Our Italian adventure was from April 23 thru May 5. My wife and I had been to Italy 3 times before, but we had friends with us who hadn't been there. I have been self studying Italian on my own on and off for 3 years and was anxious to see how I would do. The basic schedule was Rome, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Perugia and back to Rome to leave.

Day 1-2 Home to Atlanta to Rome
Our flight from Atlanta to Rome arrived at 8:15am. Very smooth and painless Delta flight on an Airbus A330. I really like those individual video screens. The passport control line was very slow, but we were out within an hour of landing. We had arranged a car from Rome Shuttle limousine to take us to our hotel. 50 Euro for 4 passengers and it was easily worth it. We were staying 2 nights at Hotel Domus Praetoria with the fabulous Menichelli brothers. It is located on Via Milazzo near the Termini station.Some people don't like the atmosphere in this are be we have never felt unsafe. My wife and I stayed here on a previous visit and loved it. Very clean rooms, excellent help from Massimo and Fabio. Massimo made us a cappuccino to help us get over our lethargy, we stowed our bags, hit a Bancomat, and were off to explore.

Took the Metro to Trevi fountain area, where we took the obligatory pictures and did some window shopping. Trevi was very crowded as usual, with all the normal riff-raff vendors. Wandered away from the crowds to find a small ristorante on a side street, L’Archetto on via dell’Archetto. We arrived just before noon and watched as many Italians arrived on their lunch break. Total 50E for four pizzas, a few side dishes, and water. It was good and just what we needed at that time. Metro back to the hotel to check in and take a short nap.

Decided to take a taxi to the Basilica of St Agostino located near the Pantheon. Before the cab arrived I asked Fabio how much we should tip. His reply "Nothing, they don't deserve it." We received the expected wild and crazy ride from a very dour cab driver. I considered it a plus when I told him in Italian that “one must be crazy to drive here “and he laughed. It helped bolster my confidence to keep trying my language skills. Apologies to Fabio, I gave a small tip anyway. The church is home to the tomb of St. Monica, whom my wife wanted to have a private moment with. There is also a gem and mineral shop on via della Scrofa which drew her attention. We tried to make it to the Pantheon by 7 because we heard there was a free tour provided by Angel Tours. We were a few minutes late, but saw no sign of the tour anyway. The Pantheon is quite impressive, and we always like to come here. Walked to the Spanish Steps and caught Metro back to Termini area to eat dinner at AL39 on via Palestra. It is a small, down the stairs kind of place, nothing fancy but decent food and prices. Somehow we managed to spend 87 Euros for 4 people but we had a lot of food and two bottles of wine. The house wine was not too good but the bottle of Primitivo was. Stopped in a small bar and got a bottle of Prosecco to drink at the hotel before crashing after a very long but satisfying day.


