The Birthday Celebration in Italy!
Aug 24th, 2015, 12:52 PM
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The Birthday Celebration in Italy!
How do you say Happy Birthday to your spouse on a very special day in a very special way?
The more I thought about it the more I felt I needed to treat it as if directing a show ( since this is what I did before retirement).
The setting would be Italy: Lake Garda, The Dolomites, Tuscany and Casperia
The characters would be The Birthday Girl ( my wife), our two sons and their wives and four granddaughters ages 7, 6, 3 and 7 months.
The celebration would take place in the month of August and we would all gather together at a rented villa in Tuscany.
In planning I needed to reach out to my friends on Fodor's and get some basic ideas on how to plan our trip, check out Tripadvisor for Hotels and B & B's, make flight reservations into Milan and out of Rome ( Delta/ Alitalia), rent a car through Auto Europe/Kemwel, take out Travel Insurance ( Travel Guard) and find a Villa in Tuscany to rent for a week ( which I did through Emma Villas).
The last piece of the puzzle: how to actually " celebrate" her birthday? This would be done by hiring a private chef to cook a dinner for all of us at the Villa which I arranged with ( Chef in Tuscany).
Act 1/ Scene 1
Buon Viaggio! We arranged a limo service to drive us to the airport and had a two hour wait before boarding. I arranged through Delta for extra leg room ( which I absolutely suggest) and after several snacks, dinner, wine, more wine, sleeping, awake, reading, playing games on the computer we arrived at Malpensa Airport in Milan. It was a very easy pickup for our car rental and for the first time we actually had the car we had rented! In the past when we have ordered a small, automatic car we have received a large car! Not this time!! We were ready to drive from Malpensa to Riva Del Garda and together with our luggage ( which barely fit), our GPS ( which we ordered through Auto Europe at a discounted rate) we were ready to begin our journey. Every " scenario" must have its conflicts and dramatic elements so here was mine: where to stay on Lake Garda and once I decided it would be at the north end ( Riva Del Garda) which route to take: the Western or Eastern approach?
I chose Riva because of the many wonderful reviews written on Fodors and also it was closer to our next stop in the Dolomites. Many had written that driving the Western route is a bit riskier with all of its tunnels, narrow lanes, lots of curves, however, we found it to be absolutely safe, extremely picturesque and fun to drive. It took us 3 hours to drive and we arrived at our Hotel Kristal Palace.
Scene 2.
Our Hotel was wonderful! We stayed in the Executive Room and chose the Half Board option ( breakfast and dinner). I arranged to have some flowers, champagne and chocolates to be waiting in the room for us and we dined and drank on our terrace after arriving. The rooftop of the Hotel is surrounded by mountains and there is a pool, bar and many tables set up for breakfast and drinks. Each night there is either live music or a deejay and one could also order some bar food. In 15 minutes we could walk to the ferry along the water where we could see many people sunbathing, swimming and enjoying sailing, windsurfing, biking and just strolling. Our dinners at the Hotel were delicious, plentiful, varied ( and accommodating for my vegetarian wife). For breakfast you had an option to eat downstairs in the dining room or on the rooftop where we chose to eat for the next four mornings. On day 2, we walked to the ferry and headed out to Malcesine. We walked to the top of the castle, had a quick bite in one of the piazzas, bought tickets for the cable car up to Mount Baldo at the castle, walked around at the top ( a bit colder up there) and returned by cable down to town and boarded our ferry back. *** Tip: the lines during Summer at the cable going up to Mount Baldo were very long ( almost an hour) and there was an additional wait to purchase tickets. My advice is to purchase the tickets elsewhere in town and try to go up earlier or later in the day. Malcesine is a beautiful village to walk and explore and have a nice lunch and people watch! Some visitors choose to purchase ferry tickets which allow them to explore more than 1 village in the day, however, we chose not to take this option.
Scene 3
One of the perks of the Hotel is providing free bike rentals. On day 3 we chose to ride to two of the nearby villages: Torbole and Arco. Since my wife was not comfortable with the bike it became a difficult afternoon for us. Although the ride is straight and on a path and takes you through vineyards and mountains on one side and a river on the other it was too long, too hot and too difficult for us. Unfortunately I had an accident hurting my leg and my wife suffered blisters. Both Torbole and Arco are lovely villages to visit and I would absolutely suggest for you to visit them, however, I would think twice before biking there! You can walk to either village ( Torbole is only 1 km), however, Arco is much further ( 5km). If you have a car you can make the trip in 15 minutes or you can take the ferry . Our evening was spent with several couples who we met on the ferry and at the hotel and we listened and danced the night away on the rooftop listening to a live jazz band!
