Here is the start of trip report to Italy from plmn..."My Travels with Mom & Dad"
Oct 29th, 2004, 04:11 AM
#142
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Hi Phoebe,
A major problem with not well knowing the language of other people is that one slurs over, what, to one, subtle distinctions seem to be, while to the speakers native the distinction is large.
If an Italian were to visit Seattle and, wishing to see Mt Rainier (Rain ear), asked where is Rainier (ray knee er) Fountain, not many folks would understand.
"Where is Rainier
A major problem with not well knowing the language of other people is that one slurs over, what, to one, subtle distinctions seem to be, while to the speakers native the distinction is large.
If an Italian were to visit Seattle and, wishing to see Mt Rainier (Rain ear), asked where is Rainier (ray knee er) Fountain, not many folks would understand.
"Where is Rainier
Oct 29th, 2004, 04:24 AM
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Ira, I do believe that a good portion of the getting lost was due to this issue.
I was thinking about when people ask me for directions to the bra department how comical the misunderstandings can be.
I was thinking about when people ask me for directions to the bra department how comical the misunderstandings can be.
Oct 29th, 2004, 05:11 AM
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Phoebe, I'm coming in a bit late to your report but it has started my day with a big smile 
I remember your machinations on the packing and am thoroughly enjoying the actual trip. Your photos are great and that dress does NOT look matronly to me.
I remember your machinations on the packing and am thoroughly enjoying the actual trip. Your photos are great and that dress does NOT look matronly to me.
Oct 29th, 2004, 05:40 AM
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This is just about the funniest and nicest trip report I've ever read. PLMN, you and your mom ARE the archetypal mother/daughter on vacation. When I saw your photo, you all looked wonderful! and you look NOTHING like Bette Midler, that woman was presumptous AND wrong!
Oct 29th, 2004, 05:59 AM
#146
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Off we went to the restaurant. It was a lovely walk even though we got lost of course. As I came around a corner there was a lovely looking restaurant with tables on the street. I could not find the sign at that moment and motioned to my parents to hold on while I went and asked a waiter if he had heard of Ristorante Sant' Eustachio.
Guess what...Found it! I motioned excitedly to my folks that we had located our target. Over they came and and we were seated at a great outside table.
Among the dishes we ordered were the fried artichokes and a pasta with lobster. The quest for yummy wine continued and the conversation flowed.
(Oh, I forgot to mention that my parent's were on a mission for me to improve my educational/career situation. Starting at the first dinner I was aksed a series of questions that Marty Nemko, the career advice guru had compiled. My mother likes listening to this man on the radio and had mentioned to me at various times that I should look this man's web site up. The plan my parents had devised was to ask me one of the introspective questions each night at dinner. I found this exercise quite enlightening. (sp?) and it may have in part contributed to the business idea we eventually came up with. The questions were like "What things do people compliment you most on. What subjects interest you most, that type of stuff.)
The food started to arrive and we dug right in. Mother loved the fried artichoke, I tried to LOVE it. I adore artichokes as I enjoy most food but I have to say that this was not something I adored. My mother and I have a habit (which annoys some people, including my own daughter)of making "mmmm" sounds when we are enjoying something particularly yummy and the sounds were in full swing from mom witht he artichoke. I really did try to love it, I ate my whole portion.
Now the pasta with lobster. I read a post from Patrick recently on another thread regarding the salt content of food in Tuscany. He states that Tuscan food normally has a big salt taste. I like a bit of salt myself now and then. But this dish was inedible. We are talking people that will eat most anything not being able to eat this dish. And as a note, we stayed a week in Tuscany, (Cortona) later in the trip and we were not served one single other dish that was this salted. I think the salt shaker fell in by accident. Not to mention that there were maybe 4 tiny pieces of thin lobster meat. In most cases, especially back in the US we would have sent the dish back to the kitchen. We didn't do it this time, not sure why, my dad never hesitates to make his restaurant needs met. (He has even been invited into the kitchens of some very fine restaurants to meet chefs.) It just might have been the great atmosphere, the Italian air and language differences.
There was another dish that we had ordered that seemed to be taking an awful long time and I finally called the waiter over to ask about it. Seems he forgot it. He apologizsed and at the end of the meal he comped us one of our deserts. He was a very nice young man.
We did our little question thing, paid for dinner and walked back to the hotel and went to bed.
My time line is a little off here I think, not sure. I think it was the next morning that my mother thought she had lost her Visa card. It seems that when she paid for dinner the prior night she had some money wrapped around the card and when she paid the bill with Euros she lost the card. I couldn't believe it. Remember, she insisted on bringing only one card. Out came my handy cell phone, which at this time she still wasn't sold on cell phone convenience. I called Visa and reported the card missing. I think I had gone outside to smoke while doing this, god knows I needed a cig.
