Theresa......
Help...I'm hanging off my chair...waiting for the big fight.....

Your report is wonderful...so full of warmth....and REALITY!!
So many posters have perfect trips, with perfect friends, with perfect food......
.............sorta like the familys with perfect kids!!

We'll be in Detroit for the SuperBowl...what is the name of your restaurant...where is it located??

Thanks again for taking the time to post!!

Theresa, don't stop now! I'll go crazy if I don't get to read more before I get too tired and go to bed. I have been reading this report with great pleasure and lots of laughter.

Thanks for telling it like it is.

I know :( i hit the wrong key please forgive me...

I have big issues with the whole walkie talkie thing. i won't carry one. i have a cell it works everywhere i go and my family insist i take this stupid thing with me. i take pride in the fact i don't look like a tourist. my man tells me i can put it on vibrate and they would not call me unless it was urgent.but both of our cells work here! he say's please.... so i'm enjoying a coffee at a cafe and writing in my journel and this dang this is making noise, i can hear my family talking to eachother on it out if front of the collesuem, ahhh i turn it down and then i freakout cause something is touching my lovehandle..it's the thing vibrating. i pay my check and walk way and ask if someone is calling me, it's my family it's been 3 1/2 hours where am i, i'm catching the bus back to the hotel. no they don't want me to do that come back to the colloseum there are still there and they want to eat lunch and hang out with me..they use the line it won't be fun if your not there, ok so it's about a mile walk from where they are at, so i tell them give me at least 30 minutes ok they say were taking pictures with the gladiators..so now i'm on power walk and i'm haulin. i start to approach the arch that's off to the side of the collosuem and that's when the vibrating starts to scare me again and i want to drop kick the thing for a field goal, it's my man how far are you, i about went off, i'm walking as fast as i can, give me 2 minutes.

Now of course everyone wants to know where we eating lunch. believe it or not by the time they go round and round we ended up splitting up and going our own ways. great i run for this...oh what happened to all the fun i was. i wanted to go to the gyro joint by the train station, so off we went. it was uphill and my thighs could have cracked a walnut by the time we got there, i was hurting, i would have took a cab or the bus had i known it would be that tough. but we had gyro salad and a coke for 6 euro, that was great. now we walked back to the hotel to check on the old FIL and take a nap.

I did fall asleep for about 3 hours, in the meantime my husband loaded the pictures and video on the laptop and had it burned on a cd, so i got to see the pompeii shots and they were just awesome, even the dark sky was beautiful. believe it or not things are still in full bloom in rome. roses, bushes, flowers, and orange trees everywhere with fruit still on them, and pompeii was so green and lush the pictures are unbelievable.

His Dad was still sick and i went down to talk to him and he was really pale and said he was ok and he just needed to rest. i ran down to a fruit store around the corner from the hotel and got some 7-up raspberries and crackers for him. they had the biggest pomagranites i had ever seen, and that's one of my favorites so i got one and the man wanted to cut it for me. no thanks i want to admire it first, then i'll eat it later, he giggled when he figured out what i meant. i wanted to buy a bunch of fruit but i knew i could go back anytime and get what i want. so i took the goodies back to the FIL, everyone else was beat from running around all day. the fountain and steps never got toured, but no one feels like doing anything so me and my man got cleaned up and went out for dinner. Michele's is a family owned restaurant near the train station but far enough to be in a regular neighborhood. it was full of locals and our waiter spoke english and we ordered soup salad anitpasta lasagna pizza. everything was so good, we just ate till we about had to roll out of the place. the lasagna was made out of crepes instead of pasta and it was incredible, very smooth and creamy. i tried to tell my man that if he asked for pepperoni on pizza he'd get red peppers, and sure enough that's what was on the pizza, never had it that way but it was yummy. it was like 63 euros but worth it. we laughed at the fact that a shot of whiskey was cheaper that a can of coke at the restaurant. no we were not doing shots, we saw it on the menu. it was a long walk back, and my man wanted to take a cab, but it was too nice to cab it. the weather was perfect, and after that meal we needed to walk. almost got ran over by a scooter, they tend to weave and bob around traffic, and we crossed the street and the cars stopped at the crossing but out of no where a scooter comes barreling up the leftside of the cars waiting and it scared the hell out of all of us crossing the street, we all ran and dove out of the way. that dirty dishrag, my man wanted to do a right turn clyde (only for the clint eastwood fans) but we survived. thank god my inlaws weren't with us, they could have never moved out of the way fast enough.

Stood outside the hotel for awhile talking to the doorman, he was born in the dominican and moved to italy when he was really young. he spoke several languages and was very sweet. the hotel employees were like family by the time we left, and i would go back there and stay in a minute. it's late and we don't want to bother anyone, but it's been hours since we talked to his dad and i was getting worried about him. so we took the chance and called the room and they were still up so we went up to say good night and get a kiss, and they were both in their pj's and looked adorable, he was feeling better, he ate some crackers and breadsticks and drank the 7 up. I told him he had to get better so we could go see his cousins in calabria. but his time no ham sandwich....

"my thighs could have cracked a walnut by the time we got there"

Stop, I am laughing so hard that I'm crying!!! This is great. What is the name of your restaurant and where is it? My best friend lives in Detroit and I was just there at Thanksgiving. I have to meet you in person!!!!

I get up early sneak out without waking my husband. I get down to breakfast and it's quiet even though most of the tables are filled. It's a tour, but it's all asian women and I feel like a giant. my husband joins my for breakfast and tells me his dad is feeling better, and here he comes! Yea. i'm so happy to see him up and about. He sits down but wants no coffee, our host asks how's he feeling and he tells them he has an upset stomach, the host goes and gets a pot of hot water and mint tea, it smells good, and my FIL eats alittle. I entertain My FIL with the story of the guy falling on the stairs and droping his plates and falling on his knee's, we all laugh, it's usually quiet in the breakfast room until we all show up and laugh, and I think the staff is loving it.

My FIL has a cousin in calabria and we want to visit him, my FIL has never met him and only talked to him just recently for the first time, however, my FIL can't speak italian and the cousin can't speak english and i'm not clear on how they communicated while on the phone, so we ask our conciegre to make a call for us and translate this note we have to the cousin, no problem, so Simone calls the cousin and by the expressions on His face he is having a hard time understanding this cousin, so after a few minutes Simone hangs up and tells us he had a hard time understanding the cousin, he speaks a calabria slang, and it's old time italian and not what they speak in rome. no one around there speaks english, but he really wants us to visit. So Simone starts checking train times and prices and we walk next door to the hotel where there is a travel agent who gives us the impression were bothering her, but she gives us the info. Round trip by plane is approx 400. euro each. Great, this crowd don't want to spend 20. euro on a good meal, 400. and they'll have stroke. Simone tells us the train is 140. a person and it takes 6 hours by train, and BTW the cousin wants us all to spend the night.
Well they ask me what do i think, and i say Hell Yeah, this could be the one and only time to see this man. Let's go there and visit, so what if we already paid for the hotel rooms were in now, we can go down there see him, look at photo's eat his food drink his wine meet some cousins and neighbors, make a new relationship, hell he may come to detroit and visit all of his cousins here. well they are going to think about it. OK.

My FIL is going with us, we are just all going to wander around and shop and sight see. I beg everyone to start at the vatican so we can mail our post cards and have them stamped at the Vatican, so they say yes, and we take a cab so the FIL won't have to do to much walking. You have to have 2 cabs to cart us around. only up to 6 allowed in the cabs, and if caught with more they will get fined. and the police are everywhere, i mean all over and it makes you feel safe. Our cab charges us 9 euro and the other cab charges them 13. what, they can't believe it, hey what can you do? call the cops.

We run into the asian women from the hotel at the vatican post office, how cool. The shops are booming and everything starts looking the same, beggars are everywhere, watch your back people. One store had a picture in mosaic tile of the blessed mother with baby jesus, it was beautiful and i couldn't take my eyes off it, i thought how much could it be, maybe 2 thousand euro, I asked the salesman to take it down so i could look at it, and the detail was amazing, the frame was gold inlay and I thought to myself, i could pray to her everyday and think of rome. How much? 25,000. euro, OH Thank you, if money were not an object that would be a lifetime treasure and passed to my daughter Thomasina.

