To leila87137 - I rented a lovely apartment in Trastevere near SeaUrchin's apartment - one of its advantages is it can be rented for less than one week (4 night minimum) - it's appropriate for 2 people and maybe a child (roll away cot in the living room) and a good price at $235US/night.

Here's a link to the apartment

http://www.italiareservations.com/rome.htm

Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Leila,
check this site also..I rented an apt. for 5 days in June.The location is super....

http://sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_croce.html

SeaUrchin, Do you mind if I ask what you paid for the earrings? I'm trying to get a feel for gold prices. Thanks!

Hi all. Leila, here is the link to my apartment:

http://www.realrome.com/proplucesplitlevel.html

You can see my loft and my bed with the beam! Except the hanging light in the picture blew out the first night so I was in semi-darkness, which I became to like. Look at the nice little dining table between the windows, it is such a wonderful way to start the morning, sitting there with coffee. I would recommend the apartment over a B&B or hotel, too.

wow, thank you for your quick response! I'm looking for a place for 5 adults and one child, so I don't think the apt near SeaUrchin's would be large enough to accomodate. But THANK YOU! i was looking at a few websites:

http://www.b-b.rm.it/accommodations/apt_all.htm

and: http://sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_roma.html#sleeps46

I sort of like Piazza del Paradiso, Via dell'Orso and Via Manara.

Input/Suggestions/Comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

The jeweler is in the Jewish Ghetto on S. Maria del Pianto 3 - David Hadad is his name (it's closed Saturday).

The earrings are woven oval loops about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/1/2 inches wide at the bottom and not too lightweight. I paid about 105 euro and got the better price by paying cash. But then I didn't have enough cash so he let me put them on "layaway" with the 10 euro downpayment. I probably could have gotten a lower price but I am not that good at bargaining! Maybe it would have
been less too if I had purchased more items. Or maybe I got a good deal!

SeaUrchin: After 5 minutes of reading your post, I recognized the apartment: my husband and I stayed there just one year ago! He is 6'1" and had to walk around the loft in a bent over position every time he went upstairs. I'm 5'7" and was constantly bumping my head on the beams. That said, however, we really loved the apartment and the location and would stay there again in a minute. Did the lovely owners meet you when you arrived? Our plane was very late but when we finally got to the apt. at about 11:00 PM, this extremely nice couple met us and showed us around. She completely stocked the little refrigerator with all kinds of goodies plus coffee and bread: we didn't have to buy any breakfast food for 3-4 days. Your report is really taking me back to that wonderful week we spent there. Thanks so much.

Thanks, SeaUrchin, I think that sounds like a good price for 24K. I appreciate the information. Do you think you can generally bargain with jewelers in Italy?

Sounds like you and Barb had a wonderful time. I'm bouncing back and forth between both your trip reports. I'm leaving for Rome in 11 days and if my trip is half as fun as yours, I'll consider myself lucky!

Can't wait to read the rest!

dabodin, I can't imagine your husband walking around up there! How did he fit into the shower?!! It is lovely though, isn't it. Yes the kitchen was fully stocked, what a nice touch. I would def. stay there again.

SusanP, yes, def. bargain, they expect it in a privately owned shop. My opinion is that the more you buy the better the opportunity to bargain. My earrings are pretty heavy gold too. I really like them.

I got all caught up watching that silly marathan of "The Surreal Life" on TV last night so I didn't write my Florence part (Flavor Flav and Brigit Nielsen together again!) (Don't hold it against me, I was tired).

SeaUrchin,
Reading your report (and Barb's and all the other recent Rome adventures) inspired me to buy 2 tix for May--just last night.

Do you remember anything about Avanti Arquati (sp?) across from Isola Tiberina in Trastevere? I'm thinking of booking an apartment there.

Welcome home, and thanks for writing up such a dishy report!

SeaUrchin, waiting for more of your great report!

more please!

thanks ellenem, Leely, I am so happy for you! I am glad we inspired you. I don't know about that location, I googled it and didn't come up with anything either.


If it is Thursday, it must be Florence:

We got up early and I made a hearty breakfast before our train trip. I made some eggs with delicious Italian spices on hand in the kitchen and then in the oven toasted some wonderful bread until it was hot and really hard and drizzled it lightly with fresh olive oil. We ate that with prosciutto, fruit, fresh coffee and listened to the sounds of the city on the street below.

We went over to the Piazza Belli, near the Ponte Garibaldi, where the taxis stand and got into the head of the line taxi. I said Stazione Termini and Seashell murmured "and watch his finger" so hopefully he didn't understand English that well. It only cost about 8 euro so he must have minded his finger.

For once we found the correct train at the correct binario (track) and even found our seats without a problema! Wonders be. When we got to Florence, it was overcast but not too cold. We walked through the outdoor stalls and since I am always on the lookout for bargains, I bought a really nice black leather purse right off the bat. It was kind of odd to be bargaining with a vendor who was Asian speaking fluent Italian. We noticed that alot of the vendors now are not Italian, moreso than the last time we were there a few years ago.

A few years earlier we had been to the best restaurant in Florence and we have both dreamed about the food there ever since, so our mission was to find it again. Of course, we didn't know the name, the address or phone number, we just knew the general direction. We strolled along to the Ponte Vecchio and I put on imaginary blinders to the gold because we were on our mission. Across the bridge I saw the glove store that has been mentioned here on Fodors, Madova, so I looked in and bought some hot pink longish gloves. The sales woman was really helpful, I think she was British but lived in Italy for years. She knows how to fit gloves, so you can rely on her expertise.