More to come on this matter, taking qucik break now..
Guess what...Found it! I motioned excitedly to my folks that we had located our target. Over they came and and we were seated at a great outside table.
Among the dishes we ordered were the fried artichokes and a pasta with lobster. The quest for yummy wine continued and the conversation flowed.
(Oh, I forgot to mention that my parent's were on a mission for me to improve my educational/career situation. Starting at the first dinner I was aksed a series of questions that Marty Nemko, the career advice guru had compiled. My mother likes listening to this man on the radio and had mentioned to me at various times that I should look this man's web site up. The plan my parents had devised was to ask me one of the introspective questions each night at dinner. I found this exercise quite enlightening. (sp?) and it may have in part contributed to the business idea we eventually came up with. The questions were like "What things do people compliment you most on. What subjects interest you most, that type of stuff.)
The food started to arrive and we dug right in. Mother loved the fried artichoke, I tried to LOVE it. I adore artichokes as I enjoy most food but I have to say that this was not something I adored. My mother and I have a habit (which annoys some people, including my own daughter)of making "mmmm" sounds when we are enjoying something particularly yummy and the sounds were in full swing from mom witht he artichoke. I really did try to love it, I ate my whole portion.
Now the pasta with lobster. I read a post from Patrick recently on another thread regarding the salt content of food in Tuscany. He states that Tuscan food normally has a big salt taste. I like a bit of salt myself now and then. But this dish was inedible. We are talking people that will eat most anything not being able to eat this dish. And as a note, we stayed a week in Tuscany, (Cortona) later in the trip and we were not served one single other dish that was this salted. I think the salt shaker fell in by accident. Not to mention that there were maybe 4 tiny pieces of thin lobster meat. In most cases, especially back in the US we would have sent the dish back to the kitchen. We didn't do it this time, not sure why, my dad never hesitates to make his restaurant needs met. (He has even been invited into the kitchens of some very fine restaurants to meet chefs.) It just might have been the great atmosphere, the Italian air and language differences.
There was another dish that we had ordered that seemed to be taking an awful long time and I finally called the waiter over to ask about it. Seems he forgot it. He apologizsed and at the end of the meal he comped us one of our deserts. He was a very nice young man.
We did our little question thing, paid for dinner and walked back to the hotel and went to bed.
My time line is a little off here I think, not sure. I think it was the next morning that my mother thought she had lost her Visa card. It seems that when she paid for dinner the prior night she had some money wrapped around the card and when she paid the bill with Euros she lost the card. I couldn't believe it. Remember, she insisted on bringing only one card. Out came my handy cell phone, which at this time she still wasn't sold on cell phone convenience. I called Visa and reported the card missing. I think I had gone outside to smoke while doing this, god knows I needed a cig.
More to come on this matter, taking qucik break now..
Oct 29th, 2004, 07:09 AM
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PLMN, please let us know if you were glad you took your raincoat. I am about to leave for Europe with the same coat, I think, from TravelSmith except mine is beige (and makes me look like Inspector Gadget according to my husband). But I love it and can imagine wearing it in almost any place or situation. Did you???
Oct 29th, 2004, 07:13 AM
#148
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Yup.
Wore mine almost everywhere, even if it didn't rain I sometimes wore it. Mine made me look like a monk.
Actually there will be a chapter on this with pics.
The pillow feature came in handy on the plane.
Have a great time.
Wore mine almost everywhere, even if it didn't rain I sometimes wore it. Mine made me look like a monk.
Actually there will be a chapter on this with pics.
The pillow feature came in handy on the plane.
Have a great time.
Oct 29th, 2004, 07:34 AM
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Just wanted to add that, whatever your parents think you change about your career, I think you should be a writer. That is a serious suggestion, PLMN, you have just the right mix of funny, touching, informative and self-deprecating. It's wonderful.
(And I'm glad you used your coat. I love that MONK look! My retaliation to my family is that I am wearing mine, with a suitable hat, to our neighborhood Halloween party. I WILL be Inspector Gadget!)
(And I'm glad you used your coat. I love that MONK look! My retaliation to my family is that I am wearing mine, with a suitable hat, to our neighborhood Halloween party. I WILL be Inspector Gadget!)
Oct 29th, 2004, 09:32 AM
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<The questions were like "What things do people compliment you most on. What subjects interest you most, that type of stuff.">
Look at all of your fans here! I agree that you could have a future in writing. Can you imagine a series of books called "My travels with Mom and Dad"? What a great excuse to travel!
Look at all of your fans here! I agree that you could have a future in writing. Can you imagine a series of books called "My travels with Mom and Dad"? What a great excuse to travel!
