Gate 1 Italy Trip Report
 

I have just returned from our 8 night tour of Italy with Gate 1. We had a wonderful trip and I will share some of the details.
First, let me thank those who contributed to our trip by giving "Fodor" advise before we left.
Our tour was the Imperial Tour of Rome, Forence and Venice.
Day 1. Flew Northwest from Memphis to AMS to Rome. Uneventful. Those of you who said my 1 hour connection in AMS was enough were right although rushing through Schipol was a bit confusing.
Day 2. Arrived at FCO about 2 and there we were met and transferred to the hotel--Cicerone Hotel in Prati. Very nice modern hotel in business area next to residential area. We needed food so off we went down the street to the Caffe Cavour next to the Rist. Cavour, one door over from the rist.Cesare. We saw some small sandwiches and asked for a few. Here is when we fell in love with Italy. Our waiter chooses sandwiches, cheese salami ham and piles them high. We ask for and get a white wine and then he asks what state we are from but names Tennessee and proceeds to name all the singers from that state. I only understood Johnnie Cash. We say Alabama and he is stumped so off he goes and gets another plate of food and more wine. Then he brings a plate and I mean a plate of the most delious cake - lemon with strawberry drivelled over it. WE LOVE ITALY at this point. I ask for the check and it's E22.
More to follow

cont'd
At six we meet for our orientation tour and meet our fellow tourists.
From the hotel we walk to the Alle Due Fontanelle for dinner. Tonight there are 40 of us but this number drops to 27 before we leave Rome. The meal was good but not great but the decent wine was unlimited and everybody has a great time.
The group is more mixed than I anticipated. Young married and unmarried couples. single males together and older (60) folks like ourselves. It turns out to be a wonderful group that really enjoys each other. Even the Tour Guide Gabriella remarks on this later.

Lets talk money for a second. I did not understand the implications of what one poster said before we left. She said to check my bank's daily withdrawal limit. I failed to do this!! I tried unsuccessfully to use my debit card, my credit card AND my AMEX card to withdraw $250. Fortunately I had not heeded the board's advice and I had Euros and dollars with me. I later (last day) learned I was probably asking for too much money!! But the messages read something totally different

Day 3 Breakfast is continental plus scrambled eggs and bacon and is the same in every hotel so I won't mention it again. There is an optional free walk to see the Pope's Wed. blessing. We choose to go out on our own. We walk to Campo de Fiori while looking for a particular shop. We try coffee on the way.. My accent is sooo bad that no ever understands it when I say due cappuccini--but never fear the Italians were AlWAYS helpful except with maps and they will change their procedures of paying to make it easier for you. We find the shop but it is not open. I bought some prepared dry seasoning in the campo for carne, pesce and insalata by the Kg but small enough amount to carry in little bags home which the seller labeled. Then we walk to P. Navon, buy a couple of small paintings and drink more coffee.

con'td On the way back we do the Spanish Steps and Via Condotti
Aside--By the end of the tour we learn that most people will do all the optional tours and never be on ther own. We chose this tour because it had ample free time to see on our own. If you take all the optional tours I believe you add considerably to the cost of the trip. On our trip you didn't have to buy the options until the last moment.
This afternoon is the included tour of ancient Rome by a local guide. This was very good. Paollo was terrific.
There was a small incident. You will read on this forum of the purse snatching. On the way into the forum Paollo pointed out some Gypsies. Later we came across a man and woman holding down one of these Gypsies with a baby in her arms waiting for the Police.Pasports and money had been stolen.

Thanks for posting! Very interesting so far. Keep it coming :-)

Yes, please keep on writing. It's interesting to see Italy from the perspective of a guided tour.

Tonight is an included dinner. A poster asked some months ago about the dinner theatre in Rome. Our dinner was at Tanagra. It is a large attractive room with a raised stage. On the stage itself are several tables with most tables on the lower floor. Our group sat on the upper tables while all the lower seating was occupied by Japanese. There were two male and two female singers to sing operetta(sp)and a pianist. One of the male singers doubled as host--he spoke good but accented English and Japanese.
The entertainment was in three acts, both serious and light. He selected a Japonese male for a Barber of Seville routine which was hilarious. In the last act he chose me to mouth the words of whatever was sung. I went along with it and had a great time. I'm told I do the female roles better than the male. The entertainment was enjoyable
Anyway the food was typical antipasti primi and secundi with tiramisu. (second night in a row--a drawback of a tour). Again the wine was good and plentiful. The group began to bond--as they say.
Aside--there were many many tourists from Japan all over Italy. When the Chinese start traveling it will be chaos

