Chapter 1: Where are we going anyway? And how will we get there?: how our trip to Italy turned into a trip with slight detours to London and Paris.
We originally planned to go only to Italy – Rome, Venice and somewhere in Tuscany or the Cinque Terre. I am a firm believer in the slow travel approach and wanted to spend a longer time in fewer places. But we immediately ran into a major snag. Given the short timeframe we were working with, the only airfares from San Francisco to Rome we could find were prohibitively expensive. So I began looking for fares to anywhere in Europe (using OAG.com, which I found on this Board), figuring we could then get to Rome either by Ryanair or train once we were on the continent. The cheapest (I use the term loosely: while this story has a happy ending it is not a fairy tale) fare we could find turned out to be to London. OK, that could work. And since we were going to be in London anyway, might as well spend a couple of days there. There’d still be plenty of time for Italy. Then I got distracted by a discussion on the Board on the Channel tunnel train. Wow, Paris was only a little over 2 ½ hours from London by train. Hmm… it seemed silly to go all the way to Europe and have to get from London to Rome and not see Paris when it was, like, on the way. (I have since realized that planning a one-or-two-destination trip to Europe is like planning a “small” wedding – it’s practically impossible for mere mortals.) And since we were going right by Paris, it only made sense to spend a couple of days there too. Anybody notice a slippery slope here? More Board reading. Hey there’s a sleeper train from Paris to Venice – perfect! I love trains, we’d see some French and Italian countryside, get a “free” night’s sleep and wake up in Venice! On to Railsaver.com (another Board find) to find that it made sense for us to get a France-Italy railpass. We would take the tunnel train from London-Paris. Sleeper train Paris-Venice. Train again Venice-Rome. Sleeper train back from Rome-Paris. Tunnel train back to London and then home. (I know, I know, retracing our steps was “wasting” valuable time on such a short trip, but airfare costs and availability of reservations made it the least-bad option. Remember, “Don’t let the best be the enemy of …”).

OK, major destination and transportation decisions made and booked. Onward…

But first, serendipity strikes: One of my sisters, her husband, and their five college-and high-school-aged kids are going on trip to Turkey and Greece this summer. When I tell her we will be going through London, she says so are they. It turns out we will overlap there one day and night! And one of her kids just spent a year at the London School of Economics so will be a built-in London tour guide. Hurray – our first night of the trip will be a family reunion!!

To be continued ….

I'm breathlessly waiting for the next installment!

Off to a great start.

Hi NorCalif ~

In the summer no less! I am breathless with anticipation, please continue...

I love this! Keep it coming . . .

Chapter 2: Lodging: My lord, have you seen those London hotel prices?

OK, where to lay our sure-to-be weary heads? Start looking at London hotels. Rush to get blood pressure medication. This can’t be right. Does the Queen know about this? And rooms with two double beds are unheard of. OK a few exist but are of course already booked. So multiply unbelievable price X 2 for two rooms. The one thing I won’t compromise on is air conditioning. At my stage of life I do not need externally-caused hot flashes to add to the ones I generate all by myself. Implement Rule # 2 above. Shut eyes, and make reservations at same hotel, Melia White House, where sister and family (much higher socio-economic level than we are) are booked. The fact that they booked a year ago means they got somewhat better rate. Ignore this fact.

Now Paris. Consult Board. The Marais is the place. Quite reasonable prices compared to London. Book two rooms at Hotel Ecole Centrale.

Venice. The Board speaks: La Calcina is it. Hesitate to even write them as fear I will hear their laugh all the way from Italy at the effrontery of someone requesting a reservation a mere few weeks ahead of time. Risk it anyway. Joy!! One of their apartments (includes hotel breakfast and all hotel facilities) is available. Requires Rule # 2 again. Book their Giglio apartment.

Rome. Since we will be there a week, want to get an apartment. Of course all the good/inexpensive ones must have been booked for months. Consult Board. Find Slow Travel website. Look at apartment reviews. Decide to work with Sleep In Italy agency. Call them up and say in my best Italian (i.e. the one phrase DD has taught me) that I’m sorry I don’t speak Italian. They start laughing and pass me on to someone who speaks English. I tell DD I must have funny accent. She suspiciously queries me about exactly what I said. She then informs me that I have called these people up at their desks in Rome and told them that I was sorry THEY don’t speak Italian. Hmm. Well I’m sure they needed a good laugh. Find apartment on via dei Falegnami near Campo dei Fiori. Looks good. Price quite reasonable.

Serendipity strikes again: We knew that some friends from San Francisco (they have a girl who is good friend of DD) were going to be in Rome at same time. Talk to them about getting an apartment too. We find them a Sleep in Italy apartment in Trastevere about 10 minutes walk from our apartment. They decide to take it. Yay – we’ll have friends in the neighborhood! DD is happy her friend will be there.

London again: Will be spending 2 nights in London again on way back. If had known about cost of London hotels would maybe have made different plans, but booked transportation first and tickets are non-refundable. Worry that cost of London stay wipes out advantage of cheap airfare to London. Consult Board. Look for suitable place with AC. All booked. Look some more. And some more. Absolutely everything booked. Give up. Decide to look again when in Rome, hoping that cancellations will have opened something up. As I’m sure is obvious, this is a dumb decision – but will have unexpected outcome.

OK, all hotel/apartment reservations made (except for last 2 days in London). On to all those niggling travel details.

More please! I am loving your writing style!

Wonderful(!) so far - and this is just the planning part. Can''t wait for the trip to begin.

Sitting here in absolute awe of the task you took on, norcalif. Can't wait to hear about your final two nights in London!

Arrghhh, I know I should always wait until the trip reports are finalized - now I am left hanging.....keep it coming and fast please.

I'm in awe that you were able to find what I assume is an air conditioned flat in Rome on such short notice. We needed ours for late May and by early March, almost all with A/C were gone. I went with a VRBO also by the Campo dei Fiori and endured inconvenient and expensive payment requirements [deposit by Western Union] for the sake of A/C. It turned out to be very chilly when we were there and we never tried out the A/C.

Fun report, so far! I hope it is complete before we leave for our Planned-a-year-in-advance (so we could score BC seats with our FF miles) family vacation to Germany & Italy next week.

Hurry up and get back here. I'm loving this travelogue.

Outstanding Norcalif ~ And quite the inspiration.

From a group of HUGE planners, your experience is an excellent reminder that it can and more often should be done on the fly!

More, more, more!

p.s. LOVE your writing style.

Wow, and I thought planning a week long trip to London with a month's notice was last minute! My children are the same age as yours; I'll be interested in reading about your family experiences.

This is wonderful! The Fodor's board trip reports are my newest addiction...travel writing at its best, as far as I'm concerned. Please keep writing...

...Belinda

This is down-right exciting! I can't wait for more!

Book marking.

NorCalif. Loving your journey, one thing _please_ ... use paragraphs, they make it so much easier to read.

Thanks,

Nina

Thank you all so much for your encouragement - it really means a lot to me. I have to take a break (and a nap) but I'll plan to continue the saga soon - tonight or tomorrow morning ...

(note to Nina) - I do use paragraphs. And it shows up in paragraphs for me. Maybe browser differences or something? Anyway thanks for your interest and let me know if you know what the problem is.)

I was just posting a reply when my son logged on his computer, causing me to lose my connection [yes, I know there are ways round this, but I'm quite fond of him].
Your report is a real antidote to the year in advance "micro-planners" and I love your phrase "don't let the best be the enemy of the good" - should be the motto of the slow traveller.
Longing to read where you spen your last night in London - Hyde Park?

NorCalif, your "Chapter 2" is paragraphed just fine. I guess Nina66's comment was about earlier posts that had the longer paragraphs. Anyway, you can use the "preview my reply" function and scroll down on the left and see exactly how your reply will look as posted.

Hello neighbor! Loving your quick planned trip to Europe (I usually do that too) and your writing style. I can hardly wait for your next installment.

NorCalif - I am hooked. Keep it coming please.

Sandy

Chapter 3: Details, details: currency issues, travel insurance, cell phones, luggage, pet sitter, how to get around in cities, what the heck to see once we get there, what have we forgotten?

Suddenly panic about, well, everything. Feel completely overwhelmed with all decisions that need to be made and info we need to get in just the week or so left. Sort of thrash for a while – pursue all the above topics at once and don’t finish with any of them. Feel like maybe I’ve made a big mistake and am going to be responsible for unhappy, expensive, clueless wandering around in Europe. Whole family will hate trip, hate Europe, and hate me. Wonder if should just forget the whole thing and stay home and mow the lawn. Fantasize about faking excuses to get out of non-refundable tickets. Decide to just go to bed and pull covers over my head. Wake up next day slightly more composed - try to get a grip and tackle one thing at a time.

