Italy 2018
August 29: Train to NYC. Nothing unusual – nice ride on Amtrak. Arrived in time to meet up with the Parkers, Bruners, Jon Hill and his friend. David Ong came by as he was in NYC for work and the US Open. Madison was with there as well and eventually Keith arrived after work. Had a few drinks and food at Tavern 29.
August 30: Prepared for our flight to Rome, Italy. Took an Uber to JFK – flight was a bit late leaving and completely full. Flew Al-Italia Airlines. Tough flight as we were in coach and all of us were in middle rows one behind the other. Seats were not soft – made for some sore buns. Service was good, and they served red or white wine along with sodas and water. Nice! Arrived in Rome, Italy the morning of August 31st (Italian time).
August 31: Arrived in Rome and rented a car – Volkswagen Golf. Drove to our AirBnB in Bracciano. Nice one-bedroom place with pull out bed, kitchen and bathroom. Lovely old farm that has been carved into 10-20 acre plots. AirBnB attached to home owned by family. Very nice view looking west of small hills and remaining farm land. Adjacent to large Mediterranean home surrounded by a row of trees, quarter mile away. Owner has chickens and two horses.
After checking in, we meandered down to Lake Bracciano (formed from volcanic eruptions) for lunch at a Pizzeria. Had an assortment of pizza, beer, and wine overlooking the lake. Feeling ready for a full night’s sleep, but not wanting to risk too much jet lag, we found a few chairs and umbrellas at the lake to rest our eyes. About an hour and a half later, George and Madison went for a swim in the lake – crystal clear and starts getting deep fast! The lake serves as a reservoir for Rome’s drinking water so they only allow motor boats for police and a small ferry, while everyone else uses sailboats, kayaks, or canoes. After drying off, we headed back to the AirBnB. A young boy – part of the family next door – was learning to drive on the property as we were dressing for rehearsal dinner (or ‘welcome dinner’ for everyone who was attending the wedding).
Headed to the Pane e Olio restaurant. Outside seating for 70 + guests. Wine was flowing along with Prosecco upon arrival. We had a wonderful evening meeting many of Laura’s Philly friends and of course, Sue and Dan, Pat and his girlfriend Ziyu (Z – you), Laura and Eric and a host of incredibly friendly people. Three course meal, salad and meats, then choice of pasta with cheese and pepper, pasta and fish, and pistachio and pork cheek pasta followed by the third meal, a choice of lamb chops, chicken or fish. The entire meal was superb and pasta was absolutely perfect (homemade – from scratch). The best pasta we all have tasted.
September 1: Late morning wake-up call – 12 noon. Refreshed and ready for the big wedding. Went into the center of town in Bracciano for a quick lunch (nothing is quick in Italy).
Then, we went back to the AirBnB to dress for the wedding. Around 4:45 we left for the Castle (Castelo Odescalchi). After navigating the narrow passageway up to the castle, we arrived. Castelo Odescalchi overlooks Lake Bracciano. To say the least, we were met with spectacular views of the lake and the surrounding hilly geography. The castle, we think, was built in the medieval times. We heard that the same family has maintained the castle now for over 800 years. For more info look it up. Keith purchased a selfie stick and the four of us took multiple pictures overlooking the lake and in view of he castle.
We attended the outside cocktail hour prior to the ceremony, mingling with many of the guests we met Friday night. Sue arrived, looking like the best mother of the bride we have ever seen, darling. Drinks of all kinds, light array of cheeses, meats and vegetables were displayed on white linens. Bridal fans were available for all guests and all were encouraged to take one. (See below as to why). A bit later the ceremony began with Eric’s boys (Lucas and Darius) standing with their father as they waited for Laura’s arrival. Laura was escorted by her father Dan. Laura's best friends from Philly carried her train – of course all eyes were on Laura. We all know how beautiful Laura is and she did not disappoint. Vogue anybody! Ceremony was touching as both Laura and Eric read their vows expressing their genuine love till the end of their days. We were in tears, Dee needed several hankies.
The reception was held inside the castle in an open courtyard requiring one to traverse the hallways and various rooms covered with paintings and marble statues – another spectacular sight. Prearranged round table seating greeted us, along with buffet style food to include: squid ink risotto, black (possibly squid ink) gnocchi, pesto tortellini, tempura style vegetables, shaved beef, and pork medallions.