My appologies for my typing/spelling.
Day 4--starts with an included tour-- a walk to the Vatican Museum--remember we are staying in the Vatican area. We enter the Museum BEFORE it opens to the public and as a way to enter the Sistine Chapel without getting in line.(A plus for the tour). Our guide Paollo does a great job and everybody enjoys it.
Aside--a group now leaves the tour--this pleases some because several members of that group were sick. Only one of us ever gets the same bout of illness.
Lets talk lunch--we always did lunch on our own at a "Snack Bar" (These seem to be a chain or a generic word used over the door) or at a tavola--hot table. These had a variety of items--all reasonable.
This afternoon we walked and walked!!
Tonight we eat on our own at Ristorante Cesare which had good reviews. The was antipasti and a pizza for each of us--good pizza, good house wine.
Aside - it is difficult to predict what the total bill in a restaurant will be because of additional charges for bread and or cover/service charges. I didn't care for this aspect of eating on our own.
By now I am red wine lover and stop in at grocery stores along the way for cheap half bottle table wines which we drink at sundown

Specifics about this tour--we did not wear name tags and only one guide used a flag. We were issued whisper ear phones at the beginning and used them while in large settings--you could wander and still hear.
Also this tour could be some what personalized by adding meals and additional days/locations.

Hi fairhope,

Welcome to Il Dolce Far Nienti.

Lovely report.

Day 5 This is our first long trip in the bus. Our driver turned out to be excellent.On these trips our guide never had us go more than 1.5 hours without a break.
Today we set out for Florence with stops in Assissi and Perugia.
The Basilica of St. Francis was a wonderous place and well worth a visit. The town seems to have several accomodations. Perugia has an old section that we approached by escalator in the old castle. This town is worth a short visit. The lunch we had on our own at the Sandi pastry shop was fabulous. Again the Italian staff tolerated us well.
We arrived in Florence as darness approached. The San Gallo Palace Hotel would be the best of the three--new and well appointed. We got the handicapped room which had an especially nice bathroom.
How is there any marble left in Italy??
We yearned for veggies and something different so we went next door and had Chinese. With four of us we had the dinner for 4--a bargain at E40. I suspect Chinese is always a cheaper alterative

Day 5 Today we start with an included tour of Accademia ,Duomo and Bapistry. Lunch on our own and then a personal afternoon shopping at the Leather School at San Croce Church, Ponte Vecchio etc. We try our first gelato--tutti frutti. My goodness-I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
Tonight is another event dinner at Il Tre Pini in Galluzo(sp). Buffet antipasti, pasta primi and a beef crown roast secundi. Wine was abundant. But the hightlight--two old codgers -one singing, one playing the accordian--what a hoot

Day 6 We chose not to take the optional tour to Siena
Today we did sightseeing on our own until early afternoon. Then one of our highlights. Before we left I found a site that listed events in Florence that day. One was a marathon--we crossed this all day long. Secondly it listed the ballet-Romeo e Gulliette at Teatro Verde by the Hungarian National Company. I secured tickets on line--2 for E54. The ballet was well done and for people watchers like us, it was truly an event.
Tonight we do dinner on our own at the Ristorante Ponte Vecchio--the food was boring--same brown sauce on rabbit and veal and the service inattentive.

To try a gelato you'd waited till day 5???

No, not like this.

TO TRY A GELATO YOU'D WAITED TILL DAY 5????

Re: gelato. I humble myself before you and pray that you will forgive for I am but ignorant

We had banana the next day!!!!

LOL

I am really enjoying your trip report.I am finding it very interesting. Please continue.

Day 8 Today we leave for Venice. It's an 8am start -up to Michelangelo Square for a final look down on Florence. First we go to Pisa. Its an 1.5 hr stop. The church and square are a plus to the tower. On we go.
Aside--the bus if it wasn't new , it was kept like it was. Seats were comfortable. With only 27 on the tour there was plenty of room to stretch out. Without being told to, people moved around to allow each a turn at different seating.
We arrive at dusk. The bad weather has got up with us and its light rain. The bus parks at P. Roma and we do a 7min walk to the hotel. The luggage is carried to the hotel and avaiable when the keys are ready.
Aside- At the orietation tour we filled out a form that would substitute for our passports at check-in at each hotel--every check-in took no longer than 10 min for all of us. The luggage was available in 15 min. Luggage was put outside the room 1 hour before departure