Day 3 Rome
Woke around 8 feeling pretty good. We take NO-JET-LAG on the plane and have always felt good after one day in Europe. Some say it is a placebo effect but I don’t care as long as it works for me. (There are threads arguing pro and con on Fodors). Had our pastries and cappuccino with Massimo. Saw a Laura Pausini (My favorite Italian singer) video on Italian MTV while we ate. Great start to the day. Our friends were still sleeping so we went to Termini to get the Sim card for our phone. I had my Motorola Razor unlocked before leaving the USA so I could buy an Italian Sim card for 10 Euros, put it in my phone and start using it. The guy at the phone place helped me set it up. Calls within Italy were cheap and to the USA about $1 a minute. We could also text to the USA. The 10 E card came with 5 E of usage and you can recharge the phone by purchasing Ricarci cards almost anywhere.
Met up with our friends and headed for the Colloseo via Metro. It seemed really crowded and we found out why as it was Culture week and many museums were free. So we saved 44E but had to fight the crowds. Visited Palatine Hill, walked thru Forum quickly (we had been there before and our friends weren’t that interested), and went to the Colloseum. I really like it and felt our friends had to see it. The weather was great so we had a good time walking about and taking pictures.
It was time for lunch so we decided to go back to our hotel area and eat. It almost backfired as it was after 2:30 and very few places were open. The place we found was generic as I never could discern its name. On the outside it said “pizzeria ristorante” but I doubt that was really the name. Food Ok, wine pretty good, a Nero D'Avola from Sicilia. Cost 52E total.
Fabio at the hotel sent us to Fassi which he said is the best Gelato in Rome. Location is Via Principe Eugenio 65. It was huge and packed. You order and pay first with only choices being large or small. You can then get a cone or cup at the counter after fighting your way to the head of the line. It was a fun atmosphere and excellent gelato. Walked back towards Termini stopping at Santa Maria Maggiore. It’s a beautiful Church well worth the visit. At Termini we bought our train tickets for the next day from a machine. No problems as the ticket machines have good instructions.
Dinner at Meid in Nepols on via Verese which had been recommended by our hotelier Massimo. He defined the difference between AL39 where we ate yesterday and Meid in Nepols as AL39 he would take his brother, Nepols he would take his wife. We enjoyed the friendly service and good food, wine and atmosphere. 97E for 4. Another bottle of Prosecco for after dinner consumption at our hotel. The waiter remembered us from the night before and was very friendly.
After our friends retired for the night, my wife and I decided to go see the Colloseo after dark. We had a great time and really enjoyed the different atmosphere from the crowds earlier in the day. Metro back to Termini, a stop in our “Prosecco” bar for a limoncello with our now waiter friend, and then to bed.

Tomorrow train to Monterosso

More to come…

Great start! I'm looking forward to more.

Great report! I look forward to the next installment, as we are looking for information on Cinque Terre for next year.

Part 2

Day 4 Rome to Monterosso

We enjoyed our last breakfast with Massimo at our hotel before walking to Termini station with our bags. (10 minutes or so) We all had agreed before the trip to only bring 1 bag per person and it proved to be a wise decision. We stopped along the way at a bar to get some panini for our train ride as we were to leave at 9:45 and arrive around 2:00. At Termini I purchased a 20E recharge card for my phone which lasted until the final day.

No trouble finding our train or reserved seats. The trip was smooth other than the poor condition of the train toilets, some were even locked so they couldn’t be used. Our only change was in La Spezia, where we had about 15 minutes prior to boarding for Monterosso, which in this direction is the last of the five villages. The weather is rainy but we are getting excited as the train stops at the first town Riomaggiore. As you pass along the villages you get glimpses of the sea and the towns. Here comes the conductor to check our tickets. As I hand them over I immediately notice a frown and the realization hits me that we did not validate our tickets in La Spezia. He starts with rapid fire Italian explaining our error. My comprehension level does not allow much understanding of the words but I “know” what he is saying. My wife and I put on sad faces as he tells us the fine is 50 Euro PER PERSON. Ouch. This wonderful man then cuts us a break, saying he will only charge us 5 Euro per, while sympathetically saying “It is my job”. He gives me a receipt, takes our 20 and goes on. I don’t know or care if he stuck that 20 in his pocket, but I am grateful for his kindness to American tourists. Our friend Br declares that we just saved 180Euro so we can spend it on wine and dinner. For once I agreed with her fuzzy math, as we all breathed a sigh of relief.

My wife started talking to some Australians who were on a 9 week tour of Europe. They were also staying in Monterosso, but had taken the train to La Spezia to eat at McDonalds. Since it was raining, they had decided to break up the all pasta and pizza diet. They had a map and showed us where our hotel was in relation to the train station which proved helpful.