Currency: Glad for the existence of the Euro – won’t have as many money-changing issues to think about. Then suddenly remember the UK isn’t on the Euro. 30 years ago I used travelers checks - do they still exist? Help!! How does it all work now? Once more the Board knows all. I read about using ATM’s and credit cards. How to check which credit cards have extra conversion fees. How we should notify our bank and credit card companies that we’re traveling and increase our daily cash withdrawal limit. I begin to feel like I sort of know what to expect and can avoid some pitfalls.

Travel insurance: Get very nervous about thousands of dollars in non-refundable tickets and non-cancelable apartment reservations. DS broke his hand just a week ago playing touch football. What if it had been his leg and we had to cancel the trip? I know absolutely nothing about travel insurance. Consult the Board. Find out about insuremytrip.com. Compare policies; choose cheapest one. Heave sigh of relief.

Cell phones: Have visions of DH, DS, and DD and myself running around Rome and Paris. We go our separate ways for a while, supposed to meet on some street corner, but get signals crossed. Nobody knows where anybody is. DD doesn’t even remember what hotel name is (she’s a lovely person, but inclined at times to a certain lack of attention to detail). We are condemned to wander streets of foreign city plaintively calling each others’ names. OK, must have cell phones. Find out ours don’t work in Europe. Don’t know how to find ones that do. But I do know one thing – how to search the Board. Find tutorial on cell phones. Board mentions mobalphone.com. Should work for our needs. Order 2 phones at $49 each. No service fees or monthly charges. Just charged per call, which should be few. We will have same number no matter what country we’re in.

Luggage: Three of us do not even have appropriate luggage for the trip. Have to rush out and buy some. Board sternly advises: limit luggage. Issue edict to family – one carry-on sized bag and one day-pack per person. Brook no opposition. DD still manages to cram half her entire wardrobe into her carry-on, which just means hers weighs more than the rest of ours put together. It must be a relative of Mary Poppins’ bag. Oh well, she’ll learn.

Pets: We have one horse, one dog, two cats, and many plants. Call pet sitters we have used before for US trips. Partial good news – they can cover first two weeks. Scrounge for somebody to cover last week. One of DS’s friends can do it. Hope he remembers. Only thing we didn’t have to consult Board about!

In-city transport: How do we get from various airports/train stations to hotels in the four cities? Assign DH task of figuring all that out as I just can’t do it all. He consults the Board, finds all kinds of tips on metros, buses, boats, taxis, private cars, etc. for each city.

What the heck to see once we get there: Read trip reports and recommendations on prioritizing sights and restaurants. Develop some ideas of our own “must sees”.

What have we forgotten?: Well it’s too late now. Time to go!


To be continued ....

Wow! I am also in awe and a little breathless after reading your last two posts.

I can hardly wait to read how it all turns out!

Love reading your posts, but get anxious just reading about all of the stress. While I plan all of my own trips, I wonder if a travel agent at this point could have helped you in any way. Did you ever talk to one? Just curious.

Chapter 4: The trip begins with London …

DS returned home from Kauai at 1:00 AM. At 1:00 PM we left the house for SFO. DD noticed very attractive young Italian man on shuttle to terminal (accompanied by equally attractive young Italian woman - unfortunately, from DD’s point of view). DD began talking to the young man and was totally thrilled when he complimented her on her Italian. The trip was off to a good start as far as she was concerned, and we were all suitably impressed with her language skills. We will have a translator in Italy! So maybe I won’t have to tell any more Romans that I’m sorry THEY don’t speak Italian.

We evidently had quite a tailwind on the trip and arrived in London a little more than an hour early, mid-morning. DH had found a shuttle service called justairports on the Board and had arranged for a car to meet the four of us. Airport was very hot, as was everywhere else in London. Will prove to be the theme of the entire trip: Europe as a tropical destination.

Our hotel, Melia White House, was in Marylebone area of London, next to Regents Park. The hotel was nicely furnished and our rooms (we were upgraded for some reason) were quite nice. I saw one of my sister’s rooms and it looked very cramped. I can’t say I thought the hotel was worth the price, and the location, while convenient, would not be my favorite in London. We left our bags there and went to find some lunch in the neighborhood. Were extremely grateful for signs painted on the street surface at every corner telling you which direction to look for oncoming traffic. We enjoyed walking around Regents Park and the nearby area.

We met my sister and her family for dinner. My niece wanted to show us all where she lived when she was at the London School of Economics, so she took us all to Chelsea to walk around her old neighborhood and eat dinner there. That’s my favorite way to see a city – having some non-touristy reason to walk around normal neighborhoods. We ate at a very pleasant Italian restaurant (sorry, don’t remember name). Most of the customers were speaking Italian, as was the staff, so DD was able to show off in front of her cousins by chatting away in Italian to various people. My sister noticed a young woman at a nearby table wearing a t-shirt that said William and Mary Swim Team. She pointed it out because I went to William and Mary as an undergrad. So I felt compelled to go over to discuss the old alma mater with a presumed fellow alum, but the young woman said confusedly, in heavily Italian-accented English, that she didn’t even know where William and Mary was; she had bought the t-shirt at the Portobello Road Market! We lingered quite late and had a wonderful evening extended-family bonding.

My sister and family left early the next morning for Istanbul, so we were on our own. We checked out and took our luggage via the metro to Waterloo Station, where we were due to catch the tunnel train about 4:00 PM. We planned to leave the luggage at the station while we touristed about. Geez, the charge for “left luggage” turned out to be 6 pounds per piece! So it was $45 just to leave our 4 carry-on suitcases for a few hours. We said we’d take our daypacks with us rather than pay another $45 to leave them too, but the attendant very kindly took pity on our obvious surprise at the cost and said he wouldn’t charge us for them. So we walked around the Waterloo Station area, by the Millennium Eye and across the Thames to Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben. It was sweltering and the crowds were immense, but we enjoyed it all. DH liked the fact that we passed by places that figure in Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey and Maturin novels.


To be continued …

Chapter 5: on to Paris –

Enjoyed seeing a little of the English and French countryside on the train to Paris; the tunnel part is only 20 minutes long. We arrived at Gare du Nord and took the metro to Hotel Ecole Centrale in the Marais. We liked the hotel a lot and would definitely stay there again and recommend it to others. We paid 90 Euros a night per room. The rooms were decent-sized, had comfortable beds and new bathrooms, were air conditioned (thank Heaven, as Paris, like London, was boiling), very clean and quiet and had a small refrigerator in each room. The staff was efficient, kind, and very helpful. Valerie, who I believe is the owner with her husband, is a delight. It is on a little non-descript street that is just a block or so long but is in a perfect location in terms of proximity to many things. We could walk to absolutely everything we wanted to see: the Seine, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, etc. etc. Walking around the Marais was a joy itself and most cafes and brasseries we went in seemed to be filled with local people.

The first night we ate at a brasserie just down the street from the hotel, I think it was called Leopard. The food was actually fairly good and one waiter was quite friendly and attentive, but one of the others had a stereotypical attitude with a capital A. It actually struck us as funny rather than insulting; we felt like we were in some Monty Python skit, with someone playing an over-the-top version of a snotty waiter.

I actually speak French, although not tremendously well in terms of pronunciation. I can read it pretty well since I am a result of the old-style American way of teaching languages: back in my day we read Camus in French but rarely practiced French conversation. Anyway, I dusted off my French vocabulary and was able to conduct most transactions in my pathetically-pronounced French and was able to serve as translator for the family. DS and DD found it disconcerting to be somewhere where they understood not one word of the language (remember we hadn’t originally intended to go to France, so they hadn’t even brushed up on travelers’ phrases). They’ve only been in English or Spanish-speaking places before and they both know some Spanish. Anyway, I was glad for them to have the experience of being outside the language barrier – it’s good for them! I lived in Tokyo as a teen-ager (Air Force brat) so I know whereof I speak. Or don’t speak, as the case may be.

We spent the next 2 days seeing some of the typical tourist sites, but also just wandering around the Marais. DH woke up very early and went off for long walks, loved being just about the only person on the street as the shopkeepers were opening up. We also loved that it stayed light so late. One night we took the 11:00 PM Pont Neuf boat on the Seine and saw the sparkling Eiffel Tower and all the illuminated buildings and monuments. Live bands were playing along the Seine – we passed groups of people dancing. Ballroom dancing in one group, rock in the next, folk dancing in the next. It was lovely. We took the batobus up to the Eiffel Tower one afternoon, although decided not to wait in the lines to go up in the tower. Walked around St. Germain de Pres a little bit, but didn’t like it. The part we were on was just one big crowded mass of people.

