Well, after a 9 hour flight we're back at home in Delaware. We may post some mroe memories and stories from the trip as they come to us, but for now, we're going to attempt to get over our jet-lag and get unpacked. Here are a few last photos of Venice from the plane.
Till next time.....
Today is our last full day in Italy. At least the heat from the last week subsided and brought us cooler weather, though that included some strong Venetian winds, and ominous clouds that thankfully didn’t materialize into rain. We started a semi-roundabout tour of Venice this morning as we wandered the streets and stumbled upon the Frari Church, which happens to be one of the showcases of classical Venetian art. After stopping for an espresso, we walked the maze of streets and bridges towards the Rialto Bridge again, and onto St. Marks square.
The clouds were getting darker and we were afraid it was going to downpour so we used a Rick Steves piece of advice to skip the line for St. Mark’s by checking a bag, and heading on in. Inside we listened to his podcast detailing some of the interesting art. The ceiling is a combination of several brilliant mosaics, described on the audio tour as ‘tiling a football field with contact lenses.’
The next stop was the Doge’s Palace, where the leader’s of Venice lived for centuries. The Doge of Venice was an elected-for-life mayor/dictator over the city, and it’s territories. The inside was grand, with large rooms and ornate frescoes and ceilings. It also included a trip over the Bridge of Sighs to the Venetian prisons, which were used from the 15th century up to 1931 – conditions in there were less than ideal. No wonder they all sighed.
After leaving the Palace we grabbed a quick lunch and wandered the small side streets and canals. We made our way over to the north shore of Venice which had an incredible view of some outlying Islands (Murano, Burano, etc) and the Dolomites. We ended up having dinner at the same place as last night since it was so affordable, comfortable, and delicious.
A slow walk back to our room seems to have completed an incredible three week trip in Italy. We catch a flight at 11:30 tomorrow morning, but need to catch the boat from Venice at 8:15. It’s been an amazing trip, and I’m sure we’ll post some more of our favorite moments as we get home.
Ciao, Buona Sera, and Arrividerci!
This morning we completed, though not entirely on purpose, the Rick Steve’s four hour tour of Padua. We started by heading to the Scrovegni Chapel and made reservations for entry later in the day (they only allow 25 people to enter at a time), and then headed on the efficient Tram down to the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua. The basilica was different than most, as instead of one large dome, it was several smaller domes. Inside is the tomb of St. Anthony was his surprisingly non-decayed tongue and vocal chords (he was known for his oratory skills). As Saint Anthony is also known as the finder of lost things, large boards around his tomb are covered in photos of missing loved ones, which is quite sad. We were blessed by a monk while there, and toured the cloisters before heading back towards the center of town.
In the center of town are some very large markets, as well as the University of Padua, a former employer of Galileo. We finally made our way back to the Scrovegni Chapel to see interior which is adorned with frescoes by Giotto. His works in this chapel (1303-05) are the first pieces of modern art – moving to 3-dimensional images and Giotto is considered the father of Renaissance art. Depicted inside are 38 panels detailing the life of Chirst, Mary, and Mary’s parents. On the back wall is an enormous scene of Jesus ruling over the Last Judgment.
We caught the first train we could to Venice and made our way through the maze of streets and canals to our hotel. We decided to explore Venice a little bit this afternoon and evening. We made our way to one of the few Traghetto stops, which ferries people across the grand canal in a Gondola. For a little bit of perspective, the Grand Canal splits Venice in two, and there are only four bridges that cross it. Additionally, a 40 minute, private Gondola Ride, with a sketchy singing Gondolier costs about 100 Euros. The Traghetto ride across the canal, while lasting only 30 seconds or so, costs only 50 cents. It’s how most locals cross the canal when not near a bridge.
We walked our way over to the famed Rialto Bridge and on to St. Marks square where we witnessed some crazy sights. The first was the bars and restaurants that have Orchestras playing for their patrons (and anyone else who wants to listen.) It’s amazing that the seats around the orchestras are so empty, but that’s what happens when you charge 8 euros for an espresso that costs 80 cents elsewhere. Also in St. Marks square are it’s famed pigeons. While it’s technically illegal to feed the pigeons these days, people still do, and attract quite a smattering of pigeons. Take a look at the pictures for the Father and son that are covered in pigeons as they try to feed them. Not our idea of fun…
After a short siesta, we went back towards the train station and hopped on the Vaporetto, which is the ‘water bus’ that cruises the Grand Canal. On the Vaporetto we listened to a Rick Steve’s podcast of the entire trip, as he pointed out special buildings and sights along the way, including the Venetian Firehouse, which makes any Jersey Girl happy. After getting off the Vaporetto in St. Marks, we followed Rick’s advice for dinner and enjoyed it immensely. It’s been a long, and very hot day, so we’re hitting the hay.
Arrividerci!
Well, yesterday there wasn’t much at all, so it’s not going to get its own post. Due to the events of the previous night, we got a late start on the day and both of us were a little queasy. We took the train from Vernazza, to La Spezia, and then to Parma, which was a miserable, though scenic ride. It was very hot on the train, and it kept stopping for no apparent reason, causing us to be 30-40 minutes late to Parma. Our arrival in Parma was uneventful and I just ran out to get us a pizza. This Pizza, mind you, may have been one of the better pizzas I’ve had – covered in Parma Ham (Proscuitto) and Parma Cheese (Parmigiano). It was fantastic.
Anyway, today in Parma was great. The town was much more pleasant than either of us really expected. A walk around town introduced us to some great squares, a modest Duomo with an impressive interior, and some great walking streets, not to mention some wonderful ‘Salumi e Formaggio’ shops. Had we the time, I’m sure we could have spent another day in Parma. I should also add that our hotel was pretty impressive. It was called the Century Hotel and was very modern. They paid attention to every detail. The shower may have been the coolest one we’ve ever seen – it was a frosted glass cube that jutted out from the bathroom and into the room. Anyway – we really liked the hotel.