Oct 30th, 2004, 09:22 AM
#151
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Good afternoon all. Here is a little installment:
I called the number for lost/stolen Visa cards from the back of my card. It was pretty easy to put a stop on my mother's account. We didn't have the number so they were able to do it with just her name.
She had only brought the one card because she didn't want to keep track of too many cards. I warned her!!! But what do I know?
I do believe that my it was by the time I returned to the hotel room from reporting the card missing that my mother greeted me with a sheepish grin clutching her "missing" Visa card.
(When she first told me the card was missing I had asked her to double check. I know that at work people sometimes will say I did not give them back their credit cards and after frantically searching through all pockets, nooks, and crannies they ALWAYS find them.)
It seems she had not returned the card to the same location from which she had removed it.
Now I had to call the Visa people back and see about reinstating the card. Not as easy as one might think. After all, maybe we were the people who found the card and we wanted to steal money from the account? As it so happened the same man I had reported the card missing to was the same man who answered my call this time. Nope, still no good. He was sympathetic, but he still could not reinstate the card.
He advised us that there was a possibility that the issuing bank might be able to help. The problem with that was that the bank was in CA. This means we were dealing with a 9 hour time difference. It came down to the fact that the only way we could get this card reactivated was if my mother spoke directly to a bank rep that knew my mother personally.
We proceeded to make plans for the day allowing for the bank call that we would need to make.
I have to go check my notes. (I found some of them
) I just can't read my short hand very well, special kind after all.
I called the number for lost/stolen Visa cards from the back of my card. It was pretty easy to put a stop on my mother's account. We didn't have the number so they were able to do it with just her name.
She had only brought the one card because she didn't want to keep track of too many cards. I warned her!!! But what do I know?
I do believe that my it was by the time I returned to the hotel room from reporting the card missing that my mother greeted me with a sheepish grin clutching her "missing" Visa card.
(When she first told me the card was missing I had asked her to double check. I know that at work people sometimes will say I did not give them back their credit cards and after frantically searching through all pockets, nooks, and crannies they ALWAYS find them.)
It seems she had not returned the card to the same location from which she had removed it.
Now I had to call the Visa people back and see about reinstating the card. Not as easy as one might think. After all, maybe we were the people who found the card and we wanted to steal money from the account? As it so happened the same man I had reported the card missing to was the same man who answered my call this time. Nope, still no good. He was sympathetic, but he still could not reinstate the card.
He advised us that there was a possibility that the issuing bank might be able to help. The problem with that was that the bank was in CA. This means we were dealing with a 9 hour time difference. It came down to the fact that the only way we could get this card reactivated was if my mother spoke directly to a bank rep that knew my mother personally.
We proceeded to make plans for the day allowing for the bank call that we would need to make.
I have to go check my notes. (I found some of them
) I just can't read my short hand very well, special kind after all.
Oct 30th, 2004, 02:32 PM
#152
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Good heavens, my notes are all out of whack. I can't figure out the timing on the next outing, locating the Museo Atelier Canova Tadolini.
My father didn't come with us but I can't remember leaving him to his own devices so much.
Oh well..here goes. We purchased our bus tickets and made our way to the bus stop. We tried to find a bus that looked like it would stop in the area we wanted to go. We weren't sure which bus we wanted, we had narrowed it down to two buses. Then I had the bright idea to ask one of the women in the green information booth. (These are scattered about Rome. Sometimes the people that staff these booths are nice and helpful. Sometimes they are down right rude, as in this case.)
The response to my inquiry as to which bus to take was "WALK!!" When I asked how long the walk might be, the woman replied in a nasty tone "15 to 20 minutes." My mother's feet were not up to snuff so we really wanted to take the bus. The woman told us take bus #119 (or was it #117 ?), anyway it wasn't one of the buses we had thought we might need but we figured she was the "expert" and knew best.
We caught the bus, a mini. That little bus took us on quite an excursion! After 15 to 20 minutes on the bus it became fairly obvious that we were WAY past where we needed to be. Remember how I didn't get to go to the Borghese Gallery because mom changed her mind? The bus passed the Borghese Garden and Gallery area. So I guess I could claim I got to go after all? Not.
We once again tried to communicate with an Italian bus driver. (When would we take the hint?) "Dove, Via del Babuino?" Eventually he indicated "get off the bus." Or something to that effect.
There we stood dejectedly on the street corner. It appeared as if the bus had made a big loop around the Via del Corso. We decided it was not meant to be and and least we had had a 1 EURO each tour of Rome. We chose a direction to start walking back towards the hotel. (By now mom's feet were rested. ) As we were walking along we commented to each other about the different buildings. "Oh, look how nice that one is" and "isn't that a charming use of glass" and so on. Then my mother said "look over there, see how that roof..." and as I looked it dawned on me that the place looked somewhat familiar and boom...would you believe that was the darn place we had been searching for? "That's it I screamed" excitedly. (I'm sure I looked like I was ready for an asylum by now.)