Upon arrival, it was still raining but we decided to walk anyway. You go out the door of the station and turn left, walking until you get thru a pedestrian tunnel. It is pretty cool because you pop out and you are in the main piazza of the old town. Walking in the rain was not the best decision we made as it was further than we thought, but we arrived at La Locanda Il Maestrale in 15 long wet minutes. Stefania and Giovanni own and run the small 7 room inn located in the “old town” in the heart of the shops and restaurants. Stefania checked us in quickly, our room was very clean and had a good feel to it. The inn has a very neat partially enclosed terrace/balcony that sits outside the breakfast room, and allows eating or drinking in a pleasant atmosphere. We opted to share a bottle of wine and relax before going out to look around.

As a side note I should say that we usually split with our friends in each small town, deciding on a time and meeting point. This allowed each pair to explore at their own pace, shop when and where they wanted, as well as spend time alone with our spouse. We then had slightly different adventures and had more to talk about later. It worked very well for all of us.

My wife and I enjoyed wandering in and out of shops, sampling some wine at a wine bar, and the general vibe of the place. It was early in the season so nothing was very crowded, but I like the town and would stay here again.

Dinner at Ristorante Ciak. It was bustling and we enjoyed our pesto dishes, a bottle of the local white wine, a bottle of red, salads, etc. We did try the “mixed grilled fish” and received octopus, some kind of lobster or crayfish, and giant shrimp. Not exactly the fish we were looking for but we all sampled it anyway. Service was very good and so was the food (other than the mixed sea creatures). Our biggest cost yet at 132E. Gelato from a surly waitress at the bar in the main square ended our day.

Day 5 Cinque Terre

The breakfast spread was excellent at the inn, good variety and cappuccino. We headed for the train station as we planned to visit as many of the villages as possible. First stop was Vernazza, well it was actually Levanto as we somehow got on a train going in the wrong direction. I still don’t know how that happened, but I felt sort of stupid. Oh well, it only cost us 10 or 15 minutes. Unfortunately it was raining on and off all day. Vernazza is very colorful and intriguing. Great place for photographs even in the rain. Had lunch at Trattoria Gianni Franzi on the main harbor square. More pesto pasta for all, and of course a bottle of decent house wine. Total 44E. We ran into our Australian friends from the train and invited them to have dinner with us later.

Next up was Corniglia, where we met some Hawaiian folks waiting at the bottom for a bus. They convinced us to wait and we were glad after riding a fairly long way up to get to the town. It is set in the hills rather than the waterfront, much less touristy. After a brief stroll, (it was raining harder) we had a gelato and chatted with a woman helping her child study English. I got to practice my Italian, and they their English. The bus ride back down was standing room only as seemingly all the tourists (25 or 30) were leaving at the same time.

We all really enjoyed Manarola. We had drinks in a small bar and had a great time just sitting and watching the people coming in and out. Walked up the hill to an old church, shopped around and decided to leave Riomaggiore for another time.

We were originally going to have dinner at Ristorante Miky which came highly recommended. We were pleased to see our Aussie friends were waiting for us. They had already eaten there earlier in the week, so we selected something nearby called La Barcaccia on via Molinelli. Wonderful happy meal with new friends, excellent food and wine. Complimentary limoncello capped the evening. 112E for 6.

To be continued

Next up Tuscan hill towns

Enzian,if you have any specific questions regarding Cinque Terre let me know and I will answer as best I can. Thanks for the encouragement.

Thanks for trip diary. I was in CT briefly & am planning return May I ask rates at La Locanda? Their Email? Could you enter your favorite CT restaurant, experience at end of your diary. Grazie.

Part 3

Day 6 Monterosso to Volterra

Departed our hotel La Locanda Il Maestrale for the train station around 9:30am. The hotel offers a discount for paying cash which we were glad to do. This seems to be prevalent at family owned or small hotels. Cost was 110E for double room per night.