The train from Parma to Bologna was short, less than an hour. Thankfully Bologna had a Baggage Deposit, so we stored our larger bags, and stopped at the tourist information booth, where the wonderful lady behind the counter paused her telephone conversation to throw a map at us with a ‘Tourist’s half day guide to Bologna’. Perfect! On the way towards the center of town, we saw Bar Serendipity, which is always a good sign for us. After a fantastic lunch of typical Emilia-Romagna fare, we saw Bologna’s ‘not as scenic, not as famous’ leaning towers, and wandered its busy streets. One thing that was great about Bologna was that all the streets are arcaded, so they were shaded. This was incredibly helpful on such a hot day. The large Duomo in Bologna (another one of those unfinished ones) is dedicated to St. Petronio, or St. Petronius….oddly similar to Petronis, we’ve decided. It was on the Piazza Maggiore which also contained an interesting fountain of Neptune and the Sirens (see the pictures). The last stop in Bologna was the Basilica of St. Domenic which also houses to tomb of the Saint. Some of the small statues adorning the tomb were sculpted by a teenaged Michelangelo.
We left Bologna in the early evening and took the train Padua where we checked into our hotel, wandered around downtown, got a quick meal that took 2 hours, and retired fairly early (after some gelato of course!)
Today we planned as our complete relaxation day, which we accomplished for the most part. Unfortunately, we couldn’t put off laundry any longer, so got it out of the way first thing in the morning. This turned out to be a good thing since most of the clothes didn’t really dry – we had it hanging all over our room. While we were doing our laundry (and hence, without camera) there was a wedding in the square of Vernazza. The little red VW Bug (Original) Convertible was allowed to drive down the street as townspeople and tourists all moved out of the way and applauded the bride.
It was pretty neat, and of course, Lisa enjoyed it.
Once we finally finished the laundry we took the train to Montorosso al Mare. After a quick stroll through the town, we realized it wasn’t as quaint or photogenic as the other towns, so we just headed straight for the beach. We paid 13 Euros for 2 chairs and an umbrella on a private beach and it was a great investment. The water was cool and refreshing, though the beach itself was pretty tough to walk on (HOT!!!). We were probably there for 3 hours or so and it was great.
When we got back to Vernazza we changed and ate dinner on the square at a restaurant called Gianni Franzi’s. Lisa got nosy and asked the couple next to us where they were from (Colorado) and we ended up hanging out with Jen and Michael all night. They had just flown into Italy, so we were giving them tips on what we’d done so far. We finished our dinners and decided to get a few bottles of wine. Their room (which was awesome and much bigger than ours) came with a loft and a balcony that looked out over the city, so we sat up there to drink our wine and get to know each other. When we finished our bottles we figured we’d head back down to town to see what was going on. The previous night we had been kept up by singing in the square all night. Tonight (Saturday) the place was shut down. It was practically empty. We convinced one Enoteca (which was actually closed) to sell us one last bottle of wine that we shared with our new friends.
All in all, it was a great day. Got fresh clothes, laid on the beach, drank some vino, and made some friends.
Today we were awoken by church bells ringing like crazy at 7 am. I couldn’t find the snooze… Anyway, since we were up, we started our day earlier than we would have originally liked. After a small breakfast we hopped on the train to Riomaggiore, the easternmost town in the Cinque Terra. We took an elevator to the top of the town and then strolled down the main road as shopkeepers were opening up and locals were buying up their groceries for the day. Via dell’Amore is the first length of the Cinque Terra trail that connects all five towns. It’s also the most tame, and pretty much paved the whole way. When it was first installed, young boys and girls from Riomaggiore and Manarola (the next town) would meet along the trail, hence the name. Now, lover’s graffiti covers the entire trail.
Manarola was a picturesque town, with a harbor and no beach. The people we way swimming we in very deep water, just off the rocks. Thanks to the Rick Steves’ book we took a roundabout hike above town through the terraced vineyards. It gave great views of the town below. Then we started a slightly more difficult hike to the third town, Corniglia. On this hike is where we started to run into a lot of crazed Germans, with big hiking boots, walking sticks, and usually no shirts, moving with a purpose down the trail, not letting anyone get in their way.
Once we finally reached Corniglia, we stopped in a little Caffe for a lunch of paninis. We stocked up on our water and headed for the most difficult part of our hike today – from Corniglia to Vernazza. Along the hike we saw signs for a free beach below. Having read previously that it was a nice beach, we headed on the detour STRAIGHT down the cliffside towards the sea. When we finally reached the beach, we were fairly disappointed as there were just a few couples hanging out on a very rocky shore. We stayed for a little while, but didn’t venture into the water. We were dreading our climb back up. It was a long way back up and we ran out of water.
Once we reached the main trail it was even more uphill as we crested the final hill towards Vernazza. A small bar at the top sat like an oasis waiting for our money in exchange for Gatorade and water, which were sorely needed at that point. The rest of the way was, mercifully, downhill – though that doesn’t always make it easier. The trail was fairly treacherous at times, and the crazy Germans were still plowing through. When we reached Vernazza, we headed to our room and crashed for an hour or two before heading out for dinner on the main drag.
Overall a great day – just wishing we didn’t take the detour to the beach below the trail, and instead headed to the beach back in Vernazza. Tomorrow, we’re hoping to hit up the fifth town – Montorosso al Mare, which has a very long, sandy beach. And we’re just going to relax.
Good night!
