A Week in Italy: Art, History, Pasta and Vino!
Apr 20th, 2008, 11:10 AM
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A Week in Italy: Art, History, Pasta and Vino!
Our Week in Italy : History, Art, Pasta, Vino
Some general observations:
Flying is not nearly as much fun as it used to be. There is nowhere more uncomfortable than the middle seat of a NWA Airbus.
Rome is like NYC on caffeine overdrive. I was shocked by the amount of graffiti nearly everywhere. If you are an Italian woman, you must wear a glorious scarf at all times.
No matter how you try to prepare, the grandeur of the Vatican is overwhelming.
Day one: Detroit/Amsterdam/Rome
Thanks to nwtraveler and Ekscrunchy, we had emailed our hotel, the Londra and Cargill, about early checkin. So we were the only ones from our Alumni Association tour group to have our rooms ready when we arrived at about noon. I know the consensus was not to nap that first day, but my adrenaline had worked overtime and had not slept one wink on the flight; we took the advise of Suze and Linda 431 and took a 90 minute rest, freshened up and set out to see Rome. It was a sunny day, warmer than we had hoped. We scouted out the restaurant where we wanted to have dinner (Thanks, Tuscanlifeedit!) and walked to the Spanish Steps and Trinita dei Monti, our first Italian church. Unfortunately, the obelisk is under renovation. The steps were crowded, so we proceeded to the Trevi. We later learned that one of our group had her pocket picked at the fountain and lost about 600E and a couple hundred USD. (Her money belt was in her suitcase, which was in the hotel lobby). Dinner was at Il Giardino, right off the Piazza Barbarini. Huge antipasti platter, spaghetti carbonara for me and veal Milanese for DH. Took a sleeping pill and lights out about 10 or so.
Day Two: Whirlwind Roma
Since our time in Rome was very limited, we decided on a tourguide to maximize what we saw. We were recommended Stefano from Rome Cabs, and what a great choice! He is a Roman native, proficient in English, and tailored a tour to our needs. He picked us up at 8:30. Started at the Quirinale Hill, overlooking the Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus. He dropped us off at the Constantine Arch while he parked the van. Then we went into the Colosseum, where a private guide was waiting for us. She was a delightful Italian architectural student and really helped us understand the grandeur that must have been back then. We saw Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Colona Triana,and had plenty of time to wonder around ourselves in the Forum. We had lunch on a sidewalk café called La Capricciosa, then to the Pantheon, up to Parco Gianicolense to view all of Rome below, and our last stop at Santa Maria in Trastavere. One of those magical moments that makes travel so addicting: as we came into the church, there was wonderful choir music echoing everywhere. It was an American high school choir singing spirituals. Goosebump moment. Back to the hotel, farewell to Stefano, a little nap, and then out for more Rome.
Dinner was near the Trevi, a café called Rosa Rosae. DH not too hungry, just had melon with proscutto and a cherry tart. I had caprese, the best I have ever had, and ravioli pomodoro. The sauce was delicious and the pasta just right. My first limoncello, too. Excellent.
Some general observations:
Flying is not nearly as much fun as it used to be. There is nowhere more uncomfortable than the middle seat of a NWA Airbus.
Rome is like NYC on caffeine overdrive. I was shocked by the amount of graffiti nearly everywhere. If you are an Italian woman, you must wear a glorious scarf at all times.
No matter how you try to prepare, the grandeur of the Vatican is overwhelming.