Everyone wants to go to piazza novana(?) and shop, so we walk over the bridge and the river is up over the sidewalks we had admired 2 days before. The sky is getting cloudy and we know it's going to rain. We told everyone to bring an umbrella too. we get to the piazza and we can smell food and were all hungry, My husband picks a place to eat, and we sit outside and the waiters bring over heaters and it's perfect, the other family wants to go get a cheap quick sandwich, not us, we want to sit down and enjoy ourselves. They take off and we order, a few minutes later they come back, they can't find anything they like, so they order pizza and a bowl of soup to split, yep one bowl. So i have to use the restroom and all us girls head downstairs to the bathroom and in the girls room there is an old lady who is the papertowel police, after you wash your hands she hands you a towel. There is a tip plate with change on it, and i noticed when i first went in there was a plate of spaghetti on this little table in the corner of the bathroom, and i thought poor thing, she's probaly trying to make a living out of this, when I got done, i reached over and take a towel and after drying my hands and throwing it away she tell me i have to tip her because she buys the towels I'm using, and gives me that look, in the meantime my MIL is watching this and she backs into the john and grabs toilet paper and dries her hands and gives some to the others, this lady was not happy, she said something to the effect how dare we, and more women came down at this point and she started the speech with them instead. I felt bad, I had every intention of coming back down with some coins, because i felt bad she was eating in the bathroom, and it did gross me out, but i thought maybe this is her only income, and who am I to judge her, she seems to have a mental problem, she had that whole red lipstick around the mouth thing going on and when we first went down there she was talking to herself, I think, so after we got done eating a real tourist meal of pizza salad and soup i went back down to the restroom, as i walked down the stairs she was sitting on a stool and she looked up and saw me, stood up to let me by, but i just reached in put 2 2.00 euro coins. She didn't say anything and either did I, and the plate of spaghetti was still there.

Now the clouds are rolling in dark and full of rain, it starts coming down in buckets, i have to get out of this piazza, there are birds everywhere and bird KA KA all over the place, the people that sell the bird feed have KA KA all over them, and it really was sick. I tell my family it's bird flu and they all laugh.

It's really cold now and most of the family want to go back to the hotel, I tell them we have to find a cab stand to catch a cab, but in the meantime my nephew had been promised they would take him to burger king, that's why he didn't eat much, no problem let's find one, we know one is near we saw it from the 110 bus. I also know there is a mall and i want to go by there too, it's got a Zara's and a chocolate store. So we find the burger king, feed my nephew, I go to wash my hands and there is a hand dryer in the bathroom, thank god for small favors, blow dry my hair and hands, it feels good. across from BK is coffee shop so My husband does the backstroke in the rain to buy me coffee, what a guy. The cab stand is right across the street, so we load the inlaws and my husband and niece into a cab and they go back to the hotel and the rest of us are going shopping. The mall is busy, and water and marble don't mix, people were running in out of the rain and sliding on their butts. We shop for 2 hours, the mall is not big, but some cool stores. I buy lots of chocolate from the Lindee (?) candy store and I'm in heaven. There is a taxi stand there and it's raining bigtime, so my BIL stands in line for a taxi and off we go. We are not far from our hotel and it's 6 euros, it's worth it too. It's not raining at the hotel, I go to our room and my husband is sawing logs, so i get in a tub of hot water and bubbles and read the usa today that i got from the lobby and ate all the chocolates, even the ones i bought for my husband, he'll never know. Or will he?

later in the evening, it's not raining and it's very nice outside, inlaws are in for the evening, Dad's doing good, but don't want to push it. the others are just going to get some snacks hit the internet cafe. My husband sister asks him did he like the candy I got him? What candy?

So me and my man get dressed and walk to a restaurant past the train station and in a little neighborhood, it's called michele's and we walk in and they were very friendly and invite us in to look at the menu and the cold antipasta bar. it's really clean and they seat us right away and not in the back. We say no wine, and they look at us like were from another planet. We go over the menu, use our translator to figure out some dishes, and I'm ready to throw down, I have a huge appetite and i really didn't eat alot the last 2 days and I was starving. So we ordered the usual stuff and pasta and antipasta, the food just kept coming and i just kept eating, the waiter was like Momma Mia, it goes to her legs, we cracked up on that one, we tried to talk but they speak fast, i speak fast. The waiter was great, the meal was like 65. euros and my husband gave him 85. euros and we walked to the door, the waiter came over and thanked us like we gave him a cadillac. We told him we loved the restaurant the service and the food, and we were going to bring our family back. We said bye and off we went. My husband wanted to take a cab, but i refused after all that food i needed to walk. And it was a beautiful night.

Remember the guys that were peeing on the side of the building outside of termini and I called them dogs, and wondered why they didn't go inside and use the bathrooms? well i found out why. After the great dinner, a coke, one large bottle of water and cappacino I was in dire need of a restroom, so we decide to go by the train station and use the bathroom there. we get there i through my purse at my husband to hold on to, this was going to take 2 hands and a balance act, and i run twards the restroom sign, and i get there dancing in the spot i'm standing in trying to figure out how to open the doors, i can't and i think i'm gonna mess myself, and i'm standing there like a moron and a lady comes in and goes past me and puts a euro coin in this slot and the doors open, OHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOO i need coin....I whistle really loud (Yeah like a boy) and my husband knows it's me and comes down the hallway and i'm screaming give me coin...He says what, I scream i need a coin to use the bathroom, so he comes over gets the money in the slot i run in there about knocking anyone in my way down, and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I thought i was going to bust..Now I know why those guys were peeing outside, I almost had to do the same. This lesson and not having a coin to give the old lady in the bathroom earlier taught me to carry coins in my pocket, and it comes in handy again.

That's later, I have a major weekend coming up, We will be busy slingin hash friday sat and sun. So if you all can pray that we are so busy we can't see straight I would appreciate it. Detroit automotive business is in a bad way and it's hurting all of us here in the metro detroit area. Thanks for all your kind words, it really makes me feel good and the first negative posts about the typing and caps almost made me not write anymore, but i'm glad i didn't let that stop me. if one person smiles because of this, i can take any negative stuff they dish out.

Not only am I smiling, Theresa, I'm howling with laughter! I can just hear you whistling to your husband! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us! If I'm ever in Detroit (not really likely) I'd love to find your resto.

Theresa, I love your report! I didn't mean to be negative about the caps, they just interrupted the flow of your great story. You notice I did say I was looking forward to more! And I'm a Clint Eastwood fan and understood that Clyde reference :-d

Wonderful thread, Theresa. I appreciate your candor. bookmarking for when I have time to finish...

Theresa,
I've got to say you make my day and you do indeed make me smile. I've been home sick for awhile and look forward to your posts.
Stay real and always be yourself - your wonderful;
Sherry

Hello again Theresa, your trip report is still fantastic!! Your writing style makes me go way beyond smiling, it gives me a good laugh. What a joy it is. And prayers indeed for you, your family and lots of business for your restaurant. Take care.

Theresa - Everyday when I read a new installment I smile & laugh along with you & everyone else. You are priceless. Don't work too hard this weekend. Can't wait for more installments next week.
Cobbie

Home Sweet Home and with a compt. that works. That laptop about drove me silly. I wrote 3 yes 3 posts and the first 2 got lost to internet hell. Even today at the restaurant we couldn't get online, we tried all day. it snowed bigtime here in the metro detroit area and i'm sure that has something to do with it.

Thanks for all the good wishes, and we were busy today,I didn't stop for 6
hours straight, even my husband had to work hard today and he's the social buttefly and I'm the warden (busboy named me this long ago) My husband does concrete work, ain't no concrete going down until spring for Him. He only does little jobs now, that business is very hard on your body. He already put in his 16 hour days 7 days aweek raising my family days and now He plays johnny cash. when someone is at the register to pay we yell johnny cash and he knows to go ring them up. Quick cute story, my customer told me he was at a restaurant on the other side of town, and he went up to the register and there was a line to pay, but no one there taking the money, and a lady in line waiting to pay too yells johnny cash and He leans out to see who said that, and it was one of my waitress who happen to be there with her sister who lives on that side of town and they were there eating too, he called me from his cellphone to tell me about it.

Susanp I took no offense, I reread the first post over and i see your point. flow is everything, kinda like location location.

I could hardly sleep, The sistine chapel was on our list for the next day and this is something i really have been looking forward too. I get up late today 7:30am and my husband is shocked and it's his turn to sneak around and let me sleep. I come down to breakfast and everyone is there, we have a wonderul family breakfast together. Now it's off to the metro. This is our 3rd trip to this area and i could have gone 3 more times. so much to see,but i would get a tour guide next time. in fact i will be there this march and we have a tour guide and i can't wait to find out exactly what the relic's and art are all about, you know get a better understanding of it all. I had no idea the extent the artifacts. You need about 4 good hours to throughly visit all of it.

