Chichen Itza for Wine and Pizza - an Italian Adventure!

[TheWindyCity]

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***Thank you to the moderators who have asked that I post a report on our recent trip to Italy. I know it's off forum topic, but here goes. ** (Grazie!)



Trading Chichen Itza for Wine and Pizza - An Italian Adventure!



Foregoing beach time in Tulum is not easy, but we were assured that Tulum would still be waiting for us with open arms when we were ready to return to her. To celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary in a grand way, we decided on a trip to Italy. I've never been to Europe, or outside of North America for that matter. Alice, on the other hand, has been to the Netherlands once with her sister, to help her obtain a recipe for the Dutch pancake served there, the Pannenkoeken. Her sister has since opened the only restaurant in Chicago serving them.

We were contemplating visiting one area in Italy, and exploring the small towns on our own. The logistics seemed a bit overwhelming to plan this, since I don't speak Italian, have never been to Europe, and mostly because I just don't have that kind of research time. There was also the task of deciding which region to visit....they all have their unique qualities!!

We decided that the best thing was to take an escorted tour to get the most information and taste of the many different regions of Italy. After much research and review, we selected Globus Tours - The Best of Italy (http://www.globusjourneys.com/Product.aspx?trip=1ZB&source=GL_Product_EU_Italy_Vacations) - 11 Days Rome to Rome. I know a lot of folks may not prefer this way of travel, but after the tour, we were really happy with our decision, because we felt we got the most out of our Italian vacation, and way more than we could have done on our own. Pushing the Easy Button saved a lot of time. A touring company knows all of the logistics in getting you to the cities and towns, and into the museums and churches, bypassing the lines and ticket offices. Everything is arranged ahead for you, including moving your luggage in and out of the hotels. You just have to be on time and follow the schedule of being ready. The tour director posts a schedule the night before in the lobby of the hotel. I think this type of tour allowed us to really soak up every drop of Italy, like olive oil into bread! We also added two extra days onto our trip to spend time in Roma on our own, relaxing, and also seeing extra highlights not seen on the tour or the excursions, including a night walk of Roma. This ended up being a full two week trip exploring Italia!

Regarding the tour company, Globus: The tour guide we were blessed with was Millie. Quite an incredible person, with astounding knowledge, courtesy, respect, patience, and class. Also, the tour bus driver, Eduardo, was a real gent, very gracious, and a great navigator, especially under some tense moments in Roma and on the highway to Venice. The hotels were all nice, maybe with the exception of Assisi, but given the town, I don't think you would have a great choice there. The Venetian hotel and Capri hotel were especially memorable. Italy's best hotels would be a 3-4 star hotel here, however.

It was an incredible two weeks! We visited quite a few cities and towns, each having their own specialties and personalities. Here is a summary of the cities we had visited during our time:
Roma, Orvieto, Montecatini, Florence, Montecarlo, Pisa, Venice, Burano Island, Assisi, San Gimignano, Pompeii, Capri Island, Anacapri, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, and Positano. Yes, you might say "PHEW!, how can you see everything at that pace?", but you do have free time to do your own thing, and because of how they arrange the tour, you really can see much more . They also offered excursions for additional cost, that were highlights and addendums to the region. We opted for ALL of the extras, as they all sounded so interesting to us, and were exactly what we wanted to do! This really enabled us to absorb all things Italiano! The cost was definitely less expensive than what you or I could put together, and it was so worth it. One highlight was dinner on a family farm in the Tuscan countryside town of Montecarlo. Here, they grew their own olives and grapes for their own wine, and served unlimited amounts of both, as well as great cucina della Nonna!! Oh Mama Mia, Mama Mia! The homemade pasta was so good!



Here is a map of the tour:

Map of Tour:
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I think we had picked the most ideal time of year to visit. The nights were never too cool, mostly at about 75F, and the daytime temps were nice and warm, at an average of 82 -85F and sunny every day. And everything is in bloom! At times, it felt like we were on a Hydrangea tour....the size of some of the heads were something we will never see in Chicago. That's what's nice about visiting a place where things don't die over winter!