Day one: Detroit/Amsterdam/Rome
Thanks to nwtraveler and Ekscrunchy, we had emailed our hotel, the Londra and Cargill, about early checkin. So we were the only ones from our Alumni Association tour group to have our rooms ready when we arrived at about noon. I know the consensus was not to nap that first day, but my adrenaline had worked overtime and had not slept one wink on the flight; we took the advise of Suze and Linda 431 and took a 90 minute rest, freshened up and set out to see Rome. It was a sunny day, warmer than we had hoped. We scouted out the restaurant where we wanted to have dinner (Thanks, Tuscanlifeedit!) and walked to the Spanish Steps and Trinita dei Monti, our first Italian church. Unfortunately, the obelisk is under renovation. The steps were crowded, so we proceeded to the Trevi. We later learned that one of our group had her pocket picked at the fountain and lost about 600E and a couple hundred USD. (Her money belt was in her suitcase, which was in the hotel lobby). Dinner was at Il Giardino, right off the Piazza Barbarini. Huge antipasti platter, spaghetti carbonara for me and veal Milanese for DH. Took a sleeping pill and lights out about 10 or so.
Day Two: Whirlwind Roma
Since our time in Rome was very limited, we decided on a tourguide to maximize what we saw. We were recommended Stefano from Rome Cabs, and what a great choice! He is a Roman native, proficient in English, and tailored a tour to our needs. He picked us up at 8:30. Started at the Quirinale Hill, overlooking the Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus. He dropped us off at the Constantine Arch while he parked the van. Then we went into the Colosseum, where a private guide was waiting for us. She was a delightful Italian architectural student and really helped us understand the grandeur that must have been back then. We saw Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Colona Triana,and had plenty of time to wonder around ourselves in the Forum. We had lunch on a sidewalk café called La Capricciosa, then to the Pantheon, up to Parco Gianicolense to view all of Rome below, and our last stop at Santa Maria in Trastavere. One of those magical moments that makes travel so addicting: as we came into the church, there was wonderful choir music echoing everywhere. It was an American high school choir singing spirituals. Goosebump moment. Back to the hotel, farewell to Stefano, a little nap, and then out for more Rome.
Dinner was near the Trevi, a café called Rosa Rosae. DH not too hungry, just had melon with proscutto and a cherry tart. I had caprese, the best I have ever had, and ravioli pomodoro. The sauce was delicious and the pasta just right. My first limoncello, too. Excellent.
Apr 20th, 2008, 12:02 PM
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Day Three: Vatican
I worry over small stuff too much. Was nervous we wouldn’t be able to get a cab timed right to get to the Vatican . No problemo! Concierge made a call, and two minutes later the cab was there. We met our guide from Context Rome, Hillary, outside Vatican City. Would highly recommend this agency. A group of just 6, no waving flags to gather tardy sightseers. Hillary is an art professor and you could tell she loved the Vatican museums. We had her with us for 5 hours as we toured the Pinacoteca, the Minatures, Map Gallery and of course the Sistene. Her “powers of persuasion” got a group of kids to give up their seats in the Chapel to our group (all much older) so we sat comfortably while she discussed the art. If you have been there, you know the ethereal feeling I had while actually staring at those pictures we have seen since childhood. If you have not been there, you will not yet understand it. From one eyepopping sight to another: on to St. Peters. The scale of the place is overwhelming.
I had seen Pieta as a kid at the NY Worlds Fair and remembered loving it then. Now that I am a mom who has lost a son, my heart was broken by the sight of The Mother holding her Son. We walked around the Piazza; another glorious sunny day. Lunch at a place called (I think) Taverna Tre Popa, some vino and pizza.
Our only disagreement of the trip: After a nap, I wanted to go back out; after all, we were in ROMA! DH was tired and not hungry, so we “compromised” and spent the evening watching CNN/reading in the hotel. By the way, Hotel Londra and Cargill, while not that centrally located, was very comfortable, clean, with large rooms and very friendly and helpful staff.
Day Four: To Florence via Orvieto
Get on the bus, ride to Orvieto. Probably one of my favorite sights. The Duomo was beautiful. I paid the extra price to see the chapel with the Signorelli Apocalypse. Thrilling, creepy,beautiful. There were lovely shops with ceramics, the bright and vibrant colors of Tuscany. Didn’t buy anything, but now regret not getting a painting I loved with red poppies in the foreground and a farmhouse, kind of an impressionistic landscape. Darn. Our group then had a tour of the local operahouse/theater and a nice luncheon there. Antipasti, lasagna and our first Vino Sancto. Orvieto was not crowded like Siena and San Gimignano would be and I would love to go back.