The cocktail bar was a big hit along with, of course, the delicious wines served during the meal. Several toasts were made. The highlight was the Philly Gay Men’s choir singing “Going to the Chapel” in a cappella. Never knew that song could sound so moving! Moving to another area inside the courtyard where Laura and Eric cut the cake, surrounded by large sparklers encased in boxes. While not a 4th of July firework display, it was quite the show.
Afterwards, the DJ began playing a variety of songs – all danceable and heavy doses of Madonna and Beyonce. Music began around 11:00 and ended at 2:00. Many of the guests never stopped, other than to fill up their glasses. The bridal fan was used frequently by the dancing guests as it makes a snapping sound when you extended the fan in a quick motion. Very cool prop. To say that we all had a fantastic time is an understatement. Need to see pictures for an appreciation! Including the views!
September 2: Another late morning wake-up call, but were able to hit the road by noon. Not bad considering we were out until 3:00 AM. We drove and drove – ran into two traffic accidents and the trip that was to last 5 &1/2 hours took about 8. Along the way to Venice, we experienced rolling, undulating terrain which surprised all of us. Loads of tunnels through the mountains added to the experience. We initially stopped just outside of Bracciano for cappuccinos and pastries. Typical Italian breakfast. Next we rode through Bassano Romano (founded in 1160 as the agricultural center of the county) – looked like a neat town though. Just outside of Bassano Romano lots of farms – duh – including dairy cows and pigs. Then, as we approached Nepi, we saw white steer and signs for the Nepi football club (no relation between the steer and the football club). We also saw the remains of an old aqueduct as we were leaving Nepi which is know for its mineral springs. The countryside was full of winding roads going over the many small mountains. We stopped briefly for fresh air and to take in the views. Keith was delighted we stopped as he needed to wretch – rather stretch!
After heading east we turned north – nothing else to add except this is where we saw Orte, a walled city. As we passed Florence, this is where we encountered numerous tunnels, some short and some over ½ mile. All passing through small mountains. Arrived in Venice, very tired, but found our way to the AirBnB. Three flights up the AirBnB we found the kitchen and unfortunately the bedrooms were on the fourth floor. Tired we were, but found a wine store on the way, and toasted our arrival on the terrace. We then managed to find a nearby restaurant (Al Burchiello). We all had pasta dishes and, of course, the meals were excellent.
September 3: Awoke to the sound of our host – hello – hello! We were still sleeping (10:00) but recovered quickly to greet her. We dressed and made our way to a suggested café (Farini) for espresso and pizza, yogurt and eggplant ratatouille. From there we walked along the many side streets (no cars on Venice) without using a map, as we have heard the best way to explore Venice is to meander and stumble upon little treasures. The artwork, costumes, and glass stores were eye-catching and fun to browse. Stopped for another cappuccino, and found our way to Piazza San Marco, where we observed the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, the Basilica di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), and other government centers. We shopped, and Keith purchased a pair of cool chino pants and a tie. In the mid-afternoon we stopped for some Prosecco and caprese salad at Osteria L’Olandese Volante. We are having a caprese salad at every restaurant in memory of Donna. This caprese was over a bed of arugula and came with a fresh basil pesto and balsamic glaze drizzle. After enough touring, bumping into people, and walking on cobblestone, we stopped and bought some wine, beer and snacks at Coop (local super market) to enjoy as we got ready for the evening.
September 4: Awoke around 9:00 and headed out for cappuccinos and pastries again. After a quick bite, we found the water taxi to take us to Burano, a small island about 30 minutes away from Venice. Beautiful bright colored homes in blues, yellows, greens, reds, pinks and purples. We met a London couple (now Wales) on the taxi over to Burano. They had been to Burano in the past and recommended we walk over to Mazzorbo via a walking bridge that connects the two islands. There she recommended we have lunch at a restaurant located inside a vineyard and farm--Venissa. Venissa Winery’s restaurant was superb (been saying that a lot about all of the food) but this was especially exquisite. We split the first round--sardines baked in a corn flake crumb cover; smoked Amber Jack in a barbeque sauce; and crab on crusty bread. The first meal was followed by two baked medallions of Monk Fish and pasta Maccheroni noodles with Ragú. We paired the food with a white chardonnay (close cousin).