Scene 4
Today we took a drive to Limone ( another village on the lake) which is perhaps 20 minutes away. There wasn't any problem parking the car and we walked down to the village which is right on the water. After strolling through the village we had pizza at a waterfront restaurant and were on our way to visiting Tremosine ( a hilltop village up in the mountains). While the views from Tremosine were beautiful I am not sure I would suggest you to take the time to do so. The only reason we went was because we had been in North Adams, Mass this summer and apparently Tremosine is the sister city of North Adams and we had seen photos that looked enticing. It was a wonderful day of exploration and we really enjoyed our time driving through the villages. You don't have to have a car to see the towns as you can take the ferry or bus. I suggest you have a ferry schedule and try to get out earlier in the day during summer to avoid the heat in the afternoons. We just loved returning to Riva each time we left. Such a beautiful spot with mountains and activity surrounding you. Some might argue that it is best to stay more central in town and close to the ferry, however, we liked the walk, the quiet of our neighborhood and absolutely loved our hotel.
The next day we left Riva Del Garda and head to Orestei in the Dolomites to begin Act 2!
The more I thought about it the more I felt I needed to treat it as if directing a show ( since this is what I did before retirement).
The setting would be Italy: Lake Garda, The Dolomites, Tuscany and Casperia
The characters would be The Birthday Girl ( my wife), our two sons and their wives and four granddaughters ages 7, 6, 3 and 7 months.
The celebration would take place in the month of August and we would all gather together at a rented villa in Tuscany.
In planning I needed to reach out to my friends on Fodor's and get some basic ideas on how to plan our trip, check out Tripadvisor for Hotels and B & B's, make flight reservations into Milan and out of Rome ( Delta/ Alitalia), rent a car through Auto Europe/Kemwel, take out Travel Insurance ( Travel Guard) and find a Villa in Tuscany to rent for a week ( which I did through Emma Villas).
The last piece of the puzzle: how to actually " celebrate" her birthday? This would be done by hiring a private chef to cook a dinner for all of us at the Villa which I arranged with ( Chef in Tuscany).
Act 1/ Scene 1
Buon Viaggio! We arranged a limo service to drive us to the airport and had a two hour wait before boarding. I arranged through Delta for extra leg room ( which I absolutely suggest) and after several snacks, dinner, wine, more wine, sleeping, awake, reading, playing games on the computer we arrived at Malpensa Airport in Milan. It was a very easy pickup for our car rental and for the first time we actually had the car we had rented! In the past when we have ordered a small, automatic car we have received a large car! Not this time!! We were ready to drive from Malpensa to Riva Del Garda and together with our luggage ( which barely fit), our GPS ( which we ordered through Auto Europe at a discounted rate) we were ready to begin our journey. Every " scenario" must have its conflicts and dramatic elements so here was mine: where to stay on Lake Garda and once I decided it would be at the north end ( Riva Del Garda) which route to take: the Western or Eastern approach?
I chose Riva because of the many wonderful reviews written on Fodors and also it was closer to our next stop in the Dolomites. Many had written that driving the Western route is a bit riskier with all of its tunnels, narrow lanes, lots of curves, however, we found it to be absolutely safe, extremely picturesque and fun to drive. It took us 3 hours to drive and we arrived at our Hotel Kristal Palace.
Scene 2.
Our Hotel was wonderful! We stayed in the Executive Room and chose the Half Board option ( breakfast and dinner). I arranged to have some flowers, champagne and chocolates to be waiting in the room for us and we dined and drank on our terrace after arriving. The rooftop of the Hotel is surrounded by mountains and there is a pool, bar and many tables set up for breakfast and drinks. Each night there is either live music or a deejay and one could also order some bar food. In 15 minutes we could walk to the ferry along the water where we could see many people sunbathing, swimming and enjoying sailing, windsurfing, biking and just strolling. Our dinners at the Hotel were delicious, plentiful, varied ( and accommodating for my vegetarian wife). For breakfast you had an option to eat downstairs in the dining room or on the rooftop where we chose to eat for the next four mornings. On day 2, we walked to the ferry and headed out to Malcesine. We walked to the top of the castle, had a quick bite in one of the piazzas, bought tickets for the cable car up to Mount Baldo at the castle, walked around at the top ( a bit colder up there) and returned by cable down to town and boarded our ferry back. *** Tip: the lines during Summer at the cable going up to Mount Baldo were very long ( almost an hour) and there was an additional wait to purchase tickets. My advice is to purchase the tickets elsewhere in town and try to go up earlier or later in the day. Malcesine is a beautiful village to walk and explore and have a nice lunch and people watch! Some visitors choose to purchase ferry tickets which allow them to explore more than 1 village in the day, however, we chose not to take this option.
