Trip Report Cities of Italy May 06
Jun 13th, 2006, 02:24 PM
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Trip Report Cities of Italy May 06
ROME, FLORENCE, VENICE TRIP REPORT
This report covers the first half of an 18-day trip to Italy. If you want to see the second half, do a search for Trip Report Le Marche.
First comes the THANK YOU. To everyone who patiently, or even impatiently, responded to my questions as I decided and undecided where we were going, how we were going to get there and obsessed about schedules and prices and reservations.
Thanks Ira and Steve James and LoveItaly, Rufus Firefly, dutyfree, and dozens of others. For all the people who warned me off the Via Cavour Hotel in Rome and helped me plan a trip to Pompeii which got dropped from the itinerary. For all who posted walking tours, restaurant lists, Scavi information, etc. THANK YOU.
NITTY GRITTY
Luggage
We traveled with a 22” and a 24” wheeled bag, a carry-on that fits on top of one of those, and a large shoulder purse. DH also had a small cloth bag with zipper top to carry book, water bottle, etc. on plane. We packed a collapsible bag in the outside zipper compartment of one of our bags. Instead of taking the carry-on onto the plane, we checked it and took the 22” wheel-on as our carry-on because we had a couple of stops and thought it would be easier in airports with the wheel-on. IT WAS! Particularly that long trek through London Heathrow for transfer travelers.
Hair
I have long hair for the first time in over twenty years, and was unsure how much of a pain that was going to be. I bought a Conair butane curling iron with a brush attachment that slides over the top. The whole thing fits in a little case about 6 x 3 inches. It was great.
Books
We take too many in terms of weight, but would not have left any at home. I’m a member of cut them up and take only the pages you need school. So I took the Le Marche pages from the Cadogan Guide to Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche and the Florence and Venice pages from the Cadogan guide to Rome plus those two cities. For Rome, I took what I thought was necessary of the Lonely Planet Guide. The most used books were Rick Steves’ Italian phrase book & Dictionary and Eating and Drinking in Italy by Herbach and Dillon. Both small and eminently useable. I debated about taking Art for Travelers in Italy by Ann Morrow and John Power because although it is small, it weighs a ton. At the last minute I put it in and was very glad I did. When we went to a museum, I tore out the appropriate pages and took them along. For leisure reading, we took a couple of Donna Leon mysteries set in Venice and a copy of the Penguin version of Mary McCarthy’s The Stones of Florence and Venice Observed.
Language
For a few months before we left, we studied Italian with the “in Italiano” book and CD by Sandra Immerso (appropriate name), the Language Immersion Institute Series. We liked it about 2/3 of the way through and then it suddenly speeded up and we felt lost. In retrospect, it was somewhat useful, and I enjoyed the challenge, but it certainly was not totally necessary. In that same few months I was busy asking questions on Fodor’s forum and obsessing about details. A little obsessing can’t hurt.
Misc.
I also buy Streetwise Rome and Streetwise Venice maps. In Florence I depend on guidebook and hand-out maps since we are only there two days.
The other thing we take that takes up too much weight is an assortment of protein bars. We took too many. We also take an assortment of tea bags and since they don’t weigh much, we are always glad to have our own favorites with us when airlines or restaurants only serve the dreaded Lipton (ugh!)
Reservations and prices
We made reservations with individual hotel web sites as follows (for Le Marche information, see my Trip Report Le Marche)
Rome: Hotel Sonya, www.hotelsonya.it for 135 euros a night including breakfast. Located west of the Termini Station. (description below) I had made two other reservations and canceled them after getting bad reports on this forum. The hotel also arranged for an airport shuttle for us, to be billed to our room. (12 euro per person)
Florence: Hotel Casci, www.hotelcasci.com , 150 euros a night including breakfast. Centrally located, walking distance to rr station.
Venice: Best Western Hotel Bologna in Mestre on the mainland, www.hotelbologna.com, located across the street from the railroad station in Mestre, a ten-minute, one-euro ride to the Venice station. I got a special internet rate of 79.5 euros per night, including four one-way train tickets to Venice station. By watching the prices on the site, I was able to save 5 euros per night over an earlier booking price. This included a lavish breakfast and we were upgraded from standard to deluxe double when we arrived.
I also reserved on line in advance: Scavi Tour and Borghese Gallery in Rome and Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery in Florence.
Transportation:
I booked airline tickets through Orbitz. After being disappointed many times by flights that disappeared as I tried to book them, I finally got reasonable open jaw tickets, more than I have paid in the past for Europe, but par for the course now. We paid just under $1000 a piece for tickets from Tucson to Chicago to London on American and on Alitalia from London to Rome. The return was Air France from Venice to Paris and American from Paris to Dallas to Tucson. I had never used Orbitz before and really loved the way they constantly communicated (via my cell phone) on flight times, the slightest changes, or just to confirm the flight was on time. Connection times were a little tight, but that just meant no shopping in airports.
(See Le Marche report for car rental.) We traveled by train from Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice and purchased the tickets at the train station.
This report covers the first half of an 18-day trip to Italy. If you want to see the second half, do a search for Trip Report Le Marche.
First comes the THANK YOU. To everyone who patiently, or even impatiently, responded to my questions as I decided and undecided where we were going, how we were going to get there and obsessed about schedules and prices and reservations.
Thanks Ira and Steve James and LoveItaly, Rufus Firefly, dutyfree, and dozens of others. For all the people who warned me off the Via Cavour Hotel in Rome and helped me plan a trip to Pompeii which got dropped from the itinerary. For all who posted walking tours, restaurant lists, Scavi information, etc. THANK YOU.
NITTY GRITTY
Luggage
We traveled with a 22” and a 24” wheeled bag, a carry-on that fits on top of one of those, and a large shoulder purse. DH also had a small cloth bag with zipper top to carry book, water bottle, etc. on plane. We packed a collapsible bag in the outside zipper compartment of one of our bags. Instead of taking the carry-on onto the plane, we checked it and took the 22” wheel-on as our carry-on because we had a couple of stops and thought it would be easier in airports with the wheel-on. IT WAS! Particularly that long trek through London Heathrow for transfer travelers.
