i_am_kane

I'm a couple of months late writing this trip report, and thought that maybe there was some useful information for other Fodorites traveling in Italy. I have never written a trip report before, and to be quite frank, didn't think anyone would be interested in what I had to say.

This diary was written more as a memoir for my family than for a public forum so I have replaced our names with letters. FYI the length of the report is 18 pages of a Word doc.

The trip report will be broken up into segments by location, so that it is easier to read.

I will be more than happy to answer any questions.

If anyone does make it through to the end, I sincerely hope you find it enjoyable.


DESTINATION: ITALY
"A Trip to Remember"


After 2½ years of preparation, we were ready, organized and raring to go to Italy. Six of us were departing from Connecticut, and four of us were departing from Florida for a total of 10 family members spanning three generations. The dream was becoming a reality. This is the true story of the Kane’s marvelous Italy trip.

My objective was to find 3*—4* hotels in the historic district of every location. Every hotel must have a front desk staff with a good reputation, air conditioning, an elevator, be spotlessly clean, and have breakfast included in the room rate. We would be casual diners on this trip allowing for the children to feel comfortable in the restaurants.

Driving from Connecticut to JFK Airport in New York is a nightmare and the cost of parking is expensive, so I hired a black stretch limousine.

JFK to Venice: Saturday, June 24, 2006
My granddaughter (GD) called me at 1:00 p.m. and said there is a WHITE stretch limousine in front of their house. I thought she was joking, but no, there was this “white wedding” limo picking up Son #2 (youngest) and his family (wife, daughter 12, son 10) and we were next. I called the limo company, told them I ordered a BLACK limo and that our trip was starting off on the wrong foot with this tacky-looking white stretch limo. No problem…the cost was reduced by $75. I can live with that! When the limousine pulled into our driveway, I asked the driver if he looked hard to find a big, white limo? He laughed. The inside was beautiful with a full bar set up: Only non-alcoholic drinks.

The ride on I-95 into New York was congested and slow after the overnight rain. We approached JFK about 3:30 p.m. and the driver headed to Delta’s terminal for our 6:50 p.m. flight. The International Terminal was crowded with a line backed-up out the door onto the sidewalk. We got lucky: A Delta rep told us to follow her across the street into the Domestic Terminal where we checked our luggage, and got our boarding passes. Great...we were on our way to Italy.

Earlier in the day, Son #1 (oldest) and his family (wife, son 7, son 5) drove to Tampa Airport where they flew a domestic Delta flight into JFK. We were all to meet in Terminal 3 in front of Chili’s Restaurant for dinner prior to boarding the plane. Our group got there first, and within five minutes they joined us. As planned, dinner was in Chili’s and I handed out Airborne for children and adults, plus Sino Fresh Nasal Spray…just like a mother hen.

About 6:10 p.m. we walked over to Delta’s Terminal and waited to board our flight, which did not leave on time. Our seating arrangement was perfect: 10 seats along on the left side of the plane, two seats each row. Everyone wiped down their seat and food tray with antibacterial wipes. The pilot made an announcement that there were 5 oops! 35 aircraft ahead of us on the runway for take off. I think we departed JFK about 8:30 p.m. Dinner was served and since we hadn’t eaten in 3—4 hours, we picked at the food. DH and I got ready for the night: 5 mg. Ambien, eye masks, ear plugs, slippers, and blankets. We probably slept about five or six hours. I guess the pilot was pedaling as fast as he could because he made up for lost time.

Benvenuto a Venice!: Sunday, June 25, 2006
Our Delta flight was unremarkable and we landed in Venice at 10:00 a.m., a half-hour late. Marco Polo Airport is modern, not large, and easy to maneuver. Retrieving our baggage wasn’t quick, but finally everyone had their suitcases, purchased the 72-hour A.C.T.V Passes for 25€ each, then proceeded out the airport’s front doors toward the Darsena Punto No. 4 where a reserved, private water taxi was waiting to take us to the Ca’Rezzonico stop in Dorsoduro.

The sun was shinning, the sky was blue and the taxi boat ride was wonderful—especially after being cooped up in the airplane on an overnight flight. The ride was 20-25 minutes to our stop. DH paid the driver the quoted 150€ for 10 people and 10 pieces of luggage.

It was a short walk down a narrow alley and through Piazza San Barnaba to the Casa Rezzonico pensione on the Fondamenta Gheradini. Each family of four had quad rooms on the ground floor. Even though these rooms were just behind the reception area, it was quiet in the rooms because there are heavy entrance doors mounted on the door frame, plus an additional interior door. Our room was the “penthouse,” which is a “double” large room on the third floor. All three rooms were furnished tastefully, with air conditioning. (The four second-floor rooms in this pensione do not have air conditioning.)

Now everyone was hungry, so we dropped our stuff off and hit the bricks running. It was about a 10-walk to the Accademia Bridge where we hoped to find La Pizzeria Accademia and have a relaxing lunch on the Grand Canal. The pizzeria was nowhere to be found, so I asked a guy working at the newsstand next to the Accademia Bridge: “Scusi, dove La Pizzeria Accademia?” and he retorted “Speak English!” Okay… I got a little bit of an attitude back and asked him in English “So, where is it?” This got to be a contest because he sent us on a wild goose chase…ended up we never found the Pizzeria Accademia. It may have been behind a large construction site boarded up with plywood—not a good start for the first day.

Over the Accademia Bridge we go, in search of an alternative restaurant for lunch. We found ourselves in the Piazza San Stephano, which is a large, unadorned piazza with a few restaurants that had no appeal for us. Now, everyone is very hungry, and we spotted Al Vaporetto Ristorante on Calle della Mandola, which is a self-serve pizzeria. It didn’t matter at that point…all we wanted was food on our stomachs. I do not recommend this restaurant.

After a quick lunch everyone felt better, as we headed toward Piazza San Marco. The pigeons were a big hit with everyone, and we did lots of picture taking. The line for the Basilica di San Marco was long, so we opted to take the elevator to the top of the 325’ Campanile (bell tower). What a great view of Venice from the viewing platform of the Campanile! It was crowded, but there was enough room to move around with great photo ops. (It’s hard to take a bad photo in Venice.)

The heat was getting to us. We bought lemon-flavored Popsicles from a kiosk on Riva degli Schiavoni, and walked through the Giardini di Palazzo Ducale. It’s quite different from what I had imagined…it’s very small and people were sitting on park benches under the protection of trees from the sun and heat. After that I stopped in the Palazzo Ducale office (Doges Palace) to confirm our tour reservation for the next morning. Son #1 and his family rode a vaporetto from San Zaccaria to San Giorgio Maggiore.

DH, me, Son #2 and his family walked under the Torre dell’ Orologio, down the Mercerie toward the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. The crowds were huge in this area by 3:00 p.m. We took Vaporetto #1 back to the hotel. Son #2 reminded everyone to “look up” and notice everything above our heads.

As we were leaving the hotel at 6:45 p.m. for dinner, DIL #1 suggested we have a group photo taken outside the Casa Rezzonico under the hotel sign. Matteo (front desk clerk) offered to take the photo because he has taken many photos on that spot of other hotel guests. I had made dinner reservations at Taverna San Trovaso, for 7:00 p.m., a five-minute walk from our hotel, so we had plenty of time to get there. That photo ended up to be one, if not our favorite, of the trip. Our dining table was on the second floor in a small, but airy backroom. There were several other tables in this room, but every time a waiter seated people they left after 5-10 minutes. Do you think maybe we were too loud and interrupted their dinners? It was our youngest grandson’s fifth birthday and we celebrated it during dinner. A leisurely walk back to the hotel was interrupted when everyone wanted gelato. We crossed a small foot bridge into Campo Santa Margherita where we bought very good gelato at Il Doge. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant in the campo, but they had a huge wide screen TV (plasma or LED) mounted outside wall with people sitting all around watching the World Cup semi finals. Bed at 10:30 p.m. A wonderful first day in Venice!

