kwren

July 8 – continued - Palazzo Carletti and Osteria Aquacheta, Montepulciano

We finally go into the Palazzo Carletti and from the looks of things, Palazzo was the correct word!

First order of business – parking! We showed Cristian, the owner of the Palazzo, the directions we had received and he said they had been updated. The part that was missing was … IGNORE THE DO NOT ENTER SIGN! Really? It would have taken us 3 instead of 30 minutes because once you go up the hill past the dreaded sign, there was the lot!!! We laughed all the way back down to the car. Given the staircase we had to climb just to get back to the hotel, you can use the central shallow steps or the side ramps, we took out the things we needed just for one night and left all the rest in the car. Now that’s the way to travel light! I think there was a way to drive to the door if you needed to, but all these stairs are not for the faint of heart.

I absolutely cannot think of a cooler, more wonderful hotel that we have ever stayed in! The Palazzo Carletti is an old family palace and occupies the one floor. The key system is unusual (for us) in that to enter the building, the hotel or room, just wave the key in front of an electric eye mounted by each door. The key is also inserted in a slot inside the room entry to enable the lights. The lobby is beautiful. High frescoed ceilings and a gorgeous view. The 5 rooms have A/C, free Wi-Fi for two devices, a large flat screen Internet TV (which could be used for Wi-Fi for a third device), a snazzy Italian espresso maker, free movies in at least English or Italian, a free mini-bar which includes a half bottle of wine, a beer, a variety of juices and sodas, and some snacks. We were surprised that 15 minutes of international calling were also included. We called overseas from our room just to say hi.



All the rooms/suites are different so I will describe ours, the Suite Nerrazini. 

First impression was awe. The frescoed ceiling was about 15 feet high (which explains why the stairs seemed to go on forever) and painted a la Michelangelo (well, maybe not QUITE as good!). What a way to wake up. Our view was of the side of a building but with such a beautiful room, who needed a view! We had a tiny spiral staircase leading up to a loft with a bed and a couch (or in our case, 2 beds), perfect for our two teenagers. The loft also had a flat screen TV. Back to the main room... Beautiful furnishings, gorgeous rug, exquisite decorations throughout. What looked like a long wall of panels actually opened to the mini-bar, an enormous closet, and the bathroom. The bathroom! It was beautiful, but the best part was the lighting over the tub. The website shows the tub bathed in soft pink light. What it doesn't show is that the light slowly changes colors. (it can also be turned off, but we enjoyed the light show.)

Room Tip: Read the website descriptions - all the rooms and bathrooms are different, and they show exactly what you will be getting in each. Getting your luggage into the hotel is something to think about, but once there, it's paradise, and our accommodation highlight of the trip…elegant and luxurious. To have stayed more than one night!

So we got to the hotel and were so happy there that when the kids said they were tired and wanted to veg a bit, we all decided to watch a movie. Me? I was luxuriating on the bed, enjoying everything around me. We tried the drinks from the mini bar and were refreshed for our dinner, one of the main reasons we decided to stay in Montepulciano for a night.

Osteria Aquacheta was only a short walk from our hotel, but we strolled a bit before our reservations (which I made online way in advance to be sure we got in.) Another son is a saxophone player so we were amused by the Sax Bar which had real saxophones as the beer taps.

We got to Aquacheta and were seated at the first seating. The owner is a gruff looking man, but I got him to smile before he caught himself and put his dour expression back on for a picture. This place is fun. We ordered the famous Tuscan Beefsteak Fiorentina for three of us. The owner came over and discussed what we wanted then went off to the kitchen which we could easily see from where we were sitting. He went over to a huge piece of beef and using a cleaver, hacked off a monstrous steak, which he then brought over on a piece of butcher paper for our inspection. This steak is served rare, which we weren’t sure we would like, but we wanted an authentic experience and absolutely loved it. We had wine and bruschetta as well, but it was the steak we were there for and we weren’t disappointed. Our bill was written on the brown paper covering the table: 72 Euros for the steak, 88 for the entire meal.

After dinner, we strolled around the entire town, which was mostly free of tourists, saw the gorgeous sunset and decided it was time for a bit of dessert. Just off the main square was Restaurant al Quattro Venti. We got panna cotta, lemon sherbet in a scooped out lemon, and the kids got tartuffo, balls of multiple layers of ice cream. The perfect end to a wonderful day!

kwren

hazel - I didn't realize that Chianti was part of Tuscany. No wonder I liked it so much!