We had seen an always-crowded Moroccan restaurant in our neighborhood, so went there for dinner one night. Omar’s I believe. We thought food was actually a llittle disappointing – not horrible, just bland and nothing special. But we enjoyed the ambience anyway.

Our last day in Paris was Bastille Day. Planes flying overhead, parades, and a general holiday feel. We checked out but left our luggage at the hotel until it was time to take the metro to Gare du Bercy to catch the sleeper train to Venice at 8:30 PM. We all loved Paris - DH and DD said they wanted to move there.

To be continued …

Great report!

Oh, this is wonderful. I can't wait to read more!

Chapter 6: on to Venice –

We had the budget T6 accommodations on the sleeper train, so were somewhat apprehensive about what they would be like. The T6’s sleep 6 people in a compartment – total strangers, not segregated by gender. In addition we were split up, two of us in one “couchette” and two of us in another one a few doors down. DD and I were extremely fortunate in our couchette companions: 3 young girls from Bogota, Colombia – 16, 14, and 14 years old. Their families were in the couchette next door. They spoke English well and were bright, articulate, completely charming young women. We also had a young Italian man from Florence who had just finished university. DD sat in the couchette having heart-to-heart teenage girl talks for hours with the kids from Bogota, about politics in their respective countries, dating ditto, etc. while the young man from Florence and I lounged in the corridor discussing philosophy (his major) and the meaning of life. We watched the Bastille Day fireworks as we went through Dijon and other towns along the route. A really memorable evening.

DH and DS were not quite as fortunate in their companions. They had 4 very large, very loud sleeping companions. So DS and DH spent most of the evening also lounging in the corridor having great conversations with 6 French university kids in the next compartment. Again the kids spent a lot of time discussing politics and DS enjoyed correcting some misimpressions of American attitudes (although how representative a Berkeley student is of general American attitudes might be open to debate). We finally all went to bed, but DH and DS were again a little unfortunate in that their sleeping companions got in some sort of trouble with the passport control people at the Italian border in the middle of the night and created a huge ruckus. It was actually pretty funny, since it all turned out OK, and DH and DS had great fun for the next day or two imitating the wild shouting in several different languages and gesticulating that went on during the passport brouhaha.

Arrived in Venice in unbelievable heat. But the vision of Venice almost took our mind off it. Got on a waterbus to take us to La Calcina. Waterbus “conductor” told all of us to move to the inside. Oops, then we couldn’t fight our way through the crowds to get off at our stop. So had to get off waterbus at next stop and take one back the other way again. Ah well, it all worked out and the La Calcina’s Giglio apartment is the most perfect place to stay that we could imagine in Venice. It is around the corner from La Calcina, down a tiny passageway that then turns into a little courtyard. My description really can’t do it justice. Inside it was quite lovely, quiet and air-conditioned, with a little balcony you can sit out on, and, since it is on second floor, some views over the rooftops. I really can’t tell you how highly we recommend it. I haven’t seen the rooms in La Calcina itself, but I can’t believe they can be as nice as the apartment was. It was 260 Euros a night, but since it slept all 4 of us it wasn’t unbelievably exorbitant. The guest book there is filled with page after page of praise for it and I agree with every word the other residents have written. We also loved eating breakfasts out on La Calcina’s terrace on the Giudeca Canal.

We spent a couple of days in Venice just wandering around, awe-struck by the sights. I much preferred the Dorsoduro area to San Marco, so we stayed away from the crowds as much as possible. The last night we were there was the festival of Redentore – a big church on the Giudeca side of the canal, across from La Calcina. They had a big fireworks display on Saturday night which was beautiful. It was fun to hear the different responses of the crowd when a particularly stunning firework went off: the French said “oh la la”, the Americans said “Wow”, and the Italians said, … well I can’t remember exactly what they said, but it was representative. It is a tradition to build a “bridge” across the canal to the church, by linking a bunch of boats together so you can walk across them. In modern times it seems that some pontoon-type structures fill in for actual boats, but they only leave the bridge up 2 days as it effectively shuts the large Giudeca canal down to most boat traffic. Anyway on Sunday morning we got up and walked across the bridge and around that island. I think I enjoyed that the most of my stay in Venice, because real life seemed to be going on over there. Venetian families out for Sunday morning strolls, high school boys having some sort of crew meet, etc. I loved Venice for its stunning visual beauty, but in a way it seemed very artificial. Like Colonial Williamsburg – basically a monument to a no longer living past. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. DS said he wants to move to Venice. I detect a pattern here…

To be continued …

What a wonderful report!!
It has all the ingredients of a good travel story..tension, cliff hanging paragraphs, I am looking forward to the rest..You really did a good job with that last minute planning..
Thanks so much!
Scarlett

NorCalif! Your report is like a breath of fresh air! The energy, enthusiasm, and adventuresome spirit that you and your family demonstrate is a joy to behold.

I love your Rule number 1. That sums up your mind set, and it's that positive mind set that made your trip so wonderful. It seems that the simplest experiences of each place delighted you and your children. (They are to be complimented, too, and you and your DH for instilling in them that willingness to embrace new things!) I have not read a single discouraging word or whimper! You're a lesson for us all.

The spontaneity of your 2 1/2 trip prep is very encouraging. Grabbing serendipity by its coat-tails and letting it fly is marvelous to behold.

And one more thing: Like many fodors folks, I now fall into the category of those who like to settle in to one or two small places for extended stays in a single country. It was in 1970 when I last went on a trip like yours (with two friends, sleeping on night trains to save money) from one major European city to another. Your report is reminding me of just how exciting that trip was! You have absolutely tranformed your "good" into one of the "best". Your experience proves that even these short visits to magnificent places can be treasured. Thank you so much for writing. J.

Thanks so much, an inspiration, and reminds me of a trip I planned this Spring to Paris in 2 weeks with the help of the wonderful folks who inhabit this board.

Chapter 7: Rome is next …

Took the train for about 4 hours from Venice to Rome. Sat next to a wonderful Roman woman and her 7-year-old boy. She didn’t speak much English, but DD was able to translate for us all, so we held one of those, “What did she say?”, “Ask her this …” four-way conversations. One of the joys of the trip for me was seeing DD thrive in the role of Italian language expert. As the baby of the family, she often feels overshadowed by her older brother but the tables were sure turned in Italy. She was the only one of us who always understood what was going on, and she was a kind and patient language instructor. Although as she launched into an explication of the Italian use of the subjunctive case one morning, I found myself somewhat brusquely saying, “Yeah. Very interesting. But I really just want to know how to tell what flavors the gelati are!”

Arrived in Rome (which was, surprise, about 5000 degrees) planning to take a taxi to the apartment. Walk confidently out to taxi stand to see … no taxis. Hmm. Pretty unusual for there to be no taxis at a city’s major train terminal. Send DD to inquire where the taxis are. Find out there has been an ongoing taxi strike for the past 4 days and there is, as we speak, a big strike demonstration of some sort going on in the neighborhood of our apartment and the roads are closed in the neighborhood. Well we came to see the real Italy.

Fortunately, the rental agency had included public transportation directions. So we set off to find the appropriate bus, which, in the best of all worlds, will lead us to the appropriate trolley which will lead us to our apartment. We find the bus with no trouble, although are less successful in finding a bus ticket. Figure, in our naivete, that we’ll just get on the bus and see what happens – surely we can purchase our ticket on board. Actually nothing happenes except that we got a free bus ride, although we later found out that we were inadvertently running the risk of a hefty fine.

The trouble with bus travel in a strange city is that you have no way of knowing which stop is the one you’re looking for, hence where to get off the bus. We know the name of the stop, but not what it looks like, what stop is before it, etc. DD has her first encounter with that worldwide phenomenon – the rude bus driver (I still remember my first such encounter back in Washington, DC when I was about her age). Oh well, it’s a necessary rite of passage. She is a fetching young thing and never lacks for appreciative male attention and has been somewhat spoiled therefore by the extra mile that gallant males are usually willing to go for her. She approaches the burly middle-aged bus driver and asks prettily for him to tell her when we get to such-and-such a place. Well in the guy’s defense he spends his life in 5000 degree insane traffic listening to inane questions, so I can understand his being, um, grumpy. He totally ignores her other than to begin swearing under his breath, which, unfortunately, she understands every word of. I of course don’t know what is being said but the body language on both sides makes it clear the encounter is not going well. DD turns red in the face and gets that mulish look that only a mother recognizes. As you may have inferred from her gregariousness in talking to every Italian person she meets, she is not the retiring-violet sort. I fear we have an international incident in the making, as I can tell she is about to let loose with a few chosen words herself and am praying she doesn’t remember the extremely colorful Italian swear words DH once told her about his grandfather using. I quickly distract her, explain that rude bus drivers are a force of nature, and suggest she appeal to a fellow passenger. She does and all goes well after that. For a while.

