A Trip to Italy...or, I never met a Limoncello I didn't like!
Oct 9th, 2005, 12:04 PM
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Hello SusanP. I am also enjoying your trip report. I returned from a trip to the Amalfi Coast a week ago, and I am also getting over a nasty cold. Must be the air travel... Kudos to you for travelling on your own. My first trip to Italy was also by myself. Feel better, and I look forward to the rest.
Oct 10th, 2005, 02:50 PM
#43
Thanks for taking the time to recount your adventures. I was especially glad that you enjoyed Luca. We too found him to be terrific. When we were with him for 1.5 days this past March, he said he was about to take on an associate. Sounds like he chose wisely which is great to hear.
Welcome home.
Dave
Welcome home.
Dave
Oct 10th, 2005, 04:54 PM
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SusanP - we stumbled upon Sette diVino in Pienza while we were there last month and thought it was one of our most enjoyable casual meals. We also had the grilled Pecorino with bacon and the white bean soup. With a mixed salad and a mezzo litre of red wine, it was a simple yet fabulous lunch! We were there on a Sunday lunch and seated upstairs where a couple of multi-generational Italian families were also enjoying il pranzo. Quite the local atmosphere. And Pienza itself, I agree couldn't be lovelier. I had a fabulous time gourmet food shopping and admiring the awesome views from the walkway around the edge of town.
Oct 12th, 2005, 01:41 PM
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hazel, I brought home a bunch of that Pecorino cheese as well.
The cold is hanging on, but I'm getting there. Here's some more, and I'll try to finish tomorrow.
Luca picks me up the next morning and we’re off to Orvieto. I mention to him that I decided to rest up instead of going to Montepulciano. He suggests that we can just drive through if I like, and I agree. Steep, steep, steep! I have to admit I’m glad I’m not walking either way on his hill! (I know there is a little bus that takes you from the bus station to the top of town, but you’d still have to do a good bit of walking to stop anywhere along the way.) I’m sure I would have enjoyed seeing more here but don’t regret staying in Pienza. Just outside of Montepulciano, we stop at the Church of San Biagio. I had read about the echo effect here, so I go stand directly in the center under the dome and clap my hands once. It echoes a whole bunch of times around the church. Very cool! I’m glad we stopped.
ORVIETO AND ROME
We drive to Orvieto and Luca drops me off right at the Duomo and goes to park the car. I sit on the ledge across the street from the church to wait for him and just take in the front. Of course, another amazing church! You could spend half the day just looking at the façade. I’m thinking that they really need a good housekeeper inside, though, the sculptures have a thick layer of dust covering them and there are lots of cobwebs around! I also check out the Etruscan Museum directly across the street. Lots of vases and pottery, it was interesting but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a must-see. I check out a couple of the ceramic shops as well. Note that when you come out of the Duomo, diagonally across the street to the right is a shop that will ship to the US for free.
I know there is more to see in Orvieto, but I decide I’d like to catch the train to Rome that leaves around 1:25 pm, so we go back to the car and drive to the station. Luca says he’ll come in with me and he takes care of getting the ticket and handles the luggage (22” rolling suitcase and carryon). Getting to the track involves going down one flight of stairs and up another, and my suitcase is heavy by this time with all that Pecorino cheese plus all the other stuff I bought! Of course, I could have done it myself, but it’s nice to have the help. Luca goes further above and beyond the call of duty and waits for the train and just lifts the luggage up to me. He has been a pleasure to travel with. I’m on an IC train, one of those with compartments with six seats each, and I have a nice conversation with an American woman who is an international real estate agent and also is on a shopping trip for a shop she owns (although if you listen to her, you will never go to Rome and St. Peter’s is dark and not worth seeing!).
I get to Termini and get off and go out to get a taxi to my hotel. The meter seems to be adding amounts rather quickly. I obviously don’t know Rome, but I know basically what direction we go and I’m good with maps, and he doesn’t seem to be driving around in circles, but with a small tip, the ride costs $20 to just south of Piazza Navona. I know there is an extra charge for luggage, and it seems to me there might also be a surcharge for pickup from the train station, but I can’t remember for sure. Hmmmm, I thought taxi rides in Rome were generally supposed to be reasonable, maybe I’ll take the bus even more than I had planned!
I have a reservation for five nights at a convent, Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri, Via San Giuseppe Calasanzio 1. It’s off of Corso d. Rinascimento, just southeast of Piazza Navona. It’s 45E for a single with shared bath. Now, prior to this trip, I would never have even considered a shared bath, so I’m not sure what possessed me to try one this time. OK, actually, I do know! The difference between the hotel I had previously booked and the convent is enough to pay Luca for a third day with a private driver. I’m a little worried that I will hate it! I find that it’s really not that bad. It’s not like a college dorm, where someone may come in while you’re drying off from your shower. You still have a separate room with toilet, sink and shower that you lock while you’re in there. It’s a bit of a pain to have to remember to take everything you need when you go for your shower, but really not a big thing.
The room is simple and plain but fine (actually maybe a hair bigger than my room in Florence) and the bed is comfortable. And you certainly can’t beat the location, about two minutes to walk over to Piazza Navona and convenient to lots of bus lines, both on Corso d. Rinascimento and Corso Vittorio Emanuale. Sister Katherine is from the US and obviously speaks perfect English, and I really don’t have trouble communicating with a couple of others who are on the desk at various times. If I ask which bus I need, they know, and if I ask for directions and don’t quite understand what they’re saying, I pull out my map and they show me. All were very helpful. Continental breakfast is included (croissants). There is a midnight curfew (actually 11:50 p m), but they now have a guard on duty at night, and when I say that I’m pretty sure I will be late due to the opera, they assure me it will be OK. I tell the girl on the desk that I’ve read stories about people getting back to a convent five minutes late and being locked out for the night, but she is adamant that I don’t have to worry about that happening!
I head over to Campo de Fiori. Most things are gone. There are a couple of stands selling flowers on the far side, but otherwise all that is there is a big pile of smelly garbage in the middle of the square. Yuck! Not exactly a good introduction to Rome! OK, guess you need to be there a LOT earlier in the day…
Being a cat lover, I continue on to Torre Argentina to see the Cat Sanctuary. On the way, I realize I never got around to having any lunch, so I get a gelato to hold me until dinner. Of course, you want to take all of those cats home. Even if I could, my cat would never stand for it! He’s not interested in sharing his space. There is one particularly cute young cat who keeps crawling under a piece of cardboard they have at the entrance, so be careful where you step. I go on to the Pantheon and enjoy that. It’s wonderful when you think about how long it’s been standing. I’m amazed how much wonderful art and architecture is free or a very low cost to see in Italy.
