Have you lost you way or something odd happened along the way?
Oct 15th, 2004, 05:39 PM
#1
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Have you lost you way or something odd happened along the way?
Underwood's thread talking about getting lost on the way to her hotel, reminded me of one year in the Camargue. We thought we were on our way to a restaurant but stuck in traffic, which we didn't understand why. We suddenly found ourself in line to pay our fare on a ferry. It was a short delightful crossing. Serindipity raised it's beautiful head again.
Oct 15th, 2004, 05:47 PM
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I love Serendipity!!! I was with a friend this evening, and it is all about serendipity! Oh this is different story........
Wehn I was in San Fran. my friend and I were so tired from our winery trip, wwe drove all over the city. We could not find a street near our hotel.
Ok, we cried. We sat in our rental car and balled. We were tired, frustrated, etc,,,
A lovely police man came to our car. he asked how he could help. He gave us precise directions to out hotel. We turned around to say Thanks, He was not there, no car..... we thought he was an angel.
We are not crazy, and I will never forget that. True story.
Wehn I was in San Fran. my friend and I were so tired from our winery trip, wwe drove all over the city. We could not find a street near our hotel.
Ok, we cried. We sat in our rental car and balled. We were tired, frustrated, etc,,,
A lovely police man came to our car. he asked how he could help. He gave us precise directions to out hotel. We turned around to say Thanks, He was not there, no car..... we thought he was an angel.
We are not crazy, and I will never forget that. True story.
Oct 15th, 2004, 05:55 PM
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Lucky for you people and serendipity.
Every time I'm lost I seem to end up with a pee-pee story.
In Lille a couple of weeks ago I was turned about heading back to my hotel after dark. I ended up going around the less traversed side of the St Maurice church.
As I went round the back side there were not one, not two, but three gentlemen whizzing against the church. I thought I'd entered the men's room.
I don't even want to mention what happened walking between Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord on the same trip. I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll take the underground passage thank you very much.
Every time I'm lost I seem to end up with a pee-pee story.
In Lille a couple of weeks ago I was turned about heading back to my hotel after dark. I ended up going around the less traversed side of the St Maurice church.
As I went round the back side there were not one, not two, but three gentlemen whizzing against the church. I thought I'd entered the men's room.
I don't even want to mention what happened walking between Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord on the same trip. I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll take the underground passage thank you very much.
Oct 15th, 2004, 06:01 PM
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indytravel, when you said "Every time I'm lost I seem to end up with a pee-pee story" I thought you meant every time you get lost, you really have to pee, because that's what happens to me! I've peed in some strange places across Italy...that's all I'm saying!
Oct 15th, 2004, 06:24 PM
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Serendipity, oh yes, this thread brings to mind a strange story.
First time in Italy (1970's) Rented a Fiat. Friend in Milan suggested driving to Genova, staying a night or two there, than go down the coast, cut over to Pisa, than Florence etc.etc.
He wrote down four hotels that he knew of in Genova that he liked. So we leave Milan in the rental car, drive west, go south and soon there are many off ramps for Genova. So like we know where we are? Not. My DH took an offramp, we were in the city but had no idea where. And no, we did not have a map with us because we had left it as the cafe in Milan where we had enjoyed morning coffee. Now this seemed like a really fun time!
After driving around for 15 or 20 minutes my DH saw a little court on his right with a hotel at the top of the court. I said, being the ever loving wife, "what in heavens name are you doing?" DH said, "that is a hotel and I am stopping for the day, I want lunch, some wine, and I want to stop driving". OK. We had decided in advance he would always park and stay with the car and I would always go into the hotels to see if they had a vacancy so he parked (in a "no parking zone of course"
. He and daughter stayed in the car and I went into the darling hotel. In my fractured Italian asked the desk clerk if they had a room, or maybe two. Answer "NO". Oh boy. Hungry, tired husband, hungry daughter.
No map of Genova, only the list of the four hotels that our friend Franco had given us. So I pulled out the paper with Franco's list of hotels (Franco had used his business stationary) to ask the desk clerk if he knew where and how we could get to any of these hotels.
As soon as I turned the paper to the desk clerk his eyes got rather big and he said "Buon gionro Senora, two rooms wait for your". I think I said something rather elegant like "huh?".
Snap, snap of fingers. Desk clerk yells "Antonio, Antonio, la familiglia Torino". Antonio comes running. Antonio runs outside with desk clerk giving him instructions a mile a minute.
Antonio indicates to DH to get out of car, opens back car door for daughter to get out. Now at this point DH thinks I am wonderful, right? Luggage removed from trunk, taken into hotel. Assurances from desk clerk parking in "no parking zone" NO PROBlEM SIGNOR".