Hair
I have long hair for the first time in over twenty years, and was unsure how much of a pain that was going to be. I bought a Conair butane curling iron with a brush attachment that slides over the top. The whole thing fits in a little case about 6 x 3 inches. It was great.
Books
We take too many in terms of weight, but would not have left any at home. I’m a member of cut them up and take only the pages you need school. So I took the Le Marche pages from the Cadogan Guide to Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche and the Florence and Venice pages from the Cadogan guide to Rome plus those two cities. For Rome, I took what I thought was necessary of the Lonely Planet Guide. The most used books were Rick Steves’ Italian phrase book & Dictionary and Eating and Drinking in Italy by Herbach and Dillon. Both small and eminently useable. I debated about taking Art for Travelers in Italy by Ann Morrow and John Power because although it is small, it weighs a ton. At the last minute I put it in and was very glad I did. When we went to a museum, I tore out the appropriate pages and took them along. For leisure reading, we took a couple of Donna Leon mysteries set in Venice and a copy of the Penguin version of Mary McCarthy’s The Stones of Florence and Venice Observed.
Language
For a few months before we left, we studied Italian with the “in Italiano” book and CD by Sandra Immerso (appropriate name), the Language Immersion Institute Series. We liked it about 2/3 of the way through and then it suddenly speeded up and we felt lost. In retrospect, it was somewhat useful, and I enjoyed the challenge, but it certainly was not totally necessary. In that same few months I was busy asking questions on Fodor’s forum and obsessing about details. A little obsessing can’t hurt.
Misc.
I also buy Streetwise Rome and Streetwise Venice maps. In Florence I depend on guidebook and hand-out maps since we are only there two days.
The other thing we take that takes up too much weight is an assortment of protein bars. We took too many. We also take an assortment of tea bags and since they don’t weigh much, we are always glad to have our own favorites with us when airlines or restaurants only serve the dreaded Lipton (ugh!)
Reservations and prices
We made reservations with individual hotel web sites as follows (for Le Marche information, see my Trip Report Le Marche)
Rome: Hotel Sonya, www.hotelsonya.it for 135 euros a night including breakfast. Located west of the Termini Station. (description below) I had made two other reservations and canceled them after getting bad reports on this forum. The hotel also arranged for an airport shuttle for us, to be billed to our room. (12 euro per person)
Florence: Hotel Casci, www.hotelcasci.com , 150 euros a night including breakfast. Centrally located, walking distance to rr station.
Venice: Best Western Hotel Bologna in Mestre on the mainland, www.hotelbologna.com, located across the street from the railroad station in Mestre, a ten-minute, one-euro ride to the Venice station. I got a special internet rate of 79.5 euros per night, including four one-way train tickets to Venice station. By watching the prices on the site, I was able to save 5 euros per night over an earlier booking price. This included a lavish breakfast and we were upgraded from standard to deluxe double when we arrived.
I also reserved on line in advance: Scavi Tour and Borghese Gallery in Rome and Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Gallery in Florence.
Transportation:
I booked airline tickets through Orbitz. After being disappointed many times by flights that disappeared as I tried to book them, I finally got reasonable open jaw tickets, more than I have paid in the past for Europe, but par for the course now. We paid just under $1000 a piece for tickets from Tucson to Chicago to London on American and on Alitalia from London to Rome. The return was Air France from Venice to Paris and American from Paris to Dallas to Tucson. I had never used Orbitz before and really loved the way they constantly communicated (via my cell phone) on flight times, the slightest changes, or just to confirm the flight was on time. Connection times were a little tight, but that just meant no shopping in airports.
(See Le Marche report for car rental.) We traveled by train from Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice and purchased the tickets at the train station.
Jun 13th, 2006, 06:39 PM
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THURSDAY/FRIDAY
Going all the way to Rome for a bad pizza
We had pre-selected seats on the planes and got the coveted two-seat combo. Heathrow connection was a nightmare. Why is it that when you have just finished a lon-n-ng flight, the airlines feel compelled to make you walk a mile with your luggage likes rats through a maze of corridors? Surely they could find a better way to arrange connecting flights. We were funneled down escalators to a waiting area for buses to the departure terminal, but there was not enough room and the line piled up on the escalator. A guard was there but offered no information. There were no signs. Now I know how the animals at the stockyard feel. At the Alitalia ticket counter, we were told to hurry because they were boarding in five minutes. However, after a rush down another escalator and another corridor found nobody at the Alitalia boarding desk. Finally, the attendant showed up and after waiting another 20 minutes, we boarded for a pleasant flight which somehow got to Rome almost on time.
We zipped through passport control and strolled past customs officials on the green line and found the Hotel Reservation desk where we were to get our pre-arranged transport. We were told to be there at 2:10, so had time for restroom and snack. At 2:35 the driver finally appeared. (Ahhh, Italian efficiency). It seemed to take only about 25 minutes to get to our hotel, and we were in awe of driving right by the Coliseum and other ruins. We had been following weather forecasts of rain, but it was sunny at the airport and there were some scattered showers in the city.
The hotel lobby is on the first floor and we took the tiny old-fashioned open elevator to the 3rd floor. We were very pleased with our attractive room, an upgrade from double to triple—meaning a double bed and a single bed and two chairs. Plenty of space, a street view to the opera house across the way and heavy wooden shutters and double glass to shut out the sound. Bathroom smallish, but wonderful shower head, large towels and everything spotless. The breakfast in their little breakfast room beside the lobby is a bit more than continental—hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cereals. Free internet on their computers in the lobby.
After a short rest, we headed out to explore. Going roughly westward, we found the President’s House on its impressive huge square and went down the many steps to the narrow, overly commercial streets surrounding the Trevi Fountain. The first sight of it, like so many sights here, knocked our socks off. But we were not prepared for the masses of people which kind of spoil the effect. We wanted to eat something light and went down a side street to a pizza place. Believe it or not, our first meal in Rome was a BAD pizza and overpriced glass of mediocre wine. We walked back a different route, discovering the intersection with Quattro Fountains along the way.