When we checked the train schedules from Lucca to the Cinque Terra (Vernazza) we realized the left once every two hours, so we had to hustle to catch the 10:30 train, and unfortunately didn’t get to stroll through Lucca any more, which we had planned on doing. However, Vernazza has been so great so far, we’re very happy we got here when we did.
In Vernazza, we had to strap our bags onto our backs to climb many steps to Il Castello, the restaurant that our hotelier owned. Monica Lercari couldn’t have been a sweeter Italian hostess, as she guided us excitedly through her home (“Watcha for da Barbies!!”) to our small, but comfortable room, with a view (with a slight strain) of the water.
We lunched in the town’s harbor square, outdoors, where we sampled some of the local specialties (Cinque Terra White Wine, Pesto, Seafood, etc.) It’s Ascension Thursday, so we headed to the very small chapel on the harbor for mass at 6 o’clock, with about 25 local women (they had just finished their rosary). We took a mini-hike on the trail to Montorosso so we could get some dusk photos of Vernazza, which came out beautiful. We had dinner and Monica’s restaurant where I convinced Lisa to try the other Cinque Terra local product – Anchovies! She liked them, as long as she didn’t have to look at them. While we were waiting for our table, a man came in and mentioned to a waiter that he had a room with Monica also, and their names were Lisa and John. I thought they were trying to steal our room, but it just turned out to be a creepy coincidence. They were from Vancouver. Anyway, a stroll down to the harbor to look at the stars was a great way to end our first night in the Cinque Terra. Tomorrow we’re going to do some of the hike.
Ciao!
Today we woke up, had breakfast at our hotel (the cappuccinos have been outstanding) and headed straight to the market near San Lorenzo’s church. We had walked through yesterday,, but waiting on buying anything until today. In the end, Lisa got a very nice leather wallet….and that’s it. We knew we had some trains to catch, so we headed to the hotel, packed up and trekked to the station with our bags in tow. Once there, we figured out which train took us to Pisa, and headed that way.
In Pisa, we dropped off our big bags at the baggage deposit in the train station, because we were just doing a ‘drive-by’ tour. We made our way down the main drag to a small Paninotecca for lunch, and then on to the ‘Field of Miracles,’ where everything is leaning, but people only notice the Tower. The field is made up of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Duomo, and the Baptistry. They all have a lean of some sort. The Tower’s lean is most evident, but if you loko at some of the pictures of Duomo, you can see where it started to sink also.
Pisa is very touristy, so we did the touristy thing and took pictures of ourselves propping up the tower. From there we walked through the Duomo and then started back towards the train station to catch the train to Lucca.
We certainly wish we had more time in Lucca, as it was absolutely charming. The main street, Via Fillungo, was lined with cute stores and chic boutiques, and our hotel was right there, a few blocks away from a café where Puccini sipped espresso (and so we did as well!) Lucca isn’t a hill town, so for protection they built walls around the entire town, and towers to see over the walls. We climbed two of the towers, and for the most part, those are the only pictures we took. I wish I had the camera with me for more of the day, because the town is incredibly picturesque!
The first tower was the clock tower, and it was supposed to have an awesome, hand-wound swiss mechanism that rang the bells on the quarter hour. Then we realized we were only 3 minutes away, we ran up the tower as fast as we could, only to be disappointed when it didn’t ring. The kid at the entry way didn’t understand when we tried to explain that there was no ‘tick-tock’ ‘ding-dong’. At least the views of the city and the mountains in the distance were incredible. The Clock tower ticket also came with admission to the Guinigi Tower, with its characteristic trees at the top, so we climbed that one as well. The other joy of Lucca is the beautiful Ramparts around the town, which is popular for strolling, jogging, bicycling, and relaxing. We rented two bicycles and did a 30 minute loop around the town.
Our evening was spent at the church where Giacomo Puccini was baptized, the site of the only permanent festival in the world. Every night at the church, professional musicians perform arias and duets by Puccini and other composers. We were treated to a selection of music from both Puccini and Mozart performed by a Soprano with a spectacular voice, a Baritone, and a Piano accompanist. It was really incredible. From there, a tasty dinner (Beef is the specialty around here), a stroll around town, and off to bed.
Ciao!
I have a sick and cranky husband on my hands, so I will be writing the post tonight. The both of us are wishing that we had planned our “vacation within a vacation” about 3 days earlier (it won’t start until Thursday in Vernazza). Here is my take on the trip so far - it is AMAZING!!! Even though we are both tired and a little worn, we are very happy that we packed in a much as we have. The small towns, Orvieto, Montalcino, Civita have been exactly what I was hoping I would find in Italy - they are quaint and the locals are friendly - not to mention the delicious food and wine - you feel like they welcome you into their home. The mid-sized towns have been great also. Siena - just splendid, Sorrento - felt like Rehobeth, Capri was breathtaking…
After visiting Florence, I appreciate Rome a lot more. Even though Rome is a large city, it had its small and inviting spots also - Pantheon, Trevi Fountain. We were a bit underwhelmed with Florence. The sky line yesterday was something else, but the city itself seems worn (and not to mention overrun with tour groups). I felt the least safe while walking through the streets and the Duomo needs a good cleaning.
Since John isn’t feeling well (we are hoping it is just allergies), we took it kind of easy today and even fit in a siesta this afternoon. Our reservation at the Accademia was for 8:30, so we got a very early start on the day. I really don’t know what I can say to do The David justice, so I won’t, I am just going to leave it at that (John snuck in 2 pictures before he was told he wasn’t able to take any so you can see for yourself). The few unfinished Michelangelo sculptures were very interesting. As I was looking at The David, I was wondering to myself “How do you get from a slab of marble to THIS”. The prisoners, as they are called, are only partly completed, so they show the chisel marks and the sculpture begins to take shape.