The sistine chapel can not be put into words, for Me I sat down and stared for so long my eyes hurt and my neck was sore. I was sorry that people do not listen and go by the very small rules they have at the museum, do not talk while in the sistine chapel and no picture taking, i think that's fair for the lifetime experience your getting. But people were beyond disrepectful. these rule were posted all over in every language but ignored by many many people, i tried to tune them all out (and my husband who insisted on asking me question after question) and absorb the numerous scenes painted with only talented hands that god gave M.A. as i call him. we took the metro to the vatican to visit the sistine chapel, we had no problems getting there, the train was packed by nothing exciting happened. We did talk to a couple from FLA who had been there a week and they had been having a blast. We say goodbye as we exit the train and wish them more fun along the way, and walk to the museum that has a line all the way around the corner, it's just keeps going and going. As usual i told them i was running ahead to get more postcards at the stand i got the first ones from. they are 20 postcards for a euro, what a deal. I had to walk in the street which is very dangerous, but people will not move to let you down the sidewalk. Yeah i could have crossed the street so i do, and the smells coming out of the cafe's there drive me nuts. I smell coffee and sweets, i have to stop myself from going in and getting something, but i just ate breakfast, and i know they will make fun of me if i'm eating again. They just wish they could eat like me, and get away with it. I find my stand and the same guy is there and we talk about the detroit pistons and ben wallace, he say's i'm tall like ben wallace, i tell him, dud you bumped your head, ben wallace has about a foot on me, but he does not get it. We wants to sell me everything. i don't need anything, but i feel bad for the guy. though the sun is out it's cold. so i buy 2 packs of cards, a book and some almonds. I walk back to where the line is and find my family, the line is moving really fast and i am so glad, i don't mind waiting, but when i say the line i thought we'd be standing out there for hours. alot of people approached us to sell trinkets, scarfs, tours and what not, they are brutal too. they don't give up so easy and keep asking what price to we want, shoo fly don't bother me, my family is cracking up and the guy just keeps going on and on, other people starting buying stuff from him behind us, but he must have smelled a sale, and sure enough my MIL and niece start bartering for the scarfs, they are not as nice as the ones we got at the 110 bus stop earlier and doesn't have the fringe either, so my niece asks him if he has anyone with fringe, like the one i have on, no not me my brother, so he runs off and not long afterwards here comes the brother, and if he don't have what we want he will get someone else, funny but this causes more vendors to come over and now it's really time to watch your stuff, because some of the vendors have their wares in backpacks and nothing in their arms, and they are all around us and other tourists, my husband thinks something fishy is going on now, and steps back and watches our backs, now here comes the ladies with the babies in their arms, all this over some scarfs. up strolls some police from behind, we don't see them but the vendors and women do and they start packing up and moving all their stuff and try to cross the street and the police follow them down the street until we can't see them anymore, thank god for little favors because i was sweating it, because we brought this on ourselves and we put every moron inline who wasn't paying attention in danger of being ripped off.

When we get ready to enter the sistine chapel area there is a wooden bridge on the outside of the building that you take to get to a hallway, as were standing there inline, this lady behind me says really loud IS THAT A COOKIE LEE BRACLET? i had no idea that she was talking to me, and she tugs at my sleeve, and i think i'm being pickpocketed, i turn around to see who's got my sleeve, and this lady asks me is that a cookie lee braclet, Yes, i guess, i went to a customer's house for a jewelry party and bought some stuff in the fall, and this lady was some dealer of the company and starts going on and on about how she knew that was a cookie lee and she can't believe that in rome of all place she should run into someone who's wearing a bracelet from the company that sells them and how you can't get that braclet any more. look lady i could careless about this crap, you want to buy the braclet or what? Just another way of proving that the people on the other side of the rockies are way opposite of us on the other side of the mississippi. We are about to see the most popular and well known exhibit in the universe, and she wants to talk jewelry. Gheez.

We are ready to eat now. And i know better than to eat anywhere near this attraction. We start walking back twards the Hotel, we go to a little place not far that i spotted on the great 110 bus. They are not busy and are happy to see us. We get seated and order all sorts of antipasta dishes and they bread is really fresh and i pour olive oil on a plate and add parm. cheese and pepper and we go at it like my cats on a ham bone from the split pea soup pot. we start talking about Cousin Marino in Calabria and Venice. It is my MIL's dream to go to Venice. She bought a painting which is beautiful and it the canals of Venice and she wants to take pictures on the bridges of gondola's. First, Venice is not cheap. the train ride is about 200. a couple and the hotels were not bad price wise, i had checked on the internet before we left and had some idea of costs, and if we go to calabria that would be another overnight trip. My husband and i don't think it's a good idea to take the inlaws on a midnight train to venice get there at 5 am and walk around all day and get on a train that get's back to rome at midnight, we all agree that's too much on them, and the cousin marino thing is out the of the question, they decided it wasn't worth going all the way down there and not be able to talk. But they want to go to Venice and get a room for the night. but not the other family, they have 2 days left and want to hang around rome, and i understand, it's alot of traveling and then getting back 4 hours before their plane leaves for home. They stay 7 days and We are staying for 13. So it's decided, that we will take the inlaws to Venice next week. I'm happy to go to venice and sad no Cousin Marino. I really wanted to meet him and his family, I thought maybe my FIL would change his mind later on in the week, or after we have the Handsome Simone call to translate and things could change. I'm hopeful.

There was a transit strike the other day and i had read it in the paper i didn't realize it already happened. The maid asked me did i know what the flag in my room meant. Why no, not exactly. It was a strikers flag regarding better benefits for the union workers, something to that effect. The autoworkers at the restaurant will love that, i am always harrasing the union workers of the auto plants, and there are about 6 around me, I know i shouldn't bite the hands that feed me, but this is a free country and we still can agree to disagree. But My husband is shocked that I will still hang it up after finding out what it meant. but hey I believe in fairness and good pay, not fat asses not doing their jobs and the good old boys protecting them because of the old system were union brothers, hey your brother is going to carry your load not avoid it. if your dead wood, good bye. later that week Stefano from romecabs said the strike caused chaos for several hours, ouch.

We got back to our hotel late in the afternoon. I was beat. Some of the gang hung out in the lobby and I went to nap. I didn't sleep long, there was thunder that shook the hotel, really, i'm not kidding, the thunder was so loud it woke me and scared the bejeebee's out of me, suddenly a flash of lighting, and BOOM thunder, the buildings seemed to make the thunder echo, and it's really spooky. it only lasted for about 30 minutes, but wow.
They had called the Cousin while I was sleeping and told him they wouldn't be coming, he was really sad, and said he would have his son pick us all up and the airport and he had plenty of room please come. we didn't. The other family was leaving in the morning and Stefano from romecabs was picking them up at 4:30 am. We had the hotel call the restaurant Michele's for a dinner reservation at 8 pm. We took 2 cabs there and when we all walked in the waiter from the other night was there and he and the owner were so happy we brought our family there. They had a table all set up and ready for us. The waiter kept saying our last name that we reserved under Marino, and he made it sound so italian, and we laughed and laughed as we took pictures with the waiter, and he made a hat out of a napkin and put it on my niece's head, and being 16 she was horrified to have here picture taken with this hat on her head, I about fell off the chair laughing. The waiter got some great family picture shots for us. We had a Wonderful time. We ordered so much food, and it was all Excellent and the service Great. My SIL got the cold antipasta bar, and i wish i had too, but i ordered a raw beef dish that has parmesan and olive oil on it. It was bloody and good, and everyone was grossed out about it. it's an italian dish and only my FIL would try it. I ate almost all of it. They gave us huge portions of everything, and there was no way we could eat it all. We all agreed this was one of the best meals and we will never forget it. next door to this restaurant is a ice cream place and they have about 50 kinds, we walk in and the girl behind the counter is sweet and asks us if we want a sample, i want to try the chocolate and red chili one, i taste it and it's good, sweet and then hot, but i want the lemon, it is brighter then the sun and it makes my mouth water, I get the lemon, my niece and BIL are the only others that indulge. It's not raining but it's windy and i think it's great, it smells clean outside and the lemon ice cream is good, I want to walk back, but last time taught me that a cab is better, and no coin incase the large bottle of water i drank myself caught up with my bladder.

When we get back to the hotel, it's pretty weepy, the others are leaving in the morning and we want them to stay, yeah me too. But my BIL is a teacher and his kids have finals, we try to get my SIL to stay and let the rest go home, but she wants to be with her family and i totally understand, so we say goodbye and leave the parents to say goodbye alone with them.

Me and my husband go to the internet cafe, and it's in barbernini piazza which is 5 minutes walk from the hotel. he gets on one compt. and me another. He's looking at his mail and i'm researching Venice. Train, times and hotels. I find a great deal on a hotel there, it's palace bonvecchiati it's a brand new place and on the canals for 120 euro. we reserve 2 rooms for monday. The train we want to take leaves at 9 am that's a time that would give my inlaws plenty of time to get up get moving have breakfast and take a cab to termini. After about 2 hours we are all done with the internet, and walk outside. We start to cross the street, when 3 men walk twards us and one goes to the left and one to the right and the middle guy approaches us and asks us do we speak english, this dude is no american or italian. So we just walk past him without even looking his way and walk into the lobby of the hotel barberinin that's right across the street from the internet cafe, as we stand in the doorway and watch the 3 men walk back by, what it was all about I'm not sure, were they going to do anyting I don't know, but you know that feeling in your gut, well my husband said he had that and when he squeezed my arm as the man approached us my husband also picked up the pace and i went right with him and walked into the lobby of the hotel barberini and sat down for 5 minutes. And got up and walked out and back to our hotel with no problems, maybe it was nothing.