Going all the way to Rome for a bad pizza
We had pre-selected seats on the planes and got the coveted two-seat combo. Heathrow connection was a nightmare. Why is it that when you have just finished a lon-n-ng flight, the airlines feel compelled to make you walk a mile with your luggage likes rats through a maze of corridors? Surely they could find a better way to arrange connecting flights. We were funneled down escalators to a waiting area for buses to the departure terminal, but there was not enough room and the line piled up on the escalator. A guard was there but offered no information. There were no signs. Now I know how the animals at the stockyard feel. At the Alitalia ticket counter, we were told to hurry because they were boarding in five minutes. However, after a rush down another escalator and another corridor found nobody at the Alitalia boarding desk. Finally, the attendant showed up and after waiting another 20 minutes, we boarded for a pleasant flight which somehow got to Rome almost on time.
We zipped through passport control and strolled past customs officials on the green line and found the Hotel Reservation desk where we were to get our pre-arranged transport. We were told to be there at 2:10, so had time for restroom and snack. At 2:35 the driver finally appeared. (Ahhh, Italian efficiency). It seemed to take only about 25 minutes to get to our hotel, and we were in awe of driving right by the Coliseum and other ruins. We had been following weather forecasts of rain, but it was sunny at the airport and there were some scattered showers in the city.
The hotel lobby is on the first floor and we took the tiny old-fashioned open elevator to the 3rd floor. We were very pleased with our attractive room, an upgrade from double to triple—meaning a double bed and a single bed and two chairs. Plenty of space, a street view to the opera house across the way and heavy wooden shutters and double glass to shut out the sound. Bathroom smallish, but wonderful shower head, large towels and everything spotless. The breakfast in their little breakfast room beside the lobby is a bit more than continental—hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cereals. Free internet on their computers in the lobby.
After a short rest, we headed out to explore. Going roughly westward, we found the President’s House on its impressive huge square and went down the many steps to the narrow, overly commercial streets surrounding the Trevi Fountain. The first sight of it, like so many sights here, knocked our socks off. But we were not prepared for the masses of people which kind of spoil the effect. We wanted to eat something light and went down a side street to a pizza place. Believe it or not, our first meal in Rome was a BAD pizza and overpriced glass of mediocre wine. We walked back a different route, discovering the intersection with Quattro Fountains along the way.
Jun 15th, 2006, 10:18 AM
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SATURDAY
Going Underground and a Set Back from Jet Lag
We had 10:45 reservation for Scavi Tour, and took the subway to Vatican City. Although I had read lots of directions about finding our way, we still were not clear. Let me see if I can help others who may be going directly to the Scavi Tour. When you get off the subway at Ottaviano (sp?), you walk a couple of blocks on an ordinary shopping street toward the Vatican. Your objective is St. Peter’s Basilica. When you see a green space ahead and high walls on the right side of the street ahead, you have reached the beginning of the Vatican. In the morning, there was already a line that stretched along that wall perpendicular to the street we were on and around the corner in the direction we were going. At that point you need to ignore that long line and keep going straight and you will very soon see the large columns that make up the semi-circular colonnade that surrounds the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. You are NOT going in the same direction as that long line of people. They are going to the Vatican Museums/ Sistine Chapel. (We mistakenly followed that direction for a while).
We stopped at the first place we saw Swiss Guards, guarding a street where people drive through the walls on the right. My husband's ancestors are Swiss, so he really enjoyed seeing the Swiss Guard up close. Their costumes are gaudy beyond belief and make great photos against the stone walls of the Vatican buildings.
We followed their directions and went straight ahead to the colonnade. Follow around the curve of the colonnade to the left and you will see (after the colonnade) a long building, or series of buildings on your left. St. Peter’s Basilica is on your right.
The buildings on your left contain the book store, post office and restrooms (all clearly marked). Ahead of you there is a low arch with a taller arch above it. There are guardhouses beside the lower arch, and Swiss Guards standing guard. You present your reservation form to them and they will lead you through the small arch to the Scavi office.
That is how it works on a normal day. We were not there on a normal day. It was the 500th anny. of the Swiss Guard, and St. Peter’s was closed because the Pope was inside saying Mass. Therefore, traffic in and out was limited, and our 10:45 reservation turned into 11:30. Several groups were combined so that everyone who had a reservation eventually got in and the guides were wonderful about timing their talk so that the groups did not collide in the narrow underground spaces. We thoroughly enjoyed the Scavi tour. I had read descriptions of it as an ancient Roman street with graffiti scratched on the walls. It is not a city street. It is in fact a Necropolis. Roman “graveyards” consisted of small houses for the dead with a second story for family banquets. The graffiti mentioned were scratchings that indicated some Christian burials, and some are prayers to St. Peter, taken as evidence that he was buried here.
Because the Basilica was closed, we were able to go into the area where Pope John Paul (and many other Popes) are interred. Normally that area is packed with people, so we were very fortunate. When we got back to the Scavi office and were about to walk back out through the archway, guards herded our group back into the office. We waited and watched out the windows. An entourage of cars raced out, and we were released. Never found out who the VIP was who delayed us, but were relatively certain it was not the Pope.
After the tour, we stopped in the bookstore and bought some postcards and mailed them at the post office. We know several people who will be thrilled to have a card postmarked at the Vatican.
We wanted to have a nice meal, so picked a restaurant that had been recommended here,the Sicilianbocca, and found the street on our map. It was several blocks away, not too long except that we had been on our feet for quite a while, so it seemed a long trek. The Siciliainbocca was worth the walk. (Name means ‘Sicily in the mouth’!) Lovely garden-atmosphere, interesting menu, in a residential section with tree-lined streets. If you do a Google you’ll find lots of reviews. We shared a bean/fennel soup, eggplant parmesan and I had a prosecco with fresh strawberry in it. 27 Euros. This restaurant is worth finding.