I’m meeting Fodorite Mike (screename barbmike) tonight for dinner at L’Orso 80, Via dell Orso, north of Piazza Navona. I’m not sure how long it will take to walk over there, so I end up a little early. This is not a bad thing in Italy! The street numbers don’t always run they way you think they will, as residential and commercial numbers are intertwined along the street. And I foolishly thought that the 80 in the name of the restaurant meant that was the street number. It doesn’t! So I end up there just about the time we were to meet. He gets there around the same time. Again, I highly recommend meeting up with Fodorites for dinner on your trip! We have a great time. Naturally, we order L’Orso 80’s famous antipasto selection. I take a picture of the more than a dozen dishes they bring for us to share. Who could need more than all this to eat? We don’t but decide we do have room for dessert, so get a chocolate cake flavored with something alcoholic and Limoncello. Mike is a great conversationalist and it’s fun to share dinner with him. As the perfect gentleman, he walks back with me to my hotel on the way to his. A very nice evening!
The cold is hanging on, but I'm getting there. Here's some more, and I'll try to finish tomorrow.
Luca picks me up the next morning and we’re off to Orvieto. I mention to him that I decided to rest up instead of going to Montepulciano. He suggests that we can just drive through if I like, and I agree. Steep, steep, steep! I have to admit I’m glad I’m not walking either way on his hill! (I know there is a little bus that takes you from the bus station to the top of town, but you’d still have to do a good bit of walking to stop anywhere along the way.) I’m sure I would have enjoyed seeing more here but don’t regret staying in Pienza. Just outside of Montepulciano, we stop at the Church of San Biagio. I had read about the echo effect here, so I go stand directly in the center under the dome and clap my hands once. It echoes a whole bunch of times around the church. Very cool! I’m glad we stopped.
ORVIETO AND ROME
We drive to Orvieto and Luca drops me off right at the Duomo and goes to park the car. I sit on the ledge across the street from the church to wait for him and just take in the front. Of course, another amazing church! You could spend half the day just looking at the façade. I’m thinking that they really need a good housekeeper inside, though, the sculptures have a thick layer of dust covering them and there are lots of cobwebs around! I also check out the Etruscan Museum directly across the street. Lots of vases and pottery, it was interesting but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a must-see. I check out a couple of the ceramic shops as well. Note that when you come out of the Duomo, diagonally across the street to the right is a shop that will ship to the US for free.
I know there is more to see in Orvieto, but I decide I’d like to catch the train to Rome that leaves around 1:25 pm, so we go back to the car and drive to the station. Luca says he’ll come in with me and he takes care of getting the ticket and handles the luggage (22” rolling suitcase and carryon). Getting to the track involves going down one flight of stairs and up another, and my suitcase is heavy by this time with all that Pecorino cheese plus all the other stuff I bought! Of course, I could have done it myself, but it’s nice to have the help. Luca goes further above and beyond the call of duty and waits for the train and just lifts the luggage up to me. He has been a pleasure to travel with. I’m on an IC train, one of those with compartments with six seats each, and I have a nice conversation with an American woman who is an international real estate agent and also is on a shopping trip for a shop she owns (although if you listen to her, you will never go to Rome and St. Peter’s is dark and not worth seeing!).
I get to Termini and get off and go out to get a taxi to my hotel. The meter seems to be adding amounts rather quickly. I obviously don’t know Rome, but I know basically what direction we go and I’m good with maps, and he doesn’t seem to be driving around in circles, but with a small tip, the ride costs $20 to just south of Piazza Navona. I know there is an extra charge for luggage, and it seems to me there might also be a surcharge for pickup from the train station, but I can’t remember for sure. Hmmmm, I thought taxi rides in Rome were generally supposed to be reasonable, maybe I’ll take the bus even more than I had planned!
I have a reservation for five nights at a convent, Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri, Via San Giuseppe Calasanzio 1. It’s off of Corso d. Rinascimento, just southeast of Piazza Navona. It’s 45E for a single with shared bath. Now, prior to this trip, I would never have even considered a shared bath, so I’m not sure what possessed me to try one this time. OK, actually, I do know! The difference between the hotel I had previously booked and the convent is enough to pay Luca for a third day with a private driver. I’m a little worried that I will hate it! I find that it’s really not that bad. It’s not like a college dorm, where someone may come in while you’re drying off from your shower. You still have a separate room with toilet, sink and shower that you lock while you’re in there. It’s a bit of a pain to have to remember to take everything you need when you go for your shower, but really not a big thing.
The room is simple and plain but fine (actually maybe a hair bigger than my room in Florence) and the bed is comfortable. And you certainly can’t beat the location, about two minutes to walk over to Piazza Navona and convenient to lots of bus lines, both on Corso d. Rinascimento and Corso Vittorio Emanuale. Sister Katherine is from the US and obviously speaks perfect English, and I really don’t have trouble communicating with a couple of others who are on the desk at various times. If I ask which bus I need, they know, and if I ask for directions and don’t quite understand what they’re saying, I pull out my map and they show me. All were very helpful. Continental breakfast is included (croissants). There is a midnight curfew (actually 11:50 p m), but they now have a guard on duty at night, and when I say that I’m pretty sure I will be late due to the opera, they assure me it will be OK. I tell the girl on the desk that I’ve read stories about people getting back to a convent five minutes late and being locked out for the night, but she is adamant that I don’t have to worry about that happening!
I head over to Campo de Fiori. Most things are gone. There are a couple of stands selling flowers on the far side, but otherwise all that is there is a big pile of smelly garbage in the middle of the square. Yuck! Not exactly a good introduction to Rome! OK, guess you need to be there a LOT earlier in the day…
Being a cat lover, I continue on to Torre Argentina to see the Cat Sanctuary. On the way, I realize I never got around to having any lunch, so I get a gelato to hold me until dinner. Of course, you want to take all of those cats home. Even if I could, my cat would never stand for it! He’s not interested in sharing his space. There is one particularly cute young cat who keeps crawling under a piece of cardboard they have at the entrance, so be careful where you step. I go on to the Pantheon and enjoy that. It’s wonderful when you think about how long it’s been standing. I’m amazed how much wonderful art and architecture is free or a very low cost to see in Italy.
I’m meeting Fodorite Mike (screename barbmike) tonight for dinner at L’Orso 80, Via dell Orso, north of Piazza Navona. I’m not sure how long it will take to walk over there, so I end up a little early. This is not a bad thing in Italy! The street numbers don’t always run they way you think they will, as residential and commercial numbers are intertwined along the street. And I foolishly thought that the 80 in the name of the restaurant meant that was the street number. It doesn’t! So I end up there just about the time we were to meet. He gets there around the same time. Again, I highly recommend meeting up with Fodorites for dinner on your trip! We have a great time. Naturally, we order L’Orso 80’s famous antipasto selection. I take a picture of the more than a dozen dishes they bring for us to share. Who could need more than all this to eat? We don’t but decide we do have room for dessert, so get a chocolate cake flavored with something alcoholic and Limoncello. Mike is a great conversationalist and it’s fun to share dinner with him. As the perfect gentleman, he walks back with me to my hotel on the way to his. A very nice evening!
