Rome, Sicily and Paris: 15 days with no Pope, meeting extended family and the Paris blizzard of March 12
Mar 31st, 2013, 01:29 PM
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Rome, Sicily and Paris: 15 days with no Pope, meeting extended family and the Paris blizzard of March 12
Hello everyone! I am finally settling down to begin writing a trip report about our much anticipated and long planned trip in March. First some background. My husband and I had our first trip to Paris in 2006 and fell in love with the city. We have tried to go back every year since then. This trip was our 2nd to Rome and Sicily and our 7th to Paris. My sister-in-law decided to come with us since her husband will not fly. She figured this would be a once in a lifetime trip to see Rome and meet extended family in Sicily. My husband and sister-in-law's grandfather came to the United States from Sicily in the early 1900's and there are still relatives in the little town he came from. The trip was originally planned for March of 2012 but had to be rescheduled for this year as my husband had to have major surgery. We were extremely lucky that the tumor in his abdomen was not cancer and this trip became even more meaningful to us.
We bought 3 Premium Economy seats on Air France for the trip ro Rome and home through Paris. We decided to spend the extra money as my husband were upgraded on our last trip to Paris and they were much more comfortable for him as he is 6'4". The trip to Paris was fine, no problems. We landed in Paris and had a 1 hour and 35 minute connection on Alitalia. It was tight as we were bused from the flight and had to go through customs and security. It was tight, but we made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare before we boarded. I was a little worried about Alitalia aabut the flight was just fine. We landed, and or luggage was there which was a little bit of a worry as I have not read a lot of good about Alitalia.
Through our hotel, Hotel Campo de Fiori, we had arranged for a driver to pick us up. This was 55 euro for all 3 of us and worth the money. We had selected the hotel last year for our first trip and they were lovely about letting us cancel at the last minute with no penalty so we used them again. Our first time in Rome, we stayed by the Vatican, and while the hotel was nice, nothing beats staying in the center of Rome. The hotel is very nice and the staff are very accomodating and polite. We stayed in a triple room on a square. The rooms are nice and the bathrooms were very modern. We usually don't spend this much on a hotel but we decided to splurge a little for this section of the trip. After settling in, we asked for recommendations for dinner as were exhausted and wanted to eat and turn in early. They suggested Baffetto, a pizza place around the corner from the hotel. I had read some negative reviews about the service at this restaurant but the food was really good and the service was just fine. I was literally falling asleep at the table and my husband and SIL were trying not to laugh. After that it was back to the room and bed.
Day 2: I woke up the next morning feeling great. I had put in my earplugs because we cracked the windows in the room so I did not hear the noise coming from the square. However, my husband and SIL heard everything. The stone streets echo and though we were on the 5th floor you hear it. My husband and I both decided that we would definitely stay here again, but request a room on the courtyard for more quiet. The breakfasts here are great and included in the room rate. Coffee, hot chocolate, breads, pastries, eggs, meats. We really enjoyed them. We had reservations for the Borghese gallery at 1pm so we decided to wander some in the city center first. We walked to Piazza Navona and then to the Pantheon. My SIL was so impressed. We live in southeast Texas and just the scope of the buildings and their age are beyond anything she has ever seen. We pointed out the Bernini fountains in Piazza Navona to her and then headed for our appointment with the Borghese and our favotite Berninis.
My husband and I had been to the Borghese on our 1st trip to Rome and were awed by the 2 Bernini's that get the most attention there(deservedly) Dafne and Apollo and the Rape of Proserpine. My SIL was equally awed. This is a small museum that really delivers. We were equally impressed by the Caravaggios. Just beautiful. After, we took a walk through the park and headed back to the center walked down the Spanish Steps and headed back to the Trevi Fountain for pictures and the obligatory coin toss. Found Crispino for gelato and headed home. We ended up at one of the restaurants in the Campo de Fiori for bruschetta and prosecco and walked throught the market. A really good tiring day, and we walked for miles.
Day 3: This was our Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill Day. My husband informed me when we woke up that there was soccer match that everyone at the restaurant across form the hotel was watching last night. He and my SIL said there was cheering and the whole works going on. I didn't hear as I had in my earplugs. My husband is not one to complain so he just shrugged it off as what happens when you open windows in a really old city. I woke up with a really bad cold. I was miserable, but when on vacation you have to keep going so we soldiered on to the Colosseum. On the way we stopped to visit Hadrian's Column and saw Hadrian's Market. We ended up entering through the Forum entrance as there was no line. We did however, run into a yound man from Ireland who was trying to sell tours for whatever company he worked for. He asked us if we wanted a tour and we said no. He then said and I quote " What is wrong with you Americans. You are the 100th people Ive asked and you don't even let me tell you about the tour before you say no." WOW. Not really the way to get the Americans to buy your stuff. We spent hours here. We really spent a lot of time walking up and around Palatine Hill which we didn't do last time. I would like to do an underground tour of the Colosseum eventually but we didn't set it up this time. That being said, the Colosseum is so very impressive. The first time we came to Rome, we walked up from the metro and there it was staring me in the face. My 10th grade World History book come to life. We then took a taxi to the Harley Davison store to buy shirts for my brother-in-law. We ended up finishing up the night with dinner at Costanza. We had read reviews and while they were mixed, we enjoyed this meal very much. I really enjoyed my gnocchi and had my 1st tiramisu of the trip here. Both were very good. My SIL had a steak and sent it back as it was still a litle bloody. She never quite got down the idea that medium well in Italy is not medium well at home. I cannot remember what my husband got I just know that he got a side of Risotto which we all shared as it was very good.