We took a direct flight to Roma from Chicago, a 9 hour flight, leaving at 15:30 on the 14th, arriving at 08:00 on the 15th. We flew on Alitalia Airlines. I had read and heard a lot of negativity about Alitalia, but have to say that none of it rang out on our trip. Our flight there was on a new plane, with your own personal TV and control console, where you can select from about 10 movies, play games, watch a live flight camera, or even learn a little Italiano!

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The flight crew was above average, I thought. I was surprised at the the fact that they serve unlimited wine on the flight (PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!) . A man was pulling out his wallet at first and they told him it was included with the flight.... what a great start....."Due vino rosso, per favore!!! "

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OK, maybe I was having too good a time. But it's vacation time, and time to party!! I also thought, of all things, that the meals were pretty good as well. It reminded me of back in the day, when you could smoke on a plane (Ewww!) and the airlines actually served good food as part of the ticket. Everything on this flight was prepared Italiano style. I sure was not expecting Carpaccio! Also served was salmon with vegetables and Italian herbs, and pasta ai quattro formaggi:

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Arriving in Roma and going through customs was a walk in the park. We had a bit of a problem hooking up with our tour, however. We booked the tour with a travel agent, and actually signed up with Sceptre Tours, who are an affiliate of Globus. We had to search for someone who was to meet us, and it never happened. I remember seeing a Globus tag line in our credentials somewhere, and I found a Globus rep in the area. Well, the woman representing Globus did not have us on their transfer list as they were supposed to, so we had a little difficulty convincing them we were going to be part of the tour. Luckily, I brought a valuable piece of paper showing Sceptre was part of Globus, and the paper showed we had paid transfers and a paid tour, and some numbers matched hers. She made a phone call and all was put in order for our transfer to the hotel.

The bus ride to the hotel during Roman rush hour was a trip in itself. We soon learned why you would not want to rent a car in Roma. They drive insanely!! Stoplights, as it was explained, are "a suggestion"! And the folks park wherever they want to, even right in the middle of the road, and will even drive the motos on the sidewalk if there is a traffic jam, so you better watch out! Our bus could not make this simple turn because people just decided to leave their cars parked in the middle intersection -- there's always room for one more!

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Roma Traffic: (Narrating about Rome is our tour guide, Millie)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhiyDvRAAxk


Roma Tramvia


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=airhZr6u3Eo



Due to the traffic, we had arrived at The Grand Hotel Beverly Hills, Roma, about an hour and forty five minutes later (when it should have taken an hour). The hotel was decent, maybe a three star. The staff was always helpful, and professional.


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Hey!!! What the? .... Did they set this up for Rob and Laura Petrie??
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We knew ahead that this is pretty common in Europe, especially the older hotels. You can push the two together easily.


We had a 4:30PM meeting in the hotel, and then dinner out to meet the rest of the tour group. It was only 1:00PM, and we knew we shouldn't sleep or nap, so we decided to walk outside and find something light to eat (it was 5:00AM on our body clocks, and we had a full day in Roma ahead of us. We really needed to stay awake so we could get our bodies onto their schedule).

We came upon a mercato, very common in Roma neighborhoods. It was fantastic to see all the fresh offerings. We almost wished our room had a kitchenette so we could cook using all these fresh ingredients.........I did say almost.

Mercato
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We went further into the neighborhood, wanting to grab something at a place with the locals. We came upon the Flu Cafe, frequented by the lunchtime work crowd. I remember reading about this spot online, and how they use fresh everything. The menu and food plates coming out of the kitchen looked really good, so we grabbed a seat al fresco - the best way to dine in Italia!