Oct 12th, 2005, 02:18 PM
#46
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I will not volunteer for the housekeeping job, not one of my favorite chores anyway.
Wow, I am getting to like Luca. That is some service, well beyond what I would expect.
Thanks for this portion I am sure it does take lots of time and energy. Now back to your chicken soup………
Wow, I am getting to like Luca. That is some service, well beyond what I would expect.
Thanks for this portion I am sure it does take lots of time and energy. Now back to your chicken soup………
Oct 12th, 2005, 03:17 PM
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Greetings SusanP,
When you travel by yourself baby, you don't have to move fast for ANYONE! Well done and good for you!
Love your title, love your report, love you made your Newark connection!
My DH and I leave for Florence and venice in, ummmmmmmmm, 106 days! We can't wait. We had considered Luca for a day trip out of Florence. Was there a spot in particular that was your favorite that would make a good day trip from Florence?
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, I have so enjoyed it.
A fellow bad knee girl, Tiff
p.s. Hope your cold is gone! I got rid of mine a few days ago, I think! Ahhhhhhhh, chooooooooo!
When you travel by yourself baby, you don't have to move fast for ANYONE! Well done and good for you!
Love your title, love your report, love you made your Newark connection!
My DH and I leave for Florence and venice in, ummmmmmmmm, 106 days! We can't wait. We had considered Luca for a day trip out of Florence. Was there a spot in particular that was your favorite that would make a good day trip from Florence?
Thank you for sharing your journey with us, I have so enjoyed it.
A fellow bad knee girl, Tiff
p.s. Hope your cold is gone! I got rid of mine a few days ago, I think! Ahhhhhhhh, chooooooooo!
Oct 12th, 2005, 07:47 PM
#49
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Simone, I'm not the greatest housekeeper myself! One of my favorite sayings: A perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life!
And yes, Luca was great!
SeaUrchin, Although I didn't mention it specifically, I appreciated your initial comment after my first segment. I'd love to be in one of those cafes right now!
Tiff, You are so right, the main advantage of travelling alone is doing whatever you please without holding anyone up. I think Luca is worth every penny (he's actually much more reasonable than some other drivers/tour guides I found on the internet).
One of my favorite things was Sant'Antimo Abbey, near Montalcino. You could easily do Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Montalcino and Sant'Antimo in one day, or if there were other towns you wanted to do along with Sant'Antimo, you can pick and choose when it's your own tour. I pretty much knew what I wanted to see, and Luca added a couple of very tiny towns to my itinerary that I really enjoyed. If you're not sure what you want, he will suggest itineraries for you. And he knows what time they do the Gregorian Chants at Sant'Antimo, which adds to the experience, but as I mentioned, if for some reason you can't be there for those, it's still worth visiting. Just remind him that you want to stop ahead of getting there for a great spot for a picture of it in its valley. Beautiful! As is obvious from what I've told about him, he will definitely take care of you if you have a mobility problem. Hope you have a great trip!
And yes, Luca was great!
SeaUrchin, Although I didn't mention it specifically, I appreciated your initial comment after my first segment. I'd love to be in one of those cafes right now!
Tiff, You are so right, the main advantage of travelling alone is doing whatever you please without holding anyone up. I think Luca is worth every penny (he's actually much more reasonable than some other drivers/tour guides I found on the internet).
One of my favorite things was Sant'Antimo Abbey, near Montalcino. You could easily do Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Montalcino and Sant'Antimo in one day, or if there were other towns you wanted to do along with Sant'Antimo, you can pick and choose when it's your own tour. I pretty much knew what I wanted to see, and Luca added a couple of very tiny towns to my itinerary that I really enjoyed. If you're not sure what you want, he will suggest itineraries for you. And he knows what time they do the Gregorian Chants at Sant'Antimo, which adds to the experience, but as I mentioned, if for some reason you can't be there for those, it's still worth visiting. Just remind him that you want to stop ahead of getting there for a great spot for a picture of it in its valley. Beautiful! As is obvious from what I've told about him, he will definitely take care of you if you have a mobility problem. Hope you have a great trip!
Oct 12th, 2005, 08:04 PM
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Susan, welcome back! I realized I did not have your email to tell you how much fun we had at dinner so I was glad to see your report tonight. I am impressed with how quickly you got this done. We got back on the 25th and I haven't even transcribed my brief notes yet. Argh! I am the worst with trip reports but enjoying yours thoroughly and laughing as I recalled our fun evening. Happy travels always! JenV
Oct 12th, 2005, 08:43 PM
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We didn't get to see much of Pienza when we were in Italy...it's about time we went back 
sounds like I could easily do three days or more there. Thanks for the wonderful report.
What exactly do they do with the Bacon and that grilled Pecorino?
sounds like I could easily do three days or more there. Thanks for the wonderful report.What exactly do they do with the Bacon and that grilled Pecorino?
Oct 12th, 2005, 09:11 PM
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Thank you Susan for your detailed response, I greatly appreciate it!
Look for my trip report this February, hopefully it will bring back the pleasant memories of your trip. A lil something to warm you on an otherwise normal winter's day!
Thank you again, Tiff
Look for my trip report this February, hopefully it will bring back the pleasant memories of your trip. A lil something to warm you on an otherwise normal winter's day!
Thank you again, Tiff
Oct 13th, 2005, 06:40 AM
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LadyofLeisure, They just grill the cheese for about 3 mins per side. I assume the bacon is already cooked and they just lay it on the cheese after it's flipped to the second side. Delicious! I also had it just grilled without the bacon. Love that cheese...
Tiff, I realized afterwards that when I did the Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Montalcino and Sant'Antimo day, it was from Siena, leaving around 9:00 am and ending up in Pienza around 4:00 pm. If you wanted to do that itinerary out of Florence, you might have to leave a little earlier, as it would obviously be a further distance.
Tiff, I realized afterwards that when I did the Monte Oliveto Maggiore, Montalcino and Sant'Antimo day, it was from Siena, leaving around 9:00 am and ending up in Pienza around 4:00 pm. If you wanted to do that itinerary out of Florence, you might have to leave a little earlier, as it would obviously be a further distance.
Oct 13th, 2005, 08:32 AM
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I've been unable to check in on Fodors for about 6 weeks and what a lovely trip report was waiting for me when I returned, thank you SusanP!!
I'm so glad you had such a wonderful trip. I too am now longing to go on a solo trip to Italy...