CollK

kwren - your hotel looks fabulous! Too funny (but maybe not at the time!) that you had so much trouble checking into your various hotels - Murphy's Law I guess. Thanks for sharing all the details about the town and restaurants - can't wait to see it all.

kwren

CollK - it really was funny! Just wait till Rome. We barely batted an eye we were getting so used to it! (wine helped!)
Where are you staying in Montepulciano?

CollK

Well I can't wait to hear the rest! We're staying at the Albergo Il Marzocco -- from what I can tell the rooms are fairly plain but they have balconies and the views are supposedly very nice. It definitely won't be as palatial as where you guys stayed. Sounds like a really special place!

In Castellina we're staying at the Palazzo Squarciaulpi and wondered if its the same place you noticed as you drove out of the village. I think its located right at the edge.

Hopefully we'll have more luck with our checkins and reservations then you guys. I'll let you know how it all goes when we get back.

irishface

Thanks so much for a wonderful report with pictures. Loved all the views and the little details that you noticed. Glad you included pictures of your rooms. I laughed at the picture of your son imitating the trumpeter in the window and your comment about how it was too bad that he didn't have his trumpet with him. However, I bet you were glad not to be lugging one around! I am looking forward to the rest of the story!

kwren

Hi CollK - your 2 hotels mentioned above look wonderful too. A great view is worth almost anything! I hope you have that balcony in Montepulciano. I'll want to hear all about them both and see pictures too! The one we saw with the pools was not in Castellina - I think is was between there and Siena. I can't think of the name right now, but if I do I'll add it to a post.

Irish - thanks! And, yes, I was happy not to lug a trumpet around...but it would have been DS doing the lugging!!! (We have done the instrument lugging thing in Europe before though. My second son was invited to play his saxophone at a wedding reception in France...on his 14th birthday! He played a good while and everyone was dancing and cheering, and then they all sang Happy Birthday to him and the bride gave him a b'day present in front of everyone. What a wonderful experience for him - and of course for me, who had to accompany him! )

kwren

We left Montepulciano (and were reminded how easy it was to find that parking lot) and headed for the A1 towards Rome. However, we exited at Orvieto where we planned on spending the day before taking the train to Rome. We had rented a Fiat Doblo and despite how ugly we thought that box of a car was, we were really impressed with this car. It never rolled backwards when we were shifting into first gear on a steep hill, very important in all these hill towns. It really served us well.

First stop in Orvieto – Hotel Pincchio with whom I had communicated beforehand about storing our luggage for the day, for 4 Euros a piece. It was good to drive there before returning the car as it was up a bit of a hill. Not bad walking unless you might be pulling suitcases in 90 degree heat. We left our luggage and drove back to Hertz in plenty of time to drop off the car before it closed an hour later, at 1:00. Hard to believe, but yet again, a problem occurred (and not even related to check-in, unless you count checking in the car.) The four Hertz parking places in front of the office were full and there was no one in the office to tell people what to do with the cars. We waited along with another person and she said the agent had gone out for coffee a while ago! By 12:45, the place was a mob scene, but to be honest, by now we were getting used to how things work in Italy! People were parking anywhere, in front of stores with frustrated shopkeepers yelling to get the cars out of there, down the street. It was about then that the agent returned to about 15 people all trying to return or pick up a car before the office closed. We returned our car fairly quickly since we were near the head of the line and took off for the funicular, across the street from the train station.

Bought tickets, got on a funicular, got to the top and took a bus to the main square. It was all very organized and smooth. There was a tourist office in the square so we went to buy tickets for the Underground tour. Unfortunately, the first available time for an English tour was for 3:00, which we thought might be cutting it too close with a 4:30 train to Rome, and which we explained to her. She asked us to wait and soon took pity on us and added us to the next English tour leaving in 10 minutes...which was already full. Very nice!

The Etruscans spent about 2500 years digging out a system of caves in the rock, or tufa, under Orvieto. It was built for protection from invading armies. See an army, go underground. Many of the richer families had an entrance directly from their homes and over the years some built columbaio – areas for pigeons to roost. The more pigeons a person had, the richer he was, and he was richer for selling the pigeons as food. There were also mills, wells, olive presses, wine storage areas, and ceramic workshops. It was unlike any other tour we’ve ever taken and was really an interesting hour-long history lesson about the people of this area.