After returning to Venice in the late afternoon, we took a gondola trip though the canals. Our gonodolierra (gondola “driver”) showed us two houses: Casanova’s and Marco Polo’s. That was fun. We came back to the AirBnB to shower and relax before we went to dinner. Dinner was at a restaurant recommended by our host: Trattoria Alla’Vedova – their specialty was "meatballs" so we ordered eight of them. They were gone quickly. We then split an array of various pasta dishes. They, too, were gone quickly.
September 5: Exited Venice in the early AM and travelled to the Italian Alps--towards the town of Trento. We stopped for cappuccino at a small “bar” (best cappuccino we have had to date). The restrooms were quite interesting – see photos. We stopped again for ham and mozzarella paninis and cappuccinos (Keith had a beer) at another “bar” near Trento. We stopped several times along our drive to take photos at scenic overlooks. The Italian Alps, as one would imagine, were spectacular. As we neared Trento, we came across several small towns – Calceranica al Lago, which is a town that is next to lake Caldonazzo. The area was so beautiful, George decided he and Dee would move here – well maybe vacation here for at least a month twice per year. Eventually we looked for a trail to hike and followed Google Maps. Google Maps led us up a road to what we thought would be a place to park and then follow a trail. Instead it led us up a paved road, to a dirt road, with no guard rails, for about 3.5 kilometers, and then we decided to stop because the road did not appear to be well travelled (clearly it wasn’t). We stopped and decided to follow the dirt road that did end about ½ kilometer further along and then a very narrow trail that led to the edge of a rocky area and shear mountain behind the rocks. We managed to maneuver over the rocks to take several pictures – again gorgeous views. We had enough rock climbing, and headed down to Trento to tour the castle – Castello Buonconsiglio. Before the castle tour, we stopped for slices of pizza and a glass of wine (a Trentino Spritz for Madison) at a local restaurant in Trento. Buonconsiglio is where Cesare Battisiti, a socialist (resistant of Italian government and Austrian Empire control) was executed by the Austrians and Italian fascist government in 1916.
After the castle tour, we headed to our bed and breakfast (B&B San Vito!). The owners Regina and Valentino were delightful. They greeted us with wine and beer and potato chips. Regina spoke a tiny bit of English and a bit of Spanish, so Madison was able to communicate with her. We were provided with two bedrooms and two bathrooms! We walked to a local restaurant and pizzeria suggested by Regina and Valentino--the restaurant and the proprietor--excellent!
September 6: In the morning, Regina and Valentino prepared breakfast: yogurt, cereal, ham/prosciutto/cheese and bread, juices, cookies, and of course cappuccinos. After we left the bed and breakfast (rated it five stars!) we headed south to Lake Garda. Magnificent! We parked and found a café and, of course, had cappuccinos and croissants. We found a local small beach and Keith and Madison went for a short swim. There was a dock about 20 meters out and they both swam to it and began cannon-balling and diving off the dock. The lake 20 miles wide was very busy. Mostly Europeans finishing their holiday. Don’t think we saw or heard a group speaking English. We then took a tram to the top of the mountain overlooking the lake – 7,277 Vertical feet. There was a Café/bar at the top of the mountain where we had a beer or glass of wine and a large pretzel. At he bottom of the lake, we noticed hang gliders, gliding over the lake. We soon realized they were taking off from the top of this mountain! One could hike or bike a variety of mountain trails from this vantage point – we didn’t have time but many of the tram riders were prepared to hike or bike. We rode the tram back down (30-40 minutes wait time), and then headed to Florence.
Long drive to Florence (we were all tired). Arrived in Florence, and were greeted by our AirBnB host. He spoke little English, but directed us to the 2nd floor, meaning 3rd, of course. The apartment was gorgeous – filled with artwork and sculptures. He also allowed us to use his garage for our car (tight squeeze). After a shower and a glass of wine, we wandered down our street and found another excellent restaurant serving mostly meats and little, if any pasta. Feeling more energized after our meal, we found a bar nearby that had the best bartender/mixologist. A Spritz for Madison, Amaretto for Dee, beer for Keith, and an old fashion for George.
