thought we might drive on to Pompeii and stay there, but it was swiftly getting dark, and the roads were small, twisty, and confusing, even with the Garmin. I had done enough research to know that parking in downtown Sorrento would be difficult, and at the last minute before leaving home, I had jotted down the name of a hotel out of town, with Bay of Naples views, that a poster on Trip Advisor raved about. It was called Il Nido. I called. They had a room, at a good rate, and promised a good internet connection which was VIP for my son, because our beloved Texas Longhorn football team was playing, and we hoped to get updates. We never would have found it in the dark without the Garmin - lots of switchbacks and it seemed like it took forever. It is a family run hotel, in a spectacular spot. Our room, although a little dowdy, had a balcony, a great internet connection, and a magnificent view of the Bay. We gazed at Mt. Vesuvius while fireworks went off in the distance (it was Oct. 31.) Fortunately, the hotel serves dinner every night, because we were too tired to venture down to Sorrento. There were a couple of large groups (perhaps extended families?) taking dinner. And it seemed there were several Brits who may have been on a plan that included dinner. (My son was incensed that the fellow at the next table ordered fish and chips.) The food was fine, but not great. The family who served it were wonderful, and the view from the dining room was even better than in our room. When I exclaimed happily over the bruschetta that was brought without being ordered, I was told to be careful in my pronunciation – because as I had said it, it meant a mafioso. I thought, “Cool – we are near Naples.”
At first I thought we might stay here a couple of nights as base for seeing Pompeii and Naples. The hotel offered a free shuttle at frequent intervals to Sorrento where we could catch the train - but that would require about a drive to town, and then an hour on the train – each way. In addition, I had figured out that zipping back and forth between places on the Sorrento peninsula in our car, as I had imagined, was simply not going to happen. I was amazed at how built up and congested the whole area seemed and that unlike Texas, the mileage between places was pretty irrelevant to how long the drive was going to take. Bottom line, although I was keenly aware that Bob the Navigator would not approve of us staying in 3 different hotels in 3 nights, we decided that the next morning we would drive on to Pompeii.
Day 7 – Pompeii and Naples.
The next day was Sunday Nov. 1. We were sorry to leave the nice folks at Il Nido, and to leave without exploring Sorrento, but after snapping some morning pictures from our balcony, and enjoying the full English breakfast which my son RAVED about, we set off for Pompeii. This turned out to be a great choice. Even though it was Sunday morning, there was plenty of traffic and I was glad we were doing the drive at a time when commercial traffic was reduced. I had done a lot of research on hotels in Pompeii because it was a primary reason for my trip to Italy, and I had considered staying there all along. I called the Forum hotel. It was a splurge for our budget, but the rate at Il Nido was very reasonable, so I thought it would even out. We negotiated for the Junior Suite at a reduced rate, and opted to sign up for the night time tour of the excavations that the hotel offered to arrange. Parking was included in a secure lot across the street. We were able to check in, even though it was before noon, and unload our things. We then went immediately to the train station, which was a short walk away, to catch a train to Naples.
We arrived in Naples about noon, and followed the very explicit directions from Rick Steves on how to get to the archeology museum on the subway. Steves also recommended a pizza restaurant a block away from the museum. We found it and inhaled the delicious pies. The “Americano” that my son ordered cracked us up – it was corn niblets with cream. You would never find it in America! We loved it though. Then, it was on to the museum. Oh what a joy! It wasn’t crowded, and we were able to see everything. Even the room with the erotic pieces was open. After several hours, we hopped the train back to Pompeii. I know we gave Naples short shrift – but we simply couldn’t do everything. It is on my list for a much longer visit on the next trip.