Scene 3
One of the perks of the Hotel is providing free bike rentals. On day 3 we chose to ride to two of the nearby villages: Torbole and Arco. Since my wife was not comfortable with the bike it became a difficult afternoon for us. Although the ride is straight and on a path and takes you through vineyards and mountains on one side and a river on the other it was too long, too hot and too difficult for us. Unfortunately I had an accident hurting my leg and my wife suffered blisters. Both Torbole and Arco are lovely villages to visit and I would absolutely suggest for you to visit them, however, I would think twice before biking there! You can walk to either village ( Torbole is only 1 km), however, Arco is much further ( 5km). If you have a car you can make the trip in 15 minutes or you can take the ferry . Our evening was spent with several couples who we met on the ferry and at the hotel and we listened and danced the night away on the rooftop listening to a live jazz band!
Scene 4
Today we took a drive to Limone ( another village on the lake) which is perhaps 20 minutes away. There wasn't any problem parking the car and we walked down to the village which is right on the water. After strolling through the village we had pizza at a waterfront restaurant and were on our way to visiting Tremosine ( a hilltop village up in the mountains). While the views from Tremosine were beautiful I am not sure I would suggest you to take the time to do so. The only reason we went was because we had been in North Adams, Mass this summer and apparently Tremosine is the sister city of North Adams and we had seen photos that looked enticing. It was a wonderful day of exploration and we really enjoyed our time driving through the villages. You don't have to have a car to see the towns as you can take the ferry or bus. I suggest you have a ferry schedule and try to get out earlier in the day during summer to avoid the heat in the afternoons. We just loved returning to Riva each time we left. Such a beautiful spot with mountains and activity surrounding you. Some might argue that it is best to stay more central in town and close to the ferry, however, we liked the walk, the quiet of our neighborhood and absolutely loved our hotel.
The next day we left Riva Del Garda and head to Orestei in the Dolomites to begin Act 2!
Sounds lovely. Arco was on my list too. Looking forward to your Ortisei report.
Aug 31st, 2015, 09:09 AM
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Act 2- Scene 1 restei
We had our last breakfast on the roof, said our goodbyes and were on our way to Ortisei in the Dolomites! It is a beautiful drive passing magnificent mountains, vineyards,
rivers and featuring a very curvey route to our Hotel Digon. We were greeted by the family that owns and operates the hotel, given our beautiful room that overlooks the countryside
and given free bus passes that would take us into the center of Oristei. The bus stop is conveniently located directly across the road from the Hotel and within 10 minutes you are right in the center of town. We walked around this charming village, had lunch and then took a cable car to the top of Alpe Suisi. We took a hike to a restaurant where we I enjoyed a beer, my wife had a cappucino and we shared some strudel with spectacular views of the Dolomites. On our hike we ran into horses and goats, met some interesting people and then were back on the cable heading down towards town. After some gelato and some more walking we took the bus back, had a 5 course dinner that included vegetarian options and wine and soon we were back in our room . The wifi here at Hotel Digon is far better and quicker than the previous hotel in Riva.
Scene 2
Today after a delicous breakfast and a wonderful view from our table we sat down with our host Daniel who helped plan our day for us. We decided to drive to our locations today and our first stop was to the Secada Mountain cable car. You take 2 cable cars up and when you arrive it is hard to describe the magnificence of what you are witnessing. The mountain ranges here are breathtaking and spectacular. It reminded us at our first sighting of the Grand Canyon. We were fortunate enough to meet a geologist on the cable car ride up who gavoe us some history and later on some suggestions where to hike. Our hike today included walking 1km laterally to a spot overlooking a valley with lots of ski chalets and a restaurant below. After walking down to the restaurant we continued on and found a ski lift which would take us back up to where we started. It was exciting and not scary and it capped off our 2 1/2 hour hike. Next stop we drove to Selva ( another town) and a different cable car up to Anteerceppies Mountain. Another magnificent view of the Dolomites, however, no more hiking! Afterwards we stayed in Selva, listened to an outdoor concert, had some gelato, returned back to the Hotel for some free apperifs and of course our wonderful dinner. In fact we had a dessert which we loved which included eggs and cranberries. We have certainly enjoyed our stay here and look forward to returning and spending some time in the Dolomites. Tomorrow we head to Tuscany to meet up with our family!