I'm so glad you had such a wonderful trip. I too am now longing to go on a solo trip to Italy...
Oct 14th, 2005, 12:07 PM
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TexasAggie, Thanks, I enjoyed your report as well. All that great pizza!
OK, here's the rest:
I find the Rome buses to be quite easy to navigate. There are signs at each stop showing exactly where each bus goes and the stops are easy to spot when you’re on the bus. I only get off one stop early once.
The next morning, I want to go to Santa Maria della Vittoria to see the Ecstasy of Theresa sculpture. Very easy on Bus 62 to the Largo Santa Susanna stop. The sculpture is wonderful and everything I’ve read focuses on that, but this church itself is really something to see. Very ornate, lots of gold and sculpture and paintings all around. They have Theresa’s story available in numerous languages to give you the background.
I wander over through Barberini Square and on to the Trevi Fountain. It’s pretty crowded but not absolutely mobbed and I manage to get some good pictures. There are too many people down close, so I don’t throw my coin in, but I refuse to believe that this means I will never return to Rome! With five nights there, I only scratch the surface and definitely need to go back. I continue on to Sant’Ignazio di Loyola. Very interesting ceiling here by Andrea Pozzo with four women representing Asia, Europe, America and Africa. I don’t have much time here, as it closes at 12:30, but just before they kick us out, a group of men and women start singing a cappella. It is beautiful! I think they must be on tour as a choral group. (Turns out that this is my day for music, with more to follow later plus the opera.)
Next I walk over to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and Bernini’s Elephant Obelisk. Another impressive ceiling with an unusual bright blue background. There is a lot of scaffolding here and a good portion of the church is blocked off. I have what I think are directions from here to find that huge marble foot, but I never find it. I do get a slice of pizza at a local place on Via del Marmo, one of those places where they cut off however much you want and weigh it. I already had some water, and the pizza cost a grand total of 1.40E. Can’t beat that! I go back to the hotel for a rest a bit early due to my plans for later.
I have a ticket for the opera to see the Marriage of Figaro tonight, so I figure it would be efficient to go early enough to see Santa Maria Maggiore first, since it is so close to the Opera House. Again, very easy to take Bus 70 to get there. When I get off the bus, I go towards what I think is the front. Naturally, it’s the wrong way, so I have to walk all the way around to get to the entrance. Of course, there is a LOT to see here. I slowly work my way up the right side of the church and across the front. I’m at The Lady Chapel near the front on the left and was going to go in, but there are a bunch of people in there, so maybe they’re getting ready for a service. So I’m just standing there gazing in at the chapel when I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn, and a nun is pointing behind me. I turn around, and walking directly towards me is a procession of about two dozen priests in a double row with candles and a cross. Just as I get out of their way, they start singing on their way into the chapel. Wonderful! The music is beautiful.
I walk back towards the Opera House to get some dinner. I had posted a question before leaving to see about somewhere to eat, since the one that sounded good, Ristorante del Giglio, doesn’t open until 7:00 and I’m not sure if I can be done early enough. As I come towards it at around 6:30, they are starting to set up the outside tables, so I stop and ask if I can be out before 8:00 if I am there right at 7:00. He says no problem, so I do have dinner there. It’s on Via Torino, directly across the street from the Opera House. The Clam & Mussel Saute and Veal Escalop w/Gorgonzola Sauce is delicious. With small water and wine, 33E.
For some strange reason, I’ve never been to the opera before. I love many types of music, but even when I lived in NYC a long time ago and went to the theater a lot and even the ballet a couple of times, I never went to the opera. Guess back then I didn’t think I would like it. This is the time to try it! I had looked up the story ahead of time so that I would have at least some idea of what was going on. I enjoy it very much, although my seat isn’t quite what I expected. It’s one of the side boxes, first-come first-served as far as which seat you get (I thought I had a specific assigned seat), and you need to sit right up to the edge of the box to see anything. This means no room to stretch your legs out, which I need to do occasionally (sitting still in the same position for a long time is as bad for arthritis as too much walking/stairclimbing). Good thing there are two intermissions to stretch my legs! But the music is great, and I don’t think it will be the last time I go to the opera.
You can order a taxi during intermission. I knew this thanks to someone here on Fodor’s. I don’t see the table to do it, though. I realize when I am leaving that I didn’t go far enough when looking. There is still no problem, she gives me a slip with the taxi number and he is waiting right outside. It’s a quick ride back with little traffic (after midnight by this time). Before leaving the hotel earlier, I had reminded the girl that I would probably be late for the curfew and she wrote a note for the guard, so he is expecting me and there’s no problem getting in. I’m glad I didn’t have to leave the opera early.
I’m tired after all that walking and the opera, so I sleep in a little the next morning, then take Bus 64 to the Cavalleggeri stop for the Vatican (Bus 46 goes to the same stop). I have a reservation with Icon Tours for their 12:15 pm tour of the Vatican & St. Peter’s (25E). Turns out it actually starts at 12:30. I’m getting a little worried that nobody is going to show up, but our guide, Steve, is there right at 12:30. He has just finished taking the group through St. Peter’s. My tour was supposed to be for the Vatican Museums first and then St. Peter’s, and there are a few others who have that reserved as well. I ask him later why they make him do the St. Peter’s portion twice, both before and after the Vatican, and he says it’s sometimes difficult to schedule the morning for St. Peter’s. Sure makes a long day for him.
We go over to the American Bar, where they check everyone in and people can get something to eat and use the restrooms. I figure I better eat, since I missed breakfast and the tour is to be 2-1/2 hours. Good thing I did, as it goes a LOT longer! The prosciutto & mozzarella panini is OK, nothing great, 3E. I already had water, as I figured I would want it for the tour.
Steve is a great guide. We go into the Pinecone Courtyard at the Vatican Museums where they have placards set up all around with descriptions of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Rather than stand around one of these in the hot sun, Steve takes us over to the stairs at one end in the shade. He gives a very thorough explanation of the Sistine Chapel, including lots of interesting information about Michelangelo and what was going on at that time. He has to keep asking other people who have not paid for the tour to please move over away from the group. A couple of guys just keep sitting there. He finally addresses them directly and they pretend to only speak Spanish. We all know that they definitely speak English! Guess this is an ongoing problem for the tour guides. I think he spends longer on the information than usual, as it is obvious the group is really interested. He asks a couple of times if it’s too much, and nobody wants him to cut it down.
We see a lot of interesting stuff in the museums (obviously you can’t see it all in one tour) and end up in the Sistine Chapel. It’s definitely nicer to see that ceiling after learning a lot about it. Most of the group had seen St. Peter’s earlier, so there are only five of us for the last portion. However, Steve explains that tour guides are not supposed to give tours in St. Peter’s after 5:00, and it’s just after (yes, it was a lot longer than scheduled because he have us so much great information). He tells us to just act like we are a family looking at St. Peter’s and he will discreetly tell us as much as he can. Of course, it’s something you must see!