Day 4: This was our Vatican day. We had stayed away from St. Peter's so far as I knew we would be spending the entire day here today and I really wanted to see something else in Rome before we descended on the holy mecca for Catholics. Before anyone gets upset with me, we are Catholic but I really wanted to see some other stuff first as I was afraid that once we got there we would never leave. A few weeks before we left, I was up getting ready for work when the breaking news came on that Pope Benedick was retiring February 28. We were leaving March 1. We figured this would be really good as we would be there when history was made or really bad as Rome would be totally crazy.
I had planned the first part of the day with a Walks of Italy Prisine Sistine tour. I did this on the advice of Denise, a regular poster on these forums, as they take you to the Sistine Chapel when the museum first opens so you are not in there with thousands of other people herded through like sheep, as was our last experience. We spent days days not nowing when the conclave would begin and they would close the chapel. As luck, or divine intervention-whatever you want to call it would have it, they closed it at 1:30 pm on the day of our visit so we squeaked through. And we enjoyed the tour very much. It was very much worth the money for the time in the sistine chapel alone. There may have been 50 other people there. You could really walk around and get a great view of every section of the ceiling. We had a lovely tour guide named Claudia and we very much enjoyed her commentary and information. We especially loved her story about Bernini and the sculptures around the main altar. Apparently you shouldn't upset him or he will sculpt pictures of your sister having a baby while not married. Overall, I am pleased we did this and would consider using them again. We went not far from St. Peter's for a very quick lunch and then back again for a Scavi Tour at 1:15 pm. On the way back, we met up with the Cardinal from Thailand who blessed my SIL's ACTS bracelet. He was very engaging and teased us about going to Sicily and the Mafia.
The Scavi Tour was one of the highlights of this trip. You enter though the left side of St. Peter's through the Swiss Guard. The tour takes no more than 15 people down to the necropolis underground with the highlight being the area where St. Peter's bones were discovered and still lay. The guide was a little hard to understand at times, but it was very surreal being here. You end the tour back in the church itself.
After this, as we were gong to the gift shop, my husband saw the sign to climb the dome. He and my SIL then decided that this was a great idea. Did I mention I was sick? I felt like my head weighed about 50 lbs from my cold. I VERY begrudgingly climbed the 300 or so steps. But I WAS not happy. We ended up going to a gift shop here run by the nuns and so began the shopping. We are not shoppers per say. I know what I neeed to get and then buy it. My SIL felt this was probably her only trip to Rome so she bought something for everyone. We spent some time buying medals, necklaces, rosaries, the works. I really feared we weren't finished when we left. After a trip to the hotel to drop off our loot we ended up at another pizza restaurant the hotel recommended but I will have to try to find the name.
Day 5: We started this day by walking back to the Vatican for some more shopping and to mail postcard to my SIL's grandkids from the Vatican post office. I had really wanted to go to Trastevere today, but it was not to be. Between the shopping and the rain, we just never made it. I wanted to see Santa Maria in Trastevere Church. Maybe next time. By the time we left the Vatican, we ran into the nearest place to sit for a minute and have a coffee as it was really raining. We ended up back at the hotel to shower, as we were wet, and pack for the Easyjet flight to Sicily the next day. However, I should not say we didn't ever make it to Trastevere as we did this night but only or dinner. I had the hotel make reservations for Glass and I am so glad I did. It was the best meal of our 5 nights in Rome. It was quite an ordeal for our Taxi driver to find this place. We were late for our reservations and he eventually had to call and try to get help but we eventually found it. And WOW. The food was wonderful. We both had the ravioli with parmesean cheese and the risotto with truffles and dessert. Did I say the food was really, really good? The chef, Christina Bowerman, comes out and speaks to each table and we had a great talk with her. Her ex sister-in-law lived in the town next to us in Texas. She also went to schhol in Texas. Small world. We also traded restaurat ideas for Paris as she was going in a few days. I would highly recommend this restaurant.
Overall, Rome, is a great city. I wish we could have seen more, but there is always the next trip. However, Rome could not compare with Sicily on this trip and meeting my husband's family.
Up next, Sicily.
We bought 3 Premium Economy seats on Air France for the trip ro Rome and home through Paris. We decided to spend the extra money as my husband were upgraded on our last trip to Paris and they were much more comfortable for him as he is 6'4". The trip to Paris was fine, no problems. We landed in Paris and had a 1 hour and 35 minute connection on Alitalia. It was tight as we were bused from the flight and had to go through customs and security. It was tight, but we made it to the gate with a few minutes to spare before we boarded. I was a little worried about Alitalia aabut the flight was just fine. We landed, and or luggage was there which was a little bit of a worry as I have not read a lot of good about Alitalia.
Through our hotel, Hotel Campo de Fiori, we had arranged for a driver to pick us up. This was 55 euro for all 3 of us and worth the money. We had selected the hotel last year for our first trip and they were lovely about letting us cancel at the last minute with no penalty so we used them again. Our first time in Rome, we stayed by the Vatican, and while the hotel was nice, nothing beats staying in the center of Rome. The hotel is very nice and the staff are very accomodating and polite. We stayed in a triple room on a square. The rooms are nice and the bathrooms were very modern. We usually don't spend this much on a hotel but we decided to splurge a little for this section of the trip. After settling in, we asked for recommendations for dinner as were exhausted and wanted to eat and turn in early. They suggested Baffetto, a pizza place around the corner from the hotel. I had read some negative reviews about the service at this restaurant but the food was really good and the service was just fine. I was literally falling asleep at the table and my husband and SIL were trying not to laugh. After that it was back to the room and bed.