After the Accademia, we took a stroll through San Lorenzo Market to look for a wallet and a pocketbook. I didn’t buy anything yet, that’s tomorrow!! We thought about going to the Duomo, but the line was around the corner with about a dozen tour groups (Rick Steve’s suggested that we wait until late afternoon and he was right). Instead of seeing the Duomo, we toured the Medici Chapel with some of Michelangelo’s sculptures (they are actually part of the Medici family tombs). We walked over to the Covered Market, but their leather prices were more expensive (and we were told you can’t haggle as good). Even though we saw the Ponte Vechio last night, we wanted to see it during the day with all of the “treasure chests” open. It was, again, overrun with crowds, so we decided to have some lunch at the Golden View restaurant. It did have a “golden view” of the Ponte Vechio and the pizza was pretty good. There was some time before our 2:45 reservation at the Uffizi, so we walked over to San Croce, but didn’t go in (and didn’t have time to check out the Leather School).
After we, and a lot of other people were confused by the reservation system at the Uffizi, we finally made our way in. With the help of a Rick Steve’s audio tour, we had a relaxing stroll through the museum.
We made a quick pit stop for some gelato and had a nice siesta before making our way out again for dinner (and more gelato after dinner).
The pictures today are few because most of the places we went to didn’t allow cameras (and we were a bit worried about getting mugged). Overall, we had a busy and rewarding day…we are both looking forward to some much needed sleeping in come Friday.
Buona Sera!
We started early in Siena this morning, and since the breakfast at the hotel wasn’t anything special yesterday, we ventured over to a café for some delicious pastries and Cappuccinos before heading out into the country. We drove straight to the famed ‘Chianti Road’ and immediately stumbled upon an amazing Poppy field. From there we stopped at Castello di Brolio, the place where Chianti was invented. The castle however, isn’t a winery, which we didn’t find out until after we paid for admission to the gardens. So we wandered around the castle and the gardens, which really had some great views, and then we discovered that our tickets came with a wine tasting, but down the hill. So we had our first Chianti tastings, and they were fabulous.
From there we headed towards a small town called Castellina in Chianti, which was very picturesque, and fairly untouristy. We had a light lunch and found a shop run by a winery called Rocca della Macie, which was the Chianti that the Marriott gave us in Rome. So we gladly sampled a number of varieties and chatted with the host about the wines before selecting two bottles for purchase. I’m sure we’ll drink them somewhere in the Cinque Terra later this week.
We left the Chianti road and headed to the hill town of San Gimignano, which is famous for its towers. The town itself was beautiful, however Lisa and I both felt it was very touristy and overrun with ugly Americans. Still, as we wandered around the back side of town, we stumbled upon a small church where an American Wedding was taking place.
After leaving San Gimignano, we decided to start heading towards Florence as it was starting to get late and the Hertz closed at 7 pm. On the way we found an American Monument and Cemetery from WWII. It was serene and surreal. We were both fairly overcome with emotion, especially once we realized it was about to close and they played taps. Visiting was really something special.
Before pulling into the Hertz, we drove up to a hilltop with views over all of Florence, which was beautiful.
We had to return our little Fiat, but we had the opportunity to stroll around Florence after we ate some dinner. Tomorrow we see the David, and head to the Uffizi gallery.
Ciao!
"Oooh Siena, I love Siena!" - This is what we heard everytime we mentioned we were coming here for two nights. We can both understand why. It has small town charm, a big city feel, and an electric vibe throughtout the Campo, where students and residents lay out and enjoy gelato as the night falls. Sure, our ride in was a little trecherous with the huge hail, but once we got in...wow.
This morning we made it to Mass at San Domenico. The Mass was in the crypt because the main portion of the church is visited by lots of tourists. We'll get to that in a moment. But Mass was interesting. It actually seemed more informal than in the states. Little kids running around, many people not kneeling (possibly because of the WOOD kneelers without padding), and a nun teaching the multitude of alter boys and girls how to bring up the sacrements. That, and the entire mass was in Italian, so we couldn't understand much, but knew what was going on.
But upstairs in the main Basilica of San Domenica, there was a very interesting relic. The amazingly well preserved Head and Thumb of St. Catherine of Siena. Well, from the church we walked around the soccer stadium through an outdoor market. We didn't get anything, but it was packed. Il Campo was next. We had eaten dinner there the night before, but didn't get the chance to really experience it. We headed straight to the city tower, where there was a sign for some sort of Photography Exposition by a Paul Fusco. Way to go Paulie!
Anyway, we climbed the 400 or so steps to the top of the tower for an amazing view over Siena and out over Tuscany. We also got the crap scared out of us when the clock rang for 1 o'clock. Thankfully, our walk up and down made us hungry, so we wandered to Antonio's - the equivilent of our Best Cheesesteak place in philly. Everyone goes for some of the best Salami around. They were packed, and entertaining. Salami, with Fresh Pecorino Cheese. Delisioso! We ate it on the Campo.
The Duomo was the last major site on our list. Unfortunately, they were restoring the dome itself, but everything was open inside. It contained Statues by Donatello, Bernini and Michelangelo, and it is the beginning of the parade for the famous Palio race. After the Duomo we took a short siesta, then had some Espresso and wandered down to the Basilica of St. Francis and then some window shopping and browsing through the streets. All in all a great day.
We capped it off with a fun dinner full in a small restaurant filled with Americans and Canadians who all bought Rick Steve's book. It was tiny, and the kitchen was open to the small restaurant (8 tables). The fresh made pasta was out on a table, and there was no menu. In very, very broken english, a Tony Danza look-alike (in his Who's the Boss days) asked what kind of Primi (pasta) we wanted. I hat the fettucine (about an inch thick) and lisa the Ravioli. Our Secundis were fabulous as well, I had an amazing lamb, and Lisa a very succulent chicken. We're 95% sure it was chicken, and not pigeon. We finished the meal off with a bowl of fresh Fragoli (strawberries). The older man patted me on the back a few times when my allergies acted up and I started sneezing. It was fabulous.