Afterwards, we visited the Duomo with its breathtaking stripes and gold-and-mosaic facade, the bas-relief doors, and went for gelato at Pasqualetti at the back left corner of the church. The décor in that place was great and there was an area with tables. We walked the streets looking at medieval souvenirs and pottery, listened to a guy play the accordian, had more gelato and caught the bus and funicular back down. No problems picking up the luggage or getting train tickets and before we knew it, we were on our way to Rome!

We arrived into Rome’s Termini train station and hailed a taxi to via Governo Vecchio, a narrow cobblestone street bustling with cafes, shops and people. Our taxi drove steadily and parted the mobs like an ice cutter plowing through an Antarctic ice field. Our plan was to arrive an hour before we were to meet the Sleep in Italy representative in case of delays. We were early as planned so decided it was time for our first Roman pizza. Luckily for us, there was a café (Mimi e Coco Vinoteca) directly across the street from the door to our apartment, so we settled in, stashing the luggage inside, and proceeded to order. We finished up by 7:00, the time we were supposed to be let into our apartment and watched the door and crowds for the man with the key (can you guess what is coming?) We waited and waited, but no one came. Finally, we asked if we could use the café’s phone to call Sleep in Italy. The waiter’s response? “Don’t worry! It’s normal!” and walked away. We wondered what to do when a woman sitting nearby offered to let us use her cell phone. We called the owner who was as nice as could be and said she would track down the person meeting us. She even called back (luckily that woman with the cell phone was still there) to tell us he would arrive in ½ hour. So we did what any self-respecting person in a bind would do…we ordered more wine! An hour passed. We waited some more and ordered dessert. If we had to wait, this was certainly the way to do it – eating and drinking on the streets of Rome! Finally, over an hour and a half after the arranged time, the man arrived, we collected our suitcases, and were let into our apartment. He was full of excuses, claimed he was waiting at the airport, said he was waiting for us to call, said he didn't understand the emails, said the office gave him the wrong info, blah blah blah. He looked at the emails I was holding and they were pretty darn clear - no mention of the airport, etc. so he stopped with the excuses - there was nothing he could say and he knew it. (The owner had different excuses than he did – they should have gotten their stories straight). Anyway, we were full, happy to be in our cute apartment and ready for Rome. ☺

After settling in a bit, we walked over to Piazza Navona, about a 2 minute walk, and what excitement! Street performers, kids running around, artists using spray paint to create cool pictures of the Colosseum with planets, cafes, people selling strange flashlights, musicians, and of course the beautiful fountains. After the calm of Tuscany, imagine how this all assaulted our senses! The true meaning of culture shock, but it was an exciting end to a great day!

kwren

OK everyone...here are my pix of Tuscany - part 2 - including Montepulciano. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3&l=dadcabc941

kwren

Pictures of ORVIETO:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3&l=3922d43f7f

kwren

Oops - that last entry should have said: July 9 - off to Orvieto and Rome

kcnewby

yay! Have been eagerly awaiting your report. As you will know from previous posts we will be staying at the same apartment in Rome so with this information on the 'relaxed' checking in process, I will prepare the family, especially my DH, as he has been know to be slightly impatient... Can't wait to hear more and see how the kids enjoyed Rome, what they liked the most etc...

kwren

hey kcnewby! Good to hear from you again! I was reading the UK Tripadvisor site and we were not the only ones to have this problem as it turns out. On the other hand, I also looked at the Sleep in Italy list of staff members and the guy who let us in is not listed. Maybe he was fired. Can always hope! Anyway, of all that I have read, everyone was eventually let in so relax across the street if need be, keep an eye on the door and have some wine and pizza! You couldn't have a better lookout point, but if there is a new guy, I bet he'll be on time. It will all work out.

Most importantly, you'll love the apartment. We're going back in June and looked into staying there again, but it was booked so we rented a different apartment through a private owner a bit to the west. I'm excited about that one too. We'll have to share notes after both trips.