Originally, we thought that we would go to the museums and Sistine Chapel this afternoon, but our legs and backs were tired from all the standing and walking and I seemed to be affected by the worst jet lag I have ever experienced, so we just walked back through the beautiful shady streets of the Vatican City residential area and took the subway to the train station and walked to the hotel. We got back in mid afternoon and since I was not feeling well, I went to bed. Husband went to the grocery store cater-corner across the street and got some water and sports drink. I could watch him as he came out and then went to the newsstand across the street. I took some pictures that look very secret agentish.
I did not want any dinner, so he walked out to a restaurant recommended by the hotel and loved it.Unfortunately, he did not keep track of what he ate or the name, but it cost 23 euros.
What started as a wonderful day, wound up as a big disappointment. I was feeling so bad that I totally forgot that I wanted to see the fireworks from the Vatican area that were part of the Swiss Guard celebration. And I LOVE fireworks.
Going Underground and a Set Back from Jet Lag
We had 10:45 reservation for Scavi Tour, and took the subway to Vatican City. Although I had read lots of directions about finding our way, we still were not clear. Let me see if I can help others who may be going directly to the Scavi Tour. When you get off the subway at Ottaviano (sp?), you walk a couple of blocks on an ordinary shopping street toward the Vatican. Your objective is St. Peter’s Basilica. When you see a green space ahead and high walls on the right side of the street ahead, you have reached the beginning of the Vatican. In the morning, there was already a line that stretched along that wall perpendicular to the street we were on and around the corner in the direction we were going. At that point you need to ignore that long line and keep going straight and you will very soon see the large columns that make up the semi-circular colonnade that surrounds the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. You are NOT going in the same direction as that long line of people. They are going to the Vatican Museums/ Sistine Chapel. (We mistakenly followed that direction for a while).
We stopped at the first place we saw Swiss Guards, guarding a street where people drive through the walls on the right. My husband's ancestors are Swiss, so he really enjoyed seeing the Swiss Guard up close. Their costumes are gaudy beyond belief and make great photos against the stone walls of the Vatican buildings.
We followed their directions and went straight ahead to the colonnade. Follow around the curve of the colonnade to the left and you will see (after the colonnade) a long building, or series of buildings on your left. St. Peter’s Basilica is on your right.
The buildings on your left contain the book store, post office and restrooms (all clearly marked). Ahead of you there is a low arch with a taller arch above it. There are guardhouses beside the lower arch, and Swiss Guards standing guard. You present your reservation form to them and they will lead you through the small arch to the Scavi office.
That is how it works on a normal day. We were not there on a normal day. It was the 500th anny. of the Swiss Guard, and St. Peter’s was closed because the Pope was inside saying Mass. Therefore, traffic in and out was limited, and our 10:45 reservation turned into 11:30. Several groups were combined so that everyone who had a reservation eventually got in and the guides were wonderful about timing their talk so that the groups did not collide in the narrow underground spaces. We thoroughly enjoyed the Scavi tour. I had read descriptions of it as an ancient Roman street with graffiti scratched on the walls. It is not a city street. It is in fact a Necropolis. Roman “graveyards” consisted of small houses for the dead with a second story for family banquets. The graffiti mentioned were scratchings that indicated some Christian burials, and some are prayers to St. Peter, taken as evidence that he was buried here.
Because the Basilica was closed, we were able to go into the area where Pope John Paul (and many other Popes) are interred. Normally that area is packed with people, so we were very fortunate. When we got back to the Scavi office and were about to walk back out through the archway, guards herded our group back into the office. We waited and watched out the windows. An entourage of cars raced out, and we were released. Never found out who the VIP was who delayed us, but were relatively certain it was not the Pope.
After the tour, we stopped in the bookstore and bought some postcards and mailed them at the post office. We know several people who will be thrilled to have a card postmarked at the Vatican.
We wanted to have a nice meal, so picked a restaurant that had been recommended here,the Sicilianbocca, and found the street on our map. It was several blocks away, not too long except that we had been on our feet for quite a while, so it seemed a long trek. The Siciliainbocca was worth the walk. (Name means ‘Sicily in the mouth’!) Lovely garden-atmosphere, interesting menu, in a residential section with tree-lined streets. If you do a Google you’ll find lots of reviews. We shared a bean/fennel soup, eggplant parmesan and I had a prosecco with fresh strawberry in it. 27 Euros. This restaurant is worth finding.
Originally, we thought that we would go to the museums and Sistine Chapel this afternoon, but our legs and backs were tired from all the standing and walking and I seemed to be affected by the worst jet lag I have ever experienced, so we just walked back through the beautiful shady streets of the Vatican City residential area and took the subway to the train station and walked to the hotel. We got back in mid afternoon and since I was not feeling well, I went to bed. Husband went to the grocery store cater-corner across the street and got some water and sports drink. I could watch him as he came out and then went to the newsstand across the street. I took some pictures that look very secret agentish.
I did not want any dinner, so he walked out to a restaurant recommended by the hotel and loved it.Unfortunately, he did not keep track of what he ate or the name, but it cost 23 euros.
What started as a wonderful day, wound up as a big disappointment. I was feeling so bad that I totally forgot that I wanted to see the fireworks from the Vatican area that were part of the Swiss Guard celebration. And I LOVE fireworks.
Jun 15th, 2006, 05:57 PM
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SUNDAY
After a Rocky Start, Twilight at the Forum and a Good Restaurant.
We had a reservation for the Borghese Gallery, but I still was not feeling great, so decided not to chance it. One of those times when the reservation without paying in advance turned out to be a good idea. Instead we walked over to the Termini, where all the buses congregate as well as trains, to get on the on-and-off tour bus called 110.
We stopped at a restaurant along the way and I did not bother making notes because it was so mediocre. I should have written down the name (I think it was Washington) because a couple of people were checking their Rick Steve’s tour books and we wondered if he had recommended it.
