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Enchanted April (What's that you say? "Crazy dear one, it was January.") Don’t fret, for it was oh so very Enchanted April in our minds. DH & Tiff’s Italian Journey

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Enchanted April (What's that you say? "Crazy dear one, it was January.") Don’t fret, for it was oh so very Enchanted April in our minds. DH & Tiff’s Italian Journey

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Old Feb 22nd, 2006, 05:46 PM
  #41  
 
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Wow - wonderful writing, wonderful trip - I feel like I'm there with you, mists and dog and wandering vines and all. Thanks for the links, I now have the Palazzo Niccolini bookmarked! Can't wait for Venice - although it may be dangerous for me to read your report, it only took a three-hour peek for me to fall in love with it (her?).
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Old Feb 22nd, 2006, 07:51 PM
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This couldn't have come at a better time -- I'm off to Florence and Rome next week! I'm putting Leo's into my restaurant file.

We also booked Luca, so I'm glad to hear more good things about his tours.

You have a wonderful way with words... what a fun report!
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Old Feb 22nd, 2006, 07:57 PM
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Tiff -- Your day with Luca sounds positively wonderful. When you visited Castello Vicchiomaggio was it for a full wine tasting tour or...? Can you please post Luca's contact information? Also, we'll be staying in Santa Croce in May so we'll have every excuse to try Leo's at least once. I can't wait!
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Old Feb 22nd, 2006, 08:42 PM
  #44  
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Thank you wanderlust, TXAggie, LoveItaly & SeaUrchin ~ a bouquet of thanks for you!


Tracy ~ I was so laughing at your “three co-workers coming to me”. Been there, doll, I agree it is tough indeed to switch from splendor to the work game face!

Annabelle2 ~ Montefioralle was splendid, wasn’t it? I adored it so. It was so peaceful and quiet while we were there, I wonder if it always stays that way… I hope you get to return someday.

Hi Dina ~ There seems to be a common thread here with the guys sleeping and us wide awake, huh? Lol Enjoy your June trip, is it right around the corner. Leo’s is a must!

Tedgale ~ How wonderful! It looks like my posting abilities came back just in time. I am thrilled you got to see your ‘name in lights’ with my thanks for seatguru before your departure, I cannot tell you how helpful that website was to us. I am so excited for your trip and will look forward to reading your trip report. Arrivederci friend, and best wishes!

Thursdaysd ~ you are cute with your mists and dog and wandering vines comment, lol, it reminded me a wonderful old Peter, Paul and Mary song.

Amarena ~ Arrivederci to you, too! How exciting! And yes, you must go to Leo’s. While we were there we would see some people glancing at the menu outside before coming in, I literally had to restrain myself not to go out and tell them they must enter, that they would thank me later. The ravioli aroma-something something was the BEST, just make sure it has the aroma part in it. And Leo’s cake a must. Enjoy!

And last but not least hipvirgochick ~ (by the way I have a hipvirgobrother)
Luca’s contact information is as follows:
www.hillsandroads.com or email at [email protected]
Cell numbers on his business card: 328 8379272 or 335 8336988
Regarding Castello Vicchiomaggio, we were there quite early in the morning, so we did not have a full wine tour, though it was offered to us. Instead she showed us the property and the apartments available for rent. They were very clean, simple but lovely, great views. She was a nice lady. Luca was incredible and worth every Euro! Leo’s, well, I wish I could have stayed and washed his dishes for meals alone, lol.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2006, 09:08 PM
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Isn’t it always the way that you never visit the sites closest to home? Although we are a half block away from the Duomo, we have not yet crossed her threshold. Gazed and admired many times from afar, even taken pictures close up of her doors but that is all. Silently we know we have been waiting for sunshine. We know all her glorious color will be more distinct with it, but when Italy hands you rainfall, you must choose to see the rainbows.

We step inside and my DH says out loud, “Wow.” His ‘wow’ actually echoes throughout her like a freight train and I have one of those private married giggles. His amazement is childlike and so very precious and I love him so much. He loves the stunning color of the stained glass, the interior of the dome, the vast ceiling. We again light a candle and say a prayer. He loves it here and not unlike the look at gave him at Montefioralle, I know he is at peace.

We know our next step is that within the Campanile. We will walk each of the 414 steps, even with my bad left knee, to see Florence from a bird’s eye. We imagine every terra cotta rooftop and the church steeples. I can see all the way to the Arno and the green hills beyond. DH can already see above the streets we have admired for days from below. We begin and I cannot believe how teeny tiny the staircase is, claustrophobia pours over me in massive amounts but I press on. Luckily my persistence pays off and after a hundred steps or so, it open up into a open floor plan where you can take a picture or rest for a bit. I breathe deeply and win this battle over my good friend Mr. Claustrophobia, back down you go kind sir, I am going to the top!