Venice: Monday, June 26, 2006
The alarm went off 6:30 a.m. Waking up in a foreign country is always exciting, and we were looking forward to spending the day in Venice. After a shower, as I was drying my hair, the converter pulled out of the adapter and fell into the waste basket hidden under facial tissues. Maybe I was jet-lagged: I didn’t pay attention, plugged my hairdryer back into the adapter and fried my hairdryer. Thank goodness the hotel provided wall-mounted hairdryers. As it turns out, every hotel on our trip provided hairdryers, which is crucial to my well-being.

Our first breakfast in Venice was in the lovely garden of the Casa Rezzonico. There are six round tables covered with tablecloths under a gazebo with four flowered china place settings on each table. Our family took up half the tables in the morning. The continental breakfast included cereal, coffee, fresh fruit, croissants and a variety of yogurt.

The first time DH and I visited Venice, we were not captivated nor intrigued with this Italian city. This visit was different. Casa Rezzonico is located in the Dorsoduro sestiere and it was the best choice for this trip. Since we had children with us (who had been cooped up in an airplane from the U.S.), the garden area in the Casa Rezzonico was a terrific place for everyone to spread out and move about. I liked Roberta, the housekeeper, who had a terrific sense of humor. My only complaint is that the air conditioner unit in the double room is mounted on the wall directly above the bed and it was somewhat difficult to control the air flow, plus the stairs are steep leading to the third floor.

We were out the door at 9:15 a.m. for the “Secret Itineraries Tour” at Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace) scheduled for 9:55 a.m. (For centuries, the doges were the rulers of Venice). It was sunny and warm as we walked to the Ca’ Rezzonico Fondamenta to catch Vaporetto #1 to Piazza San Marco. At the Doges Palace, which is Gothic architecture, we were instructed to meet our tour guide in the courtyard. Cinzia proved to be an interesting, able guide, who spoke perfect English. Our group of approximately 20 people included about six children. The interior of the palazzo was hot, the air was close without any breeze, and DH took our five-year-old grandson out of the building after 10 minutes into the tour. The tour highlight was the story of Casanova’s escape. Also we saw Tintoretto’s “Paradise” painting, reputed to be the world’s largest painting ever done on canvas measuring 74’ x 30’.

Lunch at Osteria da Carlo di Menoghi, in the San Marco sestiere was very good and consisted mostly of roast beef and proscuitto sandwiches, salads (which were fresh) and soda. This place is small and there’s not a lot of seating.

Son #2 and his family took a vaporetto ride out to Murano to visit a glass-blowing factory.

We opted for a vaporetto ride with Son #1 and his family to Burano (we thought). After landing on an island and enjoying some gelato, we started looking around for the brightly-colored Burano houses. After a good 20 minutes of walking, and not finding any houses, we decided to leave. Much to our surprise back at the dock, we were not on Burano, but Punta Sabbioni! The four of them continued onto Burano and we returned to Venice hoping to get into the Ca’Rezzonico Museum, and get some cash from an ATM. We walked past the Hotel Flora where we stayed in 2001. No one was around as the upscale shops in this area were closed as was the museum. Around 5:00 p.m., we eventually wound up in Piazza San Barnaba where we met Son #2 and his family. Everyone was ready for a cold drink, and they showed us the “treasures” purchased on Murano. Son #1 and his family were running later than us.

I asked Matteo to call a couple of restaurants for dinner reservations, but neither restaurant answered their phone. Before we put Plan A into action, we wanted to locate La Bitta, which is a SMALL restaurant located off Piazza San Barnaba, and it was filled with customers. Lots of customers are usually a good sign, but this wasn’t the right choice for our family.

Plan A: We walked to the Accademia Bridge about 8:45 p.m. to find Cantonino Storico but when we arrived, there was no seating available. This restaurant is on a canal near the Accademia Bridge and within the sound of church bells. Lovely atmosphere and supposedly superior service. At this time of night, no one wanted to wait for a table for 10 to become available. We scouted out the Accademia Bridge area for an alternate restaurant, but nothing appealed to us.

Plan B: Walk across the Accademia Bridge and find a different restaurant on my list…

They say it’s easy to get lost in Venice…not with our trusty guide, Son #1. He navigated us through Venice like he lived there all his life. In the evening, the colors of the buildings seem to glow with gold and red tones. It was so peaceful walking along the calle.

The name of the restaurant we were looking for was Osteria alle Botteghe between Piazza San Stefano and Palazzo Grassi. No luck—this ristorante was no where to be found. What we did find was lots of policemen walking in groups along the calle. I probably approached at least three different groups hoping one of them could give us directions to Osteria alle Botteghe. None of the cops were from Venice! They were in town for a convention, but they all tried to be very helpful.

As it turned out, about 9:15 p.m. we found Osteria al Bacareto between Piazza San Marco and Piazza San Samuele. This was the best meal I ate in Italy: Spaghetti alle Vongole (baby clams). Again, everyone enjoyed their meals with wine and the younger grandkids stuck to pizza or a pasta dish.

You really get the flavor of Venice by wandering along the back canals, which is what we did after dinner. It was a short walk to Piazza San Marco to hear the dueling orchestras. We took lots of pictures, danced and formed a “Circle of Friends” where everyone joins hands, everyone moves to the right, then to the left and then to the middle. The kids loved it (even the “big” kids). Now it’s 11:30 p.m. as we walked toward Harry’s Bar (which was closed) and needed to take Vaporetto #1 back to our hotel. At 12:00 midnight with the temperature still about 80 degrees, a vaporetto pulled up to the fondamenta, and almost everyone on the dock boarded leaving the 10 of us, and two other people, looking at the vaporetto pulling away from the dock. One girl yelled out to us: “Are you waiting for Vaporetto #1? We said “Yes.” She said “It’s not running any more tonight!” Che sfortuna! We turned around and walked back to the hotel. Finally, back to the hotel at 12:30 a.m. and I washed some clothes before calling it a day.

LCBoniti

Hi Kane!
What a wonderful oportunity to travel with your family to such a magical place! Is this your entire immediate family?

I am very much enjoying this and looking forward to more.

Linda

i_am_kane

Linda,

Yes, the entire immediate family - no one was left home!

gabrieltraian

I am enjoying this report. Well done!

I have Italy on my mind for sometime in future, so I am getting a taste of what's to come.

ellenem

Great start on your first report.

gomiki

kane, I stayed at the Casa Rezzonica, ground floor, and my TC's DD & SIL were in the "penthouse." We ate at Taverna San Trovaso and had gelato at Il Doge. Thanks for the memory! I hope you made it to Ca' Rezzonica. It was one of my favorites.

I am enjoying your report and details. More please!

i_am_kane

Venice to Florence: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Up at 6:30 a.m. and a quick breakfast in the garden. Oh boy, my GD has caught a head cold. Another sunny day and a brisk walk with our suitcases to the Ca’Rezzonico Fondamenta to catch Vaporetto #1 at 8:45 a.m. We arrived at the Santa Lucia Train Station at 9:30 a.m. in plenty of time to catch the Eurostar at 10:32 a.m. Maybe I was still jet-lagged or a shade was pulled down in my brain when Son #1 said "Ma, this is the train station, it's time to get off" and I said "I'm not getting off, this is the Rialto Bridge."(which we had passed 10 minutes ago). Is this what they call jet lag?

The Eurostar train ride was uneventful and there was no problem with our reserved first-class seats. The conductor read our printed confirmation from Trenitalia, entered the information on his hand-held computer/printer and printed off a receipt for me. Beautiful!

We arrived Florence on time at 1:20 p.m. Once inside the Santa Maria Novella Train Station, we needed to regroup and plot our route to the Hotel Casci, Via Cavour 13. Wouldn’t you know it? A gypsy baby-thrower approached us begging for money. (The same thing happened to us in 2001.) Thank goodness she didn’t throw a baby! I said to her “Vatene!” and she beat it.