According to the literature I had, the tour bus costs 15 euros a person and you can buy the ticket on the bus. Apparently because it starts here, you cannot get the ticket on the bus, but have to get it at a booth instead. DH stood in line for about 25 minutes and most of that time the clerks were doing nothing. He was fit to be tied. Finally got the tickets, which were actually 12 euros each. The sign on the window says “No change” a little racket that we ran into frequently in the cities. He thought he gave them a fifty and they demanded four more, but in retrospect, he probably gave them a twenty.
While I was waiting, I bought a couple of baseball caps, blatantly touristy, (5 euros each) because it is getting quite warm and we both forgot to bring hats from the hotel. We boarded and got a seat on the top deck and plugged in the earphones. When the bus pulled out it was soon evident that the recorded narration that we were supposed to hear in English on a particular channel, was broadcasting five languages at once on all channels. Everyone was having the same problem. After driving on and making a couple of stops, the bus stopped at the Victor Emmanuele monument and waited for another bus. On that one we had to switch seats a couple of times to find two outlets that both worked and because of the change of buses, we apparently were not on the regular route, so long stretches had no narrative. It was nice to see an overview of Rome, even though a lot of the time we did not know what we were seeing. Sorry, I cannot recommend Bus 110.
We thought about just going all the way around and then staying on for part of the way on a second loop, and getting off to walk around. However I was very tired—combination of feeling poorly the day before, the heat, and still suffering jet lag—so we walked back to the hotel for a nap.
I might have just stayed in bed, but DH talked me into getting up for a mission.
We had visited an Italian restaurant in a town near Tucson and the owner came from Rome. His wife gave us the card of the pizza restaurant he used to own near the Forum in Rome, so we wanted to find it. We took a taxi (although we could have walked if I had been up to snuff) to the Roman Forum and quickly found Pizza Imperiale. We talked to Antonio, who welcomed us like long-lost friends. It was about 4:30 and they were not open until 7:00, so we walked by the forum, up Via Imperiale to the Coliseum, and then back through the Forum on the Via Sacra. We did not have a guide or an audio guide. Instead just decided to enjoy what we were seeing and get educated if we ever returned. Vehicular traffic was closed off, people seemed in a mellow mood. Street musicians were playing. (Those Peruvian flute players have been in every country and U.S. state we have ever visited, we think.) We heard singing and saw a procession carrying an image leave a nearby church. The evening light was wonderful for taking pictures of the ruins.
We returned to Ristorante and Pizza Imperiale and they effusively greeted us, found a server who spoke good English and seated us in the sidewalk extension of the restaurant. It is roofed by canvas and leaves room for a tree to grow up in the middle. Although we were expecting a pizzeria, this was an excellent full service restaurant. I had risotto with mixed seafood. I could not believe the huge serving of mussels and clams and other shellfish. DH had lasagna. We shared a salad. He had a chocolate layered dessert. No wine. The bill was 23 euros. The restaurant manager called a cab to take us back to the hotel. If you go looking for this restaurant, it is where Via Cavour meets Via dei fori Imperiali, and the address is Largo Corrado Ricci, 37 Phone: 06-6786871. It is about three doors from Via Imperiali. Highly recommended.
This turned out to be the most pleasant few hours that we experienced in Rome.
Tomorrow Arriverderci Roma. Ciao! Florence.
After a Rocky Start, Twilight at the Forum and a Good Restaurant.
We had a reservation for the Borghese Gallery, but I still was not feeling great, so decided not to chance it. One of those times when the reservation without paying in advance turned out to be a good idea. Instead we walked over to the Termini, where all the buses congregate as well as trains, to get on the on-and-off tour bus called 110.
We stopped at a restaurant along the way and I did not bother making notes because it was so mediocre. I should have written down the name (I think it was Washington) because a couple of people were checking their Rick Steve’s tour books and we wondered if he had recommended it.
According to the literature I had, the tour bus costs 15 euros a person and you can buy the ticket on the bus. Apparently because it starts here, you cannot get the ticket on the bus, but have to get it at a booth instead. DH stood in line for about 25 minutes and most of that time the clerks were doing nothing. He was fit to be tied. Finally got the tickets, which were actually 12 euros each. The sign on the window says “No change” a little racket that we ran into frequently in the cities. He thought he gave them a fifty and they demanded four more, but in retrospect, he probably gave them a twenty.
While I was waiting, I bought a couple of baseball caps, blatantly touristy, (5 euros each) because it is getting quite warm and we both forgot to bring hats from the hotel. We boarded and got a seat on the top deck and plugged in the earphones. When the bus pulled out it was soon evident that the recorded narration that we were supposed to hear in English on a particular channel, was broadcasting five languages at once on all channels. Everyone was having the same problem. After driving on and making a couple of stops, the bus stopped at the Victor Emmanuele monument and waited for another bus. On that one we had to switch seats a couple of times to find two outlets that both worked and because of the change of buses, we apparently were not on the regular route, so long stretches had no narrative. It was nice to see an overview of Rome, even though a lot of the time we did not know what we were seeing. Sorry, I cannot recommend Bus 110.
We thought about just going all the way around and then staying on for part of the way on a second loop, and getting off to walk around. However I was very tired—combination of feeling poorly the day before, the heat, and still suffering jet lag—so we walked back to the hotel for a nap.
I might have just stayed in bed, but DH talked me into getting up for a mission.
We had visited an Italian restaurant in a town near Tucson and the owner came from Rome. His wife gave us the card of the pizza restaurant he used to own near the Forum in Rome, so we wanted to find it. We took a taxi (although we could have walked if I had been up to snuff) to the Roman Forum and quickly found Pizza Imperiale. We talked to Antonio, who welcomed us like long-lost friends. It was about 4:30 and they were not open until 7:00, so we walked by the forum, up Via Imperiale to the Coliseum, and then back through the Forum on the Via Sacra. We did not have a guide or an audio guide. Instead just decided to enjoy what we were seeing and get educated if we ever returned. Vehicular traffic was closed off, people seemed in a mellow mood. Street musicians were playing. (Those Peruvian flute players have been in every country and U.S. state we have ever visited, we think.) We heard singing and saw a procession carrying an image leave a nearby church. The evening light was wonderful for taking pictures of the ruins.