It’s late and I’m much too tired to go back to the hotel via Castel Sant’Angelo as I had planned, so I just take the bus back and collapse for a while! I want someplace close for dinner, so I set out to find one on my list just west of Piazza Navona. I never find it and get to the point where I don’t want to walk another foot, so I just go in the restaurant that is right there. Sometimes this can turn out to be a good thing! It’s called La Danesina Hostaria, Via del Governo Vecchio. I pretty sure I’m the only American in the place, at least in the outdoor section. Most seem to be Italians.
The menu is in Italian, but heck, I’ve been here two weeks, I think I’m doing pretty well translating a lot of it. Ha! I think I’ve ordered tomatoes and Buffalo mozzarella, but she sets down soup in front of me (guess the word “terrine” should have clued me in!). Oh well, this isn’t Campbell’s--it’s obviously homemade with thick slices of Buffalo mozzarella melting on top and is absolutely delicious! I may have to come again just for the soup. The Saltimbocca a Romano also does not disappoint and is served with a sort of timbale (not tapenade) of whole olives, capers and some sort of grain, I’m thinking something like tahini (do they use tahini in Italy?). Anyway, I love it. Also served with mashed potatoes baked with cheese. I decide to splurge and have dessert when I see Sicilian Cannolis on the menu. Maybe this is a more southern Italian thing, as it’s the first time I’ve seen it on any menu. They bring two huge cannolis and the Limoncello I ordered to go with it. The best cannoli I’ve ever had. I can only eat one. A great meal, 31.50E.
I wander back through Piazza Navona, looking at the paintings, as I would like to get one. I stop and look at some at one stand with nobody there, but the artist is actually just behind me. I tell him quite truthfully that I don’t have any cash with me (I really was down to about 10 or 20E), but he says go ahead and look. Of course, people probably tell him that all the time. We just start talking and he reaches over and lifts up my gold necklace and drops it inside my shirt and says don’t wear that around here. When he asks what I’ve been eating, I tell him about my experience with the terrine, trying to make it humorous, and a couple of other experiences with menus. He is soon laughing with me. He asks if this is my first time in Rome. I’ve had this question quite a few times, so I give my usual answer: I was in Rome for about 3 days, 45 years ago. I get the usual look as though I must be crazy! (It’s kind of fun to get that reaction.) I explain that as a very young child, I was on a month-long concert tour with a children’s chorus. We talk more and he tells me some interesting things about Piazza Navona and the fountain and, among other things, tells me to watch my purse on the buses. It’s like we’ve known each other for a long time. He says he had had an awful day and thanks me for cheering him up, then walks me back to my hotel and assures me that I have a friend in Rome and to let him know if I need anything. I do think when you’re traveling alone, people are more likely to start up conversations with you, and obviously you meet some great people that way.
I’m up early the next morning for my 9:15 Scavi Tour and catch Bus 46 to get there. I had requested the reservation way back in March and had received my confirmation ten weeks later. It is worth whatever hassle you have to go through to get the reservation! Fascinating! Note that it would be a good idea to take a bottle of water with you, it was VERY hot and humid down there. The next part of my day is in the other direction from my hotel, so I take the bus back there.
I ask one of the nuns if there is a grocery store anywhere around and she tells me where to go. I start off and never find it (and later was told that there really aren’t any in that area). However, I’ve gone in the general direction of my goal, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, so I continue on, thinking that I’ll get on a bus for the rest of the way at some point. I end up going right by the Temple of Apollo and the Theatre of Marcellus, which I hadn’t expected to get to. Somewhere along in here I had pizza for lunch in the Jewish Ghetto that was forgettable, so I didn’t even write down the name of the place. I find that once you get over into this area, there is NOPLACE to buy a bus ticket! And I never see a taxi stand, either, so I end up walking all the way to Santa Maria in Cosmedin. I wait in line around 15 minutes to get my picture with the Mouth of Truth. I need to get back to Vittorio Emanuelle II Monument to meet up with my 4:00 pm tour with Icon Tours of the Forum and Colosseum and would be happy to pay for a taxi, if only I could find one. I have definitely walked too much considering I have a 2-1/2-hour tour coming up.
Fortunately, I make it to Vittorio Emanuelle around 40 minutes before the tour. This is a good thing, I can sit down and rest my knees for awhile. When the guide, Mike, comes, I ask what order he will be doing the tour, thinking that maybe I’ll skip Palantine Hill. He says that will be in the middle but that they come down just a very short distance from where they go up, so I can skip it and wait for them if I like. I’ll see how I’m doing at that point. Mike is another great guide and gives lots of information all along the way. We start with the Mamertine Prison and then on to the Forum. It’s a very interesting tour, but I’m already thinking that I’ll skip Palantine Hill. By the end of the Forum, I realize that I’ve had enough. I tell Mike that I think I’ll just have to skip the Colosseum as well, as my right knee in particular has had it. He is sorry I have to leave and says that if I like, I can come back for the Colosseum portion tomorrow and tells me where to meet him. I thank him but realize I probably won’t do that. I’m sorry to miss the rest, but at least I see the Colosseum from the outside. I make my way over across the street and get a taxi back to the hotel, where I crash!
Leaving the tour early gives me enough time to really rest my knees before getting a shower and going to dinner. I’m supposed to be meeting Fodorite Barb tonight at der Pallaro, Largo di Pallaro. Barb never shows up, so I’m not sure what happened to her. There is no menu at der Pallaro, you get whatever they’re cooking that night (I knew this ahead of time). I’m served three things for antipasto, a pasta, then veal with homemade potato chips and fresh mozzarella with fagiole beans in olive oil and mint, dessert and ½ litre of wine. With a small tip, 23E. Can’t beat the price for a lot of good food.
I walk back over to Piazza Navona to see my new friend, as I really did like his paintings, and this time I have some cash! He writes me a nice note on the back of the one I choose. A very nice momento, and we enjoy another conversation. Can’t believe I only have one day left in Italy.
After the previous day, I was very tired and forgot to set my alarm. Slept right through my reservation at the Galleria Borghese. I love sculpture and really wanted to see this, so I guess that’s a good reason to return to Rome. It is a nasty, rainy day, so my plans for after the Borghese, which had been to walk through their gardens over to the Spanish Steps, wouldn’t have been that great. Actually, I’m not feeling very well, and the gloomy day doesn’t help, so I really don’t do much the last day. I do go for a short walk and buy a large totebag to ease the strain on my luggage and go back and do my packing.