What a sight it must have been as the ten of us walked from the train station in Florence with our suitcases. (“Head counting” became more frequent at this point.) The city was chock full of people on the sidewalks, traffic was heavy and the weather was hot and sunny. Somehow, we got split up during our walk, but everyone found their way to the Hotel Casci, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

The quad rooms were large with spacious bathrooms. Our double room was spacious and airy (by Italy standards) with plenty of walking space. However, our bathroom was tiny with no horizontal areas to place toiletries, towels, hairbrushes, etc. This hotel is exactly as described by other travelers: Spotlessly clean, fresh clean linens, bathrooms that sparkled. The front desk staff was warm and welcoming.

Son #1 and his family ate at Nuti Pizzeria (loved the pizza and the tomato sauce), before heading to the Duomo, and then a 5:30 p.m. reservation for dell’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s “David.” For six of us (we were with Son #2) lunch was at a sidewalk snack bar since we were running late for our 2:30 p.m. reservation at the dell’Accademia. As we approached the museum, the street was filled with people: Long lines everywhere. Luckily, we were the first people in the “Reserved Ticket” line, but unfortunately, the computers were down and they couldn’t process our reservation. It was blazing hot, and we were standing shoulder-to-shoulder without any bottled water nor relief from the sun, but we weren’t going to leave. People were feigning sickness from the heat, and a guard let a couple of them into the museum. Who they did allow in were the tour groups! There had to be 150 people in tour groups in the street, but they already had tickets in their hands and were allowed to go in before us. A guard repeatedly came to the entrance to assure us we would get in: “Pazienza, per favore.”

Once we got inside, seeing "David," even though it was our second time, was overwhelming. The genius of Michelangelo! A quick stop in the museum’s store, and off we went to Michelangelo’s family home: Casa Buonarroti where we snapped a few photos. Since the famous Vivoli gelateria is just around the corner, a visit was in order. DIL #2'a pistachio gelato actually tasted like pistachio nuts. Every flavor we tried was fabulous. Vivoli, Via Isole delle Stinche, 7R (about a block west of Piazza Santa Croce) is world-famous. Exactly how renowned is this gelateria? Well, taped to the wall is a postcard bearing only “Vivoli, Europa” for the address, and yet it was successfully delivered to this world capital of ice cream. The best gelato so far and voted the best by six of us at the end of our trip. Now that we were in a city with vehicular traffic, the kids loved Italian cars, especially Mercedes’ Smart Car.

We continued on in the baking heat to Piazza Signoria and took more photos of Santa Maria Fiore (Duomo), and the Baptistry. Then back to Hotel Casci to shower, change clothes and use the computer to access e-mail. I needed to find out if the Vatican Museum responded to my request for tour reservations. I kept this up for the next two days, and there was never a response from them. My GD was able to keep in touch with her girlfriends via the Internet as we moved about Italy.

I asked Pierpaolo, at the front desk, if he would please call Il Latini and make dinner reservations for a party of 10. No problem, reservations were made, and we were off in a flash in two taxi cabs to Il Latini. There was a crowd of about 30 people in front of the restaurant, but we were allowed in ahead of everyone. Il Latini is noisy and serves large quantities of food family style…we were not given a menu to choose our food. Our two youngest grandsons didn’t eat much, and our waiter was kind enough to speak with the manager about not charging for their meals. The restaurant adjusted the bill. Great waiter.

We all walked to the Ponte Vecchio in the night heat. The shops on the bridge were closed with their fancy wooden security doors. More picture taking, lots of people on the bridge, and a small combo playing trying to sell their latest CD. Son #2 bought a CD for 10€. We thought this was the end of the night… no siree!

Next we stopped at the Piazza Signoria where a band was playing Art Garfunkle music in front of the Uffizi. DH bought our grandson’s lighted whirley birds (for lack of a better name). These whirly birds are best at night because they are illuminated with lots of different colors. More photo taking, then we headed back to the hotel.

Hotel Casci’s rooms have double-glazed windows, and beautiful large solid wood shutters to be closed at night for privacy and more sound-proofing. Bed at 12:30 a.m. I heard Son #1 and family pull in about 1:00 a.m. Since the rooms were cool and quiet everyone slept well.

Florence: Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Up at 6:15 a.m., breakfast was continental with delicious, not-to-be-missed cappuccino. This was another quick breakfast and we were out on the street by 8:15 a.m. Son #1 and family had reservations at 9:30 a.m. for the Galleria degli Uffizi, and later in the day they planned on visiting the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens.

We grabbed a taxi cab on Via Cavour with Son #2 and his family for a ride to the train station. After locating the bus terminal adjacent to the train station on Via Santa Caterina da Siena 15r, we purchased six bus tickets to Siena at 6,50€ ea. The ride was about one hour to Siena. Il Palio, Siena’s sacred horserace, was in the process of being set up in Il Campo.

Compressed sand was spread around the center and wooden bleachers positioned around the perimeter. The backbone of Il Palio (translated The Horserace) is Siena's 17 contrade, which are like neighborhoods. It’s been said, even today it is not considered a good idea to marry out of the contrada, and if you do, it's probably wise to sleep at your parents' house the night before the race. Siena has its own unique feeling, just as every other town in Italy does. We window shopped the high-end stores and GS (age 10) bought a Vitronox jack knife with a leather case as his souvenir.

Our noon-time lunch was at Antica Trattoria Papei, Piazza del Mercato, 6, just a short distance from the open-air market. Service was excellent, the waiter was a fun guy, and the food was good. That’s all we could ask for. We left Siena on the 1:10 p.m. bus back to Florence. The bus was overloaded and the driver was notified that he could not continue onto the highway with passengers standing in the bus. Another bus pulled up in back of us, and we were part of the group transferred to the second bus with plenty of seats.

Back at the Santa Maria Novella Train Station, we took Bus #12 to Piazzale Michelangelo to take more photos of Florence. It became unbearably hot in the middle of day. The blue sky was cloudless and the sun was unrelenting. The six of us headed for a trailer in the Piazzale selling cold drinks. After a half hour we were ready to get out of the sun and head back into town. Problem: We did not know which bus to take back. We huddled under a tree with the only shade available and kept an eye out for an available taxi cab. We spotted a cab dropping people off in the Piazzale, and Son #2 ran over to ask the driver if she was free. We were so grateful for the taxi’s air conditioning and the quick ride to the Ponte Vecchio. It was time for another round of gelato at the same gelato shop on the corner as the previous night.

It was about 4:00 p.m. as we walked toward the Pitti Palace and spotted Son #1 and family coming out of the Pitti Palace toward us. What luck! We couldn’t have timed it better. DH, me, Son #2 and family walked up to the Pitti Palace, peeked into the entrance and took more photos. DH went with the others back to the same gelato shop on the corner. Florence is a compact city and we easily walked everywhere.

At this point we all wanted to window shop for jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio, so we split up. I purchased a pair of slightly-twisted gold oval earrings (45&euro and 24K gold (replica) Florentine coin on a chain (we paid 210€ cash, but 270€ if you put it on a credit card).

As the clock approached 5:00 p.m., it was time to go back to the Hotel Casci, check my e-mail for the nonexistent Vatican message, clean up, and meet everyone in the hotel reception area. Our plan was to have dinner in Fiesole, which is a small, Etruscan town perched on a hill just north of Florence. It’s about a 20-minute bus ride, and we wanted to get away from the crowds for while, enjoy cooler air and a relaxing dinner. About 6:30 p.m. we walked north on Via Cavour to Piazza San Marco for Bus #7 to Fiesole. At a tabacci shop we bought round-trip bus tickets. We had a quick, casual look around the Etruscan ruins because a concert was being set up in the amphitheatre. There is a fine Etruscan archeological park in the ruins where an author was doing a book signing. More photos.

I had my short list of restaurants ready as we proceeded to the Piazza Mino. Il Polpa, our first choice, was closed. We read the outside menu of a few restaurants and decided to eat al fresco at Ristorante Pizzeria Etrusca. Unfortunately, the entire Piazza Mino was under construction. (I read somewhere this piazza was once a Roman forum.)