I had packed a suitcase and a carry on. My man did 2 suitcases and carry on. OK i had some shoes in this one suitcase. but i did very good about not overpacking, i have gotten better with experience, but learned the hard way. No,not Me. But i could use some jeans to be washed, and my MIL needed to do laundry too. After we had breakfast we walked to a laundry mat and we were confused as to how to use the machines, and a young lady comes from the back where she is ironing, and tells us that we leave our landry and she will wash and dry and fold it for 8 euro. My MIL is not thrilled with this idea. Me i'm all gain, plus the young ladies dog is there and he is a hot dog, and happy for a dog lover, i was thrilled when he ran and got a ball and dropped it at my feet, so me and the dog played while my MIL gives in and hands her dirty underwear off to a stranger. Mom it's ok, it's her job and she's happy to do it. We wrote our names down on a stick em and that's how she marks the washer and dryer with whoever's clothes. Come back in 1 hour, cool. It's saturday morning, and there are vendors down the entire street. We tell his parents we are running to the station real quick to check the times and likely buy the Venice tickets, will they be ok. so they wander the area, and we dash off to termini, it's really busy and the cops are all over, they are super friendly and I have through the years waited on many police officers, and i have a huge respect for them and the firefighters, and I try to get pictures with the locals when i travel and the cops were happy to take photo's with me. These Police were out front on motorbikes. We buy the tickets with no problem and walk to the info office to see if the lady who taught us how to use the machine was there to say hi, but she wasn't. walked back to meet the parents and they were in the laundry mat waiting, they bought fruit and some snacks and had coffee outside at a table. I was thrilled. the clothes had another 10 minutes so me and my husband checked out the stalls to see what they had. Just got some grapes, but all the stands that had fruit looked surreal, all the produce looked great, and all kept thinking is, I wish this was right in front of my restaurant everyday, with this bright fresh produce, I don't have that. The street is a mess, the vendors are winding down and there's trash everywhere. Laundry is done, the dogs is happy were back, we pay and tip our lovely laudry lady walk to a restaurant we spotted on the way to wash clothes. there are only 2 other people in the rest. we just have salad soup bread and some roasted red peppers, the food was very good and fresh, and if i didn't know any better, i though the salad came from the produce stands i just browsed, i put oil and vinager parm cheese the pepper and it was to die for, had soup too, and i was so full, but i wished i could have some pasta. We pay and go back to the hotel. They take a nap and we drop the laundry and make the break. Band on the Run.

Good night, and remember, He's making a list and He's checking it twice!

But for unions, there would be no weekends. It's surprising that someone from Detroit would be so anti-union and say inflammatory things like 'fat a**es' when describing a union worker. A lot of those union workers are without jobs this holiday season due to the recent massive auto layoffs so a little sensitivity would be in order.

We don't all have to agree on this forum, but being insulting (especially on a trip report that is difficult to read from a style/grammar standpoint) is not the best route to make friends.

Theresa,

Your post was delightful....I would pay for a video of your mother in law in her PJ bottoms!

Someone sent me this joke about Detroit I thought you might like...

Melodie

The coach had put together the perfect team for the Detroit Lions. The only
thing missing was a good quarterback. He had scouted all the colleges and
even the Canadian and European Leagues, but he couldn't find a ringer who
could ensure a Super Bowl victory.

Then one night, while watching CNN, he saw a war-zone scene in Afghanistan.
In one corner of the background, he spotted a young Afghan Muslim soldier
with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand-grenade straight into a window
from 80 yards away. Then he threw another from 50 yards down a chimney,
and then hit a passing car going 80 miles per hour.

"I've got to get this guy!" coach said to himself."He has the perfect arm!"

So, he brings the young Afghan to the States and teaches him the great game of football ........ and sure enough the Lions go on to win the Super Bowl.The young Afghan is hailed as a hero of football and when the coach asks him what he wants, all the young man wants to do is call his mother.

"Mom," he says into the phone, "I just won the SuperBowl!"

"I don't want to talk to you," the old Muslim woman says. "You deserted us. You are not my son!"

"Mother, I don't think you understand," pleads the son, "I've just won the
greatest sporting event in the world!"

"No! let me tell you," his mother retorts. "At this very moment there are
gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their lives last week, and I have to keep your sister in the house so she doesn't get raped!"

The old lady pauses then tearfully says, " I will never forgive you for making us move to Detroit.

Rim Shot!

mah My father was a union man for 33 years. He and I would sit down for hours going point to point about the subject, and i was not trying to insult anyone, and I am very aware of the unemployment in Detroit, we are all suffering. I'm deeply sorry if I insulted you or anyone else. The uaw is here eating right now and they take no offense.

Wlz, we are all laughing at the loins joke. we have the special boards wrote up with the breakfast menu and it has a list to santa and one of them says
dear santa, james the dishdog wants the lions to win the superbowl, no if i wrote anything insulting on this or other posts, it's typing lions and superbowl on the same line.

My FIL still was not 100% and I think it may be why we are not going south to visit Cousin Marino. But Venice is for sure. after our late lunch and we get back to the hotel, my inlaws are in for the night, and want to rest up for the trip to Venice. Were Freeeeeeeeeee for the entire afternoon and night. we tell them if they need anything we will carry the walkie talkie and call us on it.

We head out to do some sightseeing on our own, went by St. Teresa's church and it was beautiful, looked into some of the shops but nothing caught my eye. I did see some great boots, but i really don't need anything. we stroll past all the fancy shops gucci,D&G,armani and the clothes are very tempting to take a peak at. most stores have the prices of the clothes on the manniquin in the window so you don't have to go in and ask. And I must say the prices are very reasonable. I did buy myself some sweater and turtle necks, but not a gucci or those stores. We go back to the hotel shower and change and head out the the restaurant we had lunch at for dinner, we want the salad and soup again, and we want to try some pasta. we get there and it's packed. so now problem we got all night and don't mind waiting. 45 minutes later finally a bigtable gets up and leaves, instead of splitting up the tables, they set it up for another large party in the meantime about 12 other people are waiting too, one is a family for the big table and they have reservations, my husband had been talking to them while waiting and they were like i wish we had room at our table for you two, that was nice, but we were on the romantic date. so about 15 minutes later we get sat down, and it's right next to the kitchen door, that's great, i love to watch the action of another restaurant, see fow their doing things. Well we sat there and sat there and no one came over with bread or ask us the drink order, the other couple behind us were seated at the same time, and they had beer, water, bread and a plate of anitpasta, wow. so we are in this business, and understand the workings of it, but give them 5 more minutes, and nothing. so my husband get up comes around the table pulls out my chair without a word and helps me with my coat, and we head to the door, the old waiter from lunch came over to my husband and said i am sorry, we are busy. and in a voice i was suprised to hear, calmly with a smile my husband says, yes,however you or the other waiter who didn't utter a word to us should have said that when you seated us and we would have understood. and off into the rain we go. I'm mad, that makes me think of how hard we try at my restaurant to give the best food and friendly service. i'm going back and telling my customers they ought to kiss my grits, they are spoiled. and i did too.

We find another little place 2 blocks up called henry cow. now that's italian. we check out the menu, looks and smells good in the doorway, and we walk in and a beautiful young lady with cat glasses on say Good evening in english and takes us to a table along the wall and it's perfect. it's full of locals, and it has a plasma tv showing a football (European) game, and it's to italian teams playing one another, and it's loud and friendly. Perfect. we order bottle water as usual and cokes. I get the house antipasta, it's fresh and full of flavor, the tomatoes in itlay are great juicy and red, not like home, all the produce is not that great and top price. the waitress is super friendly and we talk alot during the meal. she is asking us 100 questions and we are enjoying it. God put us out of that other restaurant, and took us to a new friend. Their house speciality is meat sauce on home made Fettuc. so we get that and salad and split a bowl of veggie soup that is out of this world, the waitress U (they call her that for short because she has a difficult name) asks may I? and pours a small amount of olive oil on the soup and a sprinkle on cheese on top. We so this at home too, but for some reason that personal touch was appreciated. When the pasta comes, i'm worried, my husband does not like chunky meat sauce, with chucks of tomatoes or vegs. and this is beautiful for me, but not what i think he will want, but i am wrong, he loves it, he does go around the chunks of vegs, and eats it all. he tells me this is just like his grandma Azzolina who was from sicily. He would go to his grandm's house every summer and help out on their farm. his grandma would make homemade noodles using a broom stick to roll the mix out,flour all over the kitchen, she'd take a small knife and cut the noodles and lay them on towels across the beds. while that was going on she'd be cooking the meat sauce all day. he was having a childhood acid flashback, as we call it. and he couldn't wait to bring his dad there. we ended up sitting there for 3 hours eating watching the game on a plasma my husband would kill for and drinking coffee. thank god we only had about 5 blocks to walk back to our hotel, i was happy and tired, it was midnite and i was ready for bed.