For dinner, I do go back to La Danesina Hostaria for some more of that delicious soup. There are three ladies sitting next to me (you know how close those tables are) and one of them wonders what it is, so I tell her about thinking I was ordering something else. She is French but is living in Switzerland and is traveling with her mother and her aunt and is yet another person interested in the fact that I’m by myself. When I decide I have to have those cannolis and Limoncello again, she again wonders what that is. She has never heard of a cannoli. I ask her if she’d like to try one, as I really can’t eat both of them. At first, she declines, but I assure her that I will have to leave one, so she agrees. I ask the waitress for another plate and some forks and give them one to share. They all agree it’s delicious. They are ordering espresso and offer to get me one as well, but I thank them and explain that I really don’t like coffee and never drink it. I’m perfectly happy to just finish my Limoncello!
I have a reservation with www.airportshuttle.it to go to the airport the next morning. I know most people on Fodor’s use limoservicerome.com, but bobthenavigator recommends airportshuttle, and that’s good enough for me! I don’t see why I should pay 45E when I can get the exact same service for 26E. They are prompt (he actually arrives ten minutes early), we have one more pickup over by Campo de Fiori. The vendors are just setting up, a much nicer thing to see than their pile of garbage when they’re done.
Before I close, I’ll say that I’m happy to answer any further questions. It was a fabulous trip! My flights home were smooth and on time. I had waited until Rome to buy some Limoncello to bring home (why drag it all through Italy) and then somehow never got around to getting it. I wasn’t worried, I was sure I could get some at the airport. After paying the heartstopping amount of 13.70E for a paperback book (I really wanted something to read on the way home), I found Limoncello that was on sale. Hmmmm, I guess I really should buy two…
OK, here's the rest:
I find the Rome buses to be quite easy to navigate. There are signs at each stop showing exactly where each bus goes and the stops are easy to spot when you’re on the bus. I only get off one stop early once.
The next morning, I want to go to Santa Maria della Vittoria to see the Ecstasy of Theresa sculpture. Very easy on Bus 62 to the Largo Santa Susanna stop. The sculpture is wonderful and everything I’ve read focuses on that, but this church itself is really something to see. Very ornate, lots of gold and sculpture and paintings all around. They have Theresa’s story available in numerous languages to give you the background.
I wander over through Barberini Square and on to the Trevi Fountain. It’s pretty crowded but not absolutely mobbed and I manage to get some good pictures. There are too many people down close, so I don’t throw my coin in, but I refuse to believe that this means I will never return to Rome! With five nights there, I only scratch the surface and definitely need to go back. I continue on to Sant’Ignazio di Loyola. Very interesting ceiling here by Andrea Pozzo with four women representing Asia, Europe, America and Africa. I don’t have much time here, as it closes at 12:30, but just before they kick us out, a group of men and women start singing a cappella. It is beautiful! I think they must be on tour as a choral group. (Turns out that this is my day for music, with more to follow later plus the opera.)
Next I walk over to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and Bernini’s Elephant Obelisk. Another impressive ceiling with an unusual bright blue background. There is a lot of scaffolding here and a good portion of the church is blocked off. I have what I think are directions from here to find that huge marble foot, but I never find it. I do get a slice of pizza at a local place on Via del Marmo, one of those places where they cut off however much you want and weigh it. I already had some water, and the pizza cost a grand total of 1.40E. Can’t beat that! I go back to the hotel for a rest a bit early due to my plans for later.
I have a ticket for the opera to see the Marriage of Figaro tonight, so I figure it would be efficient to go early enough to see Santa Maria Maggiore first, since it is so close to the Opera House. Again, very easy to take Bus 70 to get there. When I get off the bus, I go towards what I think is the front. Naturally, it’s the wrong way, so I have to walk all the way around to get to the entrance. Of course, there is a LOT to see here. I slowly work my way up the right side of the church and across the front. I’m at The Lady Chapel near the front on the left and was going to go in, but there are a bunch of people in there, so maybe they’re getting ready for a service. So I’m just standing there gazing in at the chapel when I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn, and a nun is pointing behind me. I turn around, and walking directly towards me is a procession of about two dozen priests in a double row with candles and a cross. Just as I get out of their way, they start singing on their way into the chapel. Wonderful! The music is beautiful.
I walk back towards the Opera House to get some dinner. I had posted a question before leaving to see about somewhere to eat, since the one that sounded good, Ristorante del Giglio, doesn’t open until 7:00 and I’m not sure if I can be done early enough. As I come towards it at around 6:30, they are starting to set up the outside tables, so I stop and ask if I can be out before 8:00 if I am there right at 7:00. He says no problem, so I do have dinner there. It’s on Via Torino, directly across the street from the Opera House. The Clam & Mussel Saute and Veal Escalop w/Gorgonzola Sauce is delicious. With small water and wine, 33E.
For some strange reason, I’ve never been to the opera before. I love many types of music, but even when I lived in NYC a long time ago and went to the theater a lot and even the ballet a couple of times, I never went to the opera. Guess back then I didn’t think I would like it. This is the time to try it! I had looked up the story ahead of time so that I would have at least some idea of what was going on. I enjoy it very much, although my seat isn’t quite what I expected. It’s one of the side boxes, first-come first-served as far as which seat you get (I thought I had a specific assigned seat), and you need to sit right up to the edge of the box to see anything. This means no room to stretch your legs out, which I need to do occasionally (sitting still in the same position for a long time is as bad for arthritis as too much walking/stairclimbing). Good thing there are two intermissions to stretch my legs! But the music is great, and I don’t think it will be the last time I go to the opera.
You can order a taxi during intermission. I knew this thanks to someone here on Fodor’s. I don’t see the table to do it, though. I realize when I am leaving that I didn’t go far enough when looking. There is still no problem, she gives me a slip with the taxi number and he is waiting right outside. It’s a quick ride back with little traffic (after midnight by this time). Before leaving the hotel earlier, I had reminded the girl that I would probably be late for the curfew and she wrote a note for the guard, so he is expecting me and there’s no problem getting in. I’m glad I didn’t have to leave the opera early.
I’m tired after all that walking and the opera, so I sleep in a little the next morning, then take Bus 64 to the Cavalleggeri stop for the Vatican (Bus 46 goes to the same stop). I have a reservation with Icon Tours for their 12:15 pm tour of the Vatican & St. Peter’s (25E). Turns out it actually starts at 12:30. I’m getting a little worried that nobody is going to show up, but our guide, Steve, is there right at 12:30. He has just finished taking the group through St. Peter’s. My tour was supposed to be for the Vatican Museums first and then St. Peter’s, and there are a few others who have that reserved as well. I ask him later why they make him do the St. Peter’s portion twice, both before and after the Vatican, and he says it’s sometimes difficult to schedule the morning for St. Peter’s. Sure makes a long day for him.
