Fabulous 1st Trip to Italy
Oct 15th, 2007 | 11:15 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Fabulous 1st Trip to Italy
My husband and I had long-hoped for a trip to Italy and after he passed away last summer I decided I would no longer procrastinate. I gathered my adult son and daughter together and we, after much planning, went off to Italy for 10 days.
The flight was loooong--SF to London Heathrow to Rome but, although we were exhausted, we were so excited to arrive. I'd arranged a car to pick us up at the airport and take us to the hotel and THAT was the ride of a lifetime! Although there are faint lane lines painted on the streets they don't seem to mean anything, signal lights are a suggestion only, and people pass on the right and the left even into oncoming traffic! Somehow it all works: you don't hear brakes squealing or horns honking at all. The driver, in his broken English, was very charming and pointed things out to us as we drove the 15 or so miles to the hotel--we were awe-struck at what we were seeing at every turn of the head.
We arrived at our hotel in Rome, Albergo Santa Chiara, on Tuesday about 6 pm. It was simple, decent sized, three single beds in one room without tripping over each other. Breakfasts were really well done, a good variety and plenty to eat. The staff at the desk were not at all friendly, even cold, but I'd read reviews about this and so wasn't particularly surprised. It does make a crummy first impression though. The location of the hotel is outstanding however. The Pantheon is literally around the corner and we had and a beautiful church (with ringing churchbells) and charming narrow cobblestoned streets out our front windows. Our room was on the top floor overlooking the rooftops of Rome.
We had five nights, six days in Rome which was not enough time.
Among other places, we went to and toured in Rome: St Peter's Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican--absolutely awesome but somewhat disturbing to see so much wealth in one place. Very glad we went with a tour guide since we really wouldn't have understood or appreciated what we were seeing if we hadn't; visited the Pantheon and it's adjoining square with little cafes and gelato shops, sat in the sun on the top of the Spanish Steps, threw coins into the Trevi fountain, clambered over the Victor Emannual War Memorial; and spent almost a day touring the Coliseum, Palantine Hill, and Forum. This was probably the favorite spot for all three of us. We could have easily spent another day there just wandering around and listening to our guide. We toured the Borghese Gallery with it's fabulous art ,architecture, and park grounds. We shopped for trinkets and window-shopped all the designer stores: Armani, Dolce and Gabana, Bulgari, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, to name a few. They have lots of exquisite lingerie shops including LaPerla with gorgeous window displays.
The only evening it rained we went to Pantheon's square to eat dinner. Along with lots of others, we ate outside under flimsy market umbrellas with the rain pouring off the corners in sheets and into make-shift buckets. The square was still full of people, all bundled up against the cold and rain but having a great time. We used the little tea candles on the tables to periodically warm our fingers and noses. Another night my daughter and I decided we'd explore Trastavere, a less touristy neighborhood of Rome I'd read about. Trastavere is more "neighborhood-y" but we found a little outdoor cafe on a side street and had a good meal there. Getting there and back meant walking over a bridge across the Tiber River which was great fun. (Too bad we don't have experiences like these when we're studying in school--it would be obviously be so much more meaningful at the time.) We walked from mid morning into the evening every day. If you haven't been, it's hard to explain how there is something to be amazed at on every block. Just a block from our hotel was an area of ruins being excavated under the level of the street. There was just a three or so foot glass fence around the block-square excavation so you could see stone columns and outlines of building foundations just layed out before you.
We had to leave Rome for Venice on Sunday morning. We decided to travel by train--it was about a four and a half hour trip--and very comfortable. Neither my son or daughter had ever traveled by train so it was a new experience. Trip was very uneventful and got us safely to Venice around 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon. We decided to take a water-taxi from the train station, which of course is on the outside of town
since there are no vehicles in Venice. The twenty minute or so ride was great fun and
we strained our necks looking every which way as we got closer! We walked with
our bags to our apartment just a few blocks from the dock on the Grand Canal. At the Corte Grimani I'd rented a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a little kitchenette right on a side canal for less than we'd paid for a standard room in Rome! It was so great--particularly the two bathrooms! There was also a tiny washer/dryer combination which we took advantage of. We only did one load of combined laundry though because it took almost 6 hours to wash and dry!