25 REPLIES |BACK TO TOP
We had our last breakfast on the roof, said our goodbyes and were on our way to Ortisei in the Dolomites! It is a beautiful drive passing magnificent mountains, vineyards,
rivers and featuring a very curvey route to our Hotel Digon. We were greeted by the family that owns and operates the hotel, given our beautiful room that overlooks the countryside
and given free bus passes that would take us into the center of Oristei. The bus stop is conveniently located directly across the road from the Hotel and within 10 minutes you are right in the center of town. We walked around this charming village, had lunch and then took a cable car to the top of Alpe Suisi. We took a hike to a restaurant where we I enjoyed a beer, my wife had a cappucino and we shared some strudel with spectacular views of the Dolomites. On our hike we ran into horses and goats, met some interesting people and then were back on the cable heading down towards town. After some gelato and some more walking we took the bus back, had a 5 course dinner that included vegetarian options and wine and soon we were back in our room . The wifi here at Hotel Digon is far better and quicker than the previous hotel in Riva.
Scene 2
Today after a delicous breakfast and a wonderful view from our table we sat down with our host Daniel who helped plan our day for us. We decided to drive to our locations today and our first stop was to the Secada Mountain cable car. You take 2 cable cars up and when you arrive it is hard to describe the magnificence of what you are witnessing. The mountain ranges here are breathtaking and spectacular. It reminded us at our first sighting of the Grand Canyon. We were fortunate enough to meet a geologist on the cable car ride up who gavoe us some history and later on some suggestions where to hike. Our hike today included walking 1km laterally to a spot overlooking a valley with lots of ski chalets and a restaurant below. After walking down to the restaurant we continued on and found a ski lift which would take us back up to where we started. It was exciting and not scary and it capped off our 2 1/2 hour hike. Next stop we drove to Selva ( another town) and a different cable car up to Anteerceppies Mountain. Another magnificent view of the Dolomites, however, no more hiking! Afterwards we stayed in Selva, listened to an outdoor concert, had some gelato, returned back to the Hotel for some free apperifs and of course our wonderful dinner. In fact we had a dessert which we loved which included eggs and cranberries. We have certainly enjoyed our stay here and look forward to returning and spending some time in the Dolomites. Tomorrow we head to Tuscany to meet up with our family!
25 REPLIES |BACK TO TOP
Sep 1st, 2015, 04:57 AM
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Adelaidean-- Yes. The hikes are well marked. The hikes are up and down, around and through mountains into valleys . You have dirt, rock and pebble terrain and never into a wooded area There are easier trails and of course ( as we learned) once you go down, down, into the valley you do have to either hike up or be lucky to have a ski lift.
Sep 1st, 2015, 12:27 PM
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Act 3--Scene 1 Woke up early today as our drive was supposed to take us 6 hours to our destination in Tuscany, however, it ended up a 7 hour drive due to traffic on the A22. ** There is no question that having a GPS is definitely a valuable tool in addition to Michelin maps and printed Google maps as well. I had arranged with Emma Villas for the rental of our house in the village of Torrenieri which is a province of Montalcino. Our house had a pool/cabana, indoor gym with jacuzzi and sauna, outdoor dining area, 6 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 2 floors with 2 kitchens and dining rooms. It had air conditioning ( which we had to pay extra ) and it was in the most spectacular area overlooking other farms and was completely isolated. Since there would be 6 adults and 4 children it was certainly enough space for us all and allowed everyone " to do their thing" whether it be lounging/swimming or working out in the gym. The kids could be as noisy or quiet as they wanted and it was wonderful to have such privacy. Our house was in a great location : 6 miles/ 13 minutes to Montalcino; 12 miles/ 21 minutes to Pienza; 51/2 miles/10 minutes to San Quirico; 22 miles/46 minutes to Siena; 6 miles/ 11 minutes to Buonconvento.
Scene 2
Actually you will have to picture this as a collage as we spent the week swimming, eating, drinking ( lots of Brunellos), working out in the gym, sight seeing in Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico, Siena, Buonconvento and at the Ruffino winery outside Florence where we were treated to a VIP tour and lunch ( courtesy of my daughter in law). We cooked ( well 5 out of the 6 adults did--not me), had some wonderful lunches ( most notable was Taverna Grappolo Blu in Montalcino), enjoyed the finest Brunello wines ( thanks to my two sons) and had some of our best family times in the pool with everyone! Since this family gathering was for the purpose of celebrating my wife's Birthday, I arranged with Chef in Tuscany to cook a meal for us on an evening towards the end of the week. OH WHAT A MEAL AND EXPERIENCE!!!! It was a 5 course meal served and cooked by a team of 3. It was delicous, included wines and dessert ( we of course also provided some other wines) and they were so professional, wonderful cooks and left our kitchen / dining room spotless. I would highly recommend this company!!