Tomorrow we're heading out early, getting a big breakfast, and driving through Chianti Country, with a detour to San Gimignano, and then on to Florence.
Ciao!
It looks like I may finally be caught up with the posts! Our Hotel in Siena has wireless internet, and it's fast. My single post yesterday was at a cafe in Assisi and I was cut off after about 45 mintues.
Anyway, we started the day in Assisi, and since checkout was by 11, we had to wake up and see the Basilica before then. We were very close to the Basilica of St. Francis, so it was a short walk. When we got in, there was a Mass going on in the lower chapel. We think it may have been Korean, but we can't be sure. When we went down to the tomb of St. Francis, there was a Mass going on there as well. That one was in German. But we continued our walk throughout the basilica, enjoying all the frescoes and the choirs that seem to be singing everywhere. Even though many obnoxious tour groups (mostly italian ones) were taking pictures inside, I respected the wishes of the Franciscans to not take pictuers inside.
We left Assisi and headed west towards Tuscany, and it's hill towns. The first stop was Montepulciano. As we entered the main square, there was, quite honestly, a very ugly building on one side. It turns out this is the Duomo. Once the inside was finished, they never spent the money to finish the outside, so it was never completed. We sampled some of the local Montepulciano wine from a local wine producer. Lunch was in an awesome little local restaurant, where they made thier own pasta and wrote the bill on the placemat. It was packed to the gills.
We drove on along a very scenic road through Tuscany. We passed through Pienza and stumble across a very picturesque cluster of cypress trees, and pulled over to take pictures. We weren't the only ones there, but it was so perfect, we had to stop. As we pulled into Montalcino, it was Thundering like crazy, but they rain only fell while we were inside sipping some Montalcino Brunello, in the shop of the man who invented it back in 1955.
Of course, the weather didn't hold off forver. As we pulled into Siena, it not lony started to rain, but to hail too - large, nickel-sized hail. It was so bad that once we parked, we sat in the car until it passed.
Tonight we sat in a laundromat for 75 minutes, and then got some dinner on the main Piazza of Siena. The local neighborhood is celebrating last year's win in the Palio race last year, so it's been loud all night, with some interesting demonstrations. It's after midnight and they are still singing and cheering loudly - hope it stops soon.
Buona Sera!
Today we saw the rest of Orvieto, waking up early to see the interior of the Duomo before we had to check out of our hotel. We had drizzle off and on all day, but nothing bad. The grey skies cleared by mid-afternoon. Anyway, the Duomo was built wider at the back than the front to make it seem longer than it actually was. Two of the side chapels were incredible (No photos allowed there) and contained Singorelli’s frescoes depicting the Last Judgement.
From there we had our Car Rental adventure. After finally finding the Hertz, we upgraded to an Automatic transmission (so I could drive the crazy roads instead of Lisa) that they happened to have. I barely fit in the Fiat Panda, but we were zipping through the hillsides before we knew it. We headed towards Civita di Bagnoregio, a crumbling hill town with only two permanent residents left. It was absolutely incredible. There we met Maurisio at his family’s restaurant where they’ve been making Olive Oil since the 1500s (no, not a misprint). Without a doubt, this was the best bruschetta either of us have ever had, and it was just bread (toasted over a wood fire), a little salt, and their homemade oil. He and his father were very enthusiastic hosts, and everything we had was to die for. A must stop on any Tuscan/Umbrian tour.
Once we left Civita, I was very happy we had the GPS, because we drove and hour and a half to Assisi, and my navigator fell asleep. We drove along the Tiber River for a while, before we hopped on the Autostrada and made our way to Assisi. Once in Assisi, we had a tough time figuring things out as driving in the city walls isn’t always allowed, and our hotel clerk didn’t speak English. Once we found parking we were able to get to our hotel, and head out to see things before it got too late.
We visited the Basilica of St. Clare, of the order of the Poor Clares. She is buried there, and they also have some of the clothes both she and St. Francis wore. (Sorry, no pictures allowed inside). We then walked up to the Basilica of San Rufino, which is actually the Patron Saint of Assisi. Both Sts. Clare and Francis were baptized there. (No pictures here either) The city of Assisi is bigger than we realized and really one giant hill. It was a long climb from our hotel up to the Basilicas. However, being on a hill gives the city great views of the Umbrian countryside. We finished the night with a walk past the temple of Minerva, an old roman temple converted into a church, and all the way down to the Basilica of St. Francis.
Since we had a great, and late, lunch, we just settled for some Gelato and had an early night. Tomorrow we head into Tuscany, some small wine towns, and eventually arrive in Siena.
After a wonderful breakfast at the JW Marriott in Capri, we gathered our bags and somehow managed to make ourselves leave the island. Neither of us ever wanted to leave. We found ourselves running to catch a ferry again, but once on board, it was a peaceful hour-long ride to Napoli. Then craziness started. I haggled the price of our taxi from the port to the train station from 20 Euros down to 15, and then experienced the madness of Naples roads.
Our Taxi driver was young, and very interested in talking to us. We practiced our meager Italian, and he practiced his meager English. Once at the station we attempted to get our tickets to Orvieto (via Roma). Since we were earlier than we had planned, we hoped to catch an earlier train. The train we booked was 30 minutes earlier than the one we originally wanted to take, but that was still 2 hours away. So we left our bags at the baggage deposit and ventured out in to Napoli for some Pizza.