I'm working this week so the report will be a little slower, but I'll get through it. I also haven't done anything at all with my Rome pictures yet, so those will take time too. Wish me luck!

hazel1

kwren - can you please post a link to the apt. you rented in Rome? On our last trip there we stayed at the Navona Suites on Via Governo Vecchia and I loved the location, but next time I'd like to rent an apartment.

kcnewby

Hazel1 on behalf of KWREN, this is the apartment: https://www.sleepinitaly.com/en/show...d_appartam=345 or the Trip Advisor link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationR...ome_Lazio.html
Hope that helps. I'm looking forward to staying at this one too, many great reviews...

hazel1

Thanks, kcnewby. It looks really nice and I'm going to file it away for future reference. Have a great trip & good luck on all your check-ins!

kwren

July 10 – Rome

Loved our apartment: Sleep in Italy Governo Vecchio. See it here:

https://www.sleepinitaly.com/en/show...d_appartam=345

A bit more about the apartment. It was in a great location, on the (mostly) pedestrian street via Governo Vecchio near the Piazza Navona, the cat sanctuary, Piazza Campo dei Fiori and the market, with lots of busses a very short walk away and a maze of tiny streets. There is a food store on the same street, a cafe just across the street, and plenty of restaurants, boutiques and gelato shops nearby. I can't recommend the area more highly.
The building had an elevator, tiny as many European elevators are. The apartment: there were 2 bedrooms with comfy beds, one room being a small loft with 2 twin beds up some fairly steep stairs. We had 2 full bathrooms and there was plenty of hot water although if I remember correctly, there may have been some bursts of cold water. A tiny washer up some spiral stairs from the master bath worked great and there was even laundry detergent when we were there. (That's not a guarantee I think) The kitchen was well-equipped although the refrigerator was tiny, and the living room was roomy. Paper towels were provided, but no toilet paper except a tiny bit so be prepared! (I think it depends on what the previous people leave behind). The AC was great, although if you had all the units on at once, the circuit breaker would blow so we came up with a rotation of running only 2 units at a time to keep it all cool. It would also blow if running 2 units plus a small kitchen appliance or the washer. No big problem for us. The circuit box was in the hall by the front door and easy to reach and flip the switch.
Would we stay there again? Yes!

kwren

Oops kcnewby. I wrote my entry, posted and then noticed your post! Thanks!

kwren

July 10 - continued - Rome

So…on to Rome!

I had booked a special tour online for the subterranean and third levels of the Colosseum so we were on the move fairly early today, picking up some pastries along the way. First we passed through the Piazza Venezia and admired the white marble National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the monument built to honor first king of unified Italy. It is also called the “Wedding Cake”, but I read that many Romans call it the “Typewriter”. Wow! Amazing architecture, statues, columns, and chariots and gladiators on top. I also read that all distances from Rome are calculated from this point. (useless trivia) Anyway, we snapped a few pictures, but that was about it. Maybe when we go back in June, we’ll explore it further. I read that there is a panoramic elevator and that there is a good view from the top. In any case, we got a great view of it from the top level of the Colosseum.

We continued walking down the long road to the Colosseum with it becoming ever more impressive as we approached. We met the Ticketaly guide quite easily and we went into the Colosseum, passing the very long line of people who had not planned ahead. It became even more exciting when an employee pulled out a special key to unlock a gate to let us pass into an empty area just beyond a crowded area. A few people tried to follow us, but they were sent away. There we received a bit of a history lesson and then we all descended to the lower level beneath the Colosseum. We saw where the animals were kept, saw passageways where gladiators waited to go out, got explanations on how the entire lower level could be flooded to allow boats to rise up for some shows, and how their primitive elevators were used to transport props. We could also see some water which turns out to have been the end of some flash flooding from the previous week which actually closed down this tour. We were lucky to have missed that week.

The tour continued with the typical tour of the main level and then another gate opened for us and we climbed to the deserted upper level. Once again, some people tried to follow us up and were disappointed that they could not accompany our group. At the upper level, we were shown some pictures of what the Colosseum looked like with a huge awning stretched over to the top to provide shade for the audience. We were given some time to wander around before descending back to the crowded area. We had a great view of the Arch of Titus.

As I stated before, we had a great view of the Victor Emmanuel Monument from up there. I was taking a picture when all of a sudden, hundreds of white balloons were released and floated off in the sky. The guide said that people do that for a wedding. It was beautiful. We looked out towards the forum and saw 3 bride and groom couples being photographed amidst crowds of onlookers. It was quite the festive atmosphere.