Took the train to La Spezia, where we are to pickup our car from Hertz. Took a taxi from the station and arrived at 11:10 am to find the door locked. Of course the hours posted were from 8:30 to 12:30, and our reservation was for 11:30 pickup. I told our friends we would just wait as I have learned that things work differently in Italy, and you just have to go with it. Sure enough, a woman arrives in 10 minutes to let us in and get our car. Allora, we assumed she was on a coffee or smoke break. It was easy to exit the area and that was the main reason I like getting and returning rental cars in smaller towns. (I have had experience driving in Rome and Florence and did not want to do that unless I had to.)

Stopped in Cecina for lunch at a small pizzeria. I cannot remember the name but we were the only tourists there. Good not great, but cheap 27E for all of us. We had debated stopping in Pisa to see the Tower but decided we could live without it this time.

Arrived in Volterra around 3pm,it was raining and very foggy. I did not have good directions to our hotel, but we stumbled upon it without too much trouble.It's located about a 10 minute walk from the walled part of town. Holiday San Giusto is a very small, clean and basic apartment style house with private parking and very friendly owners. Franca speaks a mix of English and Italian and we had no trouble in our dealings with her. At a cash price of 70E per night it was a bargain.

We strolled around Volterra, with my impression being it was more of a real city than some hill towns which are more tourist oriented. I liked the size and overall would compare it favorably with Siena. Everyone was very friendly. After tasting some wine at an Enoteca, we asked about dinner recommendations and were directed to Ombra della Sera on Via Gramsci 70. After we convinced the owner to close the door as it was very cold, we had another excellent dinner experience. We were pleased to be offerta free limoncello after our meal for the second night in a row. I don’t know how standard this is but I like it. We decided to return for more sightseeing in Volterra in the morning, and walked back to our place to go to bed.

Day 7 Volterra, Monteriggioni, Pienza

After a fairly meager breakfast (what can you expect for 70E), we departed the hotel and drove up the hill to Volterra. The weather was much nicer and the views were spectacular. My wife and I went to the Etruscan Museum while our friends explored on their own. We liked the museum, it was interesting to see how far ahead of their time the Etruscans were. The audioguide was worth the price as it helped explain what we were seeing. After exiting the museum there is an artists shop across the street. The woman’s name is Vanna and she has some very good oil paintings. You get the whole experience with Vanna as she tells you about her work and about life, all in a mix of English and Italian. Very passionate. We bought a small painting and she insisted that we send her a picture after we got home, showing it hanging on a wall.

Departed Volterra around noon and stopped at Colle di Val d’ Elsa for lunch. Nice small hill town, easy to park and visit. Decent pizza at Pizzeria Bar il Torrione, not the greatest service but OK. Did a little sightseeing, moved on to Monteriggioni near Siena. Again easy to park outside the walls for a quick visit. Not many shops, but tasted some wines at one and had a glass of wine in a friendly bar located on the main piazza. Back in the car to head for Agriturismo Cerreto which is located about 5 minutes from Pienza. It is to be our home for the next 3 nights. My wife and I had stayed here 3 years earlier and were looking forward to being there again. The rooms are high quality and the farm is beautiful, but the hosts Monica and Nonna Lorena make it special.

Monica recommended L’Osteria Bacchus in Pienza for dinner and we all thought the food and service was excellent. Discovered pecorino with honey combination and ribbolita soup.

Day 8 More Tuscany

Breakfast at Cerreto comes in a basket delivered to your room complete with fresh breads, jams, pastry, coffee and milk. Off to Montepulciano, about 20 minutes by car. A little wandering, wine tasting, and sightseeing worked up a hunger. We decided to buy food for a picnic from a small market. It was fun selecting the items and bantering with the shopkeeper. Back to Cerreto to have our picnic on the terrace. It was great fun to eat, drink wine, relax and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

After a nap we drove to Montalcino. We had a 4pm appt. at Uccelliera winery located near San Antimo. We arrived early so we could visit the abbey first. The monks chant on a regular schedule but were not doing so anytime soon. Moved on to Uccelliera Winery and met Agnes our hostess and guide. She patiently guided us through the winemaking process. We also got to taste the Brunello from large and small barrel sizes and at different ages. (Brunello must be aged 4 years before sale). It was very well presented and easy to understand. At the end we tasted the finished products and met the winemaker Andrea Cortonesi. Agnes told him that I spoke some Italian so he decided to tell me more about his wine. Unfortunately I could only understand about 1/3 of what he said. Cost was 15 E per person but we all thought it was worth it.