We admire and climb. Every stranger we meet says hi and we all smile and giggle with one another. It is a partnership among strangers, we can do it, we will make it, those on the way down giving that powerful nod that allows you to know it can be done. We stop and take a picture by the bell, the dome of the Duomo in the background. We offer to a take picture for a lovely young couple and they are grateful. We are travelers; strangers but friends. As we step out on the ledge that circles the top of the bell tower, it is so windy that I can’t believe it. I am thinking the wicked witch will be zipping by on her bike with the stolen Toto in her basket at any moment. Had there not been protective fencing circling us, I may have only peeked out for a moment rather than gazing for so long. It is better than I have imagined. I see terraces filled with children’s toys. Potted plants and chairs reminding me that this isn’t just a city for us to admire, it is home to many. Terra cotta rooftops everywhere like stepping stones. The people below so tiny. The tourists across from us and a bit higher on the ledge of the dome smile over at us and wave. It is beautiful. Who needs the sun?

DH counts every step on the way down and speaks to me of our progress, “We have gone down 113 steps…” “Oh, we just hit 234” “314, only 100 left until touchdown…” We see a nice couple at this point and he informs them excitedly, “You just hit the 100th step!!!!” The lady, of a certain age, says through laughter and smiles, “Oh, great…!” with beautiful, precise sarcasm and we all laugh.

Every time we walk somewhere, we try to take a different route, zip down a calle here, turn to a street foreign to us there. It is fun, and we enjoy the adventure.
We have 3:30 reservations for the Secret Passageway Tour at Palazzo Vecchio, so we have just enough time to grab a bite to eat and visit the Bargello.

We enjoy the Bargello. It is lovely in size and we love the bronze sculptures. DH is exuberant when we enter a room with armor and swords galore. He loves it. We now have explored each of it’s 3 floors. As we depart from the third floor, we see a woman enter through a door with the words “toilette”. There is also a ‘handicapped equipped symbol’ but nothing else. We see her take a key off a hook to the right of the door, smile at us and enter. We decide as good travelers do, never to pass up the opportunity to use a bathroom. We sit and wait for her to finish. I let DH go first. I stay sitting and enjoy the architectural design of the hall and staircase as I wait. Moments later I hear an alarm. I actually say out loud, “Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” and have that look on my face that a dog gets with a tilted head and perked ears as if to say, “Huh”.
The alarm is still alarming, and I feel like the volume is going higher and higher though it is not. Still no DH from behind the door, still no alarm shutting off but now I have three Italian women running towards me shouting words that go beyond my introductory to Italian phrase cheat sheet. I stand up and as I do, DH comes out from beyond the door. The look on our faces is priceless and will forever be burned in my memory. The gallery guard ladies are repeatedly yelling “No permisso, no permisso” or something along those lines. All I can say in my panic is “Scusi, scusi, scusi” Already in my head, I am planning our getaway. I see the elevator across the walkway, quickly grabbed DH, pushed the down button and miraculously the door opens. I don’t know what good thing I have done in a past life to make this occur but we go with it. This elevator is ancient and for some mad reason was there to greet us with lightening speed. It provided a quick retreat out of Dodge, straight away and fast.

When we are safely outside, DH and I glance at one another with that ‘deer in headlights look’ and time stands still. Then we just burst out laughing. “What happened??????” I ask. He said after he was done using the facilities he couldn’t find the button to flush, he looked and looked and said “Baby, it just wasn’t there.” Now we have been in Florence five days now, so he knows about the white plastic plates on the wall, the metal arm on the floor, all flushing operating features have been noted. He goes on to say, “I just couldn’t find it, so I pressed only button that was there, but it was a red button and right when I did, it was a total Homer Simpson moment, I actually heard that "Doooohhhhhhh" noise he makes, and I got the h*ll out of there.”

Now let it be said that as we exited the Bargello, no one on the first floor was in Code Mode, so I do believe (please let me just hold on to this) that it was might have been an alarm strictly reserved for the third floor alone???? Possibly one of those localized alarms???? Maybe an “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” kind of alarm?

Onward we press to our secret passageway tour, traumatized yes; daunted, no.

It is a nice private tour, just us and a nice couple from England. While we were in a private room that you will go into admiring the painting on the ceiling. There is a little door at the end that is slightly open and goes into what looks like a ballroom. From out of nowhere tourists from the other end of a tiny door begin to take pictures of us, snap, snap, snap, the paparazzi won’t quit and I now cannot see because of the flashes. While our guide shoos the wrongful flashing tourists away, I whisper to DH, “Apparently the passageway isn’t as secret as they would like us to believe.”
We enjoyed the tour greatly, it was fun and our tour guide was delightful.

Next installment:
Venice anyone?
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 04:07 AM
  #46  
 
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This just gets better and better! Every word and phrase is a masterpiece.

.."in they come, out they go, back and forth." Such is the way, one gulp and they're done. On the go all the time.

"When Italy hands you rainfall, you must choose to see the rainbows." Beautiful words to live by.

Would you do the secret passageway tour of the Pz. Vecchio again?

My trip to Florence, Rome, Venice is slowly approaching (3 weeks). Your report will be reading material on the plane, over and over. Leo's was already on the list but now so many others to add.