Day 2: I woke up the next morning feeling great. I had put in my earplugs because we cracked the windows in the room so I did not hear the noise coming from the square. However, my husband and SIL heard everything. The stone streets echo and though we were on the 5th floor you hear it. My husband and I both decided that we would definitely stay here again, but request a room on the courtyard for more quiet. The breakfasts here are great and included in the room rate. Coffee, hot chocolate, breads, pastries, eggs, meats. We really enjoyed them. We had reservations for the Borghese gallery at 1pm so we decided to wander some in the city center first. We walked to Piazza Navona and then to the Pantheon. My SIL was so impressed. We live in southeast Texas and just the scope of the buildings and their age are beyond anything she has ever seen. We pointed out the Bernini fountains in Piazza Navona to her and then headed for our appointment with the Borghese and our favotite Berninis.
My husband and I had been to the Borghese on our 1st trip to Rome and were awed by the 2 Bernini's that get the most attention there(deservedly) Dafne and Apollo and the Rape of Proserpine. My SIL was equally awed. This is a small museum that really delivers. We were equally impressed by the Caravaggios. Just beautiful. After, we took a walk through the park and headed back to the center walked down the Spanish Steps and headed back to the Trevi Fountain for pictures and the obligatory coin toss. Found Crispino for gelato and headed home. We ended up at one of the restaurants in the Campo de Fiori for bruschetta and prosecco and walked throught the market. A really good tiring day, and we walked for miles.
Day 3: This was our Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill Day. My husband informed me when we woke up that there was soccer match that everyone at the restaurant across form the hotel was watching last night. He and my SIL said there was cheering and the whole works going on. I didn't hear as I had in my earplugs. My husband is not one to complain so he just shrugged it off as what happens when you open windows in a really old city. I woke up with a really bad cold. I was miserable, but when on vacation you have to keep going so we soldiered on to the Colosseum. On the way we stopped to visit Hadrian's Column and saw Hadrian's Market. We ended up entering through the Forum entrance as there was no line. We did however, run into a yound man from Ireland who was trying to sell tours for whatever company he worked for. He asked us if we wanted a tour and we said no. He then said and I quote " What is wrong with you Americans. You are the 100th people Ive asked and you don't even let me tell you about the tour before you say no." WOW. Not really the way to get the Americans to buy your stuff. We spent hours here. We really spent a lot of time walking up and around Palatine Hill which we didn't do last time. I would like to do an underground tour of the Colosseum eventually but we didn't set it up this time. That being said, the Colosseum is so very impressive. The first time we came to Rome, we walked up from the metro and there it was staring me in the face. My 10th grade World History book come to life. We then took a taxi to the Harley Davison store to buy shirts for my brother-in-law. We ended up finishing up the night with dinner at Costanza. We had read reviews and while they were mixed, we enjoyed this meal very much. I really enjoyed my gnocchi and had my 1st tiramisu of the trip here. Both were very good. My SIL had a steak and sent it back as it was still a litle bloody. She never quite got down the idea that medium well in Italy is not medium well at home. I cannot remember what my husband got I just know that he got a side of Risotto which we all shared as it was very good.
Day 4: This was our Vatican day. We had stayed away from St. Peter's so far as I knew we would be spending the entire day here today and I really wanted to see something else in Rome before we descended on the holy mecca for Catholics. Before anyone gets upset with me, we are Catholic but I really wanted to see some other stuff first as I was afraid that once we got there we would never leave. A few weeks before we left, I was up getting ready for work when the breaking news came on that Pope Benedick was retiring February 28. We were leaving March 1. We figured this would be really good as we would be there when history was made or really bad as Rome would be totally crazy.
I had planned the first part of the day with a Walks of Italy Prisine Sistine tour. I did this on the advice of Denise, a regular poster on these forums, as they take you to the Sistine Chapel when the museum first opens so you are not in there with thousands of other people herded through like sheep, as was our last experience. We spent days days not nowing when the conclave would begin and they would close the chapel. As luck, or divine intervention-whatever you want to call it would have it, they closed it at 1:30 pm on the day of our visit so we squeaked through. And we enjoyed the tour very much. It was very much worth the money for the time in the sistine chapel alone. There may have been 50 other people there. You could really walk around and get a great view of every section of the ceiling. We had a lovely tour guide named Claudia and we very much enjoyed her commentary and information. We especially loved her story about Bernini and the sculptures around the main altar. Apparently you shouldn't upset him or he will sculpt pictures of your sister having a baby while not married. Overall, I am pleased we did this and would consider using them again. We went not far from St. Peter's for a very quick lunch and then back again for a Scavi Tour at 1:15 pm. On the way back, we met up with the Cardinal from Thailand who blessed my SIL's ACTS bracelet. He was very engaging and teased us about going to Sicily and the Mafia.
The Scavi Tour was one of the highlights of this trip. You enter though the left side of St. Peter's through the Swiss Guard. The tour takes no more than 15 people down to the necropolis underground with the highlight being the area where St. Peter's bones were discovered and still lay. The guide was a little hard to understand at times, but it was very surreal being here. You end the tour back in the church itself.
After this, as we were gong to the gift shop, my husband saw the sign to climb the dome. He and my SIL then decided that this was a great idea. Did I mention I was sick? I felt like my head weighed about 50 lbs from my cold. I VERY begrudgingly climbed the 300 or so steps. But I WAS not happy. We ended up going to a gift shop here run by the nuns and so began the shopping. We are not shoppers per say. I know what I neeed to get and then buy it. My SIL felt this was probably her only trip to Rome so she bought something for everyone. We spent some time buying medals, necklaces, rosaries, the works. I really feared we weren't finished when we left. After a trip to the hotel to drop off our loot we ended up at another pizza restaurant the hotel recommended but I will have to try to find the name.