Checked into our Florence hotel, the Hotel Roma. Central location, comfortable, on a noisy street and with desk clerks who weren’t too interested or helpful. Another nap, then out for a stroll along the Arno. Dinner was at Harry’s Bar. Our intention was just to have drinks there, but drinks led to dinner. The absolute most wonderful pasta dish I have ever had: Taglierini gratinati. WOW. DH had spaghetti Sergio and Grand Marnier crepes topped off the night.
Day Five: Firenze!
Some observation: we never really felt we knew where we were going in Florence. Not sure why; we did fine in Rome, but not here. Spent a lot of time looking at the map. This morning we toured the Uffizi; it was a disappointment. A lot of this is my fault for not preparing ahead of time. But a lot of the documentation of the art works seemed to be missing, and the audio tour we rented didn’t flow real well. After a quick lunch, we spent the rest of the day wandering around Florence: Ponte Vecchio, Mercado Centrale, and really enjoyed the San Lorenzo church with all the Medici tradition.
Lovely dinner at Belcore. A little Proseco, shrimp on chickpea puree, fettucini with truffles, seabass with sauted artichokes. A great sampling of soufflés for desert. Really a pleasant eveing with a super attentive waitor.
I worry over small stuff too much. Was nervous we wouldn’t be able to get a cab timed right to get to the Vatican . No problemo! Concierge made a call, and two minutes later the cab was there. We met our guide from Context Rome, Hillary, outside Vatican City. Would highly recommend this agency. A group of just 6, no waving flags to gather tardy sightseers. Hillary is an art professor and you could tell she loved the Vatican museums. We had her with us for 5 hours as we toured the Pinacoteca, the Minatures, Map Gallery and of course the Sistene. Her “powers of persuasion” got a group of kids to give up their seats in the Chapel to our group (all much older) so we sat comfortably while she discussed the art. If you have been there, you know the ethereal feeling I had while actually staring at those pictures we have seen since childhood. If you have not been there, you will not yet understand it. From one eyepopping sight to another: on to St. Peters. The scale of the place is overwhelming.
I had seen Pieta as a kid at the NY Worlds Fair and remembered loving it then. Now that I am a mom who has lost a son, my heart was broken by the sight of The Mother holding her Son. We walked around the Piazza; another glorious sunny day. Lunch at a place called (I think) Taverna Tre Popa, some vino and pizza.
Our only disagreement of the trip: After a nap, I wanted to go back out; after all, we were in ROMA! DH was tired and not hungry, so we “compromised” and spent the evening watching CNN/reading in the hotel. By the way, Hotel Londra and Cargill, while not that centrally located, was very comfortable, clean, with large rooms and very friendly and helpful staff.
Day Four: To Florence via Orvieto
Get on the bus, ride to Orvieto. Probably one of my favorite sights. The Duomo was beautiful. I paid the extra price to see the chapel with the Signorelli Apocalypse. Thrilling, creepy,beautiful. There were lovely shops with ceramics, the bright and vibrant colors of Tuscany. Didn’t buy anything, but now regret not getting a painting I loved with red poppies in the foreground and a farmhouse, kind of an impressionistic landscape. Darn. Our group then had a tour of the local operahouse/theater and a nice luncheon there. Antipasti, lasagna and our first Vino Sancto. Orvieto was not crowded like Siena and San Gimignano would be and I would love to go back.
Checked into our Florence hotel, the Hotel Roma. Central location, comfortable, on a noisy street and with desk clerks who weren’t too interested or helpful. Another nap, then out for a stroll along the Arno. Dinner was at Harry’s Bar. Our intention was just to have drinks there, but drinks led to dinner. The absolute most wonderful pasta dish I have ever had: Taglierini gratinati. WOW. DH had spaghetti Sergio and Grand Marnier crepes topped off the night.