I will finish later, and i'm sorry about the post before this i know it was hard to read, i was typing it really late last night and i was beat. I am not a novel writer, and don't pretend to be one, so if this is too hard to follow or read, then don't read it and complain, I'm sensitive;)

I have a short break so I thought I'd write about our trip to venice. We decided to go first class on the euro train, it's wasn't much more and it was a four hours and some minutes ride, and all i kept thinking was sitting on a train smelling like B-O for that long. It's early and we are all up and having breakfast, I tell my FIL no ham sandwiches for the train. I put a picnic lunch together the night before and got some fresh bread and cheese from the hotel and we were ready to go. got a cab to the train station, and it was sunny but cold outside and in the train station, it's open along the tracks and we stand there freezing waiting for the bin number to come up. there is a man laying on the floor yelling and carrying on, and the cops have a EMS truck there and the police would not put their hands on the man, they just followed him as he yelled and scooted on the floor, he was making this big scene, now if this was going on in Detroit, they'd grab him by the seat of him pants and get him out of there, but this police were patient, but seemed to making fun of the guy, everyone was crowding around watching this big drama. What next. we see our bin number and head to the train. First class is really decent. but the seats are not togther. so i take the odd ball seat with my back to my husband and his parents are sitting across from him. the other seat has a business woman who does work the entire time. the condutor comes around to check our tickets and ask's me in excellent english, where are you from, so we have this long conversation about michigan, the sports, the cherries, the weather and he knew i was italian when he saw me. I didn't have the heart to tell him i was lebanese. most people make that mistake. the men sitting across and next to me are really frustrated by the fact me and this really nice gentleman are talking while they are reading the paper and talking on their cellphones, but it seems that the italians don't talk on the cellphones, they yell. and it's really funny because they tend to say Prego about 5 times when they pick up and say ciao about 10 times. there is no resting in first class, it's busy and it's mostly business men and they are on their cellphones the whole time. but the ride is nice and we are heading into nasty weather. Naples train station is nice, it's warm and smells good. we go out to the dock area to catch our boat to san marco stop. it is cold and rainy we packed a carryon to take with us the inlaws had back packs, when we bought our tickets fro the boat they charge you 3. euro a suitcase. wow that's weird, but we pay it. My FIL starts up about how they know it's mostly tourists coming here and they charge everyone for bring a suitcase, I'm like, what we gonna float it there, put a message in it and hope it floats to the canal were staying on. The ride is really slow, but the buildings and scenes are out of a movie. I hope it's going to clear up.

THERESA10,

I haven't read this entire thread because I have to make lunch for hubby, but I am up to Pompeii.

Gotta tell you...this is by far, the most amusing, descriptive, and down-to-earth trip report I've read so far. The best part is that you have included so many "tips" seamlessly!

After lunch, I'll continue to read.

Thanks.

Theresa, I'm SO enjoying your report. I DO appreciate your down to earth sense of humor, and the firm, but nevertheless kind way you've been dealing with the nasty remarks regarding your opinions (to which you ARE entitled!) and your writing style.

You go, girl, you rock, Theresa! Genuine, that is!

When I'm in Italy and the cell phone yellers say Prego for what seems to be every other word, I amuse myself and my friends/relatives by saying Ragu! every time they say Prego. The Italians of course don't get it but we have a blast with it!

THERESA10,

You may be very busy with your restaurant at this time of year, but I was wondering if you intend to finish your trip report?

I, for one, would be grateful if you did finish it (no pressure, just a little nudge).

more please! I love it!

I too am hoping to read more, but I do realize this is a very busy time of year. When you find time,please tell us more of your trip!

Good Evening You all. It was busy all weekend and I'd like to Thank everyone who prayed for me and the business it worked.

We finally get to the san marco dock, we go into a tourism office to get directions to our hotel. the woman working there marks it on my map, but we can't find it and some how get turned around and mixed up, the streets are not marked and it's very confusing. my husband goes into a restaurant to get some help and out comes the waiter with him and walks us to the hotel. we are so thankful and my husband tells him we'll be coming to see him later for dinner. tourism lady gave us bum directions, that dirty dishrag. the hotel is beautiful and new. the lobby is all marble and glass. the colors are black red and white, very cool. the front desk staff are very friendly and welcomes us to the hotel. we have double rooms reserved and they comfirm it and the rooms are on the third floor and next to eachother. the bellhop and the 4 of us get on the elevator (that fat eddie my customer would never fit into) to the 3rd floor. we tell the parents to meet us in the lobby in an hour. our room is fantastic, we have a bed that is not 2 twins pushed together and my husband is very happy about that. we have 3 windows and 2 over look the canal, cool. the bathroom is huge and it's all done in tangerine orange marble. the tub is big and the shower head is the sunflower type, but no shower curtain, it will be a mess when we get in there;). the room has all the high tech stuff and my husband loves that. plasma tv with wireless keyboard, fax/copy machine and 3 phones. it is filled with anything you could possibly need personal wise. we are really impressed. We get cleaned up and go downstairs to check out the bar and breakfast room. there is a usa today in the lobby and i'm happy to have one to read later. his parents come down and off we go.

It is freezing outside, i'm wearing 3 layers and the wind goes right through my jeans and my legs are freezing. we walk around for about an hour and go to the restaurant for dinner. the waiter is happy to see us again and seats us at the window and proceed's to give us excellent personal service. the food was great and they have a seafood bar with snapper, clams, oysters, mussuls and huge flounders. i beg my FIL to have mussuls with me but he still isn't feeling 100 %, and i think the train and boat ride were too much for the day.
we eat the usual stuff and really relax and enjoy ourselves. we leave about 2 hours later and it's bitterly cold outside, we go shopping in the little streets and i'm so cold i'm shivering. we stop by a little coffee shop and order cappacino's and desserts and now the locals and tourists have packed the restaurants and cafe's. the streets get busy and it's a younger crowd than it was earlier. the inlaws are tired and ready to go back to the hotel, but they want to stop by the san marco square on the way back, the beggers are out everywhere and won't leave you alone or accept no thanks. we run out of there and say we'll see it in the morning. we get them back to the lobby and in their room and we take off into the night.

We get back about midnight and the streets are still busy and people are out partying. and the italians are late night people. My legs are numb. my husband feels them and gets worried and draws me a hot bath with bubbles, and it feels so good, in the meantime he goes down stairs and asks the front desk about cappacino's near by and 10 minutes later he's back with hot chocolate..YEA your my hero honey, so i take a long bath read usa today and hot coco. I ask him later why he didn't just call room service, he didn't know how to work the phone, either could I.

I wake up to a woman screaming, i stumble out of bed trying to figure out where i'm at. i hear these voices coming from the bathroom and my husband is in there with the window open and watching the action, i ask him what the &^*# is going on. it seems that the lady is mad at the men and yelling at them like an alley cat. my husband is wishing they were on this side of the canal on the sidewalk, he told me we could fill the bathroom garbage can with cold water and dump it on them and i could video tape it. if only. some old man comes out of his house and starts screaming at them in italian, he tells them f fon goul (we understand that italian) and get out of here i called the poliza, well the fighting 3 start yellin back while walking away. the voices echo through the canals. we can't fall back asleep and watch cnn into the morning.

We called his parents room when we get up and no one's there, they must be at breakfast already and they were. we ask them if they heard all that stuff going on last night, nope they didn't hear anything. i'm shocked.The breakfast is really nice. we plan on visiting all the sights and getting a late check out and taking the late train back to rome. it is really cold and it had rained most of the night. the wind was wicked and i was so cold, but didn't say anything and just kept walking around. my feet were cold and i could feel the cold concrete right through my boots. we go through most of the streets and finally end up back going through marco square, and it's flooded. they have risers set up to go into the church there. and the church is flooded and the poor priests were doing their best to clean up but i think it was hopeless. confession is going on, i'll pass on that one. and we get outside the church and the birds are all over the place, gross, and there are dead birds all over, and birds dying on the ground, i mean laying there dying, flapping their wings trying to get up on their feet, and then they'd just stop and after a few minutes get enough strength to try again, this was just pitiful. i was horrified by it. i was ashamed of making the bird flu a joke earlier in the week, what was up with the birds laying there dying or dead? that just really grossed me out. i didn't eat lunch cause it just make me sick. my honey and his parents got a sandwich at a little store for lunch, i passed. by noon it was raining pretty steady and cold, my husband asked if anyone wanted to go back on the train earlier or stay until late? we all say let's go back to rome now and we take off for the hotel and inform them were leaving now instead of later. we grab our stuff and run out to the boat dock to catch the 2:30 train back to rome.

The boat dock is busy, i don't care but i want my MIL to have a seat inside of the boat, but as you might guess, when the boat gets there people just start pushing to get past you to get on the boat, i have my MIL's hand and push my way right along with the rest of them, i get her inside and no one wants to move over and let her sit down, i pick up a man's bag he has on the seat so no one can sit next to him, and i hand the bag to him and tell my MIL to sit down, she does without looking at the man. these benches can sit 3 people, 4 if you want to squish in, but 2 people would sit down and set their bags, purse and whatever down so you can't sit next to them. Hey we are like rosa parks and we ain't standing up for the man. my FIL comes inside after awhile because he is cold, but not my husband he stands outside on the deck trying to talk to the guy maning the ropes and videoing the ride. what a tourist, and i love him, it's cold and rainy and he don't feel a thing and has this huge smile on his face. when my FIL came inside i gave him the seat i pushed my way into and went outside to see what that grin was on his face was all about and he said he was so happy, his dad told him what a great time he and mother were having and venice was beautiful and they got some good pictures and can't wait to get them developed. He felt like he did what he came here to do, make his mother's dream come true.