September 7: We started the day with, of course, cappuccinos and croissants. We then walked to the Church of Santa Croce, where the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo are housed. We did not go inside but explored the plaza in front of the Church. We made our way to Piazza Di San Marco and went into the Church of San Marco which was built in 1267 by Silverstrine Monks. As we made our way to the famous Duomo, we stopped for another cappuccino. With this jolt of energy, we decided to climb the La Campanile Di Giotto (bell tower) next to the Duomo -- 413 steps. Great view of Florence! and a great workout! Our ticket also allowed entry into a few other famous places, including the cathedral/Duomo, but the line was long and we were hungry -- we agreed we’d go back to the cathedral the next day. None of us were too sad that the tickets were sold out to climb to the top of the Duomo -- 456 steps! Feeling a bit hungry after “the climb”, we went for pizza and wine/beer at Yellow Bar, a restaurant that made all of their own pasta and dough -- pizzas were delicious. After the late lunch, we visited the Bargello Museum, where we saw sculptures from the Renaissance era created by Donatello and Michelangelo, as well as other famous sculptures. A lot of the art in this museum also had distinct Middle Eastern -- Turkey, Northern Africa (Egypt, Morocco) -- and Indian influences. We spent an hour and a half or so at that museum and then made our way back to the AirBnB. Along the way, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio bridge (which is famous for the stores housed on the bridge and apartments above the stores). We also bought some wine, beer and cheese to enjoy in a park near the apartment. We tried to enter this park (Giardino Bardini) but it cost $10 a person so we opted to have wine in cheese in the apartment.
Dinner was late -- 10:00 PM -- as the only reservations we could obtain at La Buchetta. Keith’s friend recommended it, as it is known for its Beef Florentine. Knowing we wanted the beef, we opted for a family style of salads, pasta, and a 2.2 pound cut of beef. Waiter cut the beef off the bone in front of us and then managed to slice up the remaining beef into about 8-10 ¼ inch slices. Some of the best tasting beef we all have had! We met a couple from Austin, Texas while waiting for our table and shared skiing stories and living/working near DC.
September 8: Packed up, exited the AirBnB, parked the car in a garage nearby, and toured the Florence Cathedral (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) – in Piazza Del Duomo – unbelievable paintings and sculptures adorn the church. Dating back to the 1200s, the church went through several renovations and eventually was torn down and rebuilt. Interestingly, during the re-building in the 1500’s they found the gravesites of former bishops and priests dating back to the 1200s. We then toured the Galileo museum. Fantastic display of Galileo’s (as well as other mathematician’s, philosopher’s and scientist’s) instruments and findings. Galileo’s claim to fame was his approach away from philosophy to law via measurement. Aristotle’s philosophy was still very much in vogue and that society, along with the religious society of Rome, instigated the Galileo inquisition. In this museum, there was also a phenomenal display of globes and maps dating back to the 1100s, including a great exhibit about how the globes were created with plaster and paint. Thoroughly enjoyed this Museum for Scientific and Societal reasons!!
After lunch, we left Florence and headed to our next stop: Orbetello, on the Tyrrhenian sea coast (part of the Mediterranean Sea). After an easy 2 &1/2 hour drive we arrived at the farm that has rooms (apartments) to rent called Il Solengo. We know of this spot because Dee’s friend Sam’s sister Stevie lives here with her husband Stefano (it is his family’s property). Sam and Dee worked together at C&B and have remained friends. Sam suggested we stay here and we are glad she did! The farm has horses for riding, (riding academy). It once was a hunting reserve (millionaires would show up in their Ferraris to hunt) but no longer. Lovely setting with views of a lagoon that abuts the Tyrrhenian Sea. Took us a bit to find the place but at least the road to the apartment is paved (well, as Stevie said, paved but not well). After a few sunset selfies (thanks to Keith and his selfie stick), we travelled into Orbetello for dinner, only to find the place packed. We figured most of the visitors were from Rome (about 1 hour train ride). However, there was a boating event that also brought in visitors from other parts of Italy. Luckily, we eventually circled back to the first restaurant we bypassed, a hour and half later, but now a table available! We had delicious seafood.
September 9: From the farm, we road bikes to the beach about 6 kilometers in distance. The "road" was a bit rough with lots of patches, pot holes and dirt. Not an easy bike ride but much faster than walking. Dee unfortunately was using a racing bike seat that bruised her tailbone. Nonetheless, we made it to a beautiful beach littered with driftwood where people would build driftwood structures and use towels or sheets and lay over the structures as a canopy protecting the group from the sun. The beach appeared to be 6-7 kilometers in length. Behind the beach was a narrow forest that people use to travel to the furthest point. We bought sandwiches (tomato, cheese and bread - Keith had one with prosciutto). The water was clear and warm with no waves. Several boats were in the cove and we could see Orbetello. As an aside, the beach is near the area where the cruise ship Costa Concordia hit an underwater rock off Isola del Giglio, capsized, and 32 people died. Apparently the captain was showing off to his girlfriend who was watching in Orbetello.