We go over to the American Bar, where they check everyone in and people can get something to eat and use the restrooms. I figure I better eat, since I missed breakfast and the tour is to be 2-1/2 hours. Good thing I did, as it goes a LOT longer! The prosciutto & mozzarella panini is OK, nothing great, 3E. I already had water, as I figured I would want it for the tour.
Steve is a great guide. We go into the Pinecone Courtyard at the Vatican Museums where they have placards set up all around with descriptions of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Rather than stand around one of these in the hot sun, Steve takes us over to the stairs at one end in the shade. He gives a very thorough explanation of the Sistine Chapel, including lots of interesting information about Michelangelo and what was going on at that time. He has to keep asking other people who have not paid for the tour to please move over away from the group. A couple of guys just keep sitting there. He finally addresses them directly and they pretend to only speak Spanish. We all know that they definitely speak English! Guess this is an ongoing problem for the tour guides. I think he spends longer on the information than usual, as it is obvious the group is really interested. He asks a couple of times if it’s too much, and nobody wants him to cut it down.
We see a lot of interesting stuff in the museums (obviously you can’t see it all in one tour) and end up in the Sistine Chapel. It’s definitely nicer to see that ceiling after learning a lot about it. Most of the group had seen St. Peter’s earlier, so there are only five of us for the last portion. However, Steve explains that tour guides are not supposed to give tours in St. Peter’s after 5:00, and it’s just after (yes, it was a lot longer than scheduled because he have us so much great information). He tells us to just act like we are a family looking at St. Peter’s and he will discreetly tell us as much as he can. Of course, it’s something you must see!
It’s late and I’m much too tired to go back to the hotel via Castel Sant’Angelo as I had planned, so I just take the bus back and collapse for a while! I want someplace close for dinner, so I set out to find one on my list just west of Piazza Navona. I never find it and get to the point where I don’t want to walk another foot, so I just go in the restaurant that is right there. Sometimes this can turn out to be a good thing! It’s called La Danesina Hostaria, Via del Governo Vecchio. I pretty sure I’m the only American in the place, at least in the outdoor section. Most seem to be Italians.
The menu is in Italian, but heck, I’ve been here two weeks, I think I’m doing pretty well translating a lot of it. Ha! I think I’ve ordered tomatoes and Buffalo mozzarella, but she sets down soup in front of me (guess the word “terrine” should have clued me in!). Oh well, this isn’t Campbell’s--it’s obviously homemade with thick slices of Buffalo mozzarella melting on top and is absolutely delicious! I may have to come again just for the soup. The Saltimbocca a Romano also does not disappoint and is served with a sort of timbale (not tapenade) of whole olives, capers and some sort of grain, I’m thinking something like tahini (do they use tahini in Italy?). Anyway, I love it. Also served with mashed potatoes baked with cheese. I decide to splurge and have dessert when I see Sicilian Cannolis on the menu. Maybe this is a more southern Italian thing, as it’s the first time I’ve seen it on any menu. They bring two huge cannolis and the Limoncello I ordered to go with it. The best cannoli I’ve ever had. I can only eat one. A great meal, 31.50E.
I wander back through Piazza Navona, looking at the paintings, as I would like to get one. I stop and look at some at one stand with nobody there, but the artist is actually just behind me. I tell him quite truthfully that I don’t have any cash with me (I really was down to about 10 or 20E), but he says go ahead and look. Of course, people probably tell him that all the time. We just start talking and he reaches over and lifts up my gold necklace and drops it inside my shirt and says don’t wear that around here. When he asks what I’ve been eating, I tell him about my experience with the terrine, trying to make it humorous, and a couple of other experiences with menus. He is soon laughing with me. He asks if this is my first time in Rome. I’ve had this question quite a few times, so I give my usual answer: I was in Rome for about 3 days, 45 years ago. I get the usual look as though I must be crazy! (It’s kind of fun to get that reaction.) I explain that as a very young child, I was on a month-long concert tour with a children’s chorus. We talk more and he tells me some interesting things about Piazza Navona and the fountain and, among other things, tells me to watch my purse on the buses. It’s like we’ve known each other for a long time. He says he had had an awful day and thanks me for cheering him up, then walks me back to my hotel and assures me that I have a friend in Rome and to let him know if I need anything. I do think when you’re traveling alone, people are more likely to start up conversations with you, and obviously you meet some great people that way.
I’m up early the next morning for my 9:15 Scavi Tour and catch Bus 46 to get there. I had requested the reservation way back in March and had received my confirmation ten weeks later. It is worth whatever hassle you have to go through to get the reservation! Fascinating! Note that it would be a good idea to take a bottle of water with you, it was VERY hot and humid down there. The next part of my day is in the other direction from my hotel, so I take the bus back there.
I ask one of the nuns if there is a grocery store anywhere around and she tells me where to go. I start off and never find it (and later was told that there really aren’t any in that area). However, I’ve gone in the general direction of my goal, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, so I continue on, thinking that I’ll get on a bus for the rest of the way at some point. I end up going right by the Temple of Apollo and the Theatre of Marcellus, which I hadn’t expected to get to. Somewhere along in here I had pizza for lunch in the Jewish Ghetto that was forgettable, so I didn’t even write down the name of the place. I find that once you get over into this area, there is NOPLACE to buy a bus ticket! And I never see a taxi stand, either, so I end up walking all the way to Santa Maria in Cosmedin. I wait in line around 15 minutes to get my picture with the Mouth of Truth. I need to get back to Vittorio Emanuelle II Monument to meet up with my 4:00 pm tour with Icon Tours of the Forum and Colosseum and would be happy to pay for a taxi, if only I could find one. I have definitely walked too much considering I have a 2-1/2-hour tour coming up.
Fortunately, I make it to Vittorio Emanuelle around 40 minutes before the tour. This is a good thing, I can sit down and rest my knees for awhile. When the guide, Mike, comes, I ask what order he will be doing the tour, thinking that maybe I’ll skip Palantine Hill. He says that will be in the middle but that they come down just a very short distance from where they go up, so I can skip it and wait for them if I like. I’ll see how I’m doing at that point. Mike is another great guide and gives lots of information all along the way. We start with the Mamertine Prison and then on to the Forum. It’s a very interesting tour, but I’m already thinking that I’ll skip Palantine Hill. By the end of the Forum, I realize that I’ve had enough. I tell Mike that I think I’ll just have to skip the Colosseum as well, as my right knee in particular has had it. He is sorry I have to leave and says that if I like, I can come back for the Colosseum portion tomorrow and tells me where to meet him. I thank him but realize I probably won’t do that. I’m sorry to miss the rest, but at least I see the Colosseum from the outside. I make my way over across the street and get a taxi back to the hotel, where I crash!