Before leaving we asked Agnes for a restaurant suggestion and she told us about a place in Montalcino called Il Baccanale. It is on Via Matteoti. We found it to be a small (about 20 seats) family run place. The mother cooks, and her son and husband work the tables. Again we had the crostone with pecorino and honey as appetizer which was superb. In fact everyone loved their food ( I had pesto ravioli). The wine was served by the son who proceeded to pour one ounce into a glass, viciously swirl, and then pour into each of the other 3 glasses one at a time accompanied by the swirling. Then I was presented the wine in a 5th glass to taste. It was quite a show. We all agreed that this was our best meal of the trip.

Coming soon: More Pienza, Orvieto and Perugia

did you have all these hotels set up in advance? trying to set up for august moving slow at this time but trying to get a game plan

curseball2,

I'm sorry you missed the Gregoria Chants at Sant Antimo. It's so beautiful! Well just another reason to return, that and the Brunello, yes?

Very nice report, I'm enjoying reading while having a glass of Umbrian red.

curveball, it's so nice to read people enjoying and discovering some of the more subtle pleasures of the Italian places you went to -- like Manarola's church, and the more authentic feeling of Volterra (where I'm glad the weather cleared for you!).

I live in Italy and I frequently head for the wrong platform when taking Italian trains. It's a bit counter-intuitive if you are used to driving on the right side of the road.

nelle1 Yes I did have all of the hotels set up in advance. For August travel I would think you would want reservations.

Before I finish my trip report I would like to thank all the Fodorites for comments, advice, and ideas.

Day 9 (May 1 Italian Labor Day)
Since today was an Italian Holiday we weren’t sure what that meant in regards to store and restaurant closings. As it turned out, most places were still open. We drove to Pienza to start the day. Very crowded with Italian tourists, walking, talking, and having a good time. As I have noted previously, American tourists were rare. There were not a lot of organized activities, but the shops were busy. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. We did a little shopping and picture taking before choosing a small lunch spot called La buca di Enea, located on a side street. A husband and wife team run the place. The food was very good and we were all amazed at the variety turned out from this very small kitchen. By the time we left, a line had formed outside. Lunch for four, 47E.

The women had decided to try and visit the terracotta museum in Petroio, about 25 minutes drive. We arrived in this tiny town, and wandered the hilly streets until we found the museum. It was closed with a sign showing it would/should be open in 1 hour. Since it was a holiday, we wondered if it really would be open today. There was a small bar nearby, so we entered to ask if anyone knew about the museum hours for that day. There were several elderly gentlemen playing cards and one asked if we needed help. This was an opportunity to practice my language skills as no one spoke English. No one knew for sure if it would be open today, so a kind man took me outside and walked around the corner to the museum to see if he could help figure it out. There were not any more clues so we decided not to wait. I was impressed by the kindness of these gentlemen to try and help us. Later, I wished that I had asked them if I could take their picture.

Drove to San Quirico d’Orcia to visit another small hill town. A lot more going on here than in Petroio, and we enjoyed our visit. Back to our agriturismo for wine and cheese on the terrace. Our host Monica and her daughter, as well as Nonna and Nonno were also outside enjoying the beautiful weather. We decided to have dinner in Bagno Vignoni where my wife and I had eaten on a previous trip. I cannot remember the name of the place but it is located near the main bath/pool at the center of town. We had a good but not remarkable meal. After dropping off our friends at our residence, my wife and I decided to go back into Pienza to see if anything was going on. There were still a lot of people about but no sign of music or any organized activity. We wandered a bit, had a gelato and went home.