We returned to Ristorante and Pizza Imperiale and they effusively greeted us, found a server who spoke good English and seated us in the sidewalk extension of the restaurant. It is roofed by canvas and leaves room for a tree to grow up in the middle. Although we were expecting a pizzeria, this was an excellent full service restaurant. I had risotto with mixed seafood. I could not believe the huge serving of mussels and clams and other shellfish. DH had lasagna. We shared a salad. He had a chocolate layered dessert. No wine. The bill was 23 euros. The restaurant manager called a cab to take us back to the hotel. If you go looking for this restaurant, it is where Via Cavour meets Via dei fori Imperiali, and the address is Largo Corrado Ricci, 37 Phone: 06-6786871. It is about three doors from Via Imperiali. Highly recommended.
This turned out to be the most pleasant few hours that we experienced in Rome.
Tomorrow Arriverderci Roma. Ciao! Florence.
Jun 15th, 2006, 07:41 PM
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Hello Vera,
I'm enjoying your report very much. I like all the details you've given.
My son and his wife are landing in Heathrow (AA) and will connect to a British Air flight, with a 1 hr 45 minute connection. From your experience, do you think this is enough time for them? Sounds like you sure had a time with it.
Looking forward to the rest. Good job!
I'm enjoying your report very much. I like all the details you've given.
My son and his wife are landing in Heathrow (AA) and will connect to a British Air flight, with a 1 hr 45 minute connection. From your experience, do you think this is enough time for them? Sounds like you sure had a time with it.
Looking forward to the rest. Good job!
Jun 16th, 2006, 09:18 AM
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Susan:
See the Vatican site for a history of the uniforms. At the very end, it says Michaelangelo had nothing to do with them. Apparently a Roman urban myth.
http://tinyurl.com/mbnx9
kopp: We had 1 hour and 45 minutes, but were transferring from AA to Alitalia. I don't know how different it will be with BA. Be sure that the flights are into and out of Heathrow, as many flights require a bus transfer to Gatwick, and you really need more time if that is the case. In retrospect, I should have allowed more time between flights. You might want to call British Air and see what they say.
See the Vatican site for a history of the uniforms. At the very end, it says Michaelangelo had nothing to do with them. Apparently a Roman urban myth.
http://tinyurl.com/mbnx9
kopp: We had 1 hour and 45 minutes, but were transferring from AA to Alitalia. I don't know how different it will be with BA. Be sure that the flights are into and out of Heathrow, as many flights require a bus transfer to Gatwick, and you really need more time if that is the case. In retrospect, I should have allowed more time between flights. You might want to call British Air and see what they say.
Jun 16th, 2006, 09:31 AM
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Vera -
How sad to not feel well! I hope your next installment says you are much better.
Do you remember which side of the street your restaurant at Via Cavour and Via dei Forii Imperiali was? I'm just wondering if it was the same one we went to, which was also very good.
Good report - Looking forward to more.
Linda
How sad to not feel well! I hope your next installment says you are much better.
Do you remember which side of the street your restaurant at Via Cavour and Via dei Forii Imperiali was? I'm just wondering if it was the same one we went to, which was also very good.
Good report - Looking forward to more.
Linda
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:09 AM
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MONDAY
Arriverderci Roma, Ciao Firenze
We packed up and took our suitcases down to the lobby for safekeeping until our afternoon train to Florence.
I was frustrated that I had been in Rome two days and an evening and had missed two of my main objectives—the Sistine Chapel and Borghese Gallery. I wanted at least to see the next thing on my list—the Pantheon. So we walked over to Termini, purchased our train ticket for Florence (short line, English speaking agent) and got the express bus to Torre Argentina stop. Bus routes are clearly listed on a sign at each bus stop, so you really do not need a route map if you know where you are heading. It was a very crowded bus and we missed the Torre Argentina stop, but got off and walked to Piazza Navone, guided by our good Streetwise map. We loved this Piazza which is much less crowded than other places we have seen. The restrained architecture of Bernini and the wonderful Four Rivers fountain and musicians playing all make a wonderful atmosphere. We pass by several restaurants that look pretty good, but we are not ready to eat. Besides the map, there are clear markings on many corners that point to major landmarks, so it is really easy to find your way around in Centro Storico.
A short walk down narrow streets from Piazza Navone, we turned a corner and WOW! More grandiosity. The Pantheon, like so many other things in Rome is larger than life. A couple of long tables in front are filled with Socialists doing a radio broadcast. I enjoy the combination of ancient and up-to-the-minute. Inside there were the usual clusters of tour groups, but the building is so large that it is possible to walk around and find breathing space. It would be quite wonderful to be there with no one else. We admire the marble floor and mentally scold the Pope (Julius II?) who stole the bronze ceiling to make an altar canopy and cannons.
We walked back to catch a bus back to the hotel and stopped at a restaurant the hotel folks had recommended. At first I misunderstood the name when they said it. Est Est Est (Via Genova 32) sounded to me like esta esta esta. The restaurant is on a side street near the hotel and you go down a few steps to the dining room where you are greeted by mama. Everyone seems to be friends of the family and mama and her son actually sit down with some of the customers. Although the room we were in was small, there must be a bigger back room, because we saw a sign that Rotary meets here. We have a pizza Est Est Est (tomato sauce, cheese, salami, pepper and eggplant). Don’t remember what else, and don’t have the price, but it was reasonable.
I have not mentioned gelato here, but we had at LEAST one gelato fix per day. None seemed better than the others.