DH registers us, we are taken up to first or second floor, shown beautiful room with connecting small room for daughter. Fresh flowers already in room along with some fruit and cookies.
Now I am really worried. Who do these people think we are? At this point I am not even sure who we are.
Than manager arrives, greets us, welcomes us, and suggest, if it is our pleasure that down the street about four blocks is a wonderful restorante for our meal if it would make us happy.
Happy, my DH is delerious. I am really worried. Who do these people think we are? But, hey we are hungry, we have rooms. So we freshen up, go downstairs (in one of those old wonderful creeky elegant elavators, through the lobby with everyone greeting us, go down four blocks, find the restaurant, are greeted like old friends (what IS going on here I keep thinking) and have a fantastic meal along with the nona (grandma) of the owner who joined us after the meal to teach us Italian.
This is the strange, surreal part.
Franco had listed four hotels on his stationary. The hotel my husband saw out of the corner of his eye and drove up to was not on this list.
Franco had called all the other four hotels to inform them "we might be arriving and was assured by all four hotels that if we did they would have a room for us". The hotel my DH drove up to was not on the list. But Franco had called them anyway. He had thought of this hotel after we had finished morning coffee with him and had driven out of Milan. He had called this hotel and told them they should expect us.
Franco, at that time, worked for Ethiopian Airlines, traveled all over Italy. Very outgoing fellow. Many people knew him.
Toward the end of our trip, when we met up with him in Milan he chucked over the hotel in Genova. It was his favorite. He knew we would love it and was really upset at himself that he had not listed this hotel as the very first hotel on the list he gave us.
But he called them because as he said "somehow I thought you would go to that hotel". I am so glad that you gave you good rooms and good service.
We were speechless.
Can you imagine driving into SanFrancisco, taking some off ramp, driving around for awhile, seeing a small (40 room aprox) hotel on a side street and having this happen?
To this day when I think of it I just shake my head and think there are angels up there that guide us I believe.
However, too bad the angels were not with us when we attempted to drive out of Genova to head south. Oh, mama mia! But that is a story for another day.
First time in Italy (1970's) Rented a Fiat. Friend in Milan suggested driving to Genova, staying a night or two there, than go down the coast, cut over to Pisa, than Florence etc.etc.
He wrote down four hotels that he knew of in Genova that he liked. So we leave Milan in the rental car, drive west, go south and soon there are many off ramps for Genova. So like we know where we are? Not. My DH took an offramp, we were in the city but had no idea where. And no, we did not have a map with us because we had left it as the cafe in Milan where we had enjoyed morning coffee. Now this seemed like a really fun time!
After driving around for 15 or 20 minutes my DH saw a little court on his right with a hotel at the top of the court. I said, being the ever loving wife, "what in heavens name are you doing?" DH said, "that is a hotel and I am stopping for the day, I want lunch, some wine, and I want to stop driving". OK. We had decided in advance he would always park and stay with the car and I would always go into the hotels to see if they had a vacancy so he parked (in a "no parking zone of course"
. He and daughter stayed in the car and I went into the darling hotel. In my fractured Italian asked the desk clerk if they had a room, or maybe two. Answer "NO". Oh boy. Hungry, tired husband, hungry daughter.No map of Genova, only the list of the four hotels that our friend Franco had given us. So I pulled out the paper with Franco's list of hotels (Franco had used his business stationary) to ask the desk clerk if he knew where and how we could get to any of these hotels.
As soon as I turned the paper to the desk clerk his eyes got rather big and he said "Buon gionro Senora, two rooms wait for your". I think I said something rather elegant like "huh?".
Snap, snap of fingers. Desk clerk yells "Antonio, Antonio, la familiglia Torino". Antonio comes running. Antonio runs outside with desk clerk giving him instructions a mile a minute.
Antonio indicates to DH to get out of car, opens back car door for daughter to get out. Now at this point DH thinks I am wonderful, right? Luggage removed from trunk, taken into hotel. Assurances from desk clerk parking in "no parking zone" NO PROBlEM SIGNOR".
DH registers us, we are taken up to first or second floor, shown beautiful room with connecting small room for daughter. Fresh flowers already in room along with some fruit and cookies.
Now I am really worried. Who do these people think we are? At this point I am not even sure who we are.
Than manager arrives, greets us, welcomes us, and suggest, if it is our pleasure that down the street about four blocks is a wonderful restorante for our meal if it would make us happy.
Happy, my DH is delerious. I am really worried. Who do these people think we are? But, hey we are hungry, we have rooms. So we freshen up, go downstairs (in one of those old wonderful creeky elegant elavators, through the lobby with everyone greeting us, go down four blocks, find the restaurant, are greeted like old friends (what IS going on here I keep thinking) and have a fantastic meal along with the nona (grandma) of the owner who joined us after the meal to teach us Italian.