No gelato yet?

Thanks, Tiff. As you can tell, I'm really enjoying this.

Grazie! Ciao!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 06:49 AM
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Hi Kopp ~ Yes, we would do the Secret Passageway tour again. (011 39 055 2768224) We really enjoyed it. I think if you were short on time I would not choose it over some of other main hitters, but if you had the time and wanted to do it, it would be lovely.

If you don't have time, while you are walking through Piazza della Signoria, peek in the open door of the palazzo to view the inner courtyard that is open to the public at no fee.

The gelato. Ahhhhhh, we loved the gelato. I think pistachio was my favorite.

How exciting that your trip is just three short weeks away, it will go fast! I greatly appreciate your compliments, I know I cherished every report, especially those that I read in the month before we left. Certainly adds to the excitement, doesn't it?

Now we can look forward ot your trip report!

Safe journey, T.

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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 07:17 AM
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I think the Great Il Gabinetto Incidenza will keep me in stitches for years to come. That was priceless. I know what you mean about the step counting and your DH's progress reports both up and down le scale. We have had the same experiences at Sacre Couer and at the the Dome at St. Peter's. Your pithy humor kills me and I love every minute of it, as it sounds like me!

I have been to Florence 5 times and have never done the Secret Passageway Tour. I have put this on my list for our upcoming trip in June. I love finding new adventures and things we hadn't discovered on previous trips!

Thanks so much for taking the time to recount all these wonderful moments. We all really appreciate you and your wit.

Bravissima!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 07:32 AM
  #49  
 
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Tiff, Florence has never been high on my list (please forgive me, fans of Florence) but your report has changed that for me. I can almost see it through your eyes. I was in Venice last May and it was magic...can't wait to see your vision of Venice.
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 07:46 AM
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Tiff, thank you for a beautiful report. I must admit that Florence did not enter my soul the way it did for you (who can explain chemistry) but I feel transported to a beloved place by your magical tale.

BTW, I have the same sound machine and it really does block out most street noise. I like the "surf" option best, although my cat goes crazy for the wind chimes~
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 08:23 AM
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Tiff, I have had a lot going on and haven't time to read much on Fodors for a few days. What a pleasure to come back to find this lovely report! I'm so wanting to go back to Italy, and you're making that worse!

Glad you enjoyed that Limoncello. I've been rationing the two bottles I brought back. Also so glad you enjoyed Luca, I was probably one of those who recommended him. Can't wait to hear the rest about Venice!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 08:25 AM
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I've been looking forward to your report, Tiff, and enjoying every minute. Your Florence jaunts brought back many memories of our trip there.

I also laughed at your DH and the alarm at Bargello. I once did the same thing in a lovely French restaurant in St. Martin, except I shut off power to the entire place. Of course, I came out of the bathroom acting like I, too, wondered why the restaurant was plunged into darkness.

Now...onward to magical Venezia! Can't wait!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 08:56 AM
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Tiff, is this the sound machine you're referring to:

http://tinyurl.com/gt6yc
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 09:29 AM
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Hi kopp ~ Yes, that is it. We LOVED it. On the plane I used it with earbuds, in the hotels we put away the buds and had it on for both of us. It has many nice features. It is small and lightweight. A good buy!

Hey Statia! I am glad my DH is not alone, dear. (Must say although I am getting ahead of myself that we both thought of you fondly as we approached the vaporetto landing.) You're such a doll.

Cin, cin SusanP, cin, cin!

mvor ~ Wasn't that a good purchase?!? Glad you like yours too.

gomiki ~ you are kind and I am humbled.

wanderlust5 ~ thank you for ALL of your generous comments, you have made it very fun for me. I appreciate it greatly.
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 09:42 AM
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LOL...I love it!!

I can picture your great escape! Moments you and your DH will certainly never forget, Tiff!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 09:44 AM
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Dear Tiff, What a wonderful report. I love your writing and like Gomiki, I wish I could head over there right now!!!! Welcome back!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 10:03 AM
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Tiff, I wouldn't travel now without it. I actually have the iPOD Compatible version and the speaker sounds pretty good. I was just in Rome and the apt. we rented didn't have a stereo so this was really great to have along...There's nothing like listening to Dean whilst sipping wine in Roma!

Kopp, here's the iPod Compatible version:

http://tinyurl.com/o828m
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 10:34 AM
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mvor,
that's pretty cool! I have a brand new MP3 thingie that I'm trying to figure out how to work, to get it all loaded up for my upcoming trip. So I'd just be able to plug this in and have music in my room? Guess I have to go to the mall tonight!!

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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 12:54 PM
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Topping to bring Tiff's report back up to the top so other's can enjoy it!

Tiff dear, I can hardly wait for the next installment.
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Old Feb 23rd, 2006, 08:16 PM
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Thanks Mimi! I have been trying my best to get over to your Paris trip report! Soon, soon, I am excited to read of our your journey.

STW ~ Lol, you got that right!

LoveItaly ~ thanks for the top, sweetie!
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