After lunch at Est Est Est, we walked back to the hotel and picked up our luggage and walked to Termini train station. I was leaving Rome with some regrets. Because of my worse than usual jet lag, I missed some of my top sights. If I were to go back with a little more time, I would definitely want to see more of the Vatican area, take a boat trip on the Tiber and go for a look at the Appian way. For gosh sakes I read the whole book on the Sistine Chapel (Michaelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling) and then did not see it! Additionally, we saw NO churches, and there were two or three that I was hoping to see at least briefly. I don’t believe DH has any desire to go back. Doesn’t like cities. And even though it is not supposed to be busy season, too many people.
We were quite satisfied by the Hotel Sonya, and found the location convenient to the railroad station, subway and bus lines, a grocery store, several nice little restaurants. On the other hand, it is not in the middle of tourist sites and is a bit farther to walk than if we had been near Plaza Navona or Campo Fiori, for example. We chose it to save money, and as far as the room, service and breakfast, it certainly was a good value.
The train tickets 2nd class Eurostar to Florence cost 58.88 euros for two people. The required reserved seats were across from each other, but there were empty seats, so we sat next to each other. The route is scenic in places, but goes through a lot of tunnels, so we did not feel we saw much countryside. We walked from the train station to the hotel, an easy walk, but rough streets are hard on the wheels. We the directions given by the hotel confused us and we walked a little farther than we needed to.
The Hotel Casci entrance is hard to see because there is only a small sign on the street. Numbers are clear on buildings, however, so we did not have a problem. You take the tiny elevator to the 3rd floor lobby. We received an enthusiastic greeting and introduction to the beautiful breakfast room to the right of the check-in desk and the little “café” on the left where you can get drinks, buy water or sodas to take with you and use a computer set up for guests’ internet use. Shelves of books and travel guides are available. We were taken to room 11 which is a beautiful room with an ugly view of a back courtyard and cars parked. Definitely quiet. Bath is very large with a large corner tub. Interesting sign on wall says guests are not permitted to do laundry in the room and hang wet clothes on the furniture. My, my, what would Rick Steves do?
We wanted to take the bus to Fiesole before it got dark, so got directions to the bus stop and took the Number 7 bus. What a beautiful drive. Hard to enjoy it, because the bus was absolutely packed and I had to stand up. The driver drove like a mad man, whipping around curves and I kept falling over, once landing in the lap of a Japanese tourist! If we had more time, it would be wonderful to take the bus up and walk down for a closer view of all the beautiful mansions along the way. At Fiesole we saw the famous Bar Blu, but there was hardly anyone there. The whole plaza was dug up and fenced in—major construction going on, so that was not very scenic.
It was getting chilly, but we were determined to enjoy the view and went down the steps to the outdoor dining room of the Aurora Restaurant, part of the Hotel Aurora and affiliated with Bar Blu. Clouds were moving in and the view was a bit misty. Frank Sinatra boomed from the loudspeakers, several formally dressed waiters stood around and we were the only customers. We are always too early at European restaurants, so we figured somebody would show up eventually. By 8:45 when we were ready to leave, there still had been no other customers. And only one table occupied at Bar Blu. Because it was Monday night? Because it was chilly? Because the plaza was under construction? Who knows.
The food was very good, although portions were rather small. We split an appetizer and a pasta dish and had separate secundis—roasted chicken and grilled tuna plus one dessert and one wine. Highest price we paid for a meal in Italy—E 75.90 Beware when they start by serving you a complimentary prosecco. You will pay for it ultimately.
We caught the bus right outside Bar Blu for the most interesting bus ride I have ever had. A group of German women were apparently on a short holiday in Florence. One, a somewhat weathered blond had drunk far too much. She was standing (swaying) and needling two young men. They were Americans, wearing white dress shirts and neckties, carrying the Book of the Mormon. Yep, the saga of the drunk German frau and the Mormon missionaries. One of the two young men managed to keep his cool and talk reasonably to her while her friends tried to get her to shut up. It was all so amusing that the missionaries and my husband and I missed our stop. The young man, who had been living there for a couple of years, helped us get back on track back to a good night’s sleep at Hotel Casci.
Arriverderci Roma, Ciao Firenze
We packed up and took our suitcases down to the lobby for safekeeping until our afternoon train to Florence.
I was frustrated that I had been in Rome two days and an evening and had missed two of my main objectives—the Sistine Chapel and Borghese Gallery. I wanted at least to see the next thing on my list—the Pantheon. So we walked over to Termini, purchased our train ticket for Florence (short line, English speaking agent) and got the express bus to Torre Argentina stop. Bus routes are clearly listed on a sign at each bus stop, so you really do not need a route map if you know where you are heading. It was a very crowded bus and we missed the Torre Argentina stop, but got off and walked to Piazza Navone, guided by our good Streetwise map. We loved this Piazza which is much less crowded than other places we have seen. The restrained architecture of Bernini and the wonderful Four Rivers fountain and musicians playing all make a wonderful atmosphere. We pass by several restaurants that look pretty good, but we are not ready to eat. Besides the map, there are clear markings on many corners that point to major landmarks, so it is really easy to find your way around in Centro Storico.
A short walk down narrow streets from Piazza Navone, we turned a corner and WOW! More grandiosity. The Pantheon, like so many other things in Rome is larger than life. A couple of long tables in front are filled with Socialists doing a radio broadcast. I enjoy the combination of ancient and up-to-the-minute. Inside there were the usual clusters of tour groups, but the building is so large that it is possible to walk around and find breathing space. It would be quite wonderful to be there with no one else. We admire the marble floor and mentally scold the Pope (Julius II?) who stole the bronze ceiling to make an altar canopy and cannons.
We walked back to catch a bus back to the hotel and stopped at a restaurant the hotel folks had recommended. At first I misunderstood the name when they said it. Est Est Est (Via Genova 32) sounded to me like esta esta esta. The restaurant is on a side street near the hotel and you go down a few steps to the dining room where you are greeted by mama. Everyone seems to be friends of the family and mama and her son actually sit down with some of the customers. Although the room we were in was small, there must be a bigger back room, because we saw a sign that Rotary meets here. We have a pizza Est Est Est (tomato sauce, cheese, salami, pepper and eggplant). Don’t remember what else, and don’t have the price, but it was reasonable.