Day 5: We started this day by walking back to the Vatican for some more shopping and to mail postcard to my SIL's grandkids from the Vatican post office. I had really wanted to go to Trastevere today, but it was not to be. Between the shopping and the rain, we just never made it. I wanted to see Santa Maria in Trastevere Church. Maybe next time. By the time we left the Vatican, we ran into the nearest place to sit for a minute and have a coffee as it was really raining. We ended up back at the hotel to shower, as we were wet, and pack for the Easyjet flight to Sicily the next day. However, I should not say we didn't ever make it to Trastevere as we did this night but only or dinner. I had the hotel make reservations for Glass and I am so glad I did. It was the best meal of our 5 nights in Rome. It was quite an ordeal for our Taxi driver to find this place. We were late for our reservations and he eventually had to call and try to get help but we eventually found it. And WOW. The food was wonderful. We both had the ravioli with parmesean cheese and the risotto with truffles and dessert. Did I say the food was really, really good? The chef, Christina Bowerman, comes out and speaks to each table and we had a great talk with her. Her ex sister-in-law lived in the town next to us in Texas. She also went to schhol in Texas. Small world. We also traded restaurat ideas for Paris as she was going in a few days. I would highly recommend this restaurant.
Overall, Rome, is a great city. I wish we could have seen more, but there is always the next trip. However, Rome could not compare with Sicily on this trip and meeting my husband's family.
Up next, Sicily.
Mar 31st, 2013, 02:20 PM
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Great trip report!
I only mention this in case you or your SIL are going to title any photos
.
<<<Hadrian's Column and saw Hadrian's Market>>>
That should be Trajan, Hadrian was his adopted son really more like an heir to the throne as he is an adult adopted for the main purpose of being Trajan's successor.
I only mention this in case you or your SIL are going to title any photos
.<<<Hadrian's Column and saw Hadrian's Market>>>
That should be Trajan, Hadrian was his adopted son really more like an heir to the throne as he is an adult adopted for the main purpose of being Trajan's successor.
Mar 31st, 2013, 02:52 PM
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Oops. Thank you for the correction. I hope I didn't get anything else mixed up. I pushed the button to preview I thought but it posted. Oh well, not sure i would have caught it anyway.
thursdaysd---The Rome hotel was indeed very nice. We will definitely be going back to Sicily. The family wants us to come bac and bring our kids who are close in age with theirs.
thursdaysd---The Rome hotel was indeed very nice. We will definitely be going back to Sicily. The family wants us to come bac and bring our kids who are close in age with theirs.
Mar 31st, 2013, 02:54 PM
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Looking forward to reading more! I love Rome! But looking forward to your report on meeting up with family. (I'm going to be spending some time in Croatia this year doing the same thing!)
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Apr 3rd, 2013, 06:36 PM
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I'm enjoying your report too! We stayed at the Hotel Campo de Fiori a few weeks before you and absolutely loved it. Like you, it was a nicer place than we typically stay, but since we were there midweek in Feb we got a pretty good rate. The rooftop terrace was the best. It seems like perhaps you stayed in one of their apartments, rather than the main hotel? If so, I'm curious to know more about the apartment... where was it and how was it set up? We are considering a return there next year with family. Thanks for sharing!
Apr 13th, 2013, 11:59 AM
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So sorry it has taken me so long to continue with the report. Here goes the part on Sicily. It's long:
Thursday, March 7, we got up early to catch our flight to Palermo. When we checked out there were 2 other couples travelling together that were checking out and waiting for their car to tak them to the airport also. They ended up with a van and we had a sedan. When we were having trouble getting all of our luggage to fit in the sedan, one of the guys from the hotel suggeted we put one of our suitcases in the van with the other 2 couples. I think he was rather taken aback when I told him no, not possible. We had been so agreeable to everything up until now I think he expected me to say ok. In the end, we made all of the luggage fit and we caught our 10:45 flight to Palermo on Easyjet. I paid extra for seat assignments on the flight and it was what we expected as we have flown them before. It is such a short flight that we were at the airport in Palermo by noon. We bypassed Palermo proper on this trip as we had been in 2010 and there were other things we wanted to see. We collected our luggage and headed to the car rental. We booked a car through Autoeurope before leaving home. The supplier at the airport was Europecar. From what I had researached before, one needs to be careful of who the supplier is as some are not good to use. We had no problems with Europecar. We got a Volkswagon station wagon that fit all of our luggage and off we went to Erice. I will also stress that you need to make sure to rent a GPS for driving on Sicily. It was invaluable to us.
Mu husband really wanted to see Erice so we decided to spend one night in this very small mountaintop town. Apparently, there are 3 or 4 ways to get up to Erice. The GPS takes you up the shortest route. The road is switchbacks, around a corner very tightly and then up and around the next corner very tightly. The roads are narrow and there is also a very short stone wall between you and the drop. We passed a part of road that had apparently fallen off and had some yellow tape surrounding it. I asked my husband if he was sure we were going up the right way as the road was falling off. A little later the car died and he got it started back up before we started to go backwards too much. I was VERY happy to finally make it to Erice. We stayed at Erice Pietre Antiche Apartments and the owner picked us up at the carpark outside of town and drove us in. He asked us what road we took up and when my husband told him he said "Oh that is the worst one." I was pretty sure of that earlier.