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Al Fresco at The Flu
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We started with a little vino rosso a tavola. I have read many times that their own table wines are actually really good, so we went with a few glasses of red (and it was!) :
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Some simple fresh baked bread and olive oil - so good!
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We ordered the Tagliere Flu, which was mixed grilled vegetables, prosciutto, olives, bruschetta, and the Naples specialty, Bufala mozzarella. Also, let me tell you, there is nothing comparable to fresh Roma tomatoes! Oh mama mia! During our whole trip,we never had to eat a pink tomato!

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Needless to say, it was so great to be in Roma, enjoying lunch outside at a local cafe - Salute!
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Il conto was surprisingly reasonable
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After our lunch, foregoing dessert, we walked the neighborhood, looking at the small shops, and stumbled upon another great trip anticipation - a GELATERIA!! Alice ordered a deep chocolate, & I ordered a Coccociocco (coconut and chocolate). We ate outside on a street bench and enjoyed the heat of the day.

I decided to go back in and take a photo of the gelateria, and as I did that, the lady behind the counter started wagging her finger saying "NO! NO! NO!! No photos!" Geez lady, calm down! She told me that Italian privacy laws...yada yada ...
So I apologized and told her I only wanted it for my personal record, and she told me she would ask the owner, who was outside talking. He waved it off as if he was bothered by her, and so I guess I got the OK.

The gelato, in retrospect to all that we had tried on the tour, was just OK, maybe a 5 of 10, by comparison to what would be in store for us. I am happy know that we have a 9 of 10 back home that we use as our "gelato calibrator", as it is one of the best we have tasted. Still, little did we know 10 of 10 is yet to come!

Gelato at Snack Bar, Roma:
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[TheWindyCity]

We walked back to the hotel and relaxed for a while, getting ready for our tour meeting and then off to dinner in Roma at Alle Due Fontanelle.
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We had the banquet room downstairs, where they provided entertainment, and started things off with some prosecco, for a toast to our future travels through Italia!
The meal was served 'stile famiglia', so we got started with shaved italian meats, olives, Bufala mozza, ect
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But not before the never ending bottles of wine they would replenish at the tables, bearing their own name, a tavola style
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The rest of the meal was a bit of a disappointment, with so-so pasta, choices of chicken or fish, vegetables, ect. Nothing worth mention or photo worthy. Dinner was pretty lively though, with music and dancing and a fun atmosphere for everyone.

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They topped off the dinner with capuccino - always a favorite!
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After a fun evening and meeting the people we'd be touring with, we were taken back to our hotel....we had been awake for probably a good 35 hours by now! Tomorrow we had an early day to begin visiting the major sites of Roma.

[mayaflya]

This has got to be a first! A foodie pic of the AIRLINE MEAL!

ps...I like the Flu Cafe plate better:p



Chichen Itza for Wine and Pizza - An Italian Adventure!]

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[minniemex]

WooHoo!! An Italian trip report!!

This made me drool ~
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[TheWindyCity]

This has got to be a first! A foodie pic of the AIRLINE MEAL!

ps...I like the Flu Cafe plate better:p

I remember thinking that as I was taking it ... who takes pics of airline food??? But...IT WAS GOOD!

[BP.]

You two are so adorable. What a great start to your report. Good call for your purposes on the escorted trip. Italy is red tape central, si?

You are going to make me wonder why I've been devoting so much travel time/funds to MX these past years when there is still so much of Italy to enjoy. Guess you'll give us the sticker shock, and I'll be jolted back to my senses. Can't wait to hear about Burano. It is on our list, and it is Pattie's computer desktop image. Plus Capri! On our trips to Amalfi the sea was too rough for a crossing. So bring it for us, OK! Can't wait!

[beachreader]

Yay! Looking forward to this one!

Outside of Rome, Italy is pretty easy to get around, but it must have been very nice to not have to do any of the driving!

OK, how did you get this picture? Were you holding the camera yourself? How come it doesn't look like it's only 2 feet away? I've never seen one of these self-held pictures look so normal!

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[tbpeaceful]

Brava! Brava! I made the mistake of peeking at this just before lunch. :( Your food looks WAY better than mine did. Thanks Windy and Alice ~ for sharing yet another adventure abroad.