Leaving the tour early gives me enough time to really rest my knees before getting a shower and going to dinner. I’m supposed to be meeting Fodorite Barb tonight at der Pallaro, Largo di Pallaro. Barb never shows up, so I’m not sure what happened to her. There is no menu at der Pallaro, you get whatever they’re cooking that night (I knew this ahead of time). I’m served three things for antipasto, a pasta, then veal with homemade potato chips and fresh mozzarella with fagiole beans in olive oil and mint, dessert and ½ litre of wine. With a small tip, 23E. Can’t beat the price for a lot of good food.
I walk back over to Piazza Navona to see my new friend, as I really did like his paintings, and this time I have some cash! He writes me a nice note on the back of the one I choose. A very nice momento, and we enjoy another conversation. Can’t believe I only have one day left in Italy.
After the previous day, I was very tired and forgot to set my alarm. Slept right through my reservation at the Galleria Borghese. I love sculpture and really wanted to see this, so I guess that’s a good reason to return to Rome. It is a nasty, rainy day, so my plans for after the Borghese, which had been to walk through their gardens over to the Spanish Steps, wouldn’t have been that great. Actually, I’m not feeling very well, and the gloomy day doesn’t help, so I really don’t do much the last day. I do go for a short walk and buy a large totebag to ease the strain on my luggage and go back and do my packing.
For dinner, I do go back to La Danesina Hostaria for some more of that delicious soup. There are three ladies sitting next to me (you know how close those tables are) and one of them wonders what it is, so I tell her about thinking I was ordering something else. She is French but is living in Switzerland and is traveling with her mother and her aunt and is yet another person interested in the fact that I’m by myself. When I decide I have to have those cannolis and Limoncello again, she again wonders what that is. She has never heard of a cannoli. I ask her if she’d like to try one, as I really can’t eat both of them. At first, she declines, but I assure her that I will have to leave one, so she agrees. I ask the waitress for another plate and some forks and give them one to share. They all agree it’s delicious. They are ordering espresso and offer to get me one as well, but I thank them and explain that I really don’t like coffee and never drink it. I’m perfectly happy to just finish my Limoncello!
I have a reservation with www.airportshuttle.it to go to the airport the next morning. I know most people on Fodor’s use limoservicerome.com, but bobthenavigator recommends airportshuttle, and that’s good enough for me! I don’t see why I should pay 45E when I can get the exact same service for 26E. They are prompt (he actually arrives ten minutes early), we have one more pickup over by Campo de Fiori. The vendors are just setting up, a much nicer thing to see than their pile of garbage when they’re done.
Before I close, I’ll say that I’m happy to answer any further questions. It was a fabulous trip! My flights home were smooth and on time. I had waited until Rome to buy some Limoncello to bring home (why drag it all through Italy) and then somehow never got around to getting it. I wasn’t worried, I was sure I could get some at the airport. After paying the heartstopping amount of 13.70E for a paperback book (I really wanted something to read on the way home), I found Limoncello that was on sale. Hmmmm, I guess I really should buy two…
Oct 14th, 2005, 12:35 PM
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A couple of miscellaneous things I didn't get into in the report:
Phone Card:
I bought the Europa card (had to go to three tabacchi shops in Venice before I found one). You can't beat it, 5E for 200 international minutes. I will mention here that when I had dinner with Mike in Rome, he talked about having trouble with minutes being deducted at around 6 minutes for 1 minute actually used. I didn't have this problem at all, it definitely deducted the lenghth of time I had talked.
Dynamic Currency Conversion:
It's alive and well, especially in Venice and Florence. My experience was like that of others, often the clerk doesn't know what's going on, but in each case, it was clear to me that the manager knew exactly what was happening.
Even when I specifically asked before the charge was put through and was assured I would be charged in Euro, it still showed up that US $ amount. As others have reported, they insisted this was just for information purposes. I insisted it be credited and charged again in Euro, and they did it. Obviously, they are depending on the ignorance of travelers.
When I charged things in Siena and Pienza, I never ran into it.
I had an interesting conversation about it with the guy at Atmosfera Veneziana in Venice. He doesn't try to use it, as he isn't interested in cheating his customers. He explained that the store doesn't actually get any money per se from this transaction. The bank clearing the transaction gives them a 1% break on their Visa charges, so they do save. The bank gets the rest of the difference, so they're really the ones cleaning up, although that 1% for the store could add up as well.
I have to admit that it is very wearing to have to constantly be on the lookout for this, and as a result I definitely used cash more than I usually would have. In Rome, I just didn't feel like worrying about it, so I used cash for everything except my hotel, so I can't say how widespread it is there.
Phone Card:
I bought the Europa card (had to go to three tabacchi shops in Venice before I found one). You can't beat it, 5E for 200 international minutes. I will mention here that when I had dinner with Mike in Rome, he talked about having trouble with minutes being deducted at around 6 minutes for 1 minute actually used. I didn't have this problem at all, it definitely deducted the lenghth of time I had talked.
Dynamic Currency Conversion:
It's alive and well, especially in Venice and Florence. My experience was like that of others, often the clerk doesn't know what's going on, but in each case, it was clear to me that the manager knew exactly what was happening.
Even when I specifically asked before the charge was put through and was assured I would be charged in Euro, it still showed up that US $ amount. As others have reported, they insisted this was just for information purposes. I insisted it be credited and charged again in Euro, and they did it. Obviously, they are depending on the ignorance of travelers.
When I charged things in Siena and Pienza, I never ran into it.
I had an interesting conversation about it with the guy at Atmosfera Veneziana in Venice. He doesn't try to use it, as he isn't interested in cheating his customers. He explained that the store doesn't actually get any money per se from this transaction. The bank clearing the transaction gives them a 1% break on their Visa charges, so they do save. The bank gets the rest of the difference, so they're really the ones cleaning up, although that 1% for the store could add up as well.
I have to admit that it is very wearing to have to constantly be on the lookout for this, and as a result I definitely used cash more than I usually would have. In Rome, I just didn't feel like worrying about it, so I used cash for everything except my hotel, so I can't say how widespread it is there.
Oct 14th, 2005, 12:52 PM
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Oh I'm so glad you loved Rome I too have missed the Borghese on my last several trips and use it as one of many excuses why we must keep returning. Your food descriptions are so detailed that I'm now hungry and it is only a little before 3pm here... 
I too have missed the Borghese on my last several trips and use it as one of many excuses why we must keep returning. Your food descriptions are so detailed that I'm now hungry and it is only a little before 3pm here...
Oct 14th, 2005, 01:38 PM
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Hi Susan P., Have to go out so am quickly saying how much I enjoyed "going" to Venice with you and look forward to reading about the rest of your trip! More later and thanks for a wonderful report!