First class is sold out but there are seats in first class for the 4:40 train. nope i don't mind going back 2nd class earlier and either does anyone else, so we get our tickets and have 35 minutes to spare. there is a cafateria in the venice train station and they have some yummy looking food too. Mashed potatoes, chicken, beef, pasta's, veggies, salads and desserts, it all looks good, but the bird thing still sticks in my head and i pass on the food. they also have a coffee bar there and a pizza joint which is hopping and the cook is throwing the dough up in the air and making a great show. we are all very impressed and when you bought a piece of pizza they were huge, my inlaws couldn't resist and got a piece and loved it. i ended up going to a little snack store there and getting M and M's and crispers for the train ride. i went to the register and paid for a coffee too and went up the coffee bar with my reciept and no one would wait on me. i was wondering what the big deal was, finally this guy grabs the paper out of my hand and tells the other guy what to make and he turns around and gives me this dirty look and i can't figure out why they were being so rude. i get my cappacino in cup with a saucer and the man throws the spoon down on the saucer and glares at me, i start crying really loud with my hands over my face, i make a 10 second scene and really make a loud crying sound, i had my head down while doing it. when i stopped and looked up both of the men behind the counter along with the other people working are looking at me with their jaws on the floor, i smiled took my cup and walked away to stand at a table and drink it. needless to say it was really quiet for awhile. when i got done and approached the counter to set my empty cup down they all turned thier backs to me and i set the cup down and walked away. when i went back to the cafateria my husband and his parents were sitting there and my husband asks me what have you been up too? i tell him, not much. he asks did i get coffee already i told him yes, and he was thinking of getting some too, i told him he'll have to go get it himself, and didn't say another word about it. that little act has come in handy for me plenty, but that's another story.

The train ride is crowded, our seats are not together but the seat next to mine is empty and i fall asleep right away. my husband and inlaws are worried about me, and wake me up to ask me if i'm ok. what, you fruitcakes, why'd you wake me and when they tell me that i want to pull a THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN. we just have about 2 hours left to the ride into rome. it's dark and you can't see much, but we do see alot of christmas lights and my MIL is thrilled. The train is no longer busy and there only about 10 people in the train car including us. 2 young ladies sitting next to us are americans and they are traveling by train through europe, i envy them and tell them this is the time of your life ladies enjoy it. they ask us if people have been rude to us. NO, NOT HERE IN ITALY.

Rome is Fantastic and it's warm and the stars are shining, what a change in 4 1/2 hours. The train station is a madhouse, it's rush hour and this place defined it. when we pulled up to the track to get off the train it was crazy, all the way out was a job. we decided to go out the exit to our right when we get off the train, the cab stand is there too, and it's mass chaos. we try to cross the street and it's almost impossible. my husband is leading this time and he's a freight train getting us through the crowd. but it's a beautiful night and when we get to the back streets it's peaceful. we ask the parents if they want dinner and they say no we just want to go rest and maybe we'll go out later to the fruit market. that's great, now we'll have sometime alone. we get back to the hotel and the staff are so happy to see us and the hotel is decorated for christmas, it bright,warm and cheerful. we are back earlier that they expected us. we gave the handsome Simone our plans. we told him we wouldn't be back until after midnite and leave the key under the matt. that was a doozey trying to explain that one to him. we say goodnite to his parents, go to our room and shower and change. free at last.

This is really the first time we have vacationed with anyone since we were married. in the last 10 years we have had the blessings and pleasure of traveling to warm tropical places and have been spoiled by the fact we were always alone. and we are loners like that so this is a huge shock for my husband,not me,i travel with teenagers at least 2 times a year. not just a few, last time i went with teens was in august, there were 73 of us. 15 adult sponsers and the rest kids. so i'm used to moving, getting the masses there and in a timely manner, but my husband is on a whole new trip. he has a hardtime dealing with getting everyone together, going in a group and working around other people's habits and timing. he keeps thanking me for dealing with all this and it being his family and all. I'm loving every minute of it and he justs wants to be alone with me. I suggest we make plans to go to cancun asap, he looks at me and says did you bump your head? i thought i had him at a soft spot and was trying to take advantage of him, but dang he busted me.

We really want to go to henry cow for pasta it was so good, and the service was good too. so we walked over there and AHHHHHH they are closed. now what? we know it's our last chance of being alone in rome for along time. we decide on walking around and look at menu's. we find a cute pizza place. salad's and the pizza is good. we leave and walk back to the hotel. it's warm out, we can't get over the temp. here in rome.

We made plans the night before to hire Stefano the man from romecabs to take us sightseeing. this is our last day in rome and we want to see place that are unusual and unique. I make my man get our of bed early and enjoy our last breakfast together alone for a very long time. we go downstairs and have coffee watching the locals going to work and parking like idiots. we catch a glimpse of the breadman making a delivery to our hotel, i go outside too peak in his truck, he's got it parked right out in front with the back doors open and he's getting the bread together to take in, i walk up and say good morning and he smiles and says good morning back, he speaks english and i tell him how much we enjoyed the bread while having breakfast in the mornings here. He appreciates the compliment and trys to give me some bread. no no no, i just wanted to say thank you and let you know how good the bread was. and the bread this dude had on the truck my customers would fight over. he had so many differnt kinds and all i needed was a stick of butter and get out of my way.

Stefano was right on time. He took us to see the church we stopped at the first night, my MIL was too tired to enjoy it and she wanted to go back. we stayed there along time. it is amazing and the grounds are beautiful and the roses are in full bloom. we go to the keyhole. i had read about it and i was interested in checking it out. we took pictures through the keyhole and they came out great. Stefano asked me if there was anywhere special i wanted to go. I told him i wanted to visit the place that has the stairs that jesus walked down after being condemned. they are the stairs from pilate's house and they were brought to rome. He knows exactly what i'm talking about. We go there and You are supposed to get on your knee's and go up praying step by step. there are old ladies on their knee's going up the stairs. i get right in there and do the same thing. i am really moved by this and tears are rolling down my cheeks and i'm praying the rosary to the top. Stefano and my family wait outside pateintly for me. We wander around rome in the van with stefano giving us a great tour. it's been cloudy all day but the sun is starting to peek through the clouds. Stefano bids us a see you at 4:45
am for the ride to FCO. it's our last night in Rome.

More later. it's late and this waitress has to be up and go at it early. God bless everyone. Have a great night and hold onto your loved ones, they are only here for a moment.

I love your report and your enthusiasm for life, Theresa!

Just love the report. Obviously you have many talents and writing is one of them.

Theresa,you are such a good sport, I laughed so much reading your trip report.
You know something, I grew up in Rome and never did La Scala Santa, just watched from the outsite.
San Giovanni in Laterano is my church, I was and all the members of my family including my two older children were baptized there.
Keep up the good work..
Ciao,

Theresa, thanks for your funny and wise report! We'll be in Rome in February and look forward to using some of your tips, including Henry Cow (great name).

absolutely wonderful report. did you ever find out what was wrong with the birds? that's so sad.

I'm sorry if I missed it, but what hotel did you stay in in Venice?

Any chance you'll be posting your photos somewhere?

The incident in the snack store over your purchase of a cup of cappucino...I don't get it.

You probably have given this a lot of thought (I know I would). The way you write about the incident, you appear to have been passive, not aggressive. Did you cry because of the treatment you received or were you just plain exhausted from the trip?

That wasn't a pleasant way to end your trip, if I may say so.

Venice hotel was Palace Bonvecchiati

Sorry about this misunderstanding on the crying thing. I pretended to cry. I put my hands over my face and just pretended to cry, i let out a small wail and the men were horrified. When I suddenly stopped and looked up the look on their faces was priceless. I just picked up my coffee and walked away. I was just trying to mess with them.

More of Rome later. duty calls.

That's our girl!

Hello everyone..My day off. I am not even leaving the house today. This is PJ day as me and wicked wendy (one of the cooks) would call it. Staying in your PJ's all day doing nothing. We have about 5 inches of snow out my door and it's snowing right now. My husband called me and said they are a little busy at the restaurant, and it's quiet without me there. Though i have been home since Dec 1 from Rome, I still have stuff to put away and wash. Any working Momma out there understands all about that.

Our last night in Rome, very sad. How I Have been scheeming and plotting on finding a way to stay for another week alone with my husband. Hell, even if his parents want to stay another week that would fly with me. I was dreaming of going to Paris by train and spending a romatic week alone. Showing him the beautiful city and the not so pretty side. I was there 2 years ago, and actually got home sick. Paris was so romantic, and other than Italy, I have never scene so much making out in public. I was not bothered in the least by all this public affection and all I wanted was my husband there to make out with too. but I was with a group of french/spanish students and none of that would be going on. I called my husband from Paris and told him I found the city of Love. And i have been talking about it for 2 years and i was now within a train/plane/automobile ride from Paris. I was trying to come up with the best case senerio. I knew my employee's would have no problem with Me staying another week and them running the show, I knew the customers would shreed me to pieces when I got home, but I can handle that. The cost, well I would come home and work my butt off everyday to pay for it. We could eat really cheap and i would find a deal on hotel or apt. on the internet. My husband isn't a big Art Fan so we would't have to buy Museum tix's. I already looked up airfare to Paris and I was sure we could just go home right from CDG a week later same day same time. But the problem was France. My husband didn't want to have anything to do with France because of the disrespect that Air France had shown Him and His parents. Yea I take offense too, but I'm not a hater, and I only hold the people responsible for their actions, not the whole, But that's not the way the Marino's are feeling so that is out the door, no paris or another week in Rome, everyone wants to go home. Could I have stayed another week? No, My Daughter is having her first baby and the Baby (Alyce Simone) was due Dec 19, but they moved the date to anytime between Dec 19-Jan 3. So I didn't think I should take a chance. This is our only child and she is 28, Happily Married, and have a home. All the requirements I drilled into her from age 10 till last year when she got married. I'm going to be a Situ/Mamaw very soon and my husband and I are over the moon about it. So I will thank God for what I did get to do, Be in italy for almost 2 weeks, and determined to get back to paris somehow someday.