[TheWindyCity]

Yay! Looking forward to this one!

Outside of Rome, Italy is pretty easy to get around, but it must have been very nice to not have to do any of the driving!

OK, how did you get this picture? Were you holding the camera yourself? How come it doesn't look like it's only 2 feet away? I've never seen one of these self-held pictures look so normal!

We got soooo much information from the 5 tour guides we had in different areas. We really felt like we learned so much about each region, probably more tha I would have learned if I had done this myself. And a few people told us to avoid Rome, as it's like any other big city, but we found we really enjoyed Rome a lot....so much history and so much the Romans gave the world.

Regarding the airplane pic - I took it. That's the benefit of the new Panasonic ZS10 - they made the wide angle end a little wider, to 24MM, which, for a PnS, is really wide. Like MayaFlya told me a few years ago - the benefit of a wide angle lens is that it gives you the most realistic view that matches your own vision of the space you are in...WYSIWYG. Also, this camera's zoom is 21X, up from 16X. (Costco has a great deal on them, BTW, which includes a case and 4GB card. )

[BP.]

. . . people told us to avoid Rome . . .

And this advice was probably not given in the same spirit as Tuluminatti who have been known to tell people to avoid Tulum. ;)

[beachreader]

I am all over that ZS10. That's all I've ever asked of a camera (WYSIWYG), and I've never had it before. Very excited, especially since I think my Olympus is on its last legs.

Thanks!

And yes, good tour guides totally rock. I need to take advantage of them more often!

[TheWindyCity]

All Roads Lead to .....


Roma....is the city we will tour today. We began the day with an included buffet breakfast at the hotel. It was really good, served Euro style, with Italian meats and cheeses, fresh baked pastries, croissants, yogurt, fruit, granola, and scrambled eggs. The main attraction for us was having cappuccinos, macchiatos and espressos to our hearts content! I usually stopped when my heart rate reached 140BPM! Who needs cardio when you have a double shot cappuccino?

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Il Vaticano

We would begin the day with a tour of the Vatican, for a "Holy See" of their museum, the Sistine Chapel, followed by a tour St.Peter's Basilica.

We made our way around the 16th century walls
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It was amazing to see the individual bricks laid in the 1500s
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The museum's entrance is watched over by Michaelangelo and Raphael:
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There was quite a line to get tickets and get into the Vatican at this early hour, however, with this tour, we bypassed everyone and went right inside.

On some days, the lines can be long to get into the Vatican
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Vatican_Museum_Queue_-_April_2007.jpg/1500px-Vatican_Museum_Queue_-_April_2007.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vatican_Museum_Queue_-_April_2007.jpg)


Once in the main hall, our new personal guide and Vatican expert handed us our tickets and took us to a quiet courtyard where she explains all the panels inside the Sistine Chapel that we would eventually see

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What I really appreciated about the tour is that you get your own radio headset to wear for the entire trip. The guide talks in a normal tone into her transmitting headset, and you can hear everything even as you wander around for a closer look at the exhibits. You get a lot of information this way and never have a problem hearing the guide.

We walked through the papal courtyard and into the museum. We had a nice view of the Duomo designed by Michaelangelo.
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Into the museum, our first interesting piece was the porphyry sarcophagus of St. Helen, mother of Constantine. What an awesome coffin!

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Artemis of Ephesus, goddess of fertility:
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Entering the hall to the Museum
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Through the ages, the reigning pope would commission the elaborate artwork throughout the papal palace. Sometimes, they required their own portraits be incorporated:
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You would think this is a sculpted relief, but it is actually a painting (early attempt at 3D technology?):
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We entered the tapestry room, which is relatively dark and no camera flash is allowed. The rare Flemish tapestries here were made in Belgium in the 1500s. They are all in unbelievably beautiful condition, each rendering bible scenes, some taking seven years to complete.


In this tapestry, Jesus' eyes follow you as you pass (I hate when they do that!)