After we came back from the beach, we met up with Stevie and her husband Stefano, as he had some chores to take care of and invited us to come along. Stefano helps run the wildlife reserve. So we hop into his 1988 Range Rover, and head out to a ten acre field. We passed a fenced in area that contained hundreds of pheasants sold to other reserves for hunting. As we moved along a dirt road, we made it to the field where there were four deer (not mule or whitetail). Stefano wanted to separate two of the deer so they don’t mate. Stefano does not want any more deer on the farm. Well deer are fast, indeed faster than the Range Rover. Stefano was cutting across the open field trying to separate the deer along with one of the helpers who was on a tractor. Quite the adventure! We went back and forth across the field – felt like a safari. Stefano managed to isolate the two deer, so he was happy. We then travelled further back into the reserve and were greeted with more deer, horned rams, and boar. They keep and sell the boar for hunting to other reserves. They have about 400 boar and it was crazy watching the helper feeding them. And check out the "stag"!
Keith made pasta carbonara for dinner (first and only meal we (he) cooked during our trip!). We ate on the patio and watched the sun set – a bit buggy so we couldn’t sit out too long. Nice warm weather greeted us again this evening.
September 10: Woke up late and then traveled to the beach, in a car this time. Found a restaurant on the beach and had cappuccinos and croissants, followed by salads, pasta and fish. Another delicious meal. We were there for 2 & ½ hours! We then rented some chairs and umbrellas for a couple of hours on the beach. George and Madison went for a swim – only wish we had brought goggles. We also saw people snorkeling and spearfishing along the rocks a few meters from the beach. All in all, a nice and relaxing day on the Mediterranean. We then went back to the farm, had a glass of wine on the patio, and changed for dinner. Tonight, we had dinner at a local seafood restaurant just outside of downtown Orbetello. It was right next to the railroad tracks and we were amazed at how quiet the trains were that went by. More importantly, and as usual in Italy, it was a very nice meal. Before me move on, let us tell you about the dogs! Stevie & Stefano and Stefano's entire family live at this beautiful "farm". The dogs are family! We fell in love with (and I know they fell in love us!) Zoe! What a sweet, sweet dog! And Gi-Jo (oh my I bet I spelled that wrong) such a sweet boy! And Lucy (the "guard" dog)!
September 11: Woke up early and left for Herculaneum – took 3 hours but worth the drive. Saw ruins of the small town that at one point was considered a "resort" on the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the eruption of Vesuvius, the town was covered in ash and mud in 79 AD. As a result, the current street level is much higher than it used to be (and the sea level is much lower, interestingly enough). We were able to tour the ruins and excavation that is ongoing – it will be interesting to see what they continue to uncover. The most glaring part of the tour was near the end, where there were rooms full of skeletons. People were trapped, trying to get to the water, and ended up buried in the mud. The recent excavation uncovered these skeletons (Madison and Dee did not see this when they went 7 years ago with Donna). About 17 people per room (6-7 rooms in total) were trapped. Sad but fascinating site.
We wanted to tour Pompeii, but ran out of time. We did walk around the perimeter of the Pompeii archeological site so George and Keith could get a feel for how huge this city was in comparison to Herculaneum. We also did stop by the Pompei September 11th monument in honor of Pompeii residents who died in 2001.
We jumped back in the car and traveled a short distance to Sorrento. While the drive was short, it was nerve-racking – climbing narrow roads with scooters and motor bikes flying past on both sides. We reserved a B&B in Sorrento (B&B Juliana) which sits on the cliffs of the Mediterranean coast, and has a lovely terrace that guests can use all day. We managed to take in a gorgeous sunset looking over to Napoli and the sea. Attached to the B&B was a Pub that served local Italian beers, and we enjoyed a few of those as the sunset. We also decided to eat there (no need to drive on those roads again if we didn’t have too!). It was another delicious meal and a nice break from lots of pasta, as they only had meat and vegetables. We had steaks, potatoes, and wine.