Our tour continued to the Forum, where we were all fading fast because it was getting quite hot. The guide quit a bit early, but I have to say that I think the crowd was not disappointed. We walked around Palatine Hill after that and visited a palace and the House of Livia and Emperor Augustus. There was a small museum in the ruins where sculptures that are unearthed from the villas are now housed.

We booked this tour, called the Dungeons and Upper Level Tour and Forum through
Tickitaly.com . I just looked at the website and it looks like, unless I am missing something that the only way to do all of this now is as a private group. We did not do this – we were in a group of about 20 – 25 people.

We picked up some sandwiches for lunch and then continued on our walking trip to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and back to the Piazza Navona. We spent some time at each admiring the sights and people watching. It was hot so we made our way back to the apartment for a rest.

That evening, we went to the restaurant Fiammetta, around the corner from the Genii Hotel not far from the Piazza Navona (it had been recommended on Fodors and we were not disappointed). We had the absolute best gazpacho of our lives. The saltimbocca was delicious, and the kids’ spaghetti was good, but they voted for gelato so we skipped dessert there and bought gelato after walking along the river past the Castel Sant’Angelo all lit up. The river was like glass giving perfect reflections and showed the beauty of nighttime Rome.

kwren

Long day - sorry this entry will be so long!


July 11 – Rome

Apparently we tired out the kids so DH and I left the apartment alone to explore Campo dei Fiori this morning. The market was still being set up as we arrived so it wasn’t too crowded yet. The fruits and veggies were so fresh and inviting, but there were also plenty of other types of stands as well: pastas, spices, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, limoncello (with tasting!), T-shirts, and even a table with every type of coffee maker imaginable.

We lingered for quite a while, bought some T-shirts but found that we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the market. We found a café at the end of the square and settled in with some coffee and tea to watch the activity of the market unfold as stands were set up and people browsed. My favorite was a tiny lady all in black who spent at least 45 minutes at one stand just squeezing the fruit and vegetables and then tossing aside the ones – most of them – which didn’t meet her standards. She squeezed. She tossed. She inspected. Finally…she bought. We also watched a small pump which ran non-stop. People came to drink, wash their hands, throw water on their faces, rinse buckets of olives. At last a small dog was there, just lapping the flow mid-stream. A simple pump with so much of daily life. After 2 rounds of hot drinks, we meandered through the market again. We stopped to observe a man demonstrating and selling a set of spiral veg slicers and juicers. Quite the personality and very entertaining! I bet her was surrounded by a crowd all day.

We tore ourselves away, bought some breakfast for the kids and cannolis for us – the BEST I’ve ever eaten – at Il Fornaio, a bakery around the corner from the Campo, and headed back to the apt where I did some laundry in the miniscule washer.

We didn’t intend to walk 10 miles today, but we did. We checked out a couple of places for lunch, but they were closed, so we meandered through the maze of streets near the apartment until we were enticed into one – Ecce Bombo - by a man on the street who was there just to pull in customers. Now of course I know not to frequent these places, but the food on the tables looked delicious and Italians were dining there so we went for it. Of course pizza, pasta and wine were ordered and all were outstanding. I ordered an antipasta platter with veggies, cold cuts and an artichoke with butter sauce to die for. I would definitely order that again. If you look at my pictures, you’ll see it was also very pretty. The only thing there that left a bad taste in our mouths was at the end of the meal the man in the street came over and asked us to add a tip to the bill because it had not been included. We were suspicious, but since we did not purposely look at the menu for this info, we added some, but thought we were probably taken advantage of. I’m sure they laughed about it, but we just chalked it up to the cost of the vacation. Next time, we’ll say no, and leave some change on the table…unless I get some comments to the contrary here

Gelato stop at Blue Ice – my son’s vote for the best gelato of the trip. Some of us disagreed, but did think it had the prettiest gelato of we had seen to that point.

