Italy: Missteps

Old Mar 28th, 2010, 02:43 PM
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Italy: Missteps

I don't want to be grumpy, and I definitely want sympathy (not too much; just a little).

It has been a day of uncovering screw ups in my normally impeccable planning. I guess it didn't start today, either, as I first got uncomfortable about our April 20 trip when I read a very bad review here about rentalinrome.com. That was several days ago.

Today, I checked my flight seats. Moved out of the two seater. No two seaters available in either direction. Grabbed two aisle seats on the two side in both directions, and I'll just hope for someone that wants one of them and will let DH and I sit together. In any case, they aren't far apart.

Hmmm, start to read Fodors. Train strikes in Italy on my train days. Rush to change rental car to cover myself. OK.

Finally, decide that either I am an idiot or there are screw ups afoot that I can't account for, so decide to double check Orvieto hotel. hahahahaaaaaaaaaaa

B&B has us down for dates that are completely outside our itinerary. They can move us from one building to another but don't have two nights in a row. They'll do the moving. AAARRGHHH. Will accept this, but have written to other places.

So: I am going to Italy. How dare I be grumpy? Help if you can; please don't slam me, I feel awful already.

I went to stir the sauce while I loaded this for preview. While doing so, I spilled olive oil. Extra Virgin First Cold Pressed Olive Oil. Woe.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:01 PM
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tuscanlifeedit, I do feel your pain and have both sympathy for you and raw fear myself! I'm bound for Rome on April 25th and have hotel reservations beginning on the 28th in Florence. Now I'm thinking I may have to seriously consider staying in Rome. What was your source to find out about the strike?
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:11 PM
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Tuscan - You will be in Italy on my birthday and I won't. I don't think you have anything to complain about! No sympathy from me. lol
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:16 PM
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tuscanlifeedit: I feel bad for you. You didn't screw up at all. When I fax hotels with my confirmation and cc#, I put all the information down on the fax like arrival and departure date, what type of room, etc. This way I have proof. I attach it to all the e-mails between us and bring it with me. I have had where Delta canceled just my daughter's reservation out of the three of us! Where would that come from? I have had Alitalia re-route us only to find they canceled our whole ticket, etc, etc. So I know how you feel. These strikes are annoying. You're not alone in that boat. This will be a great trip for you, I'm sure.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:18 PM
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Aren't you going to be there for your birthday? You and kybourbon have close birthdays....happy birthday to both of you. I hope I'm remembering correctly.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:28 PM
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The good news - you discovered these problems ahead of time and not after arrival...
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 03:44 PM
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Your trip is dommed. I will give you $500 for your prepaid accomodations and plane tickets. My offer decreases $50 each hour.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:06 PM
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Dommed?
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:14 PM
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I swear kybourbon, I typed doomed. If that isn't a sign this trip is doomed, I don't know what is. Down to $475.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 04:40 PM
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tuscanlifedit,

You will have a wonderful time. All you need to do to guarantee this is drink more vino and eat more gellato!

On my last trip, the trains were supposed to be on strike the only day I had to go out to visit Tivoli. The strike was cancelled the day before, yeah! Besides, you've got the rental car anyway now, yes?

We loved the Palazzo Piccolomini in Orvieto - if that helps.

Buon viaggio!
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 06:00 PM
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Oh, you guys are so nice.

cold, it's my birthday; I just can't do it. Thanks for the offer, anyway.

poetess: here's the link for the thread about strikes:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ly-strikes.cfm

I've seen strikes canceled but this week has been strike-hell. Client going ALL OVER the UK, and a National Rail strike is a real possibility. I've been scrambling like a nut to get him to all his meetings. I'm pooped.

kybourbon: this is a big birthday for me. I will be 60 on April 23. When is your day? I will do some Italian superstition thing for your b'day if you like. I've tied strings on trees, rubbed various parts of saint statues, and lit countless candles; just say the word.

Ann1: how cool of you to remember. Grazie.

Dayle: I don't drink, but I certainly eat gelato. I eat as much gelato as I light candles. I leave a hole in Italy's gelato supply, and I leave a little light behind to make up for it.

Can you please tell me about Palazzo Piccolomini? It is one of the places that I wrote to. Price, cleanliness, room size, anything you can tell me would be appreciated.