We get off the bus at the right place and even find the right trolley. We get off the trolley at the right place and start walking, following the directions that are supposed to lead us to our apartment. But the right street name never appears. Wander disconsolately back and forth, pulling our little suitcases behind us, accosting passers-by and appealing for help. They are invariably kind and willing to stand and discuss the situation for half an hour, but are able to provide little in the way of actual directions. Finally turn down a side street by accident, and what should we see but the very welcome faces of our friends from San Francisco, who were supposed to meet us at our apartment! We’re there at last.

A nice young man from the rental agency is there and explains how everything works to us. I am at first put off by the appearance of the street we’re on – graffiti here and there, and the hallway to building is dark and very dirty. I think, “Uh oh. What have we done?” But we go upstairs to the second floor and the apartment itself is just fine. Spacious, light-filled, decorated in cheerful manner. It has a complete kitchen, a dishwasher, a washing machine, an air conditioner, nice sized bathroom and two bedrooms. We settle down for a long travel-story session with our friends, who have been in Berlin and Prague.

To be continued …

NorCalif: You are proving that whoever posted on this site that they didn't like long travelogues is SO wrong. I feel as though I'm taking this trip with you, and at the same time I want to go back to all the places where you were, and I've been. You bring it all back, in such a well-written way. AND you are proving the value of this forum. Molto bene y mille grazie.

NorCalif:

Wow - seriously - WOW!

Great Report - I am enjoying every sentence of it, and thank you for your time and effort writing it. You are a terrific writer and funny too -is it your profession?

I usually fly to Europe on frequent flyer tix (two trips this year - France in April and Croatia/Italy in September) and because I get them 330 days in advance I spend WAYYYYY too much time planning the rest of the trip and it almost gets to be a weird chore/bore.

I LOVE that you made a decison, took care of the big details, packed your bags and WENT!

Looking forward to the rest, but now I have to go find some good walking sandals for Croatia, still 5 weeks away and practically the last thing I have to do, LOL. I already have most of my clothes for the trip and toiletries arranged in one of our spare bedrooms.

In the immortal words of me..."WOW and holy moses"
I came upon your trip report quite by accident and can't remember when I've enjoyed myself so much on someone else's trip.

"Europe as a tropical destination."

"Bastille Day fireworks as we went through Dijon and other towns along the route..."
"the festival of Redentore... oh la la"
"I detect a pattern here…"
"Yeah. Very interesting. But I really just want to know how to tell what flavors the gelati are!”

I've spent the past hour reading this and after having been in London, Paris and Rome in 2003 and 2005 -- feel like I'm revisiting my top three cities all over again. Thank you so much, and please, do continue.

Jules

You are making your discoveries our discoveries. What a wonderful gift you are giving us.

Thanks so much.

Thanks for this - it's awesome! And what a great life lesson - my mom and I have been talking about going to Italy for years, but things keep getting in the way. I'm sending this to her and am going to remember that we could plan something last minute too!!

Can't wait to hear the rest...

I love this report! Thanks for posting it. Now I have it bookmarked so I can remind myself of the rules at any time.

Bit late now, but someone suggested putting into your mobile a contact number for the person meeting you at your apartment - saves wandering around looking hopelessly for the apartment. alternatively, some agencies have an airport collection service -it's a bit pricey but we found it was worth it to avoid hassle at the beginning of the holiday.

Excellent report. However, having never had to plan for a family and being an airline employee, I have made more than one spontaneous travel choices in my life. Try to imagine flying from Paris to Rome one morning to spend the day there while being deathly ill (okay: just the flu) in order to wait for an Ethiopian Airlines flight at 1:15 a.m. to go to Addis Ababa. After not getting on the flight standby, flying back to Paris at 6:30 a.m. (miraculously cured of the flu during the night!) and seeing that I had a Pakistan Airlines ticket in stock for Paris-New York, I went home from CDG, modified my baggage slightly, and spent the next week in NYC.

I am a W&M alum too and have found your post invaluble. We leave for London in 3 weeks with our two teens and I'm up to my eyeballs in travel plans and details. What would we do without Travel Talk?

I enjoyed your trip report- I'm at the beginning of planning a trip to Venice, Tuscany/Umbria and Rome for us and our 17 year old granddaughter and maybe some other family members.

WOW-impressive. I have found that Rule #1 can be the most important in enjoying a vacation...

NorCalif, I too am sooooo enjoying your trip report. I love long trip reports where the various family members are described and discussed, and how problems and stresses are overcome and reactions to various places and activities are talked about. I feel like I am travelling along with your family.

And the story of you DD and the Roman bus driver is precious!!

More please...

What a wonderfully entertaining trip report! I so admire your resourcefullness in planning such a trip. Congratulations on a job well done!

Your descriptions are so vivid, I can immediately visualize your family wandering the streets in search of your apartment, suitcases trundling behind. How you looked and felt. The confusion, the determination, and finally, the reward!

Thanks so much for taking us along with you!

You have all been so kind. I continue to be amazed at the helpfulness and encouragement of people on this Board. Thank you all so much for your comments – I’ve read and enjoyed them all.

I wanted to respond to a couple of you that asked specific questions:

RBFK50: Interesting question, but I never considered a travel agent. I am just a total do-it-yourselfer I guess (OK, a control freak). And I actually enjoyed a lot of the research process – just didn’t have enough time to do it right.

HAPPYCHEESEHEAD: No, I’m not a writer (although I’d love to play one on TV). I actually am a software engineer. I think I’m enjoying the opportunity to use the verbal side of my head!

Oh – and I have to set the record straight about rule #1 – it didn’t originate with me but was a quote I learned in college. I just googled it to see who originally said it and interestingly enough the first several sites that had the quote were all software design sites – so I must have heard it in some computer science class of all places. But as best I can figure it is a slight re-wording of an observation of Voltaire’s. He certainly deserves the credit for it, not me!

Thanks again to everyone and best to you all. I look forward to continuing the trip report soon …

Loving every word of your report! Am anxious to hear what you thought of your Rome apartment, as it was on our short list. I e-mailed sleepinitaly to ask about the bed/sleeping configuration, and to question if there was seating for 4 at a table, but got no response. So I reserved a different one (same agency) in Trastevere. I'm sure I could change it, since there's plenty of time, so I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

I am so loving this, great writing style please keep it coming!

It's late and I should be in bed, but your report was so fascinating, I decided to loose some sleep over it.

Great report.

This trip report is hysterical. Your writing style is great - reminds me a little bit of Helen Fielding. V.G. Continue on.

Oh, this is a fun report. Love the rules, so good, and so true. I'm jotting those down for future reference. Keep it coming.

One more enthusiastic fan. I've just spent the last half hour with you and your family. Enjoying this very much; thanks!

Reading your trip report is such a pleasure! Thank you!

i love trip reports that make me laugh out loud!

NorCalif

Well done - you are making me so excited about our trip to Italy with two other families (our prenatal group can you believe) with the resulting 4 * 15 yr olds in October.

Look forward to hearing how you found Sleep in Italy. We are staying in the Carrozze apartment neat the Trevi.

Don't you meet the neatest people in sleeper cars on trains? My DD then 11 spent a night playing cards with the only Cambodian doing his PhD in Tourism on the Reunification Express between Hue & Hanoi in Vietnam.

Chapter 8: in Rome –

On first night in Rome go out to dinner with friends at place they know about a couple blocks off Campo dei Fiori, about 5 minute walk from our apartment. It’s about 10:30 PM, temperature has decreased from rolling boil to mere gentle simmer, and outdoor cafes are filled with people who seem to be at one big party. In fact all of Rome (the parts we were in) seems to be one big party every night. DD says she wants to move to Rome. Still detectable pattern, but now uttered on first night of stay rather than last! Outdoor cafes all full till very late, people wandering the streets talking, laughing, eating. Of course a lot of these people must be tourists like we are, so are not on work schedules. But still it’s a great festive atmosphere and plenty of Italian is heard in the crowd.