Right outside the train station, I saw a very large sign for “FUSCO” – it was a perfumaria, like a cologne and make-up shop. We went in to see if I looked like anyone, but they were busy. Thankfully it was a nice looking place!
We wandered through some VERY busy streets until we found Antica Pizzeria da Michele, where Pizza was supposedly invented in 1870. A true wood-burning oven, and only two choices, Margarita (Tomato and Mozzarella) or Marinara (no cheese). We had the Margarita with some coke, and it was fantastic. Watching them make it was fun.
When we made it back to the train station and got our bags, our train was delayed 55 minutes, so we hustled to the ticket office and were able to change to the original train we had wanted. We took that train to Roma and switched to our local Orvieto train, which left about 20 minutes late. Upon arrival in Orvieto, we took the funicular up to the main town and got lost in the maze of narrow streets, until we finally found our beautiful hotel (Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini), which was a former Papal Palace, when the popes took refuge in Orvieto. After checking in and getting settled, we hurried to catch the last tour of the underground caves of Orvieto. There are hundreds of caves, many private, beneath homes and restaurants. The ancient Etruscans, and then the Romans and later Orvietans, used them for protection and extra space. The pigeon holes were very interesting. When hiding out from attackers, pigeons were used as a source of food since they reproduced so rapidly. After the caves we walked over to St. Patrick’s Well, a 175 ft deep double helical well that was used as a source of water. The path down was a double helix to ensure a one way flow down and then backup.
After our Orvieto sightseeing was done, we simply walked the small town and enjoyed the sights. We enjoyed a fantastic Umbrian meal with Orvieto Classico (local wine) at a local restaurant where we were the only Non-Italians. It was spectacular, to say the least, and might even surpass our meal in Capri as the best so far. Tomorrow we’re going to see the beautiful Duomo, and then head to Civita di Bagnoregio , and on to Assisi.
So today we woke up fairly early, and strapped on our bags for the long walk down to the Marina in Sorrento. We bought our tickets for the ferry only 5 minutes before it left and had to run to catch it. Once we were on the ferry it was fairly peaceful until we pulled into Capri, where it became a madhouse. Thankfully, there was a man from the JW Marriott (our hotel) who took our bags (and sent them to the hotel) and directed us to get Blue Grotto Tickets.
Unbeknownst to us, we also bought a round trip sightseeing tour of Capri, which turned out great. We started with a trip to the Grotto Azzura (The Blue Grotto). Once there, the boat stops, and we all jump into small rowboats 3 and 4 at a time. (We went in with an Australian couple.) Our boatman pulled us in through the small hole as the swell of the water was at its low point. Once inside, it’s a three minute row around this cave with an amazing blue glow. All the boatmen sing inside as they row us around. I think only one or two pictures came out decent, but the memory will never fade. Of course, after we left, our boatman complained our tip was too small, but that’s par for the course. From there it was a wonderfully scenic trip around the island, along with stops at its other Grottos (including the green grotto), a trip through the arch at the Faraglioni rocks, and incredible views all around.
Once back at the Marina, we took the Funiculare up to the main town of Capri where we saw small streets filled with expensive boutiques. We checked into the hotel and were treated like royalty (it’s good to be a Platinum member). We took the bus up the ‘Mamma Mia’ Road (translated by our boat driver as the ‘Oh My God’ Road) to the smaller town of Anacapri, which was very pleasant, and much quieter. We strolled over to San Michele Chapel to see its famous Majorica Tile floor depicting the story of Genesis. Then we took the chair lift up to Monte Solaro for its commanding views of the island. Lastly, we took a very long hike (in flip-flops) down the side of the island to a small, yet overpriced, private ‘beach’ (Beach=rocks with a ladder into the water). We weren’t there long, but swimming in the shadows of the Faraglioni rocks was amazing and refreshing. It’s too bad the hike back up was so miserable! Tonight we asked the clerk at the hotel desk (a trainee) for a local place to eat that was inexpensive. Antonio directed us to Lo Sfizio, which Lisa and I agree may have been our best, all out meal in Italy thus far. It was fabulous (and inexpensive too!)
The best way to describe Capri, is to take the scenery of Yosemite, the shopping and chic culture of Rodeo drive, and the beach culture of Miami Beach, and combine it all into one. A very memorable experience.
So tomorrow we take the ferry to Naples, and then the train to Orvieto in Umbria. Arrividerci to the south of Italy!
Ok, ok, I know it’s been a while since we posted (and I’m sure you’re all refreshing the page every 5 minutes.) Anyway, we’ve been without much internet access for a while. Tonight I’m uploadingfrom the lobby of the hotel. It’s only Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast. I couldn’t get to upload Capri or Orvieto yet. The internet is pretty slow and it’s getting very late. Take a scroll down to see those posts.
Ciao!
Before I start the post – I know there are horrible spots on most of the pictures that show blue sky or blue water. I’ve been trying to clean everything on the camera for a few days now. Hopefully I’ve solved it, but I doubt it. Trust me, I hate the spots!!
OK….so, today was a sightseeing day for us, but also very relaxing. We headed to the train station where we purchased tickets for the SITA bus to Positano. The SITA bus is the local bus, rather than a sightseeing bus. The difference in price was certainly worth it. We were on line for one bus that came late and looked like it was standing room only by the time we would have gotten on, so we waited for the next one, which left only 10 minutes later. It was not packed and we had a window seat on the correct side to see the great views.
They sure were some views. The photos don’t give it justice in the least. We were hanging onto cliffs and barely making it around hairpin turns. It was a thrill. When we finally reached Positano an hour later, I was even a bit dizzy, but Positano was so beautiful I would do it again in a heartbeat.