Venice. Venice. Venice. Incredibly beautiful and calming. Our lovely apartment was at the corner of the building and on the fifth floor, and top, floor. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been a little terrace to walk out on. Because we had a corner, we had EIGHT windows to let in light and views.
Fabulous. From our windows we looked down onto "our" canal with gondolas passing
by and a marble footbridge spanning the canal. Venice is much smaller than Rome
and we were able to pretty much walk everywhere there too. Naturally we went to
St. Mark's Basilica and Square many times, just about 3 blocks from the apartment, where we learned among other things that my daughter is terrified of pigeons--not good considering the location! It was hysterical everytime we had to pass through the square. We toured the Ducale Palace and took a behind-the-scenes tour, called the Secret Itineraries Tour, of the palace that took us across the Bridge of Sighs and into the prison and jail cell areas. We saw where Casanova and others were imprisoned and heard tales and rumors of the times. We took a vaporetto (water bus) the short trip over to the island of Murano which is known for its glass-blowing. We were on our own there but wandered down a tiny alley into a glass-blowing factory where the men were much more interested in looking at the pretty girls looking at them! It was fascinating though. Had lunch and wandered around on Murano and then took the early evening vaparetto back to Venice. Naturally we took a sunset gondola ride--my son wanted to do it during the day-time to get brighter pictures--but we vetoed him with wanting the "full experience" of the romance of the ride. We did luck out with our gondolier, Antonio, who was charming but not smarmily so and, once prompted, gave us great stories and information about what we were seeing. We noticed that many of the gondoliers don't even speak to their customers so we were very pleased at the luck of the draw. He also told us a lot about the building of a gondola, how one is acquired, how it's determined who will be allowed to be a gondolier and so on. Interesting stuff.
We only had four days in Venice and there were other galleries and churches we'd planned to see but frankly, we were kind of churched-out and so spent more time just strolling aimlessly. Easy to do. We ate lots of Italy's fabulous pizza--so different and better than ours--but came to a point where we just couldn't face another plate of pasta so our last meal in Italy, I'm ashamed
to say, was from their one and only McDonalds! (It tasted so good!)
Our trip ended hours before dawn on Thursday morning when we climbed aboard a water-taxi to the airport. It was only 4:45 am, dark of course, with a little mist rising from the canal. I even saw a rat skittle along a wall on a narrow canal as we headed toward the open waters. How atmospheric! Kids thought it was gross but I loved it.
I'm happy to say we made all our connections, even with Alitalia, and the flights back (Venice to Milan, to London Heathrow, to San Francisco) were surprisingly without any glitches. Lucky us.
We all agree we had a wonderful time. I'd love to spend more time in Rome--there's still so much to see that we didn't have time for. We didn't make it to Pompei as we'd hope, there just wasn't enough time. Maybe next trip--Italy's calling me to come back.
The flight was loooong--SF to London Heathrow to Rome but, although we were exhausted, we were so excited to arrive. I'd arranged a car to pick us up at the airport and take us to the hotel and THAT was the ride of a lifetime! Although there are faint lane lines painted on the streets they don't seem to mean anything, signal lights are a suggestion only, and people pass on the right and the left even into oncoming traffic! Somehow it all works: you don't hear brakes squealing or horns honking at all. The driver, in his broken English, was very charming and pointed things out to us as we drove the 15 or so miles to the hotel--we were awe-struck at what we were seeing at every turn of the head.
We arrived at our hotel in Rome, Albergo Santa Chiara, on Tuesday about 6 pm. It was simple, decent sized, three single beds in one room without tripping over each other. Breakfasts were really well done, a good variety and plenty to eat. The staff at the desk were not at all friendly, even cold, but I'd read reviews about this and so wasn't particularly surprised. It does make a crummy first impression though. The location of the hotel is outstanding however. The Pantheon is literally around the corner and we had and a beautiful church (with ringing churchbells) and charming narrow cobblestoned streets out our front windows. Our room was on the top floor overlooking the rooftops of Rome.