Our walk took us through the Piazza Navona, so different in the daylight, up the Corso – the famous ritzy shopping street - to the Piazza del Popolo, and up the steps to the right into Pincio Park. On the way, we noticed more guys walking along with accordians. I really didn’t expect that those would be so popular. Back to Pincio Park…I was hoping for a great view and we got it. Looking out and seeing so many domes peeking out from the sea of rooftops was wonderful. My son (finally) bought some sunglasses (he had forgotten his at home and had been looking for some every day since then). It was a hot day, so it was nice to be in a park with trees overhead and a bit of a breeze. Some Segways whirred by. Birds were singing. We became revitalized. On the way back towards the Spanish Steps, we investigated a row of busts on columns which lead up to a red carpet and the Casina Valadier Ristorante, pretty much out of view from the main path. We almost missed this little section of the park and it was one of our favorite spots of the day. I take it that the restaurant is what draws people to that section of the park, but I wonder if people take the time to wander the surrounding grounds. There was a huge assortment of statues, the likes of which I’ve never seen before and perfect for kids and adults alike. There was a huge snail, a melting clock, a lifesize scooter held by a giant hand, colorful brightly-colored Lucite type figurines, and on and on. The fountain of running water was welcome as we filled up our water bottles. (Never go anywhere without them – you can always find running water in Rome.)

We left the park and descended the Spanish Steps and continued on to the Capuchin Crypts, located in the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception on via Veneto. A short history can be found at:

http://www.cappucciniviaveneto.it/cappuccini_ing.html

This crypt was full of delicate artwork which upon closer inspection, was made of the bones of over 3000 monks. Even the chandeliers were made of bones and it amazing how beautiful the place was. If you go, go UP the right hand outer stairs at the front of the church to a doorway at the right side of the building. That’s the entrance and there is a small donation requested. Definitely worth the trip.

We walked back via the Trevi Fountain again and just past, a man with 3 parakeets approached my son and popped those little birds right on his shoulder. I got my money ready, and after a picture, there was the outstretched hand waiting for it. That guy sure was surprised that I had some ready for him. I got a picture of DD too. It was also surprising how docile those birds were given all the crowds.

Did I mention we walked 10 miles? Time for a shower and a nap!

At dusk we left to see the cat sanctuary at Torre Argentina, a block of below-street-level excavations which is now home to hundreds of stray cats. There is an office on site and they arrange to feed, vaccinate, spay/neuter and adopt out the cats living there. The best time to see the cats is when it cools off so they are out and about within the ruins. We saw about 50 cats this night, some out on the sidewalk rubbing on peoples’ legs and purring. [More trivia – Torre Argentina was where Julius Caear was stabbed by Brutus in 44 BC.]

Lastly for the day, we continued on to Trastevere for dinner. We wandered around for a while, but most of the restaurants were packed with people crowded both inside and around the outside menus. One which we had passed up for that reason and which was on a quieter street (via dell Fratte de Trastevere) stood out to us, so we went back and waited for a patio table (turns out that I had written it on a list of places to go from Fodors). The name was Popi Popi and the patio was pretty and surrounded by a row of bushes. It was late; the kids were exhausted. 2 weeks of vacation was starting to catch up to them. DS even said he wanted to go back to the apartment, but of course that was not possible. We were too far away. We tried to distract him, but nothing worked as well as what was about to happen. While we waited outside, someone started leaning on a car horn for a solid minute. Mind you, cars were parked just on the other side of the hedge just a few feet from some diners so it was really loud. As the horn blared, people’s heads kept popping up to see what the fuss was about. Other started to congregate on the street to watch what was about to unfold. The horn stopped as a huge argument ensued with waiters running to the car and gesticulating toward the people dining on the patio. A woman jumped out of her car and started screaming back. At least a half dozen men and this lady were all screaming at each other at once. The hands were flying! Suddenly it was apparent to us that another car had parked in such a way to prevent her from backing out of the tiny space. 3 or 4 of the men went to one side of her car, bounced on the bumper a few times and actually hoisted this car up in the air enough to lift it up and slide it over so she could leave. She had a few more choice words for everyone then zoomed away. Wow! Then out table was ready!

Dinner was wonderful. We tried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, suppli (deep fried rice balls with a center of mozzarella) and olives stuffed with some sort of meat. DD had the longest pasta I’ve ever seen with a cream sauce with ham and peas. The best meal was the spaghetti carbonara with bacon. OMG! I never tasted anything so good. A great place for dinner. Probably about 1 am we started the walk back home and dropped into bed.