We call Henry Cow's and the man who answers the phone does not speak english very well, but we understand eachother pretty well, and i ask what time are they open today,he said until midnight, no closing during those hours? he says no. Great we tell the parents were meeting at 5 in the lobby and taking them to try the pasta like grandma marino used to make.

We take a nap and start packing. where did all this stuff come from? did we really pack all this stuff, we have 3 big suitcases and 2 carry on's and we have them stuffed silly. I am checking my carryon this time, and i have to sit on it to be zipped. The maid has left us tons of bath products through out the week, and the turndown maid the night before had left a big bag with products. and i really want to take them home and give it to the Woman's shelter we help support, and these are perfect large size travel bottles. so my carryon is stuffed with bottles. This is great, we are doing christmas boxes for 2 shelters and these are perfect for them. We get all our stuff packed and change for dinner.

We walk the long way to the restaurant to check out these little shops we admired the other day, but were too tired to walk in and browse. my MIL buys one more tea cup and they bubble wrap it the size of a football. my MIL starts using my phrases,She says to us this sucker ain't gonna break, we all crack up. I splurge and buy a tshirt with sequiens on it and my man likes it. Now I'm hungry and it's time for dinner, we get to the restaurant and the owner is there, he figures out it was me that called earlier, and we all laugh about it. He speaks a better english now, hmmm. He seats us and tells us the waitress will be here any minute, and as he's telling us she walks in and it's U the girl from the other 2 times we've been there, she comes right to the table and asks if these are his parents and she introduce's herself and tell them to call her U for short. that makes us all giggle. We get 2 bottles of water and cokes, and she tells us the cook won't be in for an hour, but we can have pizza salad or bruschetta. But if we want pasta we can wait an hour. She goes to get us bread and breadstix's which I am now addicted too. And i say let's wait, we have all evening and it's just now 6 pm. So we order salad and bruschetta and we'll wait for the cook. The waitress is so happy, she thought we would leave, no way. We are the only customers and the waitress sits down with us and we talk. She is from Albania and is going to Law school in rome and has 2 years left of school. She is going into labor law, and of course I have 100 questions for her about exactly what labor law means in Europe, and what made her take that subject. She is very smart and speaks 4 languages. She has a boyfriend and he was coming there to the restaurant for dinner, and she wants us to meet him. she met him in college here in rome and he's albanian too. He's becoming a doctor. By the time we eat the salad's the cook came in, i have a feeling they called him in early. and not long afterwards 4 huge plates of pasta with meatsauce comes out of the kitchen and on our table. it is hot and good, and even my MIL was suprised her son liked this sauce because it was chucky. They all agree it's as good as grandma marino's. I am so full i can't move. In the meantime locals start coming in and drinking and eating. The owner wants to buy us coffee and dessert, no we can't eat another thing. It's getting late and we have to go to bed soon. 3:30 am was coming soon. U's Boyfriend comes in and we meet him and the two are standing there with their arms around eachother just blushing to the most beautiful red. They were in Love and it shows. My husband asked me do I still feel the same about him, I DO.

Get back to the hotel, make out all the thank you cards for the staff, and take them to the front desk. The handsome Simone is off until the next evening and I won't get to say thank you and good bye in person. oh well. We set our phone alarms for the ungodly hour to wake up, and lay in bed talking about rome...

We are up and out the door at 4:30 am. Stefano is outside trying to get into the lobby, when we realize the front doors are locked. no one is at the desk, but as soon as he knocks 2 of the desk staff come out and open the door for him. We bid the staff goodbye and it's a very quiet ride to FCO. Stefano told us the ride to the airport for the others in our family was a madhouse. But it shouldn't be bad today, it's thursday, and when we get to the airport it's not bad at all. we thank Stefano for all his kindness and walk inside to figure out what line to get in. first we stand in the wrong line and I walk around trying to make sure this is the right one, Wrong, we need to go to another line. I didn't know Air France, NWA, Delta and Aitalia are somehow all one company. So we stand in Aitalia line for the Air France flight to CDG. we stand in line which is not long but it's taking the counter staff forever to check people in, His parents approach the counter and as the lady is going through the tickets, the boarding pass from Rome to CDG is missing. I explain that we missed the connection to rome and the Air France customer service had to change our tickets. The lady said they took the wrong boarding pass (what a shock) so we had to go to the Air France customer service counter to have another boarding pass issued. Great this is not looking good. I take My FIL over to the service counter and we are the next in line, I explain to the lady what happened, and she issues a handwritten boarding pass, and we run back to the line, and wait right where the lady told us too when we got the new boarding pass, she is waiting on someone else with a family who has a problem with their boarding pass as well, I can see the look on my MIL and husband's faces, but i try no to look at them, I know it's going to be OK, our plane doesn't leave until 7:20 am and it's just now getting to be 6:35 am the poor man infront of us inline has to take his family to the customer service counter and I feel awful for him. now it's our turn and we get all this straightened out and off to security we go. I need coffee, real bad, I can smell it, I know there are shops open in the terminal. Security takes only a few minutes and I see many shops open and we go into a little restaurant and have cappacino's and fresh hot crossiants, I'm alive...

On our flight are there is 35 Nuns, Old nuns. Where their headed I don't know, but I did see them in line with us. They are just adorable and I want to talk to them so bad, but all I can do is say hi and smile and they all smile back at me. These nuns can't be over 5 feet and all seem to be in their 60's and all in full habits. It's funny because when we board the plane some are in first class and the rest are back in coach. The Air France staff are very nice, and when service started up they stood there and talked to us for a while. 2 of them have been to detroit and we talk about the city and basketball. I tell the one Man who is so gay and cute about our incident at CDG on the way there, He tells Me He is very sorry that happened. I ask did He think it would happen again, No NO NO he says, and goes to check what gate were at when we land. He comes back and tell us the gate and that we would have plenty of time to make the connection to Detroit, well I want to believe him, but my common sense say NO WAY. We land at CDG 20 minutes early, before we deplane onto the dreaded buses, the crew show us the printed up sheet of connections and tell us we are early and to go right to the gate and the other crew know several of us are making that connection. We get on the bus, go to the terminal and there is this huge line to go through customs, people start freaking out and start yeling they are going to miss their flights, even the Nuns are letting them have it, in Spanish. Some how we figure out this is the wrong line and we must go up these stairs and go to Terminal E, we haul up the stairs, run to customs where 2 jerks are taking their sweet time checking passports, he has to run my passport 3 times through the computor, I'm really getting antsy. Finally he stamps it and off I go to the gate. It's 10:00 am it's taken us 40 minutes and we have 20 minutes until the flight takes off. Now where's my family.

I get to the gate and as I run up there are 5 Women of Air France standing there, when I show them my Boarding pass all 5 turn their backs to me and start talking in French, one of them turns around and says, You are too late to board this plane. WHAT, no way I am here 20 minutes before take off, and the other Air France crew assured us Your waiting on My family and the others connecting to Detroit. My Family and many other start to arrive too. I tell her this is Unacceptable and I demand to be boarded along with My family. She tells me (by this time the other 4 Women leave) what did I expect when I was holding a discount ticket and She wanted NO DRAMA and my family and i should go over to the Customer service office and change our tickets to a later flight to DTW on nwa. Now I'm pissed, I mean really mad, she treated Me with utter contempt and had a tight smile the whole time. I was furious but refused to stoop to her level, though I wanted to take her outside and beat her up detroit style, but I know God has me right where he wants me and I can't change it, what else could I tell myself to calm down, because now everyone is on the band wagon of yelling and want to know why are standing here wasting time when we could be boarding? I knew we weren't going anywhere now. There is no bus to take us to the plane that we can see, and it sits there another 20 minutes at least while all this Drama is going on. I walk to the customer service counter and ask for a manager,there is no one else in this line. and I start to have my ticket changed while the other 30 people were yelling and arguing. A woman Manager comes over to talk, and explains, there is no way they can board us, we Missed the flight, and who ever told us they'd be waiting is Wrong, and there was nothing they could do. She started to give me the whole story about why they can't hold the flight and how it would put all the other planes on hold and cause this big problem with times on the runway, I understand, but I don't care. I tell her that her company has no business setting up flights that are impossible to catch. She say's We don't set up those flights. How's that? Your company does not know who is coming from where and where their going and we have assigned seats, and our name is on the boarding lists, how is it your company didn't set these times and connections? this is a waste of my time and energy, and I step back and let my Husband and a business man who is pissed that he missed this connection to DTW and was on his way to a business meeting in Chicago, and He DID NOT HAVE A DISCOUNT TICKET. This man was so upset, i felt bad for Him, His cellphone was out of battery and he had no way of calling his clients or his wife to let them know what was going on. It was a mess, and get this, our luggage we there at CDG and would be on the new NWA flight to DTW in 3 1/2 hours. Oh fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride boys.