We had five nights, six days in Rome which was not enough time.
Among other places, we went to and toured in Rome: St Peter's Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican--absolutely awesome but somewhat disturbing to see so much wealth in one place. Very glad we went with a tour guide since we really wouldn't have understood or appreciated what we were seeing if we hadn't; visited the Pantheon and it's adjoining square with little cafes and gelato shops, sat in the sun on the top of the Spanish Steps, threw coins into the Trevi fountain, clambered over the Victor Emannual War Memorial; and spent almost a day touring the Coliseum, Palantine Hill, and Forum. This was probably the favorite spot for all three of us. We could have easily spent another day there just wandering around and listening to our guide. We toured the Borghese Gallery with it's fabulous art ,architecture, and park grounds. We shopped for trinkets and window-shopped all the designer stores: Armani, Dolce and Gabana, Bulgari, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, to name a few. They have lots of exquisite lingerie shops including LaPerla with gorgeous window displays.
The only evening it rained we went to Pantheon's square to eat dinner. Along with lots of others, we ate outside under flimsy market umbrellas with the rain pouring off the corners in sheets and into make-shift buckets. The square was still full of people, all bundled up against the cold and rain but having a great time. We used the little tea candles on the tables to periodically warm our fingers and noses. Another night my daughter and I decided we'd explore Trastavere, a less touristy neighborhood of Rome I'd read about. Trastavere is more "neighborhood-y" but we found a little outdoor cafe on a side street and had a good meal there. Getting there and back meant walking over a bridge across the Tiber River which was great fun. (Too bad we don't have experiences like these when we're studying in school--it would be obviously be so much more meaningful at the time.) We walked from mid morning into the evening every day. If you haven't been, it's hard to explain how there is something to be amazed at on every block. Just a block from our hotel was an area of ruins being excavated under the level of the street. There was just a three or so foot glass fence around the block-square excavation so you could see stone columns and outlines of building foundations just layed out before you.
We had to leave Rome for Venice on Sunday morning. We decided to travel by train--it was about a four and a half hour trip--and very comfortable. Neither my son or daughter had ever traveled by train so it was a new experience. Trip was very uneventful and got us safely to Venice around 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon. We decided to take a water-taxi from the train station, which of course is on the outside of town
since there are no vehicles in Venice. The twenty minute or so ride was great fun and
we strained our necks looking every which way as we got closer! We walked with
our bags to our apartment just a few blocks from the dock on the Grand Canal. At the Corte Grimani I'd rented a two bedroom, two bath apartment with a little kitchenette right on a side canal for less than we'd paid for a standard room in Rome! It was so great--particularly the two bathrooms! There was also a tiny washer/dryer combination which we took advantage of. We only did one load of combined laundry though because it took almost 6 hours to wash and dry!
Venice. Venice. Venice. Incredibly beautiful and calming. Our lovely apartment was at the corner of the building and on the fifth floor, and top, floor. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been a little terrace to walk out on. Because we had a corner, we had EIGHT windows to let in light and views.
Fabulous. From our windows we looked down onto "our" canal with gondolas passing
by and a marble footbridge spanning the canal. Venice is much smaller than Rome
and we were able to pretty much walk everywhere there too. Naturally we went to
St. Mark's Basilica and Square many times, just about 3 blocks from the apartment, where we learned among other things that my daughter is terrified of pigeons--not good considering the location! It was hysterical everytime we had to pass through the square. We toured the Ducale Palace and took a behind-the-scenes tour, called the Secret Itineraries Tour, of the palace that took us across the Bridge of Sighs and into the prison and jail cell areas. We saw where Casanova and others were imprisoned and heard tales and rumors of the times. We took a vaporetto (water bus) the short trip over to the island of Murano which is known for its glass-blowing. We were on our own there but wandered down a tiny alley into a glass-blowing factory where the men were much more interested in looking at the pretty girls looking at them! It was fascinating though. Had lunch and wandered around on Murano and then took the early evening vaparetto back to Venice. Naturally we took a sunset gondola ride--my son wanted to do it during the day-time to get brighter pictures--but we vetoed him with wanting the "full experience" of the romance of the ride. We did luck out with our gondolier, Antonio, who was charming but not smarmily so and, once prompted, gave us great stories and information about what we were seeing. We noticed that many of the gondoliers don't even speak to their customers so we were very pleased at the luck of the draw. He also told us a lot about the building of a gondola, how one is acquired, how it's determined who will be allowed to be a gondolier and so on. Interesting stuff.