After dinner we walk over to friends’ Trastevere apartment on vicolo del Bologna. Their apartment is small but nice except for rather strange choice in artwork covering, and I do mean covering, the walls. Huge Fernando Botero (definitely an acquired taste) prints with “The Bath” front and center in the living room (google it if you’re not familiar with his work). Agree with friends that looking at naked out-of-shape middle-aged bottom gets a little tiresome, day after day. (And I should know because in my very own mirror … never mind.) But while the indoor scenery is worse in their apartment than in ours, the air conditioning is better. We both indulge in little bit of apartment envy, but are basically happy with apartments, especially given last-minute bookings, and are ecstatic about locations. Can (and do) walk to all the sights – Pantheon, Piazza Navona, various churches (loved Santa Maria sopra Minerva), Vittorio Emanuelle monument, Colosseum, even walk from the apartment right down beside the Tiber all the way to the Vatican and back.

DS is very happy to see sights he has learned about in Roman history courses at Cal and is fount of interesting facts about very early Roman times, the creation and fall of the Roman Empire, etc. He communicates his fascination with those times so well, making the personalities come alive, that it even generates enthusiasm for the subject in me, something I’ve heretofore been impervious to. So while we probably have most expensive tour guide in Rome (when we consider all we’ve paid for his tuition), we find him quite knowledgeable and charming and well worth the money. Would recommend him to anyone.

Settle down into daily routine for week: go to morning market at Campo dei Fiori, buy fruit (best cherries ever) for snacking, go to outdoor café for coffee, meet friends, choose sights for day, walk to sights, eat pizza, see sights, eat gelato, walk around more, eat more pizza, eat more gelato, go back to respective apartments and take nap before dinner (have I mentioned it was very, very, very hot?). Meet friends again around 9:00 PM and decide where to go for dinner – stick to our neighborhood or Trastevere. Liked pizza at Dar Poeta and had best meal of entire trip at … please forgive me, but I cannot remember name. Around corner from vicolo del Bologna. Mentioned in one guide book. Moderate prices, very good food – zucchini flan appetizer, tagliatelle with goat cheese, perfectly cooked rare tuna with some sort of green sauce, beef with Tuscan oil and herbs, and so on. Other diners we run into as we leave rave about dessert cheese plate. Know friends will remember name, but they are now in Switzerland. Sorry to be so derelict in this aspect of trip report responsibility.

Adults linger at dinner and talk while 3 teenagers head off to begin (!) evening revelries at midnight. They go to dance clubs in neighborhood and dance till (almost) dawn. Set curfew at 3:00 AM (not as crazy as it sounds, streets filled with people till all hours). Meet with protests that clubs don’t even close till 4:00 AM. Ignore protests. Issue strict rules that all 3 have to stay together; give paranoid parental lectures about creepy people who prey on young tourists, date-rape drugs, etc. etc. Kids feign attention enough to be allowed to go. Girls are walked home every night by 3 or 4 admirers en masse, while brother ambles alongside bemusedly (he has serious girlfriend at home).

Could get used to above schedule as lifetime pattern. Will look into winning lottery.

Chapter 9: Rome continued –

We only vary above schedule (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) on one day and take a day trip to Sperlonga – a beach about an hour and a half south of Rome. Meet friends at Termini station for first part of trip on train – about an hour – since we have railpasses it’s free. Get un-air-conditioned car. Not ideal, but with windows open it’s tolerable. Good scenery in parts along the way. In Fondi change from train to bus for half-hour ride to beach. Bus filled to bursting. Also not air-conditioned. Many young German kids on bus, they get off before beach. Wonder where they’re going?

Finally get there, very hot and more than ready to jump in water. Only I can’t. I can’t even wade. Had sustained severe toe injury from gigantic boot landing on sandaled foot in crushing line at Vatican day before. Entire toenail ripped off – eww - and deepish cuts sustained. Had to see doctor at American Hospital in Rome to have it attended to. Toe now wrapped in gauze bandages and water prohibited for a few days. Will just have to sit on beach chair and … eat gelato. Water is calm as a lake and very warm. Everyone enjoys swimming. Pretty little beach town, bougainvillea, flowers everywhere, Mediterranean ambience. Nice little beachhut type café right on beach, which we are in and out of all day – proprietors helpful and friendly. Have totally relaxing, pleasant day away from big city. Head back about dinnertime; this time get air conditioned train car. Am very grateful as will admit heat is getting to me.

Week comes to end. Time to catch evening train to Milan and change to sleeper train to Paris. This time we are all booked in same T6 couchette. Share it with 2 Frenchwomen who keep themselves to themselves, so no long conversations. Just sleep.

To be continued …

What a great trip report! Your family has made such great memories. Well done!

SO sorry about your toe - made my skin crawl just to read about it!
Sounds like you spent a lot of time going back and forth to Trastevere. To me, that means it couldn't have been to inconvenient, right? The apartment we've reserved for trip with 2 teen grandsons is on Vicolo del Cinque, looks like just a short distance from pedestrian bridge, and has 2 br's, 2 ba's. It's 20 euro per night more than the Falegnami (which also looked good), but I'm thinking the extra bath will be worth it. I'd love to hear more about your apartment!

Hi NorCalif, I am still loving your trip report and your sense of humor and thinking process, lol.

About your toe and toenail, that sounds horrible. A question if you do not mind. My health insurance claims they will reimburse for any medical expenses outside of the US..if I send them an itemized statement regarding the medical cost. I have always understood that Italian hospitals do not supply that as there is the Italian government health system so unless you go to a private clinic you cannot get an itemized statement. So my question is; how did going to the hospital work for you? Were you given free care, billed or did you have to pay up front and if so did you get an itemized statement? Thank you in advance.

I can just hear the three young ones getting all of the various rules before they took off for the clubs, lol. Hopefully it didn't go in one ear and out the other. You were lucky that you had your son to go with them. And when you learn how to win the lottery, please advise

Enjoyed this and thanks for the tips. Waiting for the name of the place with the great food....

Thanks so much. Your report is terrific! What a great surprise when I opened this thread. Better than a movie!!

Hi NorCalif - from across the Bay. I've stopped laughing and caught my breath, so I'll explain the paragraph thing.

Your first post, after the rules contained one looooong paragraph and also your second post. I didn't mean to sound like your old junior high school English teacher.

When I read long paragraphs (only if I'm really really interested in the content), my eyes start to go in three or four different directions at the same time. Sorta like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. Not your fault, faulty eye installation.

You accomplished in 2.5 weeks what it takes most of us seven or eight months to do. You could be my idol - but then what would I do with the 6.5 or 7.5 months before the trip. That might mean that I would have to get a life - way too late for that.

So, when's your next trip??

Nina

P.S. DH just said that because I am on a Web TV, the line breaks may be interupted differently. He'll check it out on his laptop - I want a second opinion

The best Trip Report I have read in years,

I love the spontanity, the family closeness, your reunions with friends, your "happy-go-lucky" approach,

naturally there must have been "family frazzles" along the way, but what a wonderful trip (so far),

looking forward to next installment.

This is a wonderful trip report!

What Aubrey/Maturin-related sites did you pass while in London?

Lee Ann

Oh, No, toe injury, how awful. Sounds like you were a trooper though. Looking forward to the rest.

Chapter 10: Paris déjà vu –

Arrive in Paris about 8:30 AM at Gare de Bercy after surprisingly decent night’s sleep. Will be catching tunnel train to London at 4:00 PM from Gare du Nord. Decide to go ahead and get luggage over there to store for day. Catch metro to Gare du Nord and find efficient, inexpensive storage lockers are available at station. Bags have to go through security screening first, but then have several size lockers can choose among. We find big locker that holds all 4 suitcases and 4 daypacks for 7 Euros. Now we’re ready for a last day in Paris.

Paris seems cooler after Rome, especially since still relatively early. Also seems cleaner and calmer. First stop, a sidewalk café for breakfast. Find a nice one under some leafy green trees with a really charming waiter. Enjoy ourselves exchanging banter with him for a long time. We have decided to spend day at the Louvre. Take metro over there.

But first have to confront problem of hotel in London for, egads, TONIGHT. As you may recall, had given up on booking London hotel for the last 2 nights of trip as just could not find any reasonably priced rooms with AC. Somehow entire week in Rome slipped by while in major denial, so still no reservations. Last afternoon in Rome had spent an hour at internet café, collecting London hotel names and phone numbers. Berate self for ridiculosity. How could I have thought that finding a hotel now would be easier than in comfort of own home several weeks ago – with all facilities like email, phone, Fodor’s Board, at fingertips?? Used to consider self reasonably sensible person. Clearly must re-evaluate. But too late to cry over spilled hotel reservations. Know that we can find SOMETHING if willing to a) set standards low enough – i.e. rooms without AC and with bedbugs or b) pay tariff high enough – i.e. rooms for 12,539 pounds per night. Each.