Our village of Torrenieri was 5 minutes away and provided us with a supermarket ( The Coop), ATM machines, a few restaurants and easy access to all the surrounding towns and villages. In fact one of our most memorable evenings was eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant where the owner, his wife and daughter cooked and served us a meal that was totally unexpected. This is not a restaurant where they usually cook such elaborate meals, however, I was able to communicate with my little italian and I guess they took pity on us ( all 10) and decided to help us out.
Scene 3
Our last day at the house was to be spent at/by/in the pool most of the day. It was HOT and we were all tired. What a fun day and great way to end the week! The next day would be filled with goodbyes to one son and his family as they hopped on a plane to Spain as the other son and family and us would be driving to Casperia.
So happy for our experience and time in Tuscany and very pleased with our choices of Emma Villas and Chef in Tuscany!
Scene 2
Actually you will have to picture this as a collage as we spent the week swimming, eating, drinking ( lots of Brunellos), working out in the gym, sight seeing in Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico, Siena, Buonconvento and at the Ruffino winery outside Florence where we were treated to a VIP tour and lunch ( courtesy of my daughter in law). We cooked ( well 5 out of the 6 adults did--not me), had some wonderful lunches ( most notable was Taverna Grappolo Blu in Montalcino), enjoyed the finest Brunello wines ( thanks to my two sons) and had some of our best family times in the pool with everyone! Since this family gathering was for the purpose of celebrating my wife's Birthday, I arranged with Chef in Tuscany to cook a meal for us on an evening towards the end of the week. OH WHAT A MEAL AND EXPERIENCE!!!! It was a 5 course meal served and cooked by a team of 3. It was delicous, included wines and dessert ( we of course also provided some other wines) and they were so professional, wonderful cooks and left our kitchen / dining room spotless. I would highly recommend this company!!
Our village of Torrenieri was 5 minutes away and provided us with a supermarket ( The Coop), ATM machines, a few restaurants and easy access to all the surrounding towns and villages. In fact one of our most memorable evenings was eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant where the owner, his wife and daughter cooked and served us a meal that was totally unexpected. This is not a restaurant where they usually cook such elaborate meals, however, I was able to communicate with my little italian and I guess they took pity on us ( all 10) and decided to help us out.
Scene 3
Our last day at the house was to be spent at/by/in the pool most of the day. It was HOT and we were all tired. What a fun day and great way to end the week! The next day would be filled with goodbyes to one son and his family as they hopped on a plane to Spain as the other son and family and us would be driving to Casperia.
So happy for our experience and time in Tuscany and very pleased with our choices of Emma Villas and Chef in Tuscany!
Sep 9th, 2015, 10:39 AM
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Act 4 Casperia
Scene 1 Several years ago friends discovered Casperia which is a walled city north east of Rome ( 30 miles). It sounded lovely and they also suggested LaTorretta , a B & B run by Maureen, Roberto and Jennifer ( a family). It was approximately a 3 hour drive from Torrenieri and we were instructed to meet them below the entrance to the city where they would take our luggage and give us instructions where to park. It is a very steep walk up to the B & B on stone streets and we were thrilled to have someone take our luggage up! Our son and his family would be joining us for one night and our first stop was at Vigna restaurant. The owner is Johnnie and over the next 3 days we had an opportunity to know him better and sample his lunch and dinner menus. At La Torretta we were given our rooms ( no AC) but with fans and open shutters. After a well deserved nap we had wine on the terrace overlooking magnificent Casperia, dinner at Vigna with a gorgeous sunset, a visit to a local fair down in the village and finally the long walk back up and off to bed!
Scene 2. After a very nice breakfast our son experienced some upsetting news that his original flight on Norwegian Airlines flying from Rome - Copenhagen ( leaving the next morning) and and then onto LA was cancelled! He spent the morning making arrangements for new flights.
We all had lunch at Agriturismo Terre Binto suggested by Maureen ( about a 10 minute drive). Great food and atmosphere. Sadly said our goodbyes to our son and family. We had dinner once again at Vigna, took a stroll down into the village and off to bed!