The apartment was very nice. It is a 2 bedroomed stone apartment. He stayed and explained where things were in the apartment and provided us with a map and showed us how to get to things on the map in the town. He was also kind enough to call my husband's cousin in Salaparuta and set a time for us to meet the following day. The apartment was only 100 euros for the night. March is probably not the best time to see Erice. We could not actually see much at all as Erice was enveloped by fog and clouds. On a god day it is said you can see the coast of Africa from Erice. We could see almost nothing when we walked to the edge of town. We could hear the bells of the church ringing but we could not find it. We finally decided that in the clouds and fog Erice looked like a vampire movie set. We eventually found something to eat at a bar and called it a night early. I would definitely go back to Erice but I would probably not spend the night. It is so small that if you could see you could see everything in half a day.
The next morning we were up early and headed to Salaparuta, the small town that my husband's grandfather and his brothers and sister left in the early 1900s to come to America. We took a better road down from Erice this time but i refused to sit in the front seat. It was so foggy we could see almost nothing in front of us. I decided to sit in the back seat and read my book so I would not think about the potential for going off of the side. I have never, never, ever been so happy to get to the bottom of anything in my life.
We had been to Salaparuta in 2012 but the cousins did not get the letter we mailed 7 weeks before we left until 2 weeks after we got home. This time we had email addresses and we were able to plan and keep in touch. Thank goodness for being able to translate things on the computer. The drive to Salaparuta is so beautiful. It is hills and cliffs and valleys and very lush and green. Unfortunately, Salaparuta was one of 3 towns destroyed by the earthquake of 1968. The town was eventually moved and rebuilt but it does not have the charm of the original hilltop stone one.
When we drove up to city hall, there was my husband's cousin's wife waiting for us. She and my husband's cousin both work at city hall. She asked us to call her Nancy. She spoke some English mixed with Italian and we could communicate with her and their 27 year old son. However, my husband's cousin spoke no English. Her English had an accent to it and she told us she had spent 6 years in Australia before she married and that is where she learned English. If only you could have heard this little Sicilian lady speak English with an Italian accent. It was so cute. She really charmed us. She introduced us to everyone at city hall and we eventualy went to a room where books of records were kept and and she and her son found the record of my husband ans SIL's grandfather's marriage. We are not sure how we are related but they are the only family with our last name left in Salaparuta.
After that, the 3 of them took us to see the old ruins of Salaparuta. We had read about the earthquake and the destruction it caused in the Belize Valley. We had also seen pictures of the old stone hilltop town and the church it was built around. We were able to walk up the stairs of the old chuch that are still standing as are a few rooms and the altar. There are no walls and it is open to the elements but the views from the old town through the valley below are simply breathtaking. We also visited Poggioreale another of the destroyed towns that had more ruins standing so we could get a sense of what Salaparuta would have looked like.
As we drove back to their home, Nancy told us about the earthquake and about the 10 years she and her family spent living in barracks waiting for Salaparuta to be rebuilt. We had read about this but to hear it first hand was so sad. Ten years of their lives being lived in barracks. It was unimaginable to us. As bad as things have been here, and we lived though Hurricane Rita in 2006, it has never been that bad. She also told us taht she and her husband were lucky as the both worked for the city. She said Salaparuta was dying and had only abaout 180 residents. There are no opportunities there for their children so they are having to move off. They have to drive to neighboring town for anything bigger than basic groceries. She just teared up as she was telling us this.
Once back at their home, we had a visit from one of their friends whose mother's maiden name was the same as ours. We all looked at old family pictures for any resemblances. We thought his mother had the same mouth as members of my husband's family and I am pretty sure someone in one picture really looked like Teddy Roosevelt but that's as far as we got. Their home was extremely nice and had been remodeled a few years ago. Standing outside you would never know it was as large as it was with balconies in the back. From the outside, all of the homes in Salaparuta look like townhomes and they are all alike in varying degrees. Many look vacant and some are for sale. We then sat down to one of the highlights of this trip- a 3 hour home-cooked Sicilian meal. WOW!! We were stuffed, Nancy said she cooks every day and she is very good at it. We had her own olives, cheese, spaghetti, meats, vegetables, fruit, desserts, wines coffee, Their 20 year old daughter also came in from Palermo where she is studying for dinner and to meet us. Though if it was me I would have just come for the food! WOW!
Their 8 year old neighbor also joined us. Nancy is friends with the boy's mother who apparently does not like to cook so he comes over all of the time for Nancy's food. The funniest part was watching all 4 of them and the 8 year old speak to each other in Italian. They joked and at one point the 8 year old put his hand up in the air and made the gesture where you put all of your fingers together to make a point. It was hysterical. They must be born doing that. So cute. We also noticed how warm and loving they were with one another. Lots of hugs, kisses and pinching the 8 year olds cheeks even the 20 and 27 year olds. They were so close. We didn't want to leave.
Later, we headed to our hotel, Don Giovanni. Nancy had called to tell them we were on our way as it was getting late. They had us follow them to the hotel and I am so gald we did. We would have gotten so lost. It was only about a 20 minute drive away. There were lots of hugs and tears when we said goodbye. She asked us to come back and bring our kids and stay with them. She won't come to America as she is afraid to fly. We are now Facebook friend with both of their kids so we can stay in touch. But, we plan to go back in the near future. As much as we love Paris, this was THE highlight of our trip! My husband and SIL were amazed that their grandfather was so brave to leave when he was only 18 and not certain about what he would find here. They also loved every minute with their cousins. Even though we are not sure how close we are related we are family now and we want to keep in touch with them.