Hope to find some middle ground. But we will arrive in London in less than 8 hours. Must take action now. So while DH, DS, and DD start in Louvre, I sit on shady steps in courtyard and begin frantically calling from my list of London moderately-priced hotels with AC. “Any rooms available, like, um, tonight and tomorrow for, uh, well, actually, 4 people?” I’m embarrassed each time I ask. Answer same each time I ask: negatory.

Sit and stare at glass pyramids in courtyard. Start thumbing through little notebook where I had jotted notes from Fodor’s, while still at home, about places to stay. Find some notes about Windsor. Oh yes, close to Heathrow. Nice 1800’s manor house called Oakley Court, right on the Thames, acres of grounds - rejected as too expensive. (Oh, those innocent days.) Well clearly time for Rule # 2 again and decision to go for option (b) above. At least would be paying for something more interesting than the equivalent of a random Marriott – which we can’t get anyway. Can they possibly have room? Call them. They have a family room available for the four of us! Can barely contain happiness. But it gets better – they have “Legoland package” for only (see, I’m getting in the London swing of things) 150 pounds per night - room for all 4 of us, inclusive of full English breakfast and dinner for the parents. Swimming pool, fitness room, riverfront, gardens. Plus free picnic lunch and passes to Legoland. In delirium of joy I babble, “Well do we HAVE to go to Legoland?” Geez, what a moron I am, I think, like they’d force us to go under armed escort if we try to play Lego hooky. “Well, no Madam, you don’t have to go to Legoland,” the receptionist says, in the calm, reassuring voice one uses with agitated mental patients. “I’d like to book the room,” I say tremulously.

What’s seeing the Mona Lisa again compared to this?? I have booked a hotel room, if not actually in, then near, London.

To be continued …

OK, you've teased me with the next chapter, now I just cannot go to bed tonight without hearing the rest!

I have tears rolling down my face-you are HILARIOUS!! This is the kind of travel report I wish I'd see more often! Keep it coming...

Just checking to see if you made it in to see Mona. You can't possibly be doing something more important (living your life, etc.) than writing your trip report, can you?

NOrCalif - As with everyone else I am enjoying your trip report. How lucky you were to get into one of the apartments at La Calcina in Venice. My Italy/Paris trip is 8 1/2 months away and there isn't a reservation to be had either in the hotel or apartments during the time I will be in Venice. What a lovely writing style you have

More more!!

(just a little thing, I notice you call it the tunnel train, which I am sure is correct, but it is referred to as "the Chunnel" here in the UK (the tunnel thru the Channel)

OT, read this and see why American Fodorites might not know what to call it anymore ! LOL
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34810578

NorCal, I am sending this to my daughter, who plans her trips almost a year in advance, down to the last minute..I hope you will rub off on her a little ~lol~
Looking forward to reading more!!

argh! what happened? is everyone alright? did you see the queen? its like a novel with the last page torn out... oh the tragedy!

more. pleez...

=D
waiting

Scarlett,

thanks for the link, after reading it, "the tunnel train" sounds a safe bet.

This is my second post on this thread, NorCalif, and that might make it gratuitous, but reading your latest installment was the first thing I did thia morning. You are gifted!

This is great, NorCalif! I'm anxiously awaiting more...

Thanks all - I will continue but have to go to work now.

Hagan, LoveItaly, ElendilPickle and others who asked questions about apartment, medical care, Aubrey/Maturin sites, etc. - I'm not ignoring you and will provide answers when I get a chance. Sorry can't be more timely in responses --

Thanks again for your interest. Have a great day -

I LOVE your report and your travel style. I'm so glad that fodors can be of help; I'm always amazed myself at the wealth of information to be found on these boards.

Your trip sounds delightful, and I'm anxious to read the rest!

Tracy

I have loved reading your trip report and can hardly wait for the next installment. I think that your trip (at the last minute) should show all those who overplan (and you know who you are?) that some of the best plans "just happen" when you least expect it.Some of the people on this board spend way too much time worrying about eating at the perfect restaurant,going to the right store or hotel,etc. My favorite saying is: "IT IS THE JOURNEY NOT THE DESTINATION"! Please continue when you get home from work tonight-we will all pour a glass of wine at dinner tonight and wait for your next installment.................

You are the Erma Bombeck of travel writing.

Well, I for one, cannot wait til NorCalif gets home from work!!

ditto scarlett

WORK?? Where are your priorities, girl!?

We are all hanging here waiting for the next installment. . . . . .

Thanks for rule #1. We are trying to pick out carpet and wallcovering for a teen's game room now. It is time to live my rule 1 and 2 and finalize our decisions.

"Used to consider self reasonably sensible person. Clearly must re-evaluate. But too late to cry over spilled hotel reservations."

I love it! Please continue ASAP -

"that mulish look that only a mother recognizes" .... you are such a good writer NorCalif! More please.

This is a GREAT read, NorCalif. Thanks for the treat. I especially liked the image of "that calm, reassuring voice reserved for agitated mental patients". I, like everyone else, am looking forward to the rest of your report.

What an absolutely FANTASTIC trip report! I enjoy most (long, short, serious, funny...) but this one is just so superbly written - I'm really enjoying it so much!

Oh and whether it's Voltaire or early software engineers who are responsible for that quote, I really must try and adhere to it myself... I tend to slip too easily into analysis paralysis researching and researching and weighing up all the options and dithering and dithering and driving myself up the wall when chances are that whichever of the shortlist gets chosen will be absolutely fine! So I REALLY need to heed that quote!

I am laughing until I have tears on my face..NorCalif. if you start writing a book you will be a success I am sure. But about having to go to work. Where are your priorities, doncha know we are sitting here waiting, taping our fingers on the mouse, waiting for the next installment? "Well do we HAVE to go to Legoland?" Priceless!!

Loving this report. I too stumbled upon it and shall patiently await the next installment

OK, back from the store..no new installment..oh well no doubt dear NorCalif is on the way home from work and than will have to cook dinner etc. Life does indeed get in the way sometimes, lol.

NorCalif, I saw your message to me, thanks in advance.

Great report. Once my DH and I went to Europe for 2 weeks with 5 days notice. What a great surprise and treat for us. I was much younger and did not worry about any details and it all worked out just fine.

I am so impressed with your go for it attitude. This is a great trip report. Clever writing and your report portrays such a positive outlook and spirit about life, parenting and coping with the unexpected. Thanks for sharing your talent and humor with us.

We leave for Paris, Belgium and Amsterdam at the end of the month. While I have used Rule #3 to prepare, I want to remember Rules #1 and #2 so we truly enjoy ourselves.

Can't wait for the final chapters...

OK, I've had a terrible day, (terrible year, really), and all I could think of tonight was that I'd settle down and read the last installment of the trip! Oh, NorCalif, where are you??????? I NEED to escape!

Chapter 11: Paris denouement –

Sit and bask in appreciation of own stunning accomplishment. Surely no one else has ever, in the history of travel, managed to book an almost-near-London hotel. Nothing like getting self in ridiculous situation to make self feel good when manage to get out of it – sacrificing merely time and money in the process. Must remember this lesson for other aspects of life.

Actually didn’t sacrifice only time and money. Also sacrificed another visit to Louvre. It’s almost time to meet DH, DS, and DD, so makes no sense to stand in line to try to enter Louvre now. Accept situation philosophically, am so happy that have found neat place to stay for last two nights. Contentedly people-watch in courtyard and admire architectural details.

Family members reappear on schedule, big smiles on faces. Had a wonderful time inside museum and are bubbling with enthusiasm about various sights – all talking at once telling me about their favorites. I too am bubbling with enthusiasm and proud to tell them that trip planner (moi) has come through. Won’t have to sleep in either London train station or gutter. DS and DD are especially excited to hear place has pool. Head back to Gare du Nord to catch Eurostar.

To be continued …

Not only a great job at quickly planning/carrying out the trip and then writing so well about it, but huge kudos to you (and your husband, perhaps) for raising such interested and interesting kids!