We hiked our way down into the town, which is mostly stairs. It’s a very posh locale, so there were many boutique clothing stores and art galleries, and a number of shops selling the local Majorica Tiles. We found a little shop called Vino e Panini where we got the best Paninis we’ve had thus far. When the cashier couldn’t speak English well, he called down his sister to answer our questions of a good place to eat. She suggested the town’s other beach, which is more local, and away from the hubbub of the main square. It was a walk to get there, but it was also worth it. Different views, peace and quiet. We laid out on the pebble beach after eating.
After a few short hours in Positano, we caught the ferry back to Sorrento. The ferry gave us great views of the Amalfi coast and Capri. We took our last stroll around Sorrento tonight, stopping to purchase a small (very small) espresso maker, and found our first Christmas ornament of the trip. A man asked me if I was from the area because my face looked like I was from the Sorrentine Penninsula. That made may night! A pizza dinner with vino, and a trip to another Gelateria completed our night.
Tomorrow we go to Capri!
Today was a travel day, with a lot of activity. We started the day with a great breakfast on the rooftop of the Hotel in Roma, and said goodbye to the Eternal City as we headed towards Termini Station. Somehow, we figured out how to use our rail pass and made the 9:44 train to Napoli (Naples). Think of it as the Acela…a very smooth, fast ride. We made it into Naples without much of a hassle, and enjoyed some great views on the way. Even saw an IKEA!!! From Naples we took the local train to Pompeii.
At Pompeii, there was a baggage check at the gate so we left most of our stuff and were able to walk about the ruins with just our normal day bags. Everywhere in Pompeii, Vesuvius looms large. It’s amazing to think the mountain looked like a triangle at one point. Pompeii was originally a port, until the volcano erupted and left tons of ash everywhere. Now it’s a bit inland. It was all very interesting to see. My favorite part (and apparently I talked about it a lot from the last time I was there in college) was the amphitheatre, where I could be up in the stands, and Lisa in the middle of the Arena, and could whisper to each other clearly. The town Brothel was also quite interesting, with frescoes depicting services offered.
After Pompeii, we once again boarded the local train headed towards Sorrento. We quickly fell in love with the resort town. Our hotel is very quaint, and along the main drag. There are upscale boutiques everywhere. Sorrento is known for its Lemons, and has a public Lemon Grove in the middle of town. A walk through the grove was a bit of serenity, and the Limoncillo we were offered was fantastic. A stroll around town was wonderful, including a beautiful sunset, until we headed to dinner. At Dinner, unbelievably, we ran into someone from work. We thought he looked familiar when he walked through the door, and it turns out he works in the same building as Lisa. Small world.
Sorrento caters to a lot of British tourists, and so after dinner, I made Lisa head to a British pub for a Pint of Kilkenny, my favorite beer of all time – one that I can’t get in the United States. It hit the spot-almost as much as the Gelato we had afterwards. Off to bed…we are going to attempt to see the Amalfi Coast tomorrow!
Today was our last day in Rome, and since we did SO much walking yesterday, and get to bed quite late as well, we ended up sleeping in by accident. We kind of figured with all the Catholic Churches in Rome, we'd stumble upon one with a Mass, but it seems they have them all before noon. But we've visited a LOT of churches in the last few days, so I figure we're OK for now.
We headed towards the Pantheon to start our day - we met Greg and Nicole for lunch at the Campo Di Fiori, which is typically a bustling food market, but was a little slower on a Sunday. Lisa and I parted ways with Greg and Nicole and followed the Tiber River south to Bocca Della Verita - the Mouth of Truth. Neither of us lost our hands, so that's a good thing.
From there, we walked along the old Circus Maximus, which is now just a field and hopped on the Metro back towards our hotel where there is an odd sight. Beneath a church is a Capuchin Crypt, but not any crypt. Over 4000 capuchin friars are buried here, except that they aren't necessarily buried - their bones are now used for intricate decorations. Both facinating, and creepy. And thankfully for you, no photos were allowed.
We took a short Siesta before heading for a walk through the Borghese Gardens. There were lots of Families and Tourists, picnicing, walking, whatever. It felt very similar to Central Park in NYC. They even had rollerbladers doing tricks (People still rollerblade?). We were treated at the end of this walk to a FANTASTIC view of the city. We also happened to be at the top of the Spanish Steps again, a perfect time for another break. From there, it was mostly window shopping the rest of the day, a small panini for dinner, and a painful walk back to our hotel. Both of us have feet that are killing us.
Thankfully we spend time on the train tomorrow. We're hoping to catch an early train to Naples, and further on to Pompeii. From there we'll head to Sorrento. I don't know how much more Internet we'll have the rest of the trip, but whenever we do, we'll post.
Happy Mother's Day Moms!!!
So yesterday, we saw most of what the heart of Rome has to offer.
We started fairly early (still adjusting to the time difference) with a walk south from our hotel down the Via Veneto. As we passed the US embassy, we banked left towards the Santa Maria della Vittoria Church, home of Bernini's St. Teresa in Ecstacy. There were lots of visitors, but most people were very quiet, which was nice. After reading the narrative of St. Teresa, and seeing the sculpture, one can understand why the Vatican moved it to a small church across town! (look it up!) From there we headed up to the Metro stop, but saw what looked like a church within some old ruins. It ended up being this enormous basilica, called the Santa Maria degli Angeli, which was partly design by Michelangelo. The outside is decieving because the inside was cavernous. It was on the Piazza della Republica, which is where we got on the Metro.
From there it was to the Colosseo, where the metro stop through us practically into the line to get in. Thankfully, the Roma passes we purchased the day before let us skip the (at least) hour long line and head right in. (WORTH IT) So we popped in our Rick Steves' Podacast tour of the Colosseum and got started. We got a little lost, but once we found our way it was great. It's great to be able to hear the history behind the ruins as we walk around. We also did that at St. Peter's on the first day, and later on in the Roman Forum. They also don't give you any maps, so it really helps to have points of reference. It's still amazing to us of how advanced the early Romans were. Needless to say, the it was incredible.