Thank goodness the place looked as inviting at that moment as it had the night before. One part of the establishment has an area to dine with the cases of pastry and there is another area with a few tables as well. We looked in the pastry cases salivating over the delectable looking goodies and choosing what we would have served to us. We were then seated at a small table by a window overlooking the street.
We ordered our drinks to have with our goodies and settled in to rest and chat among the statues, large and small.
More later..
My father didn't come with us but I can't remember leaving him to his own devices so much.
Oh well..here goes. We purchased our bus tickets and made our way to the bus stop. We tried to find a bus that looked like it would stop in the area we wanted to go. We weren't sure which bus we wanted, we had narrowed it down to two buses. Then I had the bright idea to ask one of the women in the green information booth. (These are scattered about Rome. Sometimes the people that staff these booths are nice and helpful. Sometimes they are down right rude, as in this case.)
The response to my inquiry as to which bus to take was "WALK!!" When I asked how long the walk might be, the woman replied in a nasty tone "15 to 20 minutes." My mother's feet were not up to snuff so we really wanted to take the bus. The woman told us take bus #119 (or was it #117 ?), anyway it wasn't one of the buses we had thought we might need but we figured she was the "expert" and knew best.
We caught the bus, a mini. That little bus took us on quite an excursion! After 15 to 20 minutes on the bus it became fairly obvious that we were WAY past where we needed to be. Remember how I didn't get to go to the Borghese Gallery because mom changed her mind? The bus passed the Borghese Garden and Gallery area. So I guess I could claim I got to go after all? Not.
We once again tried to communicate with an Italian bus driver. (When would we take the hint?) "Dove, Via del Babuino?" Eventually he indicated "get off the bus." Or something to that effect.
There we stood dejectedly on the street corner. It appeared as if the bus had made a big loop around the Via del Corso. We decided it was not meant to be and and least we had had a 1 EURO each tour of Rome. We chose a direction to start walking back towards the hotel. (By now mom's feet were rested.
) As we were walking along we commented to each other about the different buildings. "Oh, look how nice that one is" and "isn't that a charming use of glass" and so on. Then my mother said "look over there, see how that roof..." and as I looked it dawned on me that the place looked somewhat familiar and boom...would you believe that was the darn place we had been searching for? "That's it I screamed" excitedly. (I'm sure I looked like I was ready for an asylum by now.)Thank goodness the place looked as inviting at that moment as it had the night before. One part of the establishment has an area to dine with the cases of pastry and there is another area with a few tables as well. We looked in the pastry cases salivating over the delectable looking goodies and choosing what we would have served to us. We were then seated at a small table by a window overlooking the street.
We ordered our drinks to have with our goodies and settled in to rest and chat among the statues, large and small.
More later..
Oct 30th, 2004, 03:12 PM
#156
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TO: ira and all the great Fodorites-
I tried to make sense of the Fodors Subscriber Agreement and I am not sure it addresses this question:
Do I still own my posts?
Regards,
plmn
(ira- do you have any travel pictures posted?)
I tried to make sense of the Fodors Subscriber Agreement and I am not sure it addresses this question:
Do I still own my posts?
Regards,
plmn
(ira- do you have any travel pictures posted?)
Oct 30th, 2004, 03:42 PM
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Your sweet LoveItaly.
By the way, the reason I ask is a similar subject came up while discussing photo picture posting sites. It seems some of the websites you can post your pics on become the owners of your pictures once you post them.
I was sort of hoping that when we post things here Fodors does not become the owner of what we write.
Another thought on this just happened recently on another thread. Someone posted the actual posts from another site instead of the link to the post and that was in violation of copyright laws.
By the way, the reason I ask is a similar subject came up while discussing photo picture posting sites. It seems some of the websites you can post your pics on become the owners of your pictures once you post them.
I was sort of hoping that when we post things here Fodors does not become the owner of what we write.
Another thought on this just happened recently on another thread. Someone posted the actual posts from another site instead of the link to the post and that was in violation of copyright laws.
Oct 30th, 2004, 03:55 PM
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PLMN, your post regarding copywrights etc.
I do not know.
Some Fodorites for sure will know I would think.
All joking aside, it is a very good question. And now what is a very good and accurate answer?
In the meantime PLMN, I truly, as do so many other, just love your post.
I do not know.
Some Fodorites for sure will know I would think.
All joking aside, it is a very good question. And now what is a very good and accurate answer?
In the meantime PLMN, I truly, as do so many other, just love your post.
Oct 30th, 2004, 11:23 PM
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PLMN, just dropped in on your post, what a glorious epic. I've decided to hold off to the end before I look at your photos, just to see if I'm right. I feel I know you and your family so well, expect a card at Christmas!