Chapter 12: back in London – well almost near London –

Gare du Nord stifling. Stand in line to go through passport control, other formalities of inter-country travel. Finally finish with bureaucracy. Our car is last on train – well actually first on train as train is parked backwards. Walk most of the way to London to reach it. Have uneventful trip, although this time get a little claustrophobic for the 20 minutes in tunnel. Train slows down suddenly for no apparent reason. Hope it’s the normal pattern of things. Remember story about how at home, on first day the under-San-Francisco-Bay tunnel opened for BART (the SF metro), two pranksters got on dressed in scuba gear, wearing fake BART insignia, and told startled passengers that they were there “just in case”. Momentarily think maybe I should have brought scuba gear too.

Arrive at Waterloo Station and go upstairs to catch train to Windsor – another advantage of hotel being it can be reached by train from same station as Eurostar. Buy tickets and walk straight to track where train is waiting. Perfect connection.

But standing room only on train. It is rush hour. Resignedly think this is going to get old before the 50 minutes it takes to get to Windsor is up. But crowd almost totally disappears in first couple of stops. Spread out in a couple of seats (I mean all of us. I don’t really cover a couple of seats all by myself, despite comment about Botero painting similarities above). Countryside gets increasingly bucolic.

Arrive in Windsor. Walk outside train station. Wow. Huge castle looming above the town. Had no idea Windsor Castle was so big. (Liz and I not running in the same social circles and all, I’ve never been invited.) Town seems very pleasant, touristy but in small-town kind of way. Get taxi to Oakley Court, 2 miles away.

To be continued …

nnolen. How true.

This is like Bridget Jones goes on vacation!

Chapter 13: the English country life …

Oakley Court is beautiful. Looks like a castle itself (google it and look at the pictures on “about us” section of website.) Room is very pleasant and ample sized for the four of us. Big bathroom. Beautiful lounges on the main floor looking out onto grounds sloping down to Thames. A couple of ducks waddling on front lawn, graceful willows, no other buildings in sight, either on our side of river or on other. Seems like a perfect beautiful and peaceful ending to a slightly hectic, big city trip.

DH and I have “included” dinner in dining room while DS and DD eat sandwiches in room and watch TV they can understand. Food really excellent. Service slightly amateurish, but very well intentioned and polite. Staff seems young and a little green. But we don’t care. After long lovely adult dinner, sink down into comfortable beds for relaxing sleep in total quiet – something neither Rome nor sleeper train offered.

Wake to birds singing and have breakfast in dining room looking out on river – food fine, but nothing at all like caliber of dinner. Charming bright-eyed duck waddles up outside, and we can’t resist feeding him/her out the open window. Kids want to spend morning at pool (indoor). DH and I walk along river little ways enjoying the morning. Hot but not as impossibly so as Rome. Lounge around all day, take early afternoon nap and then head into Windsor late in the afternoon to tourist around just a little. We have to be at Heathrow fairly early in the morning, so call it a day before too long. Get sandwiches to bring back for dinner and all eat in the room, laughing ourselves silly over some British TV comedies. One was called something like “Grumpy Old People on Holiday”, and consisted of “old people” (hey, they look MY age – there’s obviously been some kind of mistake) complaining about common vacation and travel annoyances. It was so totally apropos – given that we had just encountered many of those situations ourselves over the past couple of weeks. Laughed so hard tears were streaming down my face, and I kept missing parts of the show because when you laugh that hard your eyes shut automatically. It sounds silly, but it was a great evening.

Got up the next morning, ate breakfast with the company of “our” duck again, and got a taxi to the airport – only 25 minutes away.

To be continued …

Thank you for such an entertaining report!!!

Chapter 14: All good things must …

Arrive at SFO 10 or so hours later. Take shuttle to car – no handsome young Italian men this time. Begin drive back home. (We live in Sonoma County – not quite an hour north of the city.) Of course spend time reflecting on trip and talking about our favorite parts.

DH’s favorite place was Paris. He’s ready to move there. DS’s favorite part was Venice and DD is torn between Paris and Rome. I’m ready to buy a camper van and become an old-style European hippie – then I can just travel from place to place as the spirit moves me and not have to pick a favorite.

But actually of course my absolute favorite was having the family together almost 24/7 for nearly 3 weeks. As parents of teenagers, it is all too rare for us to see much of them! One is already away most of the year in college, the other starts this fall, and even when they’re home, they’re not home – summer jobs, sports, friends, activities – they live their lives in a youthful whirl. It was such a joy seeing the kids experience Europe for the first time. It brought back memories of what it was like when they were really little and how much fun it was to show them the world around them.

Warning – sappy ending ahead. But an absolutely true one.

As we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed north toward the beautiful Sonoma hills, DD leaned forward to put her arms around me and said, “Thanks, Mom. This was the best experience of my whole life.” What more could a tour guide ask?

Okay - I'm crying now! What a wonderful ending to a great trip report. I'm glad I recently joined this forum and I am getting more and more excited for our first trip to Europe in Sept. to the Netherlands, just from reading everyone elses adventures. First of many I'm sure!!

I'll judge all other trip reports by thisone. Absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing.

I'm crying too.
Loved every word...
particularly 'ridiculosity'.

Bravo for an informative, articulate, heartfelt, witty, wonderfully amusing trip report that I couldn't wait to read at the end of the day.

Yes, great report. goosebumples at the ending there. Well done!

VERY nice trip report. You're writing style enjoyable and fun to read. You gave quite a lesson in being flexible and open for adventures. Multo bene!

Oh NorCalif, to this day my daughter tells me her most special memories are when we took her to Italy for two months when she was a teenager. So I do know how you feel regarding your dear daughters comment to you while driving over the Golden Gate Bridge to your home. Beautiful memories that will be with the four of you forever I am sure. And certainly you have written a beautiful and humorous trip report. Thank you!!

NorCalif, thank you for sharing such a great trip report with us!

We're not going to England until next year, so I'm not in a big hurry for those Aubrey/Maturin sites.

Lee Ann

Brava, Brava, Brava!!!! (if I could do the emotioncon clapping, I would) This is without a doubt in my top 5 of all the trip reports I have read here at Fodors. Thank you so much for sharing it!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom

Fun, fun, and more fun. So sorry to see it end. Loved it.

Thank you, thank you for a wonderful report.

I've got tears in my eyes too, your description of teenager's lives were so spot on. Next week my youngest son and I travel to Singapore and Melbourne, (DH is working out there), but the oldest son has started his first proper job as a Trainee Shipbroker (in London) and for the first time in 15 years, this year summer holidays will be only 3 of us.

thanks again, and best wishes to you all!

Nor,

Quit your job now and start writing a book. It will be a best seller. I can't tell you how much your story made me laugh, think and cry.

Thanks for taking the time to share your trip and life with us all.

I just read your report NorCalif, this morning which honestly I had planned on skimming through, but got hooked in your adventure. I am glad you had a great trip and thanks for sharing your experience. You are a great writer.

Terrific report.

But if I may, may I ask for a true confession? Were you able to truly enjoy the greater part of the trip, knowing you had no place to stay in London? If so, there is a big psychological difference between the two of us!

Here's how bad I am: On our second day in Rome, we took the kids to a tap dance show at the Teatro Sistina, which was pretty far from our apartment. We had previously experienced a lot of trouble finding a cab to fit 5 people...there are apparantly "rules" that the cab drivers won't break. I knew that it would be after 11 pm when the show was over. I spent the whole show worrying about whether we would be able to find a cab or otherwise get back to our flat! (As it turned out, there was exactly ONE cab in front of the theatre, and we really had to beg to get the guy to take us home.)

I really admire you if you were able to truly enjoy the moment, and not worry about unfinshed details in the days ahead. I don't think I could have done it. Everyone else in the family would have had a great time, but my mind would have never turned off.

Thank you for a beautiful ending to a truly enjoyable trip report!

For my failed attempt at this applause emoticon above, and, I'm sure, for everyone else who's enjoyed your "hurry up and go vacation" tale, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your lessons are too numerous to mention, your wit a breath of fresh air.

I'm sorry the tale's over, but welcome home. **=

(just a little thing, I notice you call it the tunnel train, which I am sure is correct, but it is referred to as "the Chunnel" here in the UK (the tunnel thru the Channel

Not it b***** well isn't! And we spell the word "through" not "thru"
You were quite right to call it the Channel Tunnel.

Oh hurray! This was wonderful and so much fun to read... I see I'm not alone here.

I have to remember your live and let live attitude as I start planning our next trip... thank you so much!!!

*wild applause*

Josser,

my apologies for not spelling "through" correctly, although I now live in the British Isles, I am not British by birth and occassionally I make mistakes.

Hurry up and go, AGAIN. Well done and thanks for a delightful report!

What can I say--I, too, just loved it all!