Meals were ordered, and when DIL #2 got her fish it still had its eyes and bones. I knew she couldn’t eat it, so I suggested that she order something else. The restaurant did not charge us for the fish dinner. How lucky have we been? The kids had the thinnest, most delicious pizza. Steak was tender and tasty.

After dinner, dusk was settling in as we walked up the steep Via Francesco. Guess what? We took more photos. The view of Florence from up here is breathtaking, but the cameras had a hard time focusing on the panoramic landscape in the darkness.

It was getting late as we boarded a bus in front of Bar Blu back to Florence and another visit to Piazza Signoria. A different band was playing tonight near the Palazzo Vecchio and a crowd had congregated to listen to the music.

A street vendor started hawking us with us with the lighted whirly-bird spinners. DH negotiated a cheaper price, and bought another one for each grandson. They had tons of fun with these things. An American boy was playing with our grandsons and his parents weren’t going in their pockets for the 5€. DH bought one for the young American boy and he was thrilled.

On our way back to the Hotel Casci, we passed Piazza della Repubblica, where there was a “Charley Chaplin” mime, a girl, and opera music playing to accompany his act. The crowd was large, and the show was an unexpected treat so we stayed to watch. At the end of the show, Son #1 was chosen to “get” the girl. I was getting tired, so DH and I walked back to the Hotel Casci. I checked my e-mail at midnight for the Vatican’s response: None. Bed at 12:20 a.m. Don’t know what time the rest of them pulled in.

i_am_kane

Hi Everyone,

I found this old post of mine where I never completed the trip report. There is still some good information in it, even though it was from 2006.

If anyone is interested in the continuing (long) story, please let me know and I'll post it.

mariebut

Great review of your trip, could you maybe just quickly recap Rome especially your accomodation for me.

i_am_kane

Mariebut, Here's the Rome portion of the trip.

Florence to Rome: Thursday, June 29, 2006

Up at 6:30 a.m., a quick breakfast, paid the hotel bill, and out the door at 8:15 a.m. Mrs. Lombardi called for our three cabs plus one extra cab for another couple at the hotel. Four of us were the first to get down to the sidewalk and took the first cab that pulled up to the hotel. They didn’t know they took the other hotel guest's taxi cab! Then one DIL thought she left her camera in their room, and ran back to look for it. After a crazy 10 minutes six of us were in a cab the train station and the first group of four was waiting at the entrance. Our taxis were running late because of traffic, and we got to the Santa Maria Novella Train Station with just minutes to spare for our 9:50 a.m. departure on the Eurostar to Rome.

The Eurostar was comfortable as usual, and our reservation confirmations were processed without incident. A conductor with a hand-held computer/printer entered our PNC confirmation number, printed a receipt and we were good to go. We arrived at the Roma Termini on-time and took three separate taxis to the Hotel della Torre Argentina, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 102. This hotel is well-located, but there is a busy bus stop directly in front of the hotel’s entrance doors. The interior décor is on the formal side, but not stuffy. We dropped off our luggage, and hit the bricks running out to lunch at Trattoria Otello alla Concordia, Via della Croce, 81 with Son #2 and family. Son #1 and family took off for the Forum, Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. The Trattoria Otello alla Concordia is a bright, airy restaurant with an upscale clientele, tucked away on a side street near the Colosseum. The lunch was very nice and the four of them finished their meals before we did, so I suggested that they leave to visit the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. DH and I finished our lunch leisurely. As an aside: Son #1 bought the 3-Day Roma Pass, which was a wash financially, Son #2 did not buy one; his wife is a European citizen, so their children often had free admission to sights.

DH and I visited the Basilica di San Giovanni in Lateran, but the second Underground Tour (of the layers of three previous churches) that day wasn’t starting until 3:00 p.m. This basilica is in layers with remains of previous temples at different levels below the existing church. As we walked back toward the Colosseum, unexpectedly a strong sandstorm arose. The sand was swirling all around us, blowing sand into our hair, eyes, and ears, and sending paper flying in the air. We continued on to San Pietro in Vincoli where we saw St. Peter’s Chains in a reliquary under the main altar as well as Michelangelo’s Moses (1515 AD). The huge amount of steps leading up to San Pietro in Vincoli was surprisingly steep and a strenuous climb in the intense, baking heat and the sandstorm. But, I was satisfied that I finally got to visit both of these churches. (There is a limit as to how many churches/architectural ruins DH can see in a day.)

We didn’t go into the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill because we had been there in 2001. It was time for more water, which by-the-way, was never cold enough for us. We passed the east façade of the Arch of Constantine (looking west) and I took photos of four relief maps on an exterior brick wall illustrating the Roman expansion:

1) 8th C. BC, the founding of Rome
2) 146 BC after the Punic Wars
3) 14AD at the death of Augustus
4) 117AD at the death of Trajan

Along the Via dei Fori Imperiale we took more photos of Julius Caesar’s statue, Trajan’s Market and the all-marble Monument to (King) Vittorio Emanuele, commonly referred to as Il Vittoriano, which is a sight to behold. It is every bit as impressive up close as it is in the travel books. A brief, cursory look at the cats in the Cat Sanctuary, then back to the hotel at 5:00 p.m.

Rome was even hotter than Venice and Florence...no break from the intense sun and heat - and now diesel fumes from vehicles. Window shutters on buildings were closed tight against the glaring sun. As we approached the busy, crowded bus stop directly in front of the Hotel della Torre Argentina, I was reminded that, for Romans, daily life goes on in spite of the hordes of tourists in their city. Watching the citizens of Rome go about their everyday routines made me think about life in Italy as a whole, not just as a tourist destination. What is the true face of Italy? Certainly, not what we were experiencing.

Everyone regrouped at the hotel and some of us gave laundry to the front desk despite the high prices. The unrelenting heat was making us go through clothes faster than we anticipated. The front desk staff at the Hotel della Torre Argentina was efficient, but reserved. Also, there is no guest Internet access available at this hotel. We were advised to walk about five minutes down the road to an Internet store.

Dinner that night was a short walk to Ristorante La Carbonara in Campo dei Fiori, where we chose outside dining. DH bought all the women (including our GD) flashing red magnetic heart pins and our grandsons got battery-operated fans. My 8-year old GS bought me and his mother each a long-stemmed rose – sweet. A magician near our table was amusing. He appeared to be of Indian decent and spoke Italian with an Indian accent: “Guarda! Uno, due, tre!”— then he would perform a trick. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

After dinner we headed over to see the Pantheon in the Piazza della Rotunda, which was packed with tourists. Our gelato fix was at CèCè in Piazza della Rotunda. While we were walking, I stopped in the Albergo Cèsari about 9:00 p.m. A clerk was sitting at the front desk. I saw old mattresses lined up against the hall wall. This hotel cancelled our room reservations one month before our trip because of an extensive hotel renovation. I spoke briefly to the hotel clerk and then continued on to the Fontana di Trevi. It was packed with tourists. We tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain in the hope of returning to Rome some day. It worked for us five years previously. Standing there, I could picture the famous scene of Anita Ekberg (as Sylvia) cooling off in the Trevi Fountain with her long blond hair and fabulous black, low-cut, evening gown.

Plans for the next morning were to visit the Vatican Museum, and we had one last chance to check my e-mail for their elusive message. I knew there was a late-night Internet café in Piazza Barbarini. DH, me, Son #2 and family started hoofing it there. It was a long, tiring walk in the dark. Bars and/or nightclubs were open as we passed by, and there was somewhat of a peculiar feeling to this late-night adventure. However, we finally got to the internet café. A foreign keyboard layout is a challenge to understand, but we managed. Again, no message from the Vatican. We were pushing 11 o’clock now, exhausted after a long, hot day, so we took a cab ride to the Hotel delle Torre Argentina. Bed at 12:30 a.m...when in Rome.