When we finished our walking tour inside, we strolled around it to get some photos of it. While strolling we spotted a Trafalgar bus, and knowing that our friends Jamer and Brooke were on a Trafalgar Tour and scheduled to be in Rome that same day, we got a little nosy and started checking out every bus to see if it was thiers....but no luck.
We entered the Roman Forum at the base of Palatine Hill. It's a good thing we had the book with the map and audioguide, because there is no information at all. But we found our way into the Forum. The most amazing thing about it was that when Rome fell, and was abandonded for 500 or so years, the old roman streets were buried by yers of dirt and silt accumulation. So Modern Rome is a good 30 feet higher than ancient Rome. Kind of creepy. It was cool to think we were walking the same streets that Julius Ceasar walked, right down to the stone.
From there we started north to Pantheon Again where we were meeting my HS friend Greg and his girlfriend Nicole, who were in Rome for the weekend. Along the way we saw the Campodoglio, the home of Rome's City Government. There was a free concert that night it seemed, because we enjoyed some Operetic Sound Checks. We found a small pizzeria, which was really tasty, and we enjoyed some Peroni while the girls had some red wine. We had some fun interactions with Italians that didn't speak much english, but we seemed to do OK. The fact that they all though Greg looked like British Pop Star Robbie Williams may have helped. We took a long walk from there to through the main shopping district to the Spanish Steps, where we relaxed with some Gelato. We took another Siesta after that back at our hotel and all shared a bottle of wine before heading south for dinner.
Greg found some restaurants in the Michelin Guide, but they couldn't seat us so we ended up at a very nice Trattoria across the street where we sat outside, enjoyed plenty more wine, and two courses of an excellent meal, followed by some Crema Brulee and Espresso. We walked to the colesseum area for some night photos and left Greg and Nicole there. Once we realized the Metro line we needed was closed for the evening, the long walk started. Thankfully we had that Espresso and were in no need to had to bed. We walked towards to Victor Emmanual Monument, which Romans not-so-afftionetly, refer to as the "Typewriter" or the "Giant Wedding Cake." From there our desitnation was the Trevi Fountain. We were able sit an relax here for a while, and act like tourists by throwing the traditional coin over our shoulder to ensure our return to Rome. It was a long walk back to the hotel, and late, which is why we are starting a little late today.
Today is our last full day in Rome, so we hope to just enjoy it!
Well, today was crazy. We had a 2 o'clock resevation at the Vatican, so we made our way to the subway and found our way over there, including a stop for some Panini. Once there we took a tour with a vatican guide and it was PACKED (not the tour, the museum). Packed with visitors, packed with art. It's like the Catholic church stockpiled whatever they could find for centuries, and decicded to put it on display. Amazing stuff, but almost too much. It was actually a really good thing we took a tour, because we probably would have missed most of it.
Without a doubt, the highlight was our time in the Sistine Chapel. Sorry - no photos (or talking) allowed. There's nothing to say about it. It's breathtaking. We were pretty awestruck and just stared in wonder for a while.
From there it was off to the biggest Catholic church in the world. St. Peter's Basilica. It's over two football fields long, and one football field to the top of the Dome. Overwhelming. Our time at the vatican was really great. I'm glad we got it out of the way early, because if it was this crowded on Friday, I can't imagine Saturday.
A couple notes - from the time we were in the airport, to the vatican, and all day really, we keep seeing these guys in Robin Hood hats, with feathers. It seems like it they are tour groups, but they seem to be very different groups of people, and there are tons of them, so I don't know. Ze might be Germans!
Anyway, from the Vatican we started walking, had some gelato, and accidentaly saw some off Rome's awesome sights. Down the road from the Vatican, there were a lot of Mercedes and Paparazzi - turns out it was the Italian Version of the Oscars, the David di Donatellos. People were excited, but we didn't see anybody we recognized. We continued on to Castel St. Angelo, Ponte S. Angelo, Piazza Navona, The Fountain of the Four Rivers, The Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain. As you can imagine, our feet are very sore right now! But we saw a lot, and plan visiting some of the sights again, hopefully at different times of the day.
We found dinner at a small restaurant not far from our hotel where we shared a bottle of red wine and a caprese salad, followed by some pasta dishes. Delicioso!
Well, it's been a LONG 24 hours since we left Philadelphia. We're ready for bed!
Buona Sera...
John and Lisa
Well, we're here. It was a long, uncomfortable flight, but I'm pretty sure I slept a few hours, and while Lisa doesn't think she slept at all, I'm pretty sure she did too. Getting around the airport was fairly straight-forward, as was getting the train ticket for the Leonardo Express into Rome.
Once we made it to Termini Station, it got fairly confusing. It took us 15 minutes or so to find the Tourist Information Booth, where we bought our Roma Pass's. It includes entry to two sights (We're definitely using one of those on the Colleseum tomorrow) and unlimited Subway and Bus rides. Then we found the metro to Piazza Barberini and walked up the Via Veneto to our hotel.
We took a few quick pictures from the room and from the roof of the hotel, since it has such a commanding view of the city. We'll be leaving the hotel in a little bit to start heading over to the Vatican for our 2:00 tour. (It's noon now.)
Ciao!
I'm just testing out the photo upload for the blog. But, here's the fence we just finished!
Wow...It's been a year since we've last posted about what we were doing. (Hint...we were skiing). Anyway, it's that time again, where we're going to be posting a lot (hopefully).
So we'll be going to Italy on Thursday....more to follow!