We strolled some more and went up to the gate we really like. It is one of the original gates in the ancient city wall, Porta San Miniato. It was restored after the floods of 1966. I always like this little square and we passed through the gate and took the path up the hill, leaves crunching under our feet.

After our excursion up the hills we really started to get hungry so we went back to the gate, down to via S. Niccolo which we thought looked like the street. We didn't have to go too far and voila, there it was and it was open. It is the Hostaria del Bricco and is so beautiful inside (looks pretty humble outside) with brick ceiling and walls with flowers and subtle lighting. The food here is soooo good and homemade by mama and served by handsome son! http://www.osteriadelbricco.it

We settled in, breathed in the atmosphere and got down to eating!!

I had the riboletta, Seashell had the tomato and bread soup. Both were delicious.

We split a insalta mixta (mixed salad with corn, olives, lettuce, tomatos and some other things) and ate the delicious bread.

I had a half litre of wine wine and SS had a beer.

I had tagiatelle with artichokes in a light cream sauce. SS had crespelle.
Both were delicious.

We split a sauteed fish (discreetly) and some fagiolini (green beans).

I was so mad, I waited for three years to have their outstanding desserts again and I was just too full. There is no way I could have eaten another bite. With acqua minerale and coperti the whole check came to 45,50 euro.

*Oh oh, back to work, I'll come back later*

oops, I guess she got caught! Quick, look busy.

Thanks for that info about bargaining with the jewelers. We have done that in Mexico, even in high-end stores, but I wasn't sure if it was that way in Italy. Gee, you have to buy more to get a better price...what a shame :S- !

Ha, you are right, I was trying to ignore a little emergency to finish writing. It is a shame that work has to get in the way of my personal life.....


Florence, continued:

Here is a better link to the restaurant: http://www.florence.ala.it/bricco/

After lunch we walked to the end of the street to the massive 14th century gateway or Porta di San Niccolò which overlooks Piazza Giuseppe Poggi.

It is one of the original gates of Florence to still have its original tower since 1327. The square is named after the architect, Poggi, who is interesting if you are interested in Florence's fairly recent history. He lived a long life in the 1800's and was also an engineer. In 1864, he was asked to make the new layout of the city of Florence so he designed the city squares of Piazza Beccaria, Piazza Cavour and the Cascine) and some elegant villas. He also restored palaces and gardens such as the Strozzi, Gherardesca, Guadagni, Giuntini, Antinori, Capponi.

Here is a link to that very interesting area of Florence:

http://216.239.63.104/search?q=cache...ence&hl=en

We walked along the Arno in the sun, it was warm now and went over to the Ponte Vecchio. I bought an original roman coin pendant of 18k at S. Vaggi, the saleswoman knew her stuff and was reasonable to deal with. http://www.vaggi.it/eng/main.html
I love my pendant and wear it every day.

After the bridge we went to the other glove store, Luciano on por s. Maria 10. Phone: 210635 and I bought some lime green gloves on sale!

We walked around Florence and then it was so warm that we went over to Gilli on the P. Republica and rested drinking the best lemonaide in the world....for 14 euro!! But we were paying for the location and the atmosphere.

We went to the internet just down from our old hangout, the hotel Nuova Italia on Via Faenza and called home in one of their booths for only 15 cents a minute.

Then I noticed that a part of my new purse that I had just purchased was loose so we searched through the maze of the vendors looking for mine. It was getting dark but finally I found him under his tent flapping in the wind and he gladly took a piece off of another purse and put it on mine.

We went back in the center to get some gelato and just sat and enjoyed Florence at night and the cool breeze.

We caught the train back to Rome at around 9:30pm, but only after a scene. The numbers of the tracks kept changing right before our eyes, from minute to minute. Seashell stood in the info line while I hyperventilated (I get that way in train stations after past experiences). When she got to the window I walked over to her and heard her saying, "September; no, single; an apartment in Rome; not tonight". I was puzzled and we only had a few minutes to catch the train, why was she babbling like this? Come to find out the agent was asking her personal questions on his computer! He slipped her his email address and then as an afterthought gave us the correct track!
You have to love the Italians....and learn to take things easy.

We got on the right train and relaxed and I called my "S" and told him that everything was fine, afterall. He said to tell the taxi driver at the train station in Rome to take me to Trastevere and...well..you know about watching the finger.

I would like to add that we arrived back at Termini after 11pm and the taxi line was crowded. The unauthorized taxis were unusually aggressive this time at night, probably assuming people would be more apt to use them under the circumstances.

One of them actually grabbed the luggage from an Asian couple and started to put the bags into his trunk.
To his surprise they snatched their luggage back and got in the authorized taxi line with us.

There was a little fellow who was a real character pretending to be "in charge" of putting the clients into the authorized taxis too. He wasn't obnoxious but he did ask for tips, we thought he was official until we got closer to the head of the line, but he speaks some English so he really might be of slight help for a slight tip.

SeaUrchin, I have had long moments of panic in the Florence train station under similar circumstances. The line at every ticket and info window was impossibly long, so I just kept asking shopkeepers and strangers until I finally realized I was going to have to wait til the last minute for the track to come up on the board.

I know, Marilyn. I always have trouble with that train station too. The numbers on the big board were flapping around and every time they came up different!

She had to wait in that slow, long line and when she got to the window the man didn't say anything after Buona Sera and she started saying disconnected words. Now it is funny, but then I thought she had flipped out.