A few words about Don Giovanni. We stayed just one night in a triple room. However, the hotel was very nice and would be great for a family especially in summer as they have a swimming pool, tennis courts, playground and a spa. It was especially close to Salaparuta and the owner was very nice to us. After a very nice breakfast, she walked us around and spoke to us in Italian and showed us the property. I think it helped having had Sicilian relatives with us.
Today we headed to Piazza Armerina. The GPS took us back up near Palermo on the highway and then down to Piazza Armerina. My husband said that through all of his research he would rather make this drive than try to count on roads that were not as good as the highway. It was a longer drive and we still had to figure out a few detours. However, the drive is beautiful. The interior of Sicily is stunning. My husband said it reminded him of Hawaii without waterfalls.
We finally made it to Piazza Armerina and our B&B for the night. We had 2 rooms at Casa Sulla Collina. It is a family homw and the owners rent out some rooms. She is also a licensed tour guide so we paid her 20 Euro each to drive us to Villa Romana del Casale to see the mosaics unearthed in this Palazzo. She went through each of the rooms and explained everything and though some might not have done this, we felt it was worth every penny to have her drive us and tour the villa with us. I would also suggest visiting this place. The mosaics were spectacular!! Especially the "bathing girls". She also dropped us in town after our tour and her husband picked us up when we called him after dinner. We did not get to see much in Piazza Armerina as it was getting late. We walked though the center of the town and into one of the churchs. We ended up eating at a restaurant in the center and I cannot remember its name. There were 2 men there one seating and one cooking and we could see him cook. It was a fabulous meal though. So good. The best arrabiata I have ever had. It was also one of our cheapest meals. Around 50 euros for all 3 of us. Much less than Rome!! Back to the B&B to sleep so we could head to Catania tomorrow.
After a breakfast, with the strongest coffee ever, we drove to Catania airport to drop off our car and head to a few days in Taormina. The airport drop off for Europecar was easy and they checked us in no problems. I then called a man I found on Tripadvisor named Christian. His company is New Travel Services. He provided us with a car servie to Taormina and then back to Catania for our flight to Paris. We waited for him at the airport and he was there to pick us up within 30 minutes of my call, as we were earlier than our original arranged time. My SIL was a bit nervous at the airport in Catania. It was definitely a little rougher around the edges. Christian picked us up in his van and drove us to the Hotel Villa Carlotta. We decided not to keep the car as Taormina was easy enough to get around walking and we intended to take it slow and relax for the 2 days there.
The Villa Carlotta is a VERY nice hotel. We had a triple room that is actually like 2 rooms as the single bed was closed off with a sliding door and its own little tiny balcony. We really liked the hotel. We spent more here and in Rome as the other hotels we stayed at weren't that expensive. The hotel has a very, very good breakfast. We walked though the town, down the Corso Umberto shopping street, much to mu husband's dismay and visited the Greek Theater. It is beautiful with views to Mt. Etna. The rooftop of the hotel where the restaurant is located is also partially open with viws to the ocean and Mt. Etna. We also found a local shop and bought some Sicilian tile. We plan to eventually remodel our bathroom and decided to buy some and have it shipped home to weave into whatever we decide to do. My SIL bought some also. We enjoyed Taormina and it is stunningly beautiful. However, I would go for a night only in the future. We wanted to rest as we had been 9 or 10 days on the road at this point and were headed to Paris next so we took it easy here. But Taormina is certainly beautiful and the theater is certainly worth a visit. I would also recommend the Villa Carlotta. It is a beautiful hotel and the service is wonderful.
Still to come: Snow and Paris
Thursday, March 7, we got up early to catch our flight to Palermo. When we checked out there were 2 other couples travelling together that were checking out and waiting for their car to tak them to the airport also. They ended up with a van and we had a sedan. When we were having trouble getting all of our luggage to fit in the sedan, one of the guys from the hotel suggeted we put one of our suitcases in the van with the other 2 couples. I think he was rather taken aback when I told him no, not possible. We had been so agreeable to everything up until now I think he expected me to say ok. In the end, we made all of the luggage fit and we caught our 10:45 flight to Palermo on Easyjet. I paid extra for seat assignments on the flight and it was what we expected as we have flown them before. It is such a short flight that we were at the airport in Palermo by noon. We bypassed Palermo proper on this trip as we had been in 2010 and there were other things we wanted to see. We collected our luggage and headed to the car rental. We booked a car through Autoeurope before leaving home. The supplier at the airport was Europecar. From what I had researached before, one needs to be careful of who the supplier is as some are not good to use. We had no problems with Europecar. We got a Volkswagon station wagon that fit all of our luggage and off we went to Erice. I will also stress that you need to make sure to rent a GPS for driving on Sicily. It was invaluable to us.
Mu husband really wanted to see Erice so we decided to spend one night in this very small mountaintop town. Apparently, there are 3 or 4 ways to get up to Erice. The GPS takes you up the shortest route. The road is switchbacks, around a corner very tightly and then up and around the next corner very tightly. The roads are narrow and there is also a very short stone wall between you and the drop. We passed a part of road that had apparently fallen off and had some yellow tape surrounding it. I asked my husband if he was sure we were going up the right way as the road was falling off. A little later the car died and he got it started back up before we started to go backwards too much. I was VERY happy to finally make it to Erice. We stayed at Erice Pietre Antiche Apartments and the owner picked us up at the carpark outside of town and drove us in. He asked us what road we took up and when my husband told him he said "Oh that is the worst one." I was pretty sure of that earlier.