Theresa, this scenerio wit Air France is like deja vu to me. Exactly what I went through with my family, we were all yelling and the staff was all being very curt with the tight smiles, the whole bit. It was at this point I decided never never to fly Air France again. They have many sociological problems!

Love your report, can't wait for more!

It's a mess at CDG, several people are in the customer service line and my husband and the business man are still talking to the Manager, and getting no where, were all just going to have to sit down and wait for the next flight. My husband asks the Manager for an upgrade to first class for the 4 of us, that's the least they can do in the fact that we got bumped for the second time. the manager insists that it is impossible, and my husband says, nothing is impossible, so they are going around and around. My FIL gets in the action now, it's not pretty either. I had asked if we could get 2 meal vouchers for my inlaws, I didn't need one, and i knew my husband wouldn't either and the lady said NO, we don't give out food vouchers when YOU MISS YOUR FLIGHT, that's all it took, it was a free for all, everyone was yelling, I was just standing there just listening about ready to melt into the crack on the floor, when the Manager hands a complaint form to my FIL and I still can't believe my FIL said it, he says really loud "and I'll wipe my a** with that complaint form too. I was just floored. of all the good bad and ugly in 13 days this took the cake. I have known my inlaws for close to 30 years and I never,never ever hear my FIL swear. I was totally speechless. My MIL says SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM, I can't believe you said that, and tells him to apologize. I tell my FIL don't you dare. She deserves worse that that. The manager flips, she is as shocked as the rest of us, and the manager yells to all of us "this converstion in over" and tries to walk away, but hey, we aren't the only people upset about this "missed" connection, and each and everyone of these passangers inline wanted to tell the manager their story too. Me and my MIL walked away and went into the bathroom to get away from this mob scene. My MIL is hot, she is mad at my FIL for using such filth. I try to explain that I felt otherwise, but she didn't want to hear it. After about 10 minutes hiding in the bathroom, we come out and the 2 marino men are still standing at the customer service counter along with the business man and several other men.

After the Guys figured out they were getting no where with these hags, they sat down. Now we sit there in silence for a very long time. My husband had offered the business man his cellphone to call home. For some reason the man could not get a signal on his cell to call home, so he used my husbands. I felt just awful for this Guy, he was trying to be very mature and proffesional with air france, and he just barely held it together. after calling his wife and having her make calls from detroit to chicago he was relieved, and thought he'd just go home when he got to detroit, if and when that was.

I'm hungry and I tell my husband i want to get a sandwich and coffee. He and the rest refuse to spend any money at CDG. I feel otherwise. I walk over and get a salami sandwich and coffee. I eat alone at the bar looking at my family sitting there mad and frustrated. I know what I have to do. go make them laugh somehow. I get done eating and walk over kiss each one of them on the cheek, and say it's ok, god does not want us on that plane, and we just can sit here and sulk, or try to come up with why he's got us here. They all look at me like I'm a freak. I raise my voice really loud and say THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER and make the same gesture with my arms as the manager and that did it. they couldn't stop from laughing if they had too.

Most of the people who missed the connection hang out in the same area. There are kids running around and being cute. I wish i could be like them too, not a care in the world. about an hour later 2 women and a man from security come over to us and ask if we are the Marino's. oh oh,I'm thinking to myself, are we in trouble? Did we go too far with the complaining? did they hear my FIL say he'd buy a large drink just to through on the computors at customer service. The 3 of them ask us to come over to the desk in another area of the terminal and asked for our passports, now i'm getting scared, but i ain't about to even show that, but i must say i was getting worried. we stood there for at least 10 minutes and the man asked to talk to each of us. Me first, great...He asked did i have a copy of my itineraty? yes, i do. He wants to see it. asks where have i been since leaving detroit. Then he asks where is your luggage, i say air france says it's here and it will be on our new flight to detroit. he asks, did someone else pack your bag or did you? did anyone ask me to bring something back? no. what color is my luggage and how many bags did i bring? and did i leave my luggage anywhere unattended. i answer all his questions, and he still has my passport. I ask him why is he asking me all these questions as a van pulls up with 2 other women that i can see as he's talking to me, i'm thinking great were going to jail in freakin france. They ask me to sit down and wait, I ask what about my passport? they will give it back to me when their finished. And i sit down while he gets my inlaws. then the 2 other women who came in from the security van talk to my husband, i can see the look on his face as he gets up to go with the women, i'm really worried now.

After 30 minutes or so the Man of the security group wants to look in our backpacks, so we oblige. My MIL of course reminds him to be careful she has teacups from rome and they are fraigle. He doesn't find whatever he's looking for and goes over to talk to his possee. after a few minutes he comes over and hands us each our passport with a yellow sticker on them, great were marked. are you doing this because i'm an arab? no i didn't say that. It was no time for jokes and i knew it. I really wanted to say in the middle of his talk to me this conversation is over, but i held myself. He tells us there is a high security and that is why we are being questioned, and do not remove the yellow stickers, or we may not be able to board the plane. all this time i have been doing the rosary that was in my pocket. so when he let us go back and sit down i was thanking jesus and his momma.

They were taking everyone from our flight from rome to talk to also. Later on the flight home, the flight attendent who sat across from us told us that nwa didn't think air france was tight on their security and after all the switching of passengers they just wanted to double check all the passengers for safety reasons, now she didn't come right out and say it like that, but that's what she wanted to say, but was trying to be discreet. but i got it.

Finally it's time to board our plane, we could see 2 gates down our air france hosts from when we first arrived to our missed flight gate and they looked misreable, I'm thinking to myself, it's time for them to be rude to the next plane of passengers, and for a fleeting second I felt bad for them, and then it passed. were getting on those crappy buses to go out to the airplane. it took forever to get off the bus and board, they would only let 10 off at a time to board. but once we got on and the friendly crew welcomed us aboard, I knew it was all going to be OK.

Guess who was on our plane to Detroit? the mother and daughter we met in rome at the 110 bus stop. It seems that this was their flight to oaklahoma, they change planes in detroit and onto Oakl. We are shocked when we see the plane is 1/3 full, and the impossible 1st class had about 12 people in there, we were in row 10, can't use the bathroom within 2 feet of our seats, first class passengers only. but no seats ahead of us, other than the jump seat for the flight attendent. my husband and i were sitting infront of his parents. after the flight took off, people were able to sit anywhere that was open and several people streched across the 4 seaters and slept. god bless em, i was jealous, i would love to sleep all the way home. The service and food on the plane were great. The flight was so long, and all i kept thinking is i will be in my own bed god willing by 10 pm.

I have been debating about whether to write this or not, but it's the truth.
As the crew of nwa was preparing to take off, and the french airpot crew were exchanging paperwork with nwa crew, then a truck pulled up along side the exit door at our feet. we could see that they extended a boom of some type, and a airport employee was knocking on the exit door window, the crew did not hear them or for that matter was expecting him, my husband got up and told a crew member, and she looked out the window and was shocked (by my opinion) that there was a handicap passenger in a wheel chair. After a moment she and another crew member got the door open and there is a very good looking man in the chair. it seemed to me that no one told the crew to expect a wheelchair bound passenger. I was humilated for the young man. after much exchange and a place to seat him and put him into a plane wheel chair and transfered to his seat and get his chair stowed it took too long. I mean i think that it should have been handled better. The man is at the mercy of others, He was a good sport about it, maybe he was used to it or something like that. A nwa employee did come over and say yes, your from california (that's the last stop for the plane) she said she was from a city near where he lived. so they were expecting him, but i don't think they expected him in a wheelchair. this is just my thinking, but that is a total lack of communication on someone's part. I will never complain about my feet hurting again, i can walk to where i need to go, and i thank god for this body that pretty much is still working good.

Thanks for all your posts. the good the bad and the ugly. If you ever in detroit look me up....Theresa

Oh Theresa, what a trip you have taken us on...I had chills reading your last post.

A Merry Christmas and wishes to you and all your family for a beautiful 2006. May you have many more trips..and ones without a lot of problems.

BRAVO!!!!!!

absolutely lovely report - thank you so much for writing it. Please tell us the name of your restaurant - we would love to visit if we're ever in Detroit!

Theresa,

Thank you for the wonderful "Trip to Italy" report. I really enjoyed reading every word. Each day I looked forward to reading more. You are a wonderful person and a terrific story teller. Please... tell us the name of your restaurant in Detroit.

YES.
Fantastic report. We are off to Italy next Sept. and have taken notes, especially Henry Cow.
Thank you for all the time you devoted to this.
Joanne