Arriving back in Pompeii in time for the nighttime tour of the excavations, we were told that it was only being offered in Italian that night because it was so late in the season. I was glad to return to the hotel and soak in the first bathtub we had encountered in 7 days instead. My son went ahead with the tour and said the lighting and sound effects were fabulous, even if he couldn’t understand the narration. Our room had a small balcony that overlooked the street that separated the hotel from the excavations. It was a mild night, and they had closed the street to traffic. We didn’t know if it was because it was a holiday, Nov. 1, or if they did it every Sunday, but it was full of strolling families and young people until late at night. What fun to gaze upon that scene. We picked up street food being sold out of several very popular spots on the block and ate in the room.
Day 8 – Pompeii
After a lovely breakfast at the Forum, we checked out and took our bags to the car. We were allowed to leave the car in the parking lot for the day, and it was secure enough that we felt our things were safe. It was overcast, but not cold, so we took our rain gear along just in case. The Forum is across from one of the secondary entrances to the excavations. Even though the audio guides are not offered there, we had two good guidebooks, and just wanted to wander, so it was a perfect location. There was almost no one else in that part of the excavations, so it was like exploring a deserted ruin. When we finally made it up to the forum area, there were throngs who had clearly just arrived on tour buses. All I could think was how I wouldn’t want to be there in the height of the tourist season, at which time it must be mobbed. We stayed for five hours, stopping for a quick lunch at the restaurant that is in the middle of the excavations, which was quite good, and ended up walking from one end to the other, and back! I have the feeling that Pompeii may not be available to the kind of touring we did much longer. It appears to me that it is being ruined by too many people, who treat it like an amusement park, or some sort of Disney experience. It is clearly fragile, and isn’t being taken care of in a way that is likely to preserve it. I am so glad to have been there, and to have gone at the time of year we did. I loved it.
At about 3:30, we returned to the car. I couldn’t have walked one more step. The weather was supposed to change, with rain coming in to the area for the next couple of days. For that reason, and because we needed a break from the hectic schedule of the last few days, we decided to get on up the road to Tuscany. The first drops of rain fell as we hit the Autostrada and soon it was a full scale downpour. My son and I kept exclaiming over how fortunate we had been with the weather. So far we had been in Italy a week and not one time had our chosen activities been impacted by weather. I was glad I didn’t have to drive in that downpour, but at least we were in the car, just traveling from one place to another. Once again, we chose our precise destination after we got in the car. I know we couldn’t have gotten away with this at another time of year, but it was wonderful having this freedom. The next installment will cover our time in Umbria and Tuscany.
Jan 14th, 2010, 11:57 PM
#14
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Loving how you are traveling making reservations as you go. We used to travel that way, but haven't for quite some time as we are with 4 people and usually during high season. I'd like to get back to that type of travel one day. It seems so free and easy.
(Although one time DH and I arrived in Italy without a reservation for the first night and in an exhausted state had to deal with the payphones and trying to find a place to stay that night on a limited budget. After that, we always had the first night booked!)
(Although one time DH and I arrived in Italy without a reservation for the first night and in an exhausted state had to deal with the payphones and trying to find a place to stay that night on a limited budget. After that, we always had the first night booked!)
Jan 15th, 2010, 08:02 PM
#15
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I assume it would be hard to do (travel without reservations) at more popular times of the year in Italy. I had done a lot of research, and had communicated with all of the places in advance (except for the hotel in Sorrento) - but just hadn't made reservations. It was fun, but I think we were lucky it worked out with no big disappointments - and that we were able to stay in the places I would have picked, had I booked ahead.
Jan 16th, 2010, 03:22 AM
#16
Loving how you are traveling making reservations as you go. We used to travel that way, but haven't for quite some time as we are with 4 people and usually during high season. I'd like to get back to that type of travel one day. It seems so free and easy.>>
same here, travelgirl. when we were two, we toured France and northern Spain a couple of times, and then Italy, though as that was in July we booked our first few nights in venice in advance. [my photos of the grand canal in July 1980 show it as almost deserted compared to a recent visit in November!]