Day 10 Pienza to Orvieto to Perugia

Sadly departed Il Cerreto agriturismo which had been our home for the last 3 nights. Monica and family gave us the kiss kiss goodbye, and we all were happy for the time we spent with them. Drove quickly to Orvieto (around an hour) and parked in the big lot behind the train station. Took the funicular to the top of the hill, and then a bus that dropped us off in front of the magnificent Duomo. This is a terrific system for day tripping as it is very easy to get in and out. The outside of the church is quite a site, with the inside not packing quite the punch but still very interesting. Lunch at Nonnamiele, good pizza and white wine from Orvieto area. My wife and I tried to find the archeology site but never could find it. Gave up and had some wine in a bar instead. By now you can see that wine and food played a major part in our trip.

On to Perugia by car, another relatively short trip. We are staying at Hotel Bonazzi which is located inside the walls on via Bonazzi. We had a little trouble finding it as it is in a narrow alley/street. The hotel advertises parking but it should be noted that the “free” parking is provided by giving you a limited traffic zone pass and directing you to find a spot in a public street. Also offered are parking outside the wall for 8E per night, or 20E per night in a private garage. After negotiating narrow streets with poor directions, we were lucky enough to find a “free” public spot. We were assured it was OK to leave the car there until our departure Monday morning. The Hotel was fine if not memorable, with clean rooms and helpful management.

Perugia was packed with people. It was Saturday of the long holiday weekend but we never expected this big of a crowd. Our first impression was not good, and our friends suggested we should leave on Sunday instead of Monday. I cautioned them to give it a chance, and we would also have had to pay for our room if we left early. I had heard nice things about Perugia and didn’t want to leave without seeing some of it. Our hotel recommended Falchetto restaurant for dinner. It was quite good, with a Rosso di Montefalco wine. 90E for four. Walked around a bit and headed back to our hotel. As was becoming our custom, my wife and I went back out for an evening stroll on our own.

Day 11 Perugia

We opted to not have breakfast at our hotel so we could try out some local places. We went to the famous Sandri’s for coffee and pastry. Fun, lively place. Visited the Duomo which is famous for “Mary’s wedding ring” and a painting of her said to have magical powers. My wife and I toured the Etuscan well which is right in the heart of town. More interesting than I thought it might be. We wandered about taking pictures and shopping. Looked in some clothing stores, prices seemed very high. Bought some Perugian Nero chocolate to take home.

Met up with our friends to have lunch at Vecchio Perugia, home of Frenke Banana,a famous local character. He roams his small restaurant dispensing advice on just about anything that comes to his mind, including the food of course. The lunch was excellent and very reasonably priced. We all had our picture taken with Frenke. After gelato, we returned to our hotel for a bottle of Ucceliera Rosso di Montalcino we had bought at our wine tasting in Montalcino. Superb.
We rode the Minimetro,which was just a five minute walk from our hotel, down to the train station to buy tickets for our return to Rome tomorrow. This metro is a cool way to get to or from the walled part of town to the train station. If I go again, I would park the car near the train station and take the minimetro to the hotel. The car rental return is also very near the station.

Dinner was at Antica Trattoria delle Volte. We had a bit of a strange experience here. After being seated, our waiter arrived with water and I ordered the wine in Italian. Upon his return with the wine, he asked if we were ready to order and we asked for a few more moments. He acted annoyed and left. After several minutes, an older man arrived to take our order. He was very pleasant and tried to answer our friends’ English questions. I had already gotten the impression that not much English was spoken here, but it had not been a problem elsewhere as I know enough Italian to act as a go between. Our original waiter ended up bringing our food, but still had a sourpuss attitude. I can understand if he felt uncomfortable because we spoke English and he did not, but we thought he didn’t really give us a chance. Perhaps he was just having a bad day. The dinner was fine otherwise. After gelato, we drank our last bottle of wine ( a Grechetto from Orvieto), and headed for bed.