September 12: Woke up early and began the last leg of our trip – Rome or Roma as they call it in Italy. We dropped the car off at the airport and trucked into Roma by train to our AirBnB. Had to walk the cobbled streets for about 10 minutes, traversing several streets. Located the building and found our host Nina. We had a 3:00 PM guided tour scheduled to view the Roman Colosseum or the Colosseo and the Forum, so we were in hurry up mode. We were lucky enough be guided by Sev (professor and post doctorate forensic archeologist). He was, by far, one of the most entertaining and informative guides any of us have experienced.
Highlights from our tour:
Colosseum was built in 8 years – completed in 79AD. Emperor Flavius began building it with the idea that if he gave the people free entertainment and food a few times a year, they wouldn’t care what else he did as Emperor – full manipulation by the emperor of the Roman people (as Sev said, lots of things that happened in Ancient Rome happen in present day…manipulation of an entire population is certainly one of them). Emperor Flavius almost saw the Colosseum completed but died six months before it was finished. The Colosseum was built by slaves. These slaves were treated well (not well in today’s terms, of course, but were given food, water, rest, and money for their servitude). These slaves were able to purchase their freedom after they saved enough money, too, so they had something to work for – more manipulation by the Emperor (if you treat them well and let them work toward freedom, they won’t revolt against you).
The Colosseum was used for entertainment (games) – about 8 games per year from March until October. The inaugural game (the very first one) lasted 100 days! On the first day of the first games, they filled the arena floor with water to reenact the naval battle against Cleopatra and Marc Anthony. The actors in this reenactment were slaves (as were many people of the games participants, notably the Gladiators) and the reenactment was so true to form that many of these actors died in the “battle.” Most of us have a sense of what happened in there based on movies like Gladiator, but Sev did a great job describing it…
Trap doors below the surface of the Colosseum were used during the games. Guess what came out of the trap doors – tigers, lions and or gladiators – (monsters), as the ancient Romans called them. During the games gladiators fought these monsters or dueled against each other. The intent was not to kill but to win by scoring the most points (there was a referee). Sometimes though the losing gladiator would be killed by his opponent. At the end of the contest the Emperor would ask the audience (65,000 fans!) if the loser should live or die--responding with shouts of mercy (let him live) or no mercy (kill him).
The focal point during half time was seeing criminals be served sweet justice. Now, the criminals they spoke of were Christians, as they did not believe in the ancient Roman Gods, and this crime was punishable by death. Unfortunately for them, their deaths were a spectator sport as they would be put into the middle of the arena without weapons and would face a tiger. Naturally, the tiger would win. Sev described the scene and it sounded so pleasant, not -- the tiger would pull their leg hard but gently enough so it would only rip out of the socket along with their internal organs so they’d bleed out slowly.
The Colosseum was used by the Ancient Romans for about 500 years and then was essentially abandoned. Early on, Romans started to remove the rebar (steel) to use as spears and weapons to fight off aggressors. Eventually, farmers and poor people began using it to house their animals and/or a place to sleep. In the 1300s there was an earthquake that caused much of the marble to break. And then, when the Catholic Church was ruling the city of Rome, they turned the Colosseum into a "quarry" and the Popes began to pillage the structure and use take the statues and use the marble to help create St. Peter’s Basilica and other churches around Rome. It wasn’t until the 1800s that one of the Popes became concerned that they were destroying a site where many Christians were killed (in the Colosseum as part of the “entertainment” since Christians, because they were Christian, were considered “criminals”). So, the Colosseum was no longer allowed to be pillaged and restoration began to ensure it wouldn’t completely collapse.
This is a must visit – we toured with "Walks of Italy" and did the Special Arena Floor Tour.
Dinner was late but we located a restaurant nearby -- Il Girasole. We met a really nice couple from Long Island who also recently attended a wedding (his sister’s) in a small town near Milan.
September 13: Awoke early, as we had a 7:30 tour of the Vatican (with early access to the Sistine Chapel). Another excellent tour guide, Valarie, with "Walks of Italy". Large crowds greeted us throughout the 3 & ½ hour tour. The tour focused a great deal on Michelangelo and Raphael, as they were the primary artists commissioned by the various Popes to draw and paint various rooms throughout the Vatican. Of course, most notably, the Last Supper on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. There is so much history intertwined between Ancient Rome, the Roman Empire, Medieval Period and Renaissance that was communicated during this tour we all agreed you could only retain small tidbits just so your head would not explode. Another must see.