I have not mentioned gelato here, but we had at LEAST one gelato fix per day. None seemed better than the others.
After lunch at Est Est Est, we walked back to the hotel and picked up our luggage and walked to Termini train station. I was leaving Rome with some regrets. Because of my worse than usual jet lag, I missed some of my top sights. If I were to go back with a little more time, I would definitely want to see more of the Vatican area, take a boat trip on the Tiber and go for a look at the Appian way. For gosh sakes I read the whole book on the Sistine Chapel (Michaelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling) and then did not see it! Additionally, we saw NO churches, and there were two or three that I was hoping to see at least briefly. I don’t believe DH has any desire to go back. Doesn’t like cities. And even though it is not supposed to be busy season, too many people.
We were quite satisfied by the Hotel Sonya, and found the location convenient to the railroad station, subway and bus lines, a grocery store, several nice little restaurants. On the other hand, it is not in the middle of tourist sites and is a bit farther to walk than if we had been near Plaza Navona or Campo Fiori, for example. We chose it to save money, and as far as the room, service and breakfast, it certainly was a good value.
The train tickets 2nd class Eurostar to Florence cost 58.88 euros for two people. The required reserved seats were across from each other, but there were empty seats, so we sat next to each other. The route is scenic in places, but goes through a lot of tunnels, so we did not feel we saw much countryside. We walked from the train station to the hotel, an easy walk, but rough streets are hard on the wheels. We the directions given by the hotel confused us and we walked a little farther than we needed to.
The Hotel Casci entrance is hard to see because there is only a small sign on the street. Numbers are clear on buildings, however, so we did not have a problem. You take the tiny elevator to the 3rd floor lobby. We received an enthusiastic greeting and introduction to the beautiful breakfast room to the right of the check-in desk and the little “café” on the left where you can get drinks, buy water or sodas to take with you and use a computer set up for guests’ internet use. Shelves of books and travel guides are available. We were taken to room 11 which is a beautiful room with an ugly view of a back courtyard and cars parked. Definitely quiet. Bath is very large with a large corner tub. Interesting sign on wall says guests are not permitted to do laundry in the room and hang wet clothes on the furniture. My, my, what would Rick Steves do?
We wanted to take the bus to Fiesole before it got dark, so got directions to the bus stop and took the Number 7 bus. What a beautiful drive. Hard to enjoy it, because the bus was absolutely packed and I had to stand up. The driver drove like a mad man, whipping around curves and I kept falling over, once landing in the lap of a Japanese tourist! If we had more time, it would be wonderful to take the bus up and walk down for a closer view of all the beautiful mansions along the way. At Fiesole we saw the famous Bar Blu, but there was hardly anyone there. The whole plaza was dug up and fenced in—major construction going on, so that was not very scenic.
It was getting chilly, but we were determined to enjoy the view and went down the steps to the outdoor dining room of the Aurora Restaurant, part of the Hotel Aurora and affiliated with Bar Blu. Clouds were moving in and the view was a bit misty. Frank Sinatra boomed from the loudspeakers, several formally dressed waiters stood around and we were the only customers. We are always too early at European restaurants, so we figured somebody would show up eventually. By 8:45 when we were ready to leave, there still had been no other customers. And only one table occupied at Bar Blu. Because it was Monday night? Because it was chilly? Because the plaza was under construction? Who knows.
The food was very good, although portions were rather small. We split an appetizer and a pasta dish and had separate secundis—roasted chicken and grilled tuna plus one dessert and one wine. Highest price we paid for a meal in Italy—E 75.90 Beware when they start by serving you a complimentary prosecco. You will pay for it ultimately.
We caught the bus right outside Bar Blu for the most interesting bus ride I have ever had. A group of German women were apparently on a short holiday in Florence. One, a somewhat weathered blond had drunk far too much. She was standing (swaying) and needling two young men. They were Americans, wearing white dress shirts and neckties, carrying the Book of the Mormon. Yep, the saga of the drunk German frau and the Mormon missionaries. One of the two young men managed to keep his cool and talk reasonably to her while her friends tried to get her to shut up. It was all so amusing that the missionaries and my husband and I missed our stop. The young man, who had been living there for a couple of years, helped us get back on track back to a good night’s sleep at Hotel Casci.
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:13 AM
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LC: If your back is to Via Imperiale and the Forum, the restaurant is on the right. On the left is a plaza and some more recently excavated ruins.
Although I neglected to say so in my most recent post, I finally felt normal again by the time we got to Florence. This is the first trip that I took no special precautions. I have tried both the jet lag diet and taking melatonin and both seemed to help. The melatonin is certainly simpler, and I will not neglect it on my next trip!
Although I neglected to say so in my most recent post, I finally felt normal again by the time we got to Florence. This is the first trip that I took no special precautions. I have tried both the jet lag diet and taking melatonin and both seemed to help. The melatonin is certainly simpler, and I will not neglect it on my next trip!
Jun 16th, 2006, 10:17 AM
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A post script to my nitty-gritty section.
I forgot to mention that we purchased the Restoration Hardware travel pillows and used them a lot. However, most hotel pillows were queen or king size, so the R.H. pillows did not fit over them as they are designed to do. We just either used them folded as a travel pillow, or unfolded the pillow and laid it on top of the hotel pillow.
We also took a compass for the first time and found it very handy, particularly for finding our way around with a map in a city. Driving, it is problematical, because when you need to know what direction to go, you're likely to be on a roundabout. Going left to get right, if you know what I mean.
I forgot to mention that we purchased the Restoration Hardware travel pillows and used them a lot. However, most hotel pillows were queen or king size, so the R.H. pillows did not fit over them as they are designed to do. We just either used them folded as a travel pillow, or unfolded the pillow and laid it on top of the hotel pillow.
We also took a compass for the first time and found it very handy, particularly for finding our way around with a map in a city. Driving, it is problematical, because when you need to know what direction to go, you're likely to be on a roundabout. Going left to get right, if you know what I mean.