when our kids were small we were lucky enough to have a holiday home near the coast so we went there a lot; as they got older we tried touring but DD in particular would get the heebee jeebees if she didn't know where she was going to be resting her head by 4pm. so we went back to staying put in rented apartments and gites which has worked well for the kids who like the familiarity of being able to go out and buy breakfast at the same place every day, work their way through all the favours of at the local gelateria, and generally put down some roots.
now we are looking at being two again, at least some of the time we are thinking of reverting to our previous method of travel. for our most recent trip to Austria in June we'd booked all our accommodation ahead almost out of habit; however the floods made our planned walking and exploring impossible so we changed our plans, cancelled our reservations, and went "off-piste". the success that we had in doing this convinced me that apart from booking ahead in major cities, we'll be finding accommodation as we go in future.
having first done our research here of course.
same here, travelgirl. when we were two, we toured France and northern Spain a couple of times, and then Italy, though as that was in July we booked our first few nights in venice in advance. [my photos of the grand canal in July 1980 show it as almost deserted compared to a recent visit in November!]
when our kids were small we were lucky enough to have a holiday home near the coast so we went there a lot; as they got older we tried touring but DD in particular would get the heebee jeebees if she didn't know where she was going to be resting her head by 4pm. so we went back to staying put in rented apartments and gites which has worked well for the kids who like the familiarity of being able to go out and buy breakfast at the same place every day, work their way through all the favours of at the local gelateria, and generally put down some roots.
now we are looking at being two again, at least some of the time we are thinking of reverting to our previous method of travel. for our most recent trip to Austria in June we'd booked all our accommodation ahead almost out of habit; however the floods made our planned walking and exploring impossible so we changed our plans, cancelled our reservations, and went "off-piste". the success that we had in doing this convinced me that apart from booking ahead in major cities, we'll be finding accommodation as we go in future.
having first done our research here of course.
Jan 16th, 2010, 08:39 AM
#18
hi TDudette,
I'm not a cognoscenta of mafia argo, but the toast is pronounced "brusketta" the H having hardened the "sc" sound.
i have looked up "bruscetta" [which would be pronounced "sh" as in fish] in my italian dictionario, and found "brusco" meaning sharp, which didn't seem to help. However, "bruciare" [pronounced bruchiare] means to burn so a "brucetta" may well mean something sinister.
chissa? [who knows?]
perhaps a napolitana will help us out.
I'm not a cognoscenta of mafia argo, but the toast is pronounced "brusketta" the H having hardened the "sc" sound.
i have looked up "bruscetta" [which would be pronounced "sh" as in fish] in my italian dictionario, and found "brusco" meaning sharp, which didn't seem to help. However, "bruciare" [pronounced bruchiare] means to burn so a "brucetta" may well mean something sinister.
chissa? [who knows?]
perhaps a napolitana will help us out.
Jan 16th, 2010, 09:23 AM
#19
>>>The hotel offered a free shuttle at frequent intervals to Sorrento where we could catch the train - but that would require about a drive to town, and then an hour on the train – each way<<<
I've stayed at Il Nido a couple of times. The shuttle to town/train station takes about 10 minutes, train to Pompeii is 30 minutes and Naples is 50-65 minutes depending on express train or not (in case anyone is thinking about staying at Il Nido). Breakfast on the restaurant terrace with view of Vesuvius is great although sometimes it's hazy (pollution from Naples?).
It's good to know the restaurant/cafeteria in Pompeii has reopened as it had been closed for awhile. I read somewhere that it's now operated by AutoGrill. Did you notice the AutoGrill name when you were there?
I've stayed at Il Nido a couple of times. The shuttle to town/train station takes about 10 minutes, train to Pompeii is 30 minutes and Naples is 50-65 minutes depending on express train or not (in case anyone is thinking about staying at Il Nido). Breakfast on the restaurant terrace with view of Vesuvius is great although sometimes it's hazy (pollution from Naples?).
It's good to know the restaurant/cafeteria in Pompeii has reopened as it had been closed for awhile. I read somewhere that it's now operated by AutoGrill. Did you notice the AutoGrill name when you were there?