Rome: Friday, June 30, 2006
Another early morning. Up at 6:15 a.m., and down to the hotel’s lower level for breakfast. This breakfast room is large, bright and cheerful with many tables plus an adjoining room with couches and tables. The continental breakfast offered the standard fare.

A quick walk across the street to the Internet café to check my e-mail for the last time for a reply from the Vatican Museum, but there wasn’t one. Each family took off separately for Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica. When DH and I arrived at Via Conciliazione, I decided that, with the short time we had, we should pass on Castel Sant’Angelo and go directly to St. Peter’s Basilica. Without cell phones, there was no way for us to notify our sons that they wouldn’t see us at Castel Sant’Angelo as planned. The line was long in the square, but moved quickly (about 20 minutes to the entrance), and most of the time we were standing in shade. St. Peter’s is breathtaking and there is probably no church in this civilized world that can compare to it with its colossal statuary and massive polished marble floor.

A quick stop in the Vatican souvenir shop, two 4€ bottles of water, and we were on our way back down Via Conciliazione toward Castel Sant’ Angelo. In a flash, police had a dragnet out for illegal street vendors. Photo op! The vendors were surrounded by the cops, but they all knew the drill. Blankets on the ground were scooped up with as much merchandise (handbags) as they could hold, and anything that fell out stayed on the ground as they were running for cover. We didn’t see any guns drawn, but some undercover guys had guns tucked in the small of their back. This all lasted about 3-4 minutes.

We continued walking toward the Pantheon and took, of course, more photos. Back at the Hotel della Torre Argentina, I did laundry (this is starting to get old). Lunch for the two of us was at La Sagrestia, Via del Seminario, 39 off the Piazza della Rotunda. The paper-thin pizza was wonderful. When we told the rest of the family about lunch, they all agreed to have dinner that night at La Sagrestia. Gelato was at CèCè.

Tonight Italy beat the Ukraine with a final score of 3-0 in the World Cup semifinals. It felt like the entire city of Rome went wild. As we were walking back to the hotel, the Italians were letting their hair down - horns blowing, flag waving, cheering, people running down the Via Corso and Via V. Emanuele with Italy’s flag on the hoist. It was a great victory celebration and there we were in the thick of it...spectators and observers of the Italians caught up in World Cup frenzy, and then finally bed at 12:15 a.m. (at least for DH and me).

Rome: Saturday, July 1, 2006
We were out of bed at 6:15 a.m., breakfast, and out the door at 8:15 a.m. with Son #2 and family to the Roma Termini. We purchased six round-trip train tickets (119&euro to Orvieto, and departed Rome at 8:47 a.m. — arrival in Orvieto was 10:30 a.m. We rode the Funicular to the top of the tufa rock where the town of Orvieto is positioned. This is a lovely hilltop Etruscan town, which has a nice feel to it. The day was starting off just fine as we passed the brightly-colored ceramics and tourists gift shops. Our GS bought a replica crossbow for 14€, and our GD bought a white top with a necklace for 10€ and DIL bought peaches in an open-air market. There is less English spoken here, so we stuck to buon giorno’s and grazie’s.

Afterwards we purchased tickets at the ticket office in the main piazza for the next “Journey to the City Underground” tour.

About 12:00 noon, we had what I consider, a bad lunch. On this particular trip, I found it was difficult to take valuable sightseeing time locating the specific restaurants on my list when there are a lot of people in your group. At 11:45 p.m. the tour guide started the Underground Tour, and we told her that we must catch the 1:30 p.m. bus in the piazza so that we can make the 2:07 p.m. train back to Rome. The tour was interesting, but if it had lasted any longer than an hour, I would have been bored. At 1:30 p.m. sharp, we boarded a bus, which took us to the top of the Funicular where we encountered this huge mass of people crammed into the boarding area. We realized the Funicular wasn’t moving, nor were these people who were part of a tour group. A husband and wife from Ohio needed to get on the same train, and told us there was a foot path down to the train station, follow us. Sounds like a plan to me!

I can’t believe we did this: Ran zig-zag down the entire 325 meter tufa rock (2+ miles) in about 90 degree heat on cobble-stone roads with the scorching sun beating down on us. I was focusing on the roof of the train station like it was the finish line in a race. Why aren’t there ever any clouds in the sky? I thought I was going to die from overheating. Son #2 ran ahead and bought a bunch of cold bottled water in the train station for all of us. We arrived at 2:00 p.m. in time for the train scheduled at 2:07 p.m. Well, of course the train was late! As we sat on a bench on the train platform waiting for our train, but we never saw any of the people from the top of the Funicular arrive at the train station.

It was an hour+ ride back to Rome. Everyone nodded off — a little tired, I guess. Son #2 and family took a taxi cab back to the Pantheon and we took a cab back to the hotel. I did more laundry and ironed. Son #1 and family had gone to the Borghese Gardens and Zoo (probably a better decision with a 9 and 6 year old).

We decided to eat in Trastevere that night and walked from our hotel through a dark, dimly-lit, dreadful looking neighborhood with cracked sidewalks along the Tiber River, then over the Ponte Sisto. As we entered Trastevere through a seedy section with a lot of tough looking 20-35 year olds I didn’t recognize any of the restaurants on my list so we continued walking until we were in Piazza Santa Maria, where the Santa Maria in Trastevere church is located.

Son #2 and I left the remaining eight of us in the piazza and we scouted the area for an acceptable restaurant. As we passed by some restaurants on my list, I mentally scratched them off as not-quite-right for our family. We got lucky and found Ristorante Arco di S. Calisto, Via Arco di San Calisto, 45. I stayed at the restaurant while the waiter set a table for ten while Son #1 went back to the piazza to round up the rest of us. I chose not to eat al fresco because the interior of the restaurant was air conditioned and lovely. We needed this.

The restaurant turned out to be fantastic. The food was wonderful. I had the best chocolate mousse of my life here. There is an elderly man who has played the (acoustic) guitar in this restaurant for 40 years (we were told by the waiter). You can see him on their web site: www.ristorantearcodisancalisto.com. I thought he was the owner, but our waiter said no, he just plays the guitar and sings for customers. Dining in Italy is always pleasurable, and this night we were entertained as well! At no time did we feel any pressure to finish our meals so they could flip the table. After dinner, we found ourselves back in the Piazza Santa Maria, and it was jammed with people. The carabineri were arresting a young boy (early teens), which put a damper on our evening so we left Trastevere, back over the Ponte Sisto (it looked like there were cafés along the bank of the Tiber River). More bottled water on the walk back for only .80. DH and I returned to the hotel about 10:45 p.m. Everyone else stayed out for a while. Bed at 11:15 p.m.

Note: DIL gave me a good review about Tosca Ristorante and Pizzeria, Chiavari 91, s.r.l., Largo di Chiavari in Rome. The thin-crust pizza was an excellent. Lunch on two different days for four individual plain pizzas with four sodas was 24€. This ristorante is located between Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Navona.

Rome: Sunday, July 2, 2006
The day started for me at 6:30 a.m. then breakfast with Son #1 and family. We said our good-byes and kisses because this was the last we would see them in Italy...they were returning to the United States.

Son #2 and family took off for the Borghese Gardens and other “catch-up” sights picking off targets on their map. We did not see them until 5 p.m. at the hotel. Our plan that day was to take a bus ride to Tivoli. DH and I bought an ATAC ticket and boarded Bus #64 to the Roma Termini, found Metro B line and got on the train to the Tirburtina stop. When we got off the train, we boarded the WRONG bus to Tivoli and rode on the local orange bus around the northwest residential corner of Rome for almost two hours. I asked a local Italian girl sitting in front of us for help, but she spoke limited English. She and the bus driver had a discussion, and decided we should just stay on the bus until he brought us back to the Roma Termini. Ok, we can do that—no choice really.