This is the strange, surreal part.
Franco had listed four hotels on his stationary. The hotel my husband saw out of the corner of his eye and drove up to was not on this list.
Franco had called all the other four hotels to inform them "we might be arriving and was assured by all four hotels that if we did they would have a room for us". The hotel my DH drove up to was not on the list. But Franco had called them anyway. He had thought of this hotel after we had finished morning coffee with him and had driven out of Milan. He had called this hotel and told them they should expect us.
Franco, at that time, worked for Ethiopian Airlines, traveled all over Italy. Very outgoing fellow. Many people knew him.
Toward the end of our trip, when we met up with him in Milan he chucked over the hotel in Genova. It was his favorite. He knew we would love it and was really upset at himself that he had not listed this hotel as the very first hotel on the list he gave us.
But he called them because as he said "somehow I thought you would go to that hotel". I am so glad that you gave you good rooms and good service.
We were speechless.
Can you imagine driving into SanFrancisco, taking some off ramp, driving around for awhile, seeing a small (40 room aprox) hotel on a side street and having this happen?
To this day when I think of it I just shake my head and think there are angels up there that guide us I believe.
However, too bad the angels were not with us when we attempted to drive out of Genova to head south. Oh, mama mia! But that is a story for another day.
Oct 15th, 2004, 06:41 PM
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Sorry for the errors. I tried about 6 times to "edit" my post, but could not correct the errors by using "edit". Have never had this happen before.
So just decided that the website is not perfect tonight and just went ahead and posted.
So just decided that the website is not perfect tonight and just went ahead and posted.
Oct 15th, 2004, 07:12 PM
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IndyTravel and Cigalechanta, thank you for your beautiful post. I have to confess that I have kept this story to myself for many many years because when we returned home after the most beautiful two months anyone could imagine I attempted to share this story with friends and family. Not family, but saw friends roll their eyes as in "oh sure". I have had the experience that a lot of people do not want to hear about ones travels. And in this case I really thought they thought we were making up a story. I am not clever enough to make up a story like this. But even as I wrote it tonight I thought to myself "noone is going to believe this". It is still hard for me, after all these years to believe it but I remember it like yesterday even down to the beautiful room we had. And oh yes the "huh", I always have hoped that the desk clerk thought that was something "clever" American comment. Oh well, I was dressed very nice.
It is wonderful to be able to connect with people that travel, that understand travel, that live to travel.
I just wish I was able to travel more than I do, but I am sure all of us here do. Happy weekend dear friends.
It is wonderful to be able to connect with people that travel, that understand travel, that live to travel.
I just wish I was able to travel more than I do, but I am sure all of us here do. Happy weekend dear friends.
Oct 15th, 2004, 07:37 PM
#14
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loveitaly, you are not alaone. I'm 71. so little time and money left, I always worry that I may not make or afford the next year. So my cure is to enjoy the day and fun and my visiters as they come.
Oct 15th, 2004, 09:40 PM
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LoveItaly, I love your story. I truly believe something special happens to us when we're travelling and seeing the world with fresh eyes that is magical, which is another wonderful part of travel.
Last time we were in Audalusia going to Malaga to the recently reopened Museo Picasso, DH was driving and we took the city center exit, but there were several roads to choose from, and we had no idea which one to take. Then I noticed two policemen by the side of the road standing next to their car and told DH I'd ask them, which I did, in my very limited Spanish.
They told us to follow them and lead us for at least 10-15 minutes to the city center by a beautiful plaza where we immediately found a parking place.
Once out of the car, I asked an elderly man where the museum was, and he told us to come with him and we walked with him for about 10 minutes directly to the museum (which is fabulous).
Here's to "getting lost" and seridipity...
Last time we were in Audalusia going to Malaga to the recently reopened Museo Picasso, DH was driving and we took the city center exit, but there were several roads to choose from, and we had no idea which one to take. Then I noticed two policemen by the side of the road standing next to their car and told DH I'd ask them, which I did, in my very limited Spanish.
They told us to follow them and lead us for at least 10-15 minutes to the city center by a beautiful plaza where we immediately found a parking place.
Once out of the car, I asked an elderly man where the museum was, and he told us to come with him and we walked with him for about 10 minutes directly to the museum (which is fabulous).
Here's to "getting lost" and seridipity...
Oct 15th, 2004, 10:45 PM
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Oh artlover, people that will not travel abroad will never understand the beautiful experiences, will they.
Your story is touching. I think more than the perfect hotel room, the most fabulous restaurant etc. it is these special moments, people reaching out to people that make traveling so special.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Your story is touching. I think more than the perfect hotel room, the most fabulous restaurant etc. it is these special moments, people reaching out to people that make traveling so special.
Thank you for sharing your story.