What a wonderful trip, and wonderful report, and a wonderful family!

Byrd

NorCalif I enjoyed reading your travel journal and just loved the ending!

We (myself, husband, and two boys, 1 in h.s. and 1 in college) just returned from spending a week in France and 2+ weeks in Italy. This was the 5th trip we have taken as a family to Europe and we have loved every minute! Yes, the sights are fabulous, but nothing can compare to spending 24/7 with your family. That time spent together and the memories made are unforgettable.

Hi NorCalif, my "neighbor"!

I'll just add my congrats and kudos to everyone elses! Fantastic trip report, well written, informative and entertaining!

I just want to go on record and say that I didn't cry, merely puddled up on that last bit..but then, I'm "only" a stepmom to my husband's only son....

Just for clarification on rfbk50's (bless you darling) suggestion about using a travel agent - as I am one, I'm totally prejudiced. I completely understand being a control freak and wanting to plan your own trips (as most of the people on this board are).

However, keep in mind that we do this for a living. It's not just one trip, it's hundreds.

Travel agents have sources that the general public don't have (besides this forum, which is great). A good travel agent could have alleviated alot of the stress of trip planning for you. Remember, they're not "taking over" - they're working FOR you and WITH you. Your imput is invaluable when planning an itinerary.

Things like the flights/code share would have all been taken care of and explained without any nasty surprises or lengthy research. And we use consolidators for cheaper airfare, saving you time and money, as we can find a cheaper fare (in most cases) than you'd find on the internet and STILL make a commission ourselves. I routinely find airfare for $200 less, per person, than quoted online (not always, but then you just have to advise the client of this).

Planning a client's vacation is the fun part of my job; to hear them come back and give a trip report like yours makes me a very happy person that I've contributed to it.

Again, thank you for a wonderful report!

Regards,

Melodie in Menlo Park

Oh NorCalif: I laughed, I cried, I almost destroyed my computer snorting Diet Coke over it while laughing at one of your hilarious insights.

Thank you for showing us the world - and your spirited family - through your eyes. It's been a privilege and a pleasure.

Thank you all again for your generous remarks and interest in our travel story! I have so enjoyed all of your comments and observations. And your kind enthusiasm was so encouraging, it made the writing a lot of fun. I'm sorry the story's over too - both the living it and the writing it!

Here are some answers, as promised, to various questions that were asked:

Missypie: I can honestly say that I never gave a single thought to the London hotel situation until the last day or so in Rome. That is actually totally unlike me, so I can't really explain why I was so, um, relaxed (derelict) about it. I guess I was just so busy with new sights that London somehow seemed far off in time as well as distance. Plus, I knew, as I said, that we could find something. The question was just whether we could find something to get excited about for a price we could stand to pay. And happily, we did.

LoveItaly: re: medical care. When I realized my toe was mangled enough that I wanted someone to look at it, DH called our travel insurance 24 hour number. They recommended that we go to the American Hospital in Rome. We just walked in the door there about 7:00 PM that evening. It turns out they don't have an ER and are a private hospital that doesn't usually deal with walk-ins. But the receptionist called one of the doctors upstairs, who came down to talk to me. She only spoke a little bit of English, and DD wasn't with me so I was without my interpreter, but when the doctor saw my foot it more or less spoke for itself - she took me upstairs to a treatment room, cleaned all the cuts, bandaged it back in one piece as well as she could, and wrote a Rx for antibiotic ointment. I tried to pay, but she said no, and wouldn't accept anything. I was obviously very grateful, but that's the sum total of my knowledge of the Italian medical system.

Elendil Pickle: DH isn't home right now, so I can't provide a lot in the way of Aubrey/Maturin site details - I think one of the places had something to do with the Admiralty - some government buildings and a little park, as we walked along the road along the Thames a few blocks from the Westminster tube station. I think DH said it was where Stephen met Sophie - I'm not sure if he meant for the first time or they just met there to talk. May have it totally wrong anyway.

Hagan: Hope your day went better today! Re: the apartment. I looked up vicolo del Cinque, it looks like it's right next to vicolo del Bologna, which is where our friends' apartment was. I liked that area of Trastevere and it is very close to the pedestrian bridge. I'd say less than 10 minutes walk from the Falegnami apartment. The Falegnami apartment would be a little closer to most of the sights - Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vittorio Emmanuelle monument, Colosseum, etc. You can think of them as being sort of located like this:
Cinque -> Falegnami -> Pantheon, for example.

The air conditioning in the Falegnami apartment was not the best. We were comfortable enough there, never had trouble sleeping because it was too warm or anything like that, but if you're going during a hot time of year, I would definitely ask detailed questions about the air conditioning in any apartment you're considering.

re: bedroom layout of Falegnami apartment- it had one big bedroom with what I think was a queen sized bed - it seemed bigger than a double anyway. The other bedroom was small with a small double sofabed. It suited DS just fine. The living room had a double sofabed where DD, and sometimes her friend, slept. Let me know if I can give you any further info.

My best to all of you.

What a wonderful, wonderful trip report. If you want to apply for a job at a travel magazine, you can use everyone on this board as your "reference" list. But really, I need to know - how do you keep all of the information straight, names of places, streets, etc. Do you walk around with a notepad or a tape recorder? I keep a travel journal that I fill out each night, but honestly, there are travel days that by the end of the evening I can't remember what I ate for lunch, much less the name of the place! So what's your secret?

NorCalif: I feel duty-bound to thank you once again for being my entertainment-of-choice for getting through the latest heat-wave. Yours might be the best travel journal I've read on Fodor's (I'm thinking MaiTaiTom might be your equal.My criteria include how many times I laugh out loud, coupled with how many great travel tips I get) PS I'm glad I don't have to judge - but you would also be my current candidate for American Idol. (and I am a travel writer in my spare time!)

Thanks for the medical/hospital information NorCalif. It sounds the same as it was in Italy back in the 70's. I was afraid things have changed as never need medical attention since. BTW how IS your toe? I really cringed about that.

I don't use a travel agent as I just get my airline tickets and that is it. But I would certainly contact Melodie for an involved trip. And Hi there Melodie!

Thanks again NorCalif for the most entertaining and fun trip report. I loved every moment of it as obviously everyone else has to.

Norcalif, thanks for responding with information on the apartment. A/C won't be a problem, as we plan to go in mid-March. I guess the real plus to the one in Trastever is the second bathroom, but will have to decide if it's worth an extra 20 euros a day (DH thinks it is!)

I know I'm not being very original but... Fabulous trip report !

Norcal -

YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION...you really should be a writer, truly enjoyable post but also very informative and inspiring!!!

Here I am totally freaked and paralyzed by the fact that we are leaving in a week and a half to go to London, Paris and "somewhere else in France" and all I have so far are the airline tickets, hotel reservations for London and Paris which I did just to make sure we will have a place but know I am going to change according to how we finally decide to break up this trip. We couldn't decide exactly where we wanted to go because as a lot of posters here complain about, I was already having analysis paralysis. However, a couple of nights ago, my DH and I finally had a chance to discuss and have a rough idea of where we want to go and a vague idea of how to go about it. Now, it's only a matter of deciding how many days to spend in each stop and where to base ourselves, and then get the hotel, then get train tickets and car reservations : ), of course, all through the very helpful posts on this site....so, here I am at 1:30 AM trying to do my research and what am I doing...spending the past hour reading, laughing and crying through your post - but now I am INVIGORATED AND ENRGIZED and think, I CAN DO THIS TOO!!!

Thank you!

Thanks for a lovely report. I did laugh out loud (very unusual for me) and I did get teary at the end. My youngest is also going away to university in a few weeks as well. They don't come home for the summers, so it is hard to see them go.

I am already thinking ahead to Spring Break trips, but unfortunately their breaks do not coincide. We had a great two week trip at Christmas to Germany, Prague, and Vienna, and I treasure each moment that we had.

Thanks for the additional information, NorCalif!

Lee Ann

This has to be the best trip report I've ever read. DH is grumbling that dinner is so late, but I couldn't stop reading this. I laughed, I cried, I sympathized, I admired. What a wonderful trip. Your family sounds terrific as well. Gotta go cook dinner now. Caio!

NorCalif,

I laughed and had so much fun reading this, and really relate to Rule #2!

We took DD to Italy when she was 13, last year she spent 6 mo. in Siena from the U. and was just back in Rome again last week. Can't wait 'til she can "take" us to Rome!

Thanks so much for your delightful report!

Enjoyed your trip "blog" NorCalifEver consider applying for the TV show AMAZING RACE?

fantastic report and trip, norcalif!