Resurrection of Christ
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Visit of the Magi
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Killing of the First-born Males
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On our way to the Sistine, we entered the Gallery of Maps. I think the ceiling was more of the attraction than the maps. The maps were dawn in the 1500s by geographer Danti. They had amazing accuracy for not having GPS or satellite imagery! The ceiling itself was jaw dropping in detail

Gallery of maps
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Detailed window bays
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Early map of Italy
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All Roads DID in fact lead to...
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Walking past the windows of the gallery of maps, we saw the Vatican Radio transmitter. This has been in operation since 1931, when the seated pope commissioned Marconi to build a station or the Vatican that would carry the pope's message worldwide. Actually, I was surprised to learn that the Vatican has a very up to date technology department, run only by priests, that not only broadcasts voice in a multitude of languages, but also runs Podcasts, Tweets, and Facebook page updates of the pope's message.

Radio Vaticano
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We exited the various galleries and headed towards the Sistine. Amazing to see such detailed artwork at every turn....

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The Sistine Chapel was truly amazing to be inside. No talking is allowed. The restoration of of Michaelangelo's work has been completed, and they have purposely left spots unrestored so that you can see how years of candle soot had taken away the vibrancy of the colors used. Also, it was cool to learn that Michaelangelo had a sarcastic sense of humor in how he portrayed Pope Julius II (known as Il Papa Terribile), who had pretty muched forced him to paint the chapel, as he was a sculptor more so than a painter. One my my favorite stories was how Michaelangelo was not happy to be commanded to paint the Sistine Chapel, so in the Last Judgement painting, St Bartholemew is displaying his flayed skin, and Michaelangelo has painted his self portrait of his own displeasure with the whole project on the face of the skin:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Last_judgement.jpg/240px-Last_judgement.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Last_judgement.jpg)



Also, Michaelangelo painted the face of Pope Julius II on a scene depicting him with a snake wrapped around him being dragged into hell! Ha ha ...I love this guy...reminds me of my relationship with my boss! You can see this rendition on the virtual tour link that's coming up below.

There are so many places in the Vatican that you are not allowed to use flash photography, but in the Sistine, no photograghy by any means is allowed, flash or no flash. I did accidently press the shutter once, by accident....heh..heh....heh.....
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Click HERE (http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html) for a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel - simply amazing. If you zoom (put the cursor in the corner and roll the mouse wheel) into the right corner of the wall by the altar side of the chapel, you can see the part where Michaelangelo depicts Pope Julius II....he is the one wrapped in a serpent! (Hey, at least he gave Julius a six pack! Coulda been worse....)



We exited the Sistine Chapel to head over to St. Peter's Basilica. Again, everywhere you walk has amazing little details and architecture.....

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Up next, part 2 of this day, the tour of St Peter's Basilica......Warning: It will be a plethora of photos and an inundation of glorious art!

[mayaflya]

Thanks for sharing so many wonderful mammaries....


Artemis of Ephesus, goddess of fertility:
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[TheWindyCity]

Thanks for sharing so many wonderful mammaries....

Playtex would have given up on this poor woman!

[beachreader]

This is amazing! Totally thought it was bas-relief!

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And if the tapestry room was so dimly lit, how did you get such great photos? Were you using your DSLR and a tripod? Can't imagine carrying a tripod around, so how did you get the pics, huh? huh?

And that "accidental" shot of the chapel shows amazing colors! When I was there (um, 25 years ago?) it was really pretty dim, hard to see the details. My friend was allowed to put her camera on the floor and open the shutter, and that turned out well.

Why don't they allow non-flash photography? Did they give an explanation of the rule, or just the rule?


By the way, you are totally changing my mind about bus tours. Loving skipping that line!

[TheWindyCity]

And if the tapestry room was so dimly lit, how did you get such great photos? Were you using your DSLR and a tripod? Can't imagine carrying a tripod around, so how did you get the pics, huh? huh?

I used my Pentax K5. They said they improved the low light...and they did! No tripod either.