The apartment was very nice. It is a 2 bedroomed stone apartment. He stayed and explained where things were in the apartment and provided us with a map and showed us how to get to things on the map in the town. He was also kind enough to call my husband's cousin in Salaparuta and set a time for us to meet the following day. The apartment was only 100 euros for the night. March is probably not the best time to see Erice. We could not actually see much at all as Erice was enveloped by fog and clouds. On a god day it is said you can see the coast of Africa from Erice. We could see almost nothing when we walked to the edge of town. We could hear the bells of the church ringing but we could not find it. We finally decided that in the clouds and fog Erice looked like a vampire movie set. We eventually found something to eat at a bar and called it a night early. I would definitely go back to Erice but I would probably not spend the night. It is so small that if you could see you could see everything in half a day.
The next morning we were up early and headed to Salaparuta, the small town that my husband's grandfather and his brothers and sister left in the early 1900s to come to America. We took a better road down from Erice this time but i refused to sit in the front seat. It was so foggy we could see almost nothing in front of us. I decided to sit in the back seat and read my book so I would not think about the potential for going off of the side. I have never, never, ever been so happy to get to the bottom of anything in my life.
We had been to Salaparuta in 2012 but the cousins did not get the letter we mailed 7 weeks before we left until 2 weeks after we got home. This time we had email addresses and we were able to plan and keep in touch. Thank goodness for being able to translate things on the computer. The drive to Salaparuta is so beautiful. It is hills and cliffs and valleys and very lush and green. Unfortunately, Salaparuta was one of 3 towns destroyed by the earthquake of 1968. The town was eventually moved and rebuilt but it does not have the charm of the original hilltop stone one.
When we drove up to city hall, there was my husband's cousin's wife waiting for us. She and my husband's cousin both work at city hall. She asked us to call her Nancy. She spoke some English mixed with Italian and we could communicate with her and their 27 year old son. However, my husband's cousin spoke no English. Her English had an accent to it and she told us she had spent 6 years in Australia before she married and that is where she learned English. If only you could have heard this little Sicilian lady speak English with an Italian accent. It was so cute. She really charmed us. She introduced us to everyone at city hall and we eventualy went to a room where books of records were kept and and she and her son found the record of my husband ans SIL's grandfather's marriage. We are not sure how we are related but they are the only family with our last name left in Salaparuta.
After that, the 3 of them took us to see the old ruins of Salaparuta. We had read about the earthquake and the destruction it caused in the Belize Valley. We had also seen pictures of the old stone hilltop town and the church it was built around. We were able to walk up the stairs of the old chuch that are still standing as are a few rooms and the altar. There are no walls and it is open to the elements but the views from the old town through the valley below are simply breathtaking. We also visited Poggioreale another of the destroyed towns that had more ruins standing so we could get a sense of what Salaparuta would have looked like.
As we drove back to their home, Nancy told us about the earthquake and about the 10 years she and her family spent living in barracks waiting for Salaparuta to be rebuilt. We had read about this but to hear it first hand was so sad. Ten years of their lives being lived in barracks. It was unimaginable to us. As bad as things have been here, and we lived though Hurricane Rita in 2006, it has never been that bad. She also told us taht she and her husband were lucky as the both worked for the city. She said Salaparuta was dying and had only abaout 180 residents. There are no opportunities there for their children so they are having to move off. They have to drive to neighboring town for anything bigger than basic groceries. She just teared up as she was telling us this.
Once back at their home, we had a visit from one of their friends whose mother's maiden name was the same as ours. We all looked at old family pictures for any resemblances. We thought his mother had the same mouth as members of my husband's family and I am pretty sure someone in one picture really looked like Teddy Roosevelt but that's as far as we got. Their home was extremely nice and had been remodeled a few years ago. Standing outside you would never know it was as large as it was with balconies in the back. From the outside, all of the homes in Salaparuta look like townhomes and they are all alike in varying degrees. Many look vacant and some are for sale. We then sat down to one of the highlights of this trip- a 3 hour home-cooked Sicilian meal. WOW!! We were stuffed, Nancy said she cooks every day and she is very good at it. We had her own olives, cheese, spaghetti, meats, vegetables, fruit, desserts, wines coffee, Their 20 year old daughter also came in from Palermo where she is studying for dinner and to meet us. Though if it was me I would have just come for the food! WOW!
Their 8 year old neighbor also joined us. Nancy is friends with the boy's mother who apparently does not like to cook so he comes over all of the time for Nancy's food. The funniest part was watching all 4 of them and the 8 year old speak to each other in Italian. They joked and at one point the 8 year old put his hand up in the air and made the gesture where you put all of your fingers together to make a point. It was hysterical. They must be born doing that. So cute. We also noticed how warm and loving they were with one another. Lots of hugs, kisses and pinching the 8 year olds cheeks even the 20 and 27 year olds. They were so close. We didn't want to leave.
Later, we headed to our hotel, Don Giovanni. Nancy had called to tell them we were on our way as it was getting late. They had us follow them to the hotel and I am so gald we did. We would have gotten so lost. It was only about a 20 minute drive away. There were lots of hugs and tears when we said goodbye. She asked us to come back and bring our kids and stay with them. She won't come to America as she is afraid to fly. We are now Facebook friend with both of their kids so we can stay in touch. But, we plan to go back in the near future. As much as we love Paris, this was THE highlight of our trip! My husband and SIL were amazed that their grandfather was so brave to leave when he was only 18 and not certain about what he would find here. They also loved every minute with their cousins. Even though we are not sure how close we are related we are family now and we want to keep in touch with them.