On our return bus ride from “nowhere,” I spotted the Piazza del Popolo. We quickly got off the bus at that stop and, of course, took more pictures. Now, we are starving and I’ve got my list for recommended
restaurants in the Piazza del Popolo area. No luck finding any restaurants on my list and we were hungry, so we chose Il Brillo Parlante off the Via Cavour near the Piazza del Popolo. We ate al fresco and talked with a Dutch couple from Holland at the next table who spoke perfect English.

Needless to say it was still HOT in Rome and we decided to walk the entire length of Via Corso and window shop. We bought gelato cones at Il Delfino. It was a Sunday afternoon without any vehicular traffic on the road. The Via Corso leads you directly in front of Il Vittoriano, unofficially known as the wedding cake or typewriter because of its many levels and the whiteness of the marble in contrast to surrounding buildings. We passed the Il Vittoriano monument, and just before our hotel took a few minutes to watch the cats roaming around the Cat Sanctuary. A quick stop at the Internet store, then back to the hotel to clean up for dinner.

Son #2 and family hadn’t been to the Piazza del Popolo yet, so we took a six-passenger cab there and snapped more photos! Dinner was at the same restaurant Il Brillo Parlante, but this time dinner was in their wine cellar - another wonderful meal.

I can’t believe we walked the entire length of the Via Corso again on the same day; except now we took a left onto Via Condotti which leads you straight to the Spanish Steps. My GD’s feet were hot and she soaked them in the Boat Fountain’s cold water. It was a wonderful end to our last night in Rome. We were so happy that our family wanted to eat dinner together at the end of every day. Got to bed about 10:30 p.m. after I set the alarm for 5:45 a.m. We were so tired, we could have slept on boards.

NEXT ON THE HIT PARADE: Capri!

dina4

Hi I am Kane!

Thanks for posting your report. I am really enjoying it. How nice you got to travel with your family.

I am eager to also hear about Capri, as we are going this summer for the first time with our kids.

Also, i am curious how you enjoyed the Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace. We are returning to Florence, also, for the 3rd time, and hope to finally get there. I thought my daughter would enjoy the Costume Gallery, and I am eager to see the gardens.

thanks again!!
dina

ms_go

I missed this the first time around. Thanks for sharing. I'm planning a similar three-generation trip in June for a group of eight, ranging in age from four to 74--so I'm enjoying this.

i_am_kane

Hi dina,

My husband and I did not visit the Boboli Gardens and the Pitti Palace, it was Son #1 and family.

What I was told by them is that it was a good place for the boys to feel free to run around in wide-open spaces (plus the trees provided shade from the sun). My son and his wife enjoy formal gardens (she's from England where they have lovely gardens). It is amazing that we met them coming out of the Pitti Palace at the exact moment the six of us we returning from Piazzale Michelangelo. Total happenstance.

ms._go, with three generations traveling together we had all agreed that everyone could do their own thing after breakfast every day. Sometimes my husband and I teamed up with one of our sons and family, sometimes our sons and their families went some place together, but split up at some point during the day.

The end of the day at dinnertime was great because everyone had so much to talk about by sharing their experiences.

The end of June into July was HOT, and we drank lots of water. I had never been to Italy during those months. We always travel to Italy during end of April to end of May when the weather is perfect.

I guess I revived this report because I am now in the process of converting all the photos of this trip onto a DVD with background music...priceless.

Shall we move on to Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast?

dina4

YES!

i_am_kane

OK dina,

Rome to Capri: Monday, July 3, 2006

The alarm didn’t go off! Oh, my God! DH woke up at 6:07 a.m. and we dressed quickly, brushed our teeth, washed our faces, closed the suitcases, checked out of the hotel, met Son #2 and family in the hotel lobby, and we were riding in two taxi cabs by 6:35 a.m. on our way to the Roma Termini to catch the 7:25 a.m. Eurostar Alta Velocità train to Naples.

One cab arrived at Roma Termini first and the second cab arrived about 6:50 a.m. A fast-food breakfast restaurant was open so we had croissants, cappuccino and hot chocolate. We boarded the Alta Velocità train (the new super-fast train) which left the station at 7:25 a.m. exactly. Whew! The train reached 200 km/h on our ride to Naples, and we arrived at 8:52 a.m. Exactly on time. Once again, there was no problem with our Trenitalia paper tickets.

Next order of the day was to take two cabs to Molo Beverello and catch the hydrofoil to Capri. What a rip-off—€50 per cab, but we had no choice. Traffic was insane in Naples...the streets are choked with traffic. Riders on vespas make their own lane: They drive down the center yellow line, and it’s amazing there aren’t more accidents. Scary. I noticed most of the cars parked along the side of the road in Naples were dirty and banged up—kind of like they are throw-away cars. No different than the last time we were there. However, most Italian drivers pay attention to what they're doing. I saw very few drivers using cell phones, eating or drinking while at the wheel. I’ve learned to respect Italian drivers. They are aggressive, but considerate and serious drivers.

We purchased tickets at €14 each to board a hydrofoil to the Isle of Capri. When we arrived at the Marina Grande, we gave our six suitcases to a porter for transport to La Minerva Hotel for the cost of €8, while we rode the Funicular up to the Piazzetta. La Minerva is a short walking distance from the Via Camerelle, tucked away on a peaceful pedestrian-only walkway. Mauriano was at the front desk and he assigned us rooms 31, 32 and 33. DH and I had room 33, which is the largest, but all three
(adjacent) rooms have spacious terraces that face the Bay of Naples affording guests fantastic views on the upper levels otherwise enjoyed by soaring birds. The rooms and bathrooms were decorated “like the sea,” bright white walls, high ceilings with blue and white ceramic floor tiles, spotlessly clean. La Minerva is perched on a hillside over looking the Bay of Naples. The main level of this hotel consists primarily of an “expansive living room.” It is decorated with an appropriate degree of understatement, so as not to steal your eyes away from the surrounding natural splendor of this island.

Mauriano suggested lunch at Ristorante Pylalli Wine Bar in the Piazzetta. The food was out-of-this-world. DH had fabulous spaghetti with zucchini flowers, Son #2 had braciole with arugula and tomato salad, 10-y.o. GS had fantastic ravioli. All the while there was a cool breeze on this tiny patio, and it felt as though we were in a tree house as church bells were ringing. Our waiter said he knew our old friend from the now-closed Casanova Ristorante, who has since moved to Parma.

We decided to go back down to the Marina Grande. Our GS needed sunglasses (he lost his). We boarded the “Bus from Hell” on an extremely hot ride down to the Marina Grande with sweaty bodies pressing up against us and very little ventilation. Luckily all of us were seated, but we got stuck in traffic on a curve in the road for about 15 minutes. Traffic was so intense, everyone was hot and it took quite a bit of skill to maneuver the bus around the curve down the hill. There was no more than 2—3 inches between our bus and an oncoming bus. Our GS was sitting in a single seat, and he had a huge-butted woman standing in front of him and a huge man standing in the aisle to his right side. GS was being crushed by these people and at one point, the huge-butted woman leaned over him forcing his neck backward, and I told her to back off from him, which she did. GS bought sunglasses and GD bought a bracelet. We decided to take the Funicular back up to the Piazzetta. Basta!

Back at the hotel room, I did more laundry (as you can see, this has become my job) and put it out on the patio to dry in the sun. Son #2 and family went swimming (for free) in the pool at an adjacent hotel from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We relaxed on the rooftop terrace of the La Minerva and unbeknownst to them, took photos of them in the pool...just like the paparazzi.

After showering, and a change of clothes, we all had dinner at Ristorante Buca di Bacco, Via Longano 25. It was an early dinner and the restaurant was not crowded. The restaurant is decorated lovely and the wait staff was impeccable. Gelato and a cappuccino at a sidewalk café on Via Camerelle. Back to the hotel at 10:15 p.m., bed at 10:30 p.m.

Capri: Tuesday, July 4, 2006
We woke up at 7:00 a.m., and had breakfast on La Minerva’s rooftop terrace. It was a simple, continental breakfast, and unremarkable. Another beautiful sunny day on the Isle of Capri. Hot, but not unbearable like Rome.