We only had four days in Venice and there were other galleries and churches we'd planned to see but frankly, we were kind of churched-out and so spent more time just strolling aimlessly. Easy to do. We ate lots of Italy's fabulous pizza--so different and better than ours--but came to a point where we just couldn't face another plate of pasta so our last meal in Italy, I'm ashamed
to say, was from their one and only McDonalds! (It tasted so good!)
Our trip ended hours before dawn on Thursday morning when we climbed aboard a water-taxi to the airport. It was only 4:45 am, dark of course, with a little mist rising from the canal. I even saw a rat skittle along a wall on a narrow canal as we headed toward the open waters. How atmospheric! Kids thought it was gross but I loved it.
I'm happy to say we made all our connections, even with Alitalia, and the flights back (Venice to Milan, to London Heathrow, to San Francisco) were surprisingly without any glitches. Lucky us.
We all agree we had a wonderful time. I'd love to spend more time in Rome--there's still so much to see that we didn't have time for. We didn't make it to Pompei as we'd hope, there just wasn't enough time. Maybe next trip--Italy's calling me to come back.
Oct 15th, 2007 | 12:08 PM
#2
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
janpaige, I am sorry for the loss of your husband and I'm sure he was with you in spirit. Your report sounds like you had a wonderful time and how special that you were able to share it with your grown children. This is something the three of you will always cherish. It also sounds like Italy is now in your heart, I wish you many more trips in the future.
Oct 15th, 2007 | 12:22 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 897
Likes: 0
I enjoyed your report very much. It sounds as if you took your sorrow and made it into a new memory, shared with your children and your husband's spirit. That's another great thing about travel. It can heal and encourages us to hope again.
Trending Topics
Oct 16th, 2007 | 09:21 AM
#10
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,254
Likes: 0
Hello janpaige
What a grand way to celebrate the life of your husband by continuing to continue to live as I'm sure he would have dreamed for you! I'm sure he's smiling down on you, saying, You Go Girl!
"<i>...there are faint lane lines painted on the streets they don't seem to mean anything"</i> - ahh, Rome! Gotta love it! And it doesn't matter how many days you have, six or sixteen - it's never enough time in Rome!
Wasn't the Corte Grimani just dreamy? The location is perfect, and Donatella and Franco are such charming hosts. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting your report. It was really an enjoyable read.
What a grand way to celebrate the life of your husband by continuing to continue to live as I'm sure he would have dreamed for you! I'm sure he's smiling down on you, saying, You Go Girl!
"<i>...there are faint lane lines painted on the streets they don't seem to mean anything"</i> - ahh, Rome! Gotta love it! And it doesn't matter how many days you have, six or sixteen - it's never enough time in Rome!
Wasn't the Corte Grimani just dreamy? The location is perfect, and Donatella and Franco are such charming hosts. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting your report. It was really an enjoyable read.
Oct 16th, 2007 | 10:36 AM
#12
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
So sorry for the loss of your husband. I'm so glad you were willing and able to have this adventure with your children.
I had no idea that the Corte Grimani even had a two bedroom, two bath unit...it must not have been available when we were there. We had a two bedroom, one bath, but the second bedroom was literally the size of the bathroom. (My son loved his "monk's cell" however.) We loved the Corte Grimani, too.
I had no idea that the Corte Grimani even had a two bedroom, two bath unit...it must not have been available when we were there. We had a two bedroom, one bath, but the second bedroom was literally the size of the bathroom. (My son loved his "monk's cell" however.) We loved the Corte Grimani, too.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
julies
Europe
28
Jan 21st, 2008 04:15 AM