Scene 3
Oh what a day our son had!!! He had deliberately left us to stay at a hotel near the airport for an early departure the next morning only to discover later on in the day that ( A) the first flight was delayed several hours; ( B) the second flight was delayed for 6 hours and then cancelled which meant that he, his wife, his two kids ( 3 and 7 months) had to go to a hotel and ( C) they left on a flight that was changed from 10 am to 2 pm and finally off they went to LA. Not a way to end a vacation!
Today was my wife's actual birthday. We took a drive to several of the towns within a half hours distance from Casperia , arranged to have a nice dinner at Le Cucine del Borgo in Roccantica ( where we met the owner who is a Countess)' Our table was on a private terrace overlooking the countryside with a magnificent sunset and afterwards a very short drive back to La Torretta.
Scene 4 We really liked staying at LA Torretta! Awakened through the night with violent thunderstorms and lightening! After breakfast we drove to the airport and dropped off our car. It was an easy drop off and then we waited for almost 4 hours for our flight back to NYC.
It was a sensational trip and a wonderful Birthday celebration for my wife!
Some tips: 1. Take the west side route to Lake Garda
2. Always have change for the parking lot machines
3. Try to arrange for Global Entry. So easy when you return
4. If you rent through Europ Car and are dropping off at Rome Airport you will be returning in 1st Building B, 4 th floor and get a ticket.
5. Watch your speed zones as it is monitored electronically.
6. Get a GPS but also bring along some maps.
7. If you decide to go to Casperia make sure you can walk up and down very steep stairs made out of stone!
Scene 1 Several years ago friends discovered Casperia which is a walled city north east of Rome ( 30 miles). It sounded lovely and they also suggested LaTorretta , a B & B run by Maureen, Roberto and Jennifer ( a family). It was approximately a 3 hour drive from Torrenieri and we were instructed to meet them below the entrance to the city where they would take our luggage and give us instructions where to park. It is a very steep walk up to the B & B on stone streets and we were thrilled to have someone take our luggage up! Our son and his family would be joining us for one night and our first stop was at Vigna restaurant. The owner is Johnnie and over the next 3 days we had an opportunity to know him better and sample his lunch and dinner menus. At La Torretta we were given our rooms ( no AC) but with fans and open shutters. After a well deserved nap we had wine on the terrace overlooking magnificent Casperia, dinner at Vigna with a gorgeous sunset, a visit to a local fair down in the village and finally the long walk back up and off to bed!
Scene 2. After a very nice breakfast our son experienced some upsetting news that his original flight on Norwegian Airlines flying from Rome - Copenhagen ( leaving the next morning) and and then onto LA was cancelled! He spent the morning making arrangements for new flights.
We all had lunch at Agriturismo Terre Binto suggested by Maureen ( about a 10 minute drive). Great food and atmosphere. Sadly said our goodbyes to our son and family. We had dinner once again at Vigna, took a stroll down into the village and off to bed!
Scene 3
Oh what a day our son had!!! He had deliberately left us to stay at a hotel near the airport for an early departure the next morning only to discover later on in the day that ( A) the first flight was delayed several hours; ( B) the second flight was delayed for 6 hours and then cancelled which meant that he, his wife, his two kids ( 3 and 7 months) had to go to a hotel and ( C) they left on a flight that was changed from 10 am to 2 pm and finally off they went to LA. Not a way to end a vacation!
Today was my wife's actual birthday. We took a drive to several of the towns within a half hours distance from Casperia , arranged to have a nice dinner at Le Cucine del Borgo in Roccantica ( where we met the owner who is a Countess)' Our table was on a private terrace overlooking the countryside with a magnificent sunset and afterwards a very short drive back to La Torretta.
Scene 4 We really liked staying at LA Torretta! Awakened through the night with violent thunderstorms and lightening! After breakfast we drove to the airport and dropped off our car. It was an easy drop off and then we waited for almost 4 hours for our flight back to NYC.
It was a sensational trip and a wonderful Birthday celebration for my wife!
Some tips: 1. Take the west side route to Lake Garda
2. Always have change for the parking lot machines
3. Try to arrange for Global Entry. So easy when you return
4. If you rent through Europ Car and are dropping off at Rome Airport you will be returning in 1st Building B, 4 th floor and get a ticket.
5. Watch your speed zones as it is monitored electronically.
6. Get a GPS but also bring along some maps.
7. If you decide to go to Casperia make sure you can walk up and down very steep stairs made out of stone!
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Jul 14th, 2014 10:57 PM