Day Five: Firenze!
Some observation: we never really felt we knew where we were going in Florence. Not sure why; we did fine in Rome, but not here. Spent a lot of time looking at the map. This morning we toured the Uffizi; it was a disappointment. A lot of this is my fault for not preparing ahead of time. But a lot of the documentation of the art works seemed to be missing, and the audio tour we rented didn’t flow real well. After a quick lunch, we spent the rest of the day wandering around Florence: Ponte Vecchio, Mercado Centrale, and really enjoyed the San Lorenzo church with all the Medici tradition.
Lovely dinner at Belcore. A little Proseco, shrimp on chickpea puree, fettucini with truffles, seabass with sauted artichokes. A great sampling of soufflés for desert. Really a pleasant eveing with a super attentive waitor.
Apr 20th, 2008, 12:36 PM
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Day 6: Join the crowds at Siena and San Gimignano
What are these towns like in summer when the tourists are really rampant? We had a cold, rainy morning, but the guide who showed us “her Siena” was like a summer breeze. Francesca showed us the Piazza del Campo and told us the history of the Palio. We toured the Duomo and jawdropping displays of marble. Had a great pancetta for lunch in a place where we were the only English speakers.
Back on the bus for a quick jaunt to San Gimignano, the medieval town of 13 towers. We had some really breathtaking views of the countryside, the gelato to remember at Pluripremiata Gelateria (?) on the piazza. Really good. There were lovely alleys to explore, but a large number of Italian school children on field trips.
We had one last stop at a private winery/estate called Fatteria San Donato. We went down into a cave where we had a glorious wine tasting: red, white, holy wine, and lovely antipasti with great salami with fennel, bruschetta. UNABASHEDLY PROUD OHIO STATE MOMENT: Someone stood while in the cave and started singing the OSU alma mater. We all joined in, and there were many tears of joy and brotherhood.
Day 7: More Florence
The morning was allocated to the Galleria Accademia. (Hotel concierge got us the reservation). We turned into the gallery with the Prisoners, and DH and I were debating if the sculptures were finished or not. Then occurred the classic double take, head-on-a-swivel moment: There Is David!! What a marvel, with the sun streaming down from above. So glad we made the effort to see it. There was also an interesting exhibit on musical instruments, so we saw several from Stradivarius,etc.
Lunch was on the Piazza Santa Croce. I had a simple Greek salad, but the flavors and freshness along with the olive oil dressing made it outstanding. We did the rest of our shopping in the leather shops around the Piazza. The church was also interesting with all the final resting places for Michalangelo, Rossini, etc.
Again a nap, then on to our last dinner. We had chosen Za Za Tratorria. Couldn’t find it. Asked random locals how to get there. Couldn’t find it. Found it. We ate outside. Real Tuscan “comfort food” as it was a cool night: Tuscan bean soup, bruschetta with red peppers, more carbonara and more veal.
COMING HOME:
The most disgusting part of the trip: left the hotel in Florence at 2:45AM (yes,AM) to travel to Bologna to get our flight home. Needless to say, the next 20 hours are a blur. But we returned to Columbus in one piece, luggage intact, with memories to last a lifetime.
Thanks again to all of you who helped plan our trip. No matter what the Euro rate of exchange, you can make it work to see Italy!
What are these towns like in summer when the tourists are really rampant? We had a cold, rainy morning, but the guide who showed us “her Siena” was like a summer breeze. Francesca showed us the Piazza del Campo and told us the history of the Palio. We toured the Duomo and jawdropping displays of marble. Had a great pancetta for lunch in a place where we were the only English speakers.
Back on the bus for a quick jaunt to San Gimignano, the medieval town of 13 towers. We had some really breathtaking views of the countryside, the gelato to remember at Pluripremiata Gelateria (?) on the piazza. Really good. There were lovely alleys to explore, but a large number of Italian school children on field trips.