A few words about Don Giovanni. We stayed just one night in a triple room. However, the hotel was very nice and would be great for a family especially in summer as they have a swimming pool, tennis courts, playground and a spa. It was especially close to Salaparuta and the owner was very nice to us. After a very nice breakfast, she walked us around and spoke to us in Italian and showed us the property. I think it helped having had Sicilian relatives with us.
Today we headed to Piazza Armerina. The GPS took us back up near Palermo on the highway and then down to Piazza Armerina. My husband said that through all of his research he would rather make this drive than try to count on roads that were not as good as the highway. It was a longer drive and we still had to figure out a few detours. However, the drive is beautiful. The interior of Sicily is stunning. My husband said it reminded him of Hawaii without waterfalls.
We finally made it to Piazza Armerina and our B&B for the night. We had 2 rooms at Casa Sulla Collina. It is a family homw and the owners rent out some rooms. She is also a licensed tour guide so we paid her 20 Euro each to drive us to Villa Romana del Casale to see the mosaics unearthed in this Palazzo. She went through each of the rooms and explained everything and though some might not have done this, we felt it was worth every penny to have her drive us and tour the villa with us. I would also suggest visiting this place. The mosaics were spectacular!! Especially the "bathing girls". She also dropped us in town after our tour and her husband picked us up when we called him after dinner. We did not get to see much in Piazza Armerina as it was getting late. We walked though the center of the town and into one of the churchs. We ended up eating at a restaurant in the center and I cannot remember its name. There were 2 men there one seating and one cooking and we could see him cook. It was a fabulous meal though. So good. The best arrabiata I have ever had. It was also one of our cheapest meals. Around 50 euros for all 3 of us. Much less than Rome!! Back to the B&B to sleep so we could head to Catania tomorrow.
After a breakfast, with the strongest coffee ever, we drove to Catania airport to drop off our car and head to a few days in Taormina. The airport drop off for Europecar was easy and they checked us in no problems. I then called a man I found on Tripadvisor named Christian. His company is New Travel Services. He provided us with a car servie to Taormina and then back to Catania for our flight to Paris. We waited for him at the airport and he was there to pick us up within 30 minutes of my call, as we were earlier than our original arranged time. My SIL was a bit nervous at the airport in Catania. It was definitely a little rougher around the edges. Christian picked us up in his van and drove us to the Hotel Villa Carlotta. We decided not to keep the car as Taormina was easy enough to get around walking and we intended to take it slow and relax for the 2 days there.
The Villa Carlotta is a VERY nice hotel. We had a triple room that is actually like 2 rooms as the single bed was closed off with a sliding door and its own little tiny balcony. We really liked the hotel. We spent more here and in Rome as the other hotels we stayed at weren't that expensive. The hotel has a very, very good breakfast. We walked though the town, down the Corso Umberto shopping street, much to mu husband's dismay and visited the Greek Theater. It is beautiful with views to Mt. Etna. The rooftop of the hotel where the restaurant is located is also partially open with viws to the ocean and Mt. Etna. We also found a local shop and bought some Sicilian tile. We plan to eventually remodel our bathroom and decided to buy some and have it shipped home to weave into whatever we decide to do. My SIL bought some also. We enjoyed Taormina and it is stunningly beautiful. However, I would go for a night only in the future. We wanted to rest as we had been 9 or 10 days on the road at this point and were headed to Paris next so we took it easy here. But Taormina is certainly beautiful and the theater is certainly worth a visit. I would also recommend the Villa Carlotta. It is a beautiful hotel and the service is wonderful.
Still to come: Snow and Paris
Apr 13th, 2013, 12:10 PM
#14
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Oops see 2 errors. We went originally to Salaparuta in 2010 not 2012. Also. we found the record of the their grandfather's parents marriage. Geez, I reread this after I typed each paragraph and still made mistakes.
Apr 13th, 2013, 12:35 PM
#15
Thanks for coming back and telling us about Sicily. Sounds like a very successful visit, aside from Erice. Such a pity about the weather there - I spent two nights and loved it, but I had the views. Next time you might want to take the bus up (I took the bus from Palermo and changed in Trapani) or I believe there's a cable car (I think the cable car would be worse, but lots of people like them).
Apr 13th, 2013, 12:52 PM
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The main reason for this visit to Sicily was to visit Salaparuta. We definitely want to go back and visit some things we missed. The cousins have a lot of people they know in Trapani and wanted to take us but we didn't have time. Next time we will make sure we allow time to go wherever they want to take us.
Apr 14th, 2013, 09:08 AM
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Thx for the details about the drive to Erice. We are just going for an afternoon from scopello and now we know to check driving directions with our hotel and not rely on GPS.
We are also visiting villa romana to see the mosaics. Glad to hear how much you enjoyed them.
We are also visiting villa romana to see the mosaics. Glad to hear how much you enjoyed them.
Apr 14th, 2013, 09:57 AM
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Annhig,
March was not cold. It was a little chilly but as I get older I am not one to want to be in the heat (we live in southeast Texas-go figure). Erice required us to wear coats as it was cold being so high up. It was a little rainy at times, but it was off and on. We like to travel in March because of we try to avoid the heat and crowds. However, next summer we are thinking of Scotland. Hopefully it will be cool in June.
March was not cold. It was a little chilly but as I get older I am not one to want to be in the heat (we live in southeast Texas-go figure). Erice required us to wear coats as it was cold being so high up. It was a little rainy at times, but it was off and on. We like to travel in March because of we try to avoid the heat and crowds. However, next summer we are thinking of Scotland. Hopefully it will be cool in June.