Melnq8: I know! It's so much better to be able to head off problems now.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 07:12 PM
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Mine is the 25th and so is my daughter's. Ours is a national holiday - we should be there for it. Hmmm....pondering what to have you rub.
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 08:28 PM
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Tuscanlifeedit - they are calling a strike on April 23rd - your birthday! Maybe all the transportation workers are planning a surprise birthday party for you! :wink:

Don't feel down - I spent an hour emailing and redoing my plans - I have to spend an unexpected (and unwanted) extra day in Turin - but I just discovered that Turin is in the middle of the chocolate region of Italy. You know what they say - when life gives you lemons...eat chocolate!
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 08:29 PM
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Oh and happy birthday to you too kybourbon!
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Old Mar 28th, 2010, 09:04 PM
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tuscanlifeedit : Oh, geez, I have 16 days planned starting on 4/27--and now I find out about train strikes? OH NO-I have started a novena against strikes.

Happy Birthday--60 is a good one-I remmeber it well

Where else ya going? For me this trip is a big deal too. To celebrate my formal leaving of the work force. I will be thnking of you, and watching this post for more updates.
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Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:07 PM
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KrisMom: I had pondered and pondered where to go for my 60th; I even thought about having a party. The end of that line of thinking was that I don't like anyone enough to have a party for them and miss a trip. Trip it was, but I didn't know where.

You can probably find threads on here (I started a couple) about where to go for my birthday. The short list included Virgin Gorda, Yosemite, and Banff/Calgary/Lake Louise. Then I started working on plans for a client going to Italy, and one thing led to another (which usually means obsessive checking for FF tickets) and suddenly: tickets for my birthday period at a bargain rate!

So we are going to Orvieto for two nights; then on to Montone, near Citta di Castello for three nights (things I want to see are the Piero della Francesca paintings in Sansepolcro and Monterchi, as well as Gubbio and the St Francis site at La Verna); and then on to Rome for 4 nights.

I have it broken down like this (but am fully aware of the value of my best laid plans)

Day 1: arrive FCO, drive to Orvieto. Chill.
Day 2: drive to see Pitigliano and surrounding Etruscan sites.

Day 3: leave Orvieto, drive to Sansepolcro, have lunch and visit the Pieros, then drive to Montone. Franco has given me a don't miss lunch spot in Sansepolcro.

Day 4 and 5 are interchangeable as I have to check out more opening and closing times. One will be
Gubbio
and the other will be a quick stop in Monterchi, then make our way to La Verna, going via Poppi.

Day 6: drive to Arezzo to get train to Rome.
Day 7: Rome
Day 8: Rome
Day 9: Rome
Day 10: fly home.

Things I want to do in Rome are
Caravaggio exhibit
Some of the museums I haven't been to include Palazzo Massimo and that complex
The Capitoline Museum (can't believe I haven't been inside)
Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Tour of Vatican Gardens
The Hopper exhibit in Rome

That already sounds like a lot, so I am going to try to add nothing.

kybourbon: as long as it isn't alive, I will try to rub it.
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Old Mar 29th, 2010, 12:28 PM
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If the preparation is so complicated, the trip itself should go without a hiccup! Step away from computer for 2 hours, come back refreshed and ready to fight. Bon Voyage!
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Old Mar 29th, 2010, 01:10 PM
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No sympathy from me. I wound up in the hospital on my first Italian trip.

Sorry if I missed your earlier trip reports but: Have you seen the art museum in Perugia? I would put that ahead of Hopper exhibits and a tour of the Vatican gardens if you haven't.
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Old Mar 29th, 2010, 04:15 PM
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Zeppole, I sure have been to National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia, and it is one of my very favorite museums.

I wish I had written more trip reports. I try to report on lodgings, foods, transport, and attractions, but do fall short.

I make a point to respond to questions that I know something about. Probably not as good as trip reports, but I hope I help a little bit. I'm certainly not as well traveled as lots of Fodorites, but I have been to Rome several times.

My Rome itinerary is made up of places that I've missed on maybe 10 visits to Rome, and a few temporary exhibits that I'm interested in. If there is time, I will probably take in a gallery show and photo exhibit or two.

I'm very sorry that anyone would land in the hospital on a trip. I hope it never happens to me.
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Old Mar 30th, 2010, 05:19 PM
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tuscanlifeedit,

Our stay at the Palazzo Piccolomini was in 2000, but others have stayed more recently and basically reported the same.

It really is the historical palazzo home of the Piccolomini family. Huge common rooms, guest rooms of various sizes and shapes as you might expect. Breakfast is served in typical Orvieto underground, vaulted rooms. Very cool. Service was very professional and good, comfy rooms.

The hotel is not huge, but bigger than most in small Italian towns. It's at the opposite end of town from the train station and funiculare. It's up from the multi-level parking garage and you can actually take multiple, underground escalators nearly right to the hotel from the parking.

Note how so many things in Orvieto are underground? Be sure to take the underground tour! We absolutely loved this town. Plenty to see and do. Great food and wine too, of course. Orvieto has a true passagiata which is why I always recommend people stay over night.

Hope this helps!
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