It started drizzling, and on top of that, our feet and backs were very sore. Lunch was a welcome relief, although, it was more like a progressive dinner (LOL!). We stopped for cappuccinos, caprese salad, and tomato bruchetta. We wanted pizza, so we stopped at another restaurant but they only had pasta, so we had wine, beer and a spritz (LOL!). We then migrated to a restaurant that had pizza and spent a good deal of time consuming two pizzas and two bottles of Prosecco. Returned to the Air BnB and took a wonderful siesta. Woke up and had another late dinner at Piccolo Arancio. We were turned onto this restaurant by one of Laura’s friends we met at the wedding who had already been to Rome before their travel to Bracciano. Keith had lobster pasta, Madison had pasta caico e pepe (a traditional Roman meal), and Dee and George had pasta with eggplant, all of which were superb! Another delicious meal with local wines. We focused on local wines (since that is all that they sold!) many from the Tuscany region. Did not see any wines from the USA or any other country. We ended our night by making a few wishes at the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain). Make sure to throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder! (see Madison's rendition!)
September 14: Last day before we leave – no plans except to walk Rome and enjoy the experience. Naturally, we stopped for cappuccinos and croissants. Except, we happened upon a hotel restaurant and they had eggs and bacon, so that’s what we all had. After breakfast we were traveling to see the Spanish Steps and Jewish Ghetto, but we were waylaid by all of us shopping for Italian clothing. Madison and Dee entered Edas, a boutique where the designer was visiting. He then proceeded to help Dee and Madison with their choice of clothing. The designer was delighted to help Madison and Dee, he spoke several languages and was able to help other customers at the same time. Quite a feat. Two hours later, and trying on a variety of pants, dresses, shoes and yes jackets, Dee and Madison walked out with multiple shopping bags. They loved the designer and now have plans to come to Rome just to shop. Wallets were definitely lighter. In the meantime Keith found the same store where he bought some clothes in Venice (Doppelganger). George found a men's clothing store nearby and put a couple of Italian pants on hold. Keith and George checked back with Madison and Dee and we all realized we would need an extra suitcase. Keith managed to buy several items of clothing at two different stores. We went back to find Dee and Madison and after they finished we proceeded back to the men’s store where George had some pants on hold. Apparently, whatever Madison and Dee were exposed to in their shopping experience carried over to Keith and George. Several clothing bags later, we really knew we had to buy a new suitcase. We found a store and bought a large pink suitcase.
September 15: Before heading back to NYC and the States, we ventured out for cappuccinos, croissants and sandwiches. Found a nice little café where the cappuccinos were extra special. Each cappuccino had a cute design created by the barista: a heart shape, OK spelled out, and flowers.
We finished our breakfast, caught our pre-arranged taxi and headed to the Rome airport. No issues there: had a few beers/wine and boarded. During the flight, Keith and a doctor had to assist a woman who passed out. Keith jumped into action. Keith took vital signs and blood pressure. Everyone was quite alarmed as the lady fell down while waiting for the restroom. She recovered, but was quite frightened. For us, a much better flight coming home as we could all sit together in the same row – again, your choice of wine and other drinks. Dee and George were scheduled to take the train back to Richmond the following morning, but due to Hurricane Florence, Amtrak cancelled all routes south of DC. So they rented a car out of JFK and we arrived at Madison and Keith’s Brooklyn apartment around 9:00 PM--it was now 3:00 AM Italy time--so we were tired. We ordered and picked up a salad and pizza and crashed. Sunday morning came quickly--Keith had to work! and left at 6:30 AM! Dee and George headed off to Richmond a little later. Madison thought she would go back to bed, but it was 1 pm Italy time so she caught up on some TV shows.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip filled with spectacular views, historical significance, great company, and delicious food. The Italians were great hosts and our AirBnB and B&B hosts were excellent! We did everything we wanted to and there were no regrets! If we were to do a trip to Italy again, we would want to spend more time in northern Italy, specifically, in the Alps or spend more time in the southern coastal areas, either along the Amalfi Coast or the eastern and western coasts.
If you want to look at all of our pictures from the trip, click here. (It's a Google Photos Album).