We had one last stop at a private winery/estate called Fatteria San Donato. We went down into a cave where we had a glorious wine tasting: red, white, holy wine, and lovely antipasti with great salami with fennel, bruschetta. UNABASHEDLY PROUD OHIO STATE MOMENT: Someone stood while in the cave and started singing the OSU alma mater. We all joined in, and there were many tears of joy and brotherhood.
Day 7: More Florence
The morning was allocated to the Galleria Accademia. (Hotel concierge got us the reservation). We turned into the gallery with the Prisoners, and DH and I were debating if the sculptures were finished or not. Then occurred the classic double take, head-on-a-swivel moment: There Is David!! What a marvel, with the sun streaming down from above. So glad we made the effort to see it. There was also an interesting exhibit on musical instruments, so we saw several from Stradivarius,etc.
Lunch was on the Piazza Santa Croce. I had a simple Greek salad, but the flavors and freshness along with the olive oil dressing made it outstanding. We did the rest of our shopping in the leather shops around the Piazza. The church was also interesting with all the final resting places for Michalangelo, Rossini, etc.
Again a nap, then on to our last dinner. We had chosen Za Za Tratorria. Couldn’t find it. Asked random locals how to get there. Couldn’t find it. Found it. We ate outside. Real Tuscan “comfort food” as it was a cool night: Tuscan bean soup, bruschetta with red peppers, more carbonara and more veal.
COMING HOME:
The most disgusting part of the trip: left the hotel in Florence at 2:45AM (yes,AM) to travel to Bologna to get our flight home. Needless to say, the next 20 hours are a blur. But we returned to Columbus in one piece, luggage intact, with memories to last a lifetime.
Thanks again to all of you who helped plan our trip. No matter what the Euro rate of exchange, you can make it work to see Italy!
Apr 20th, 2008, 02:56 PM
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What a lovely and fun trip report mcheryl. And of course I am drooling over your descriptions of the food you ate, lol. I love the food in Italy!
And no, flying is not fun anymore, not at all. But it beats the way our ancestors got here to the states from Europe..I keep reminding myself.
Thank you for sharing your time in Italy. And oh mcheryl, I got tears when I read how you related to The Pieta, hugs to you. I am so sorry for your loss. I have a small statue of the Pieta that my Roman born and bred son-in-law brought me from Rome. I so love that precious statue.
Wishing you two more wonderful trips and again, thanks for taking the time to share your adventures.
And no, flying is not fun anymore, not at all. But it beats the way our ancestors got here to the states from Europe..I keep reminding myself.
Thank you for sharing your time in Italy. And oh mcheryl, I got tears when I read how you related to The Pieta, hugs to you. I am so sorry for your loss. I have a small statue of the Pieta that my Roman born and bred son-in-law brought me from Rome. I so love that precious statue.
Wishing you two more wonderful trips and again, thanks for taking the time to share your adventures.
Apr 20th, 2008, 03:34 PM
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I would have loved to have been there as you sang the Ohio State Alma Mater as my parents and brother are grads!! Do you remember how much it cost to have the wime tasting and how you made reservations?
Thanks, bay66
Thanks, bay66
Apr 20th, 2008, 03:45 PM
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since my DH and I are planning a Rome (possibly adding Florence) trip for late October, I read your report aloud to him just now.
How cool when you mentioned the OSU group in the cave--we're from Columbus (daughter is a grad and I attended) and, of course, are HUGE Buckeye fans!
And, yes, the Pieta was one of the most moving sights I'd seen, as well--even without the personal connection you so poignantly shared.
How cool when you mentioned the OSU group in the cave--we're from Columbus (daughter is a grad and I attended) and, of course, are HUGE Buckeye fans!
And, yes, the Pieta was one of the most moving sights I'd seen, as well--even without the personal connection you so poignantly shared.
Apr 21st, 2008, 07:29 PM
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Loved the OSU moment. I was the first ever major in Italian at OSU. That hasn't done me a lot of good in itself, but it's rare to be able to say you were the first in anything at a place that big 
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