Day12 Perugia to Rome

Sandri’s was closed today so we had breakfast in a different café/bar. We thought the pastries were better here, unfortunately I can’t recall the name of the place, located a few doors down or so from Sandri’s. Bags are packed as we are off to Rome for our last full day. I went to retrieve our rental car while everyone else drug the bags to the curb. I got in the car, happy to see no parking tickets and my route to the hotel in my mind. Just as I prepared to start the car, I heard a knock on my window. A city policewoman was doing the rapping. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a Carabinieri car blocking me in as well. I opened the door and got out, then listened to my offenses in Italian. I decided now was a good time to act like I didn’t understand any Italian, so I meekly said “parla Inglese”?? She smiled and said “No park Here”. The police car moved back, and I then realized that the real reason for this was that they wanted my parking space. I was all too happy to oblige, but my plan had been to do a u-turn to get back to the hotel. I didn’t think that was a good idea at the moment, so I and did my u-turn further down the street where I saw an Italian delivery truck do the same.

Refueled the car, found the train station (thanks to good directions from Hotel Bonazzi) where we dropped off the car. The Hertz guy noticed the scratches which had been on the car when we got it. I told him they were on there previously, and after a long look he agreed not to blame me. ( I made a mental note to always look the car over and note any damages which the Hertz girl in La Spezia had failed to do.) I love having a car in the hilltowns, but am always relieved to drop it off. The driving in and around the cities is stressful. Some might ask why we didn’t drive the car to Rome but I drove in Rome once and that was enough for me.

Train to Rome quick and uneventful. Arrived around 2pm, and took the short walk to Casa di Maryelen, located near the train station on via Principe Amadeo. We were greeted by one of Loredana’s daughters, who was very kind and helpful. Loredana came to our rooms to check us in, and we were very impressed by her manner. I had read many favorable comments about her, but wasn’t expecting much from the rooms. We were very surprised as the rooms were very modern and super clean. Some think the area surrounding is rough, but we had no trouble day or night. Highly recommended for any stay near the Termini station. Price was 95 E per night.

For our last sightseeing we went to St. Peters. We stopped for a light snack and a bottle of wine at a ripoff bar, but we knew we were being gouged so somehow it made it easier to take. The weather was beautiful to sit outside and eat and drink while reflecting on our trip. St. Peters was of course spectacular. Decided to have our last meal where we had our first at AL39 on via Palestra. Everyone had cacio and pepe pasta which is a simple but delicious meal. Along with salads and of course wine, we celebrated our last night of the trip.

Day 13 Rome to Home
We had arranged a car from Rome Shuttle Limousine to take us to the airport. Upon arrival we were told to expect an 8 hour delay, due to mechanical problems. Fortunately Delta was able to book us on a different flight and we only arrived home an hour later than originally scheduled.

After getting home, it was about two weeks before I had "gotten over" our trip. I think many of you know what I mean.

Oh I do know what you mean curveball! I have so enjoyed your trip report and have been in a lot but not all of course towns and cities where you stayed. I "travelled" along with you thanks to your most wonderful descriptions of your time in Italy. And congratulations to you two and your friends that your travelling together work out so well!

Thank you for the very kind words LoveItaly. I can tell you do know just what i meant regarding getting back to our "regular life". Buona fortuna.

I am posting some selected photos from our trip to finish off this long trip report. Thanks to everyone for their help and kind words.
http://picasaweb.google.com/LMSodaro/Italy2009Fodors#

I love your photos. I only wish you had posted more of them.

Who is this Franky Bananas?

Leely2,
Frenky Bananas is a local restaurant owner in Perugia who is a former boxer. His place is called Vecchio Perugia, it has lots of pictures on the wall with him and other famous people.
I will try to get more photos posted. Thanks for the kind words.

Great photos, would love to see more. Thanks for posting.