About 8:00 a.m., we all walked down winding lanes with exotic plants and stone walls to the Caesar Augusto Giardini and took photos. On our way to the gardens, we passed the Capri Perfumerie and took a quick look inside. The gardens are enchanting. Because it was early in the day, our family had the place all to ourselves — not another tourist in sight: Quiet, beautiful and breathtaking views of the Faraglioni Rocks and the Bay of Naples.

At mid-morning we boarded a bus to Anacapri and walked through St. Michele church grounds. By 11:00 a.m. we were thirsty so we stopped at a café in the center of town. DIL and I had a coffee/ice cream/whipped cream cold drink. Heavenly. We didn’t stay in Anacapri long, and took the bus back to Capri Town. We bought gifts at a store on Via Camerelle: DIL purchased a coral necklace and
earrings, GD a star fish pendant with a black chain and GS a black leather bracelet with a silver plate. Capri Town has lots of upscale shops trying to separate you from your money.

Lunch for the six of us was at Ristorante Aurora, which shows lots of movie star photos on their walls the likes of George Hamilton, and Sylvester Stallone, but there were no celebrity sightings for us on the island. Sigh. Pizza and one tiny steak for lunch was 95 euro!

CAPRI! A SLICE OF HEAVEN: LAND OF SUN AND SIRENS.

Luigi Esposito, owner/manager of La Minerva recommended his friend, Vincenzo, escort us around the Isle of Capri in his boat. We made a reservation for 2:30 p.m. The weather was as perfect as it can get. Son #2 and family took a swim in the Green Grotto. I joined them in the Blue Grotto. I still can’t believe I jumped into the cold water! That was the easy part — the guy on our boat told me to hoist myself back up into the boat! No can do! He had to grab me under my armpits and hoist me up into the boat. Good thing he was strong! Then, I hurt my ankle when I transferred back to Vincenzo’s boat. My wonderful DIL put ice on my ankle. It hurt for about three weeks afterward. I’m getting too old for this stuff!

A few of us layed on a boat mattress at the front of the boat and took in the sunshine. We returned to the Marina Grande at 5:30 p.m. just as it was starting to rain lightly. It was a relaxing, fun, wonderful, memorable afternoon.

Back to La Minerva, and re-scheduled dinner at Le Grottelle for 8:00 p.m. Everyone checked their e-mail with the hotel’s laptop before we left for dinner. The light rain had stopped and the ground was dry. My ankle was slightly swollen and the 20-minute walk was a steep uphill climb to the restaurant. I should mention there is a million dollar view near the Arc Naturale. Good meal. Walked back into town for gelato and pastry at a bakery shop on Via Camerelle. Back to the hotel by 10:15 p.m.

Tonight Italy beat Germany in the semi-finals for the World Cup!

Capri to Sorrento: Wednesday, July 5, 2006

The alarm went off at 6:45 a.m. and we met for breakfast on the rooftop terrace. We paid our hotel bill and thanked Luigi Esposito for a pleasurable stay La Minerva Hotel. It is obvious that a lot of pride goes into the operation of this hotel. The hydrofoil was scheduled to leave the Marina Grande for Sorrento at 9:20 a.m. Luckily, we arrived at the harbor about 9:10 a.m. The hydrofoil crew was waving us onto the boat because they were ready to leave. Anyone who showed up after 9:10 a.m. was left on the dock.

When we arrived at Sorrento’s Marina Piccola, it was prearranged that Marciano Limo Service (friends) would pick us up at the dock in a van and drive us to the Grand Hotel Aminta. We were assigned one double room and one quadruple room on the ground floor. This hotel has attractive public rooms, but basic, simple guest rooms. The hotel’s public places are much more attractive than the guest rooms. However,I would not stay here again.

We ate lunch at Ristorante Aurora. Son #2 and family ate at La Fauna —both are located in Piazza Tasso and both lunches were not good, but time was more important than quality of food. They took the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi while we shopped in town. DH bought a classy-looking bracelet. After shopping, and two gelati we took the hotel’s shuttle bus back to the hotel.

That night, we had dinner at La Favorita (O’Parrucchiano) in town. This is a lovely garden restaurant and it is truly unique. I believe it is owned by the Manniello family (hotels). DH and I had checked out the restaurant earlier in the day, so everyone else was very surprised at the unique décor. Good meal. The six of us walked around Sorrento, stopped in Gifts by Ana and said hello to the owner, who is our friend, then took the shuttle bus back to the hotel at 11:15 pm. This is the last bus and it was fully packed — we were lucky to get on. Bed at midnight.

Sorrento: Thursday, July 6, 2006

The alarm went off at 7:00 a.m., which was actually quite late for us. Everyone met for breakfast in the large hotel dining room. The buffet consisted of a variety of breakfast food and, if you wanted, special orders.

Marciano Limousine arrived promptly at 9:00 a.m. to take Son #2 and family to the Amalfi Coast. DH and I had taken the Amalfi Coast ride in 2001 and thought maybe the four of them would like to do this on their own. We were strongly encouraged us to join them since the van seats eight people at a cost of 120€ for the entire day. We scrapped our previous plans and accepted...so glad we did. We stopped twice along the Amalfi Coast Drive: Once at a small fruit stand where we stretched our legs and took photos, next was the 5-star, luxury Santa Cristina Hotel for photo ops.

Even though DH and I had toured the Amalfi Coast in 2001, but it is always pleasurable to see this area. There are few more delightful areas than the Amalfi Coast with its quaint towns, equable climate and easygoing character. We explored Positano for about an hour, then we bypassed Amalfi so that we could have lunch at Cumpa Cosimo in Ravello. Our anticipated lunch at Cumpa Cosimo was as satisfying and enjoyable as it was in 2001. Needless to say, no one was disappointed. Once again we had a sun-drenched day, and it was getting very hot in the main piazza by mid-afternoon, so we found the min-van and headed toward the town of Amalfi.

It’s been five years since we first visited Amalfi, and it is our least favorite coastal town. This time, in particular, there was a sense of deterioration, and many buildings appeared in need of repair. Everyone, however, did a little shopping. All I bought was a few postcards.

The ride back to the hotel was unforgettable. The winding roads along the Amalfi Drive skirt along the water’s edge. It is a remarkable procession of breathtaking views, but trouble was brewing: First, my GS got an upset stomach and was nauseous. He moved to the front passenger seat, but the nausea was getting worse. The driver quickly had to pull over on the side of the road so that he could relieve himself. Unfortunately for a man standing on the side of the road, he was witness to the scene. Car sickness!

A short time later, Son #2’s stomach started acting up. He asked to stop the mini van at a very precarious spot on the winding, narrow road, and managed to get himself onto a sidewalk near small confectioner’s store. We couldn’t park there, and had to move the mini van up the street to safer parking, but lost sight of my son. DIL left the mini van after about 10 minutes to find him—he was lying on the sidewalk with a resident cat looking at him! Another 10-15 minutes passed and finally he was able to walk back to the mini van and he layed down on the back seat to recover.

When we got back to the Grand Hotel Aminta, it was pool time for everyone! Since it was a hot, sunny day the pool water was perfect. Everyone cooled off and we felt much better. I relaxed with a Piňa Colada, and DH had couple of beers.

Later, we took the hotel shuttle to Sorrento’s downtown, and DIL called her sister, to tell her to look at the web cam while we were waving at the camera. I couldn’t reach Son #1 in Florida, so I left a message on their voice mail. So there we were at long last standing on the corner of Via San Cesareo and Via
Tasso, waving at the web cam hoping someone would see us in the U.S. My friend’s store is directly across from the web cam and we stopped in again to say hello to her.

World Cup fever was still in high gear as we walked through the streets of Sorrento. I took a photo of this sign posted on a wall:

A SIGN ON A BUILDING IN SORRENTO, ITALY:

“Dopo una lunga agonia con tanta sofferenza si è spenta la Germania ne danno il trieste annuncio i fratelli würstel, le sorelle patate ed i nipote crauti. In silenzio si deposita la salma. Non fiori ma pizze.”

(COLLOQUIAL) ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

“After prolonged suffering, Germany has passed away (died!). This sad notice is given by her hot-dog brothers, potato sisters and sauerkraut grandchildren. The body has been buried in silence. In lieu of flowers, send pizza!”

Too funny!

Dinner that night was at Ristorante da Gigino in the upstairs dining room. The food was good, but unremarkable. My shrimp dinner had these huge prawns still in their shell. Mamma Mia!

We phoned Marciano Limo for a taxi ride back to the hotel at 11:15 p.m. We didn’t want to deal with the hotel crowds trying to get on the last shuttle bus. Bed at 11:45 p.m.

Sorrento to Rome: Friday, July 7, 2006

We awoke at 7:00 a.m. to a gray, cloudy day. At breakfast, we talked about what we were going to do our last day in Sorrento. After we ate, our grandchildren had about 45 min. of pool time before it started to sprinkle. We checked out of the hotel and they let us put our luggage in an empty conference room. This was our last day in Sorrento and our options were limited; we knew not to stray too far.

We took a SITA bus from the front of the hotel into town, and walked around a bit. We strolled through the Westin Excelsior hotel’s park-like grounds and took more photos. It was time for lunch, so we made our way into Piazza San Antonio where DH bought some clothes (he loves to shop) and we had lunch al fresco (can’t remember the name of the restaurant). It was a little after 1 o’clock and black clouds were rolling in threatening a downpour. I asked the maitre d’ to call Marciano Limo, and ask them to pick us up in Piazza Tasso. He confirmed that he called (later found out he never made the call).

We walked quickly to Piazza Tasso to find the mini van. The rain was coming down harder now. Son #2 and I found an outside pay phone on the median where taxi cabs wait for fares. I dialed the cell phone number for the limo service, and couldn’t make a connection using a phone card. Now the rain is coming down in buckets and Son #2 and I are soaked to the skin, and the other four are hunkered down in a hotel entrance. We ran across to the other side of the street and ducked into a gift store where I saw an Italian woman speaking on her cell phone. I approached her and asked if she would call the limo service and tell them where to pick us up. The nice woman obliged me and called, while the ominous black clouds and loud thunder were still rolling in from the Bay of Naples.

Meanwhile huddled back at the hotel entrance, DIL found a paper napkin and wrote our last name on it as big as she could. Our wet, GS held it up against his chest, hoping someone from the limo company would drive by and see us. They were huddled together in the small alcove desperate to stay dry. The sky opened up, it was dark and down came bucketfuls of rain. Well, it turned out later we found out that Papa Marciano drove by and saw the napkin with our name. He called his daughter, who was exactly where she was supposed to be: At the Grand Hotel Aminta waiting to pick us up. When she got the call from her father, she told the front desk at the Aminta, but they would not allow her to take our luggage, which was still in the empty conference room.

Her only option was to drive to the Piazza Tasso and rescue the six of us, who were soaking wet. By now it was 2:00 p.m. and we were running a half hour late: All the way back to the hotel to get our luggage. I opened my suitcase, found a dry top and changed right there in the conference room. This was no time to be shy.

All this put us behind time considerably since our Naples—Rome train was scheduled for 4:10 p.m. departure. During the long ride to Naples, the weather started to improve as we drove north. Unfortunately, the exit to Naples Centrale was flooded and she had to drive through the center of Naples. We had about 10 minutes to spare. The Alta Velocità Lounge personnel were kind enough to let us use their “facilities” and they made sure we boarded the right train to Rome.

This time the Alta Velocità’s speed got up to 300 km/h (about 186 mp/h), and we arrived Roma Termini at 5:37 p.m. right on time. (Train rides proved to be the best time for me to write in my journal.) We took two taxi cabs to the Hotel San Carlo near the Spanish Steps. This small hotel is well-located, but it has a quirky layout. Two of our rooms had bathrooms where the shower spills onto the floor. The kids thought it was fun. Our room had a long corridor entrance with the bathroom off of it and a step up into the bedroom. This hotel had air conditioning and right now that was all that mattered. This was it: Our last night in Italy.

The front desk clerk kindly made a 7:30 p.m. dinner reservations for us at Otella alla Concordia, Via della Croce, 81, which is around the corner from the hotel, and also arranged for a taxi cab in the morning. Son #2 and family took off for the Spanish Steps and any other unfinished business. DH and I walked along the Via Margutta and passed by Osteria Margutta, which has great curb appeal. The waiters were outside looking up at the threatening black sky as they prepared to bring tables and chairs inside. This restaurant is supposedly a vegetarian restaurant, located on what appeared to be a street frequented by artists with antique shops. Afterward, DH window shopped and I sat on the Spanish Steps to relax a bit…or so I thought.

Well, I pulled out my (new) camera to take a few photos and decided to try and get rid of the histogram on the view finder. After two weeks of approximately six hours sleep a night, I guess this wasn’t the time to start pushing buttons on a new camera. Accidentally, I reformatted the 1GB memory card and lost all my 400 photos! I was so upset. DH came back to get me because it was time to meet everyone at the restaurant for dinner. I told them the bad news. The good news is that everyone else had taken almost the same pictures, and I could buy them for my album. Dinner at Otella alla Concordia was good, no complaints. We walked back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m. Bed at 10:00 p.m.

Rome: Saturday, July 8, 2006

A relatively early continental breakfast at 6:45 a.m. The breakfast room is directly behind the front desk and it is cramped. People are literally on top of each other. It was the most disappointing breakfast on our trip.

The hotel front desk clerk asked us if a female hotel guest could join us in the taxi/van to Fiumicino Airport. What a deal this woman got…10 euro because she tagged onto us. The cost for the six of us with luggage was total €60 or €10 each (not bad).

The Italian cab driver was a nice, friendly guy and he told us how much (in his opinion) Italians appreciate the Americans vacationing in Italy. A big help for their economy. What he didn’t like is the euro because it has raised the price of goods in Italy. Blah, blah, blah.

Fiumicino Airport was a little unorganized, but the lines moved. What was disturbing to my DIL was the high-profile presence of armed police or military all around the upper level of the main lobby in the airport.

All-in-all, we had beautiful weather on this trip—maybe warmer and more humid than was really comfortable. Our Delta flight at 10:15 a.m. departed on time to New York.

The limousine driver was at JFK with a BLACK stretch limo this time.

Sunday: July 9, 2006

World Cup Finale: Italy (team name Azzurri) beat France 5 to 3 in a shootout after a 1/1 draw. Forza Italia! Winning really is everything. This was the fourth World Cup for the Italians. After the victory was secured, fans of Italy everywhere celebrated the title.

All of Italy rocked on July 9, 2006!

FINE (end)

dina4

"Tonight Italy beat Germany in the semi-finals for the World Cup!"

We were in Rome that night! It was so fun following the soccer that summer!

Well, Kane, thank you so much for the details!! I loved reading about your adventures.

A few questions, if you don't mind:

1. Just so I'm prepared, was 8 euro per bag for the porter at Marina Grande?

2. Was the bus up to Anacapri as bad as the bus down to Marina Grande? Wondering if we should take a cab instead.

3. That boat trip sounds glorious. Do you remember about how much something like that costs?

Thanks again!!
dina

i_am_kane

dina,

1) The 8 euro was for all six pieces of 21" luggage, plus two shoulder bags.

2) The bus ride to Anacapri was fine - nothing compared to the ride down to the marina, but then again, we didn't meet another bus on a curve.

3) The cost of the private boat ride was (about) 130 euro for six of us, which included entrance into the Blue Grotto. BTW, we did not wait in a queue to enter the grotto. We went right in...I guess it's who you know.

dina4

Thanks for all the info!!

Can't wait to get there...

i_am_kane

dina,

I'm sure all of you will have a blast!

KL467

bmk