And that "accidental" shot of the chapel shows amazing colors! When I was there (um, 25 years ago?) it was really pretty dim, hard to see the details. My friend was allowed to put her camera on the floor and open the shutter, and that turned out well.

Why don't they allow non-flash photography? Did they give an explanation of the rule, or just the rule?

They used to say the UV from the flash fades the...yada yada...but then we'd all have sunburn, wouldn't we? It might be to copyright protect from unwanted uses, like folks having the photo of God reaching out to touch Adam's hand on a tee shirt saying "Pull my finger"...


By the way, you are totally changing my mind about bus tours. Loving skipping that line!

...

[mayaflya]

So were you happy you lugged the K5?.......

[BP.]

but in the Sistine, no photograghy by any means is allowed, flash or no flash.



Photography in the Sistine Chapel is a copyright breach. The rights are owned for a period of time by the firm that financed the restoration. When the rule is broken and people are admonished "No Photos" it can be a distraction.

[beachreader]

Photography in the Sistine Chapel is a copyright breach. The rights are owned for a period of time by the firm that financed the restoration. When the rule is broken and people are admonished "No Photos" it can be a distraction.


Ah, that's interesting, and makes sense. Thanks for the explanation!

[TheWindyCity]

So were you happy you lugged the K5?.......

Well, you know I was teetering on only taking a point and shoot, until you pointed out the "once in a lifetime"s and the "wide angle, high resolution memories" created by a DSLR. I really did not want to lug what I normally take to Tulum, which includes a travel tripod. I saw an ad in a photo mag for a line of camera travel bags made by Tarmac. Their website was a big help in that it shows, with shadow images, what fits in each bag. I went to the camera store and sized them up, vowing that I would cut in half what I normally take and that I'd have to make it work this way. I eliminated the extended flash of the DSLR and subbed the PnS in it's place, and bought a clever flash deflector instead to make up for it. I put one W/A lense on the camera, and my spare was the 18-250mm compact zoom lense. Some spare batteries and flash memory, and it all worked for light carry-on.

So yes, I was VERY happy I took the DSLR. In the beginning of the trip, I was only known as "the guy with the big camera", and also "the nut that takes food photos! "

[beachreader]

...In the beginning of the trip, I was only known as "the guy with the big camera", and also "the nut that takes food photos! "



And what, may I ask, changed about this as the trip progressed? :D

[TheWindyCity]

...In the beginning of the trip, I was only known as "the guy with the big camera", and also "the nut that takes food photos! "



And what, may I ask, changed about this as the trip progressed? :D


We all got to know each other by our first names, then we began looking out for each other - good in instances of holding a seat at a table so we could sit together, and knowing who was missing at our departing points - one big happy!

[Solbound]

Incredible tour so far Windy...keep it coming and I will not have to take Penny there some day!

[minniemex]

Wonderful pictures Windy!!

You are bringing back such memories! Thanks!

It just reminds me of how awe struck I was when I saw it for the first time. Nothing else compares.

[ilovewyoming]

GREAT TRIP REPORT! Love your style and the stories you are telling, not to mention all the great pictures. Thanks.

[TheWindyCity]

GREAT TRIP REPORT! Love your style and the stories you are telling, not to mention all the great pictures. Thanks.

Thanks ILW....seeing from your "near Utah" location, Utah is on our bucket list of places to see. We would love to hike in Bryce Canyon. I know there are other great spots as well. Lucky you!

[minniemex]

Ok, I am not going to lie ~ I used Babelfish.

di più per favore!

[TheWindyCity]

Ok, I am not going to lie ~ I used Babelfish.

di più per favore!

Sì caro, sto lavorando, sto lavorando su di essa!

[TheWindyCity]

St. Peter's Basilica

After our tour of the Sistine Chapel, we visited St. Peter's Basilica, the mother church and tomb of St Peter. When you take a long look at the photos, notice the details. Most of the walls are done in intricate patterns of marble, as well as the floor. The detail in the statue carvings and bas reliefs are just as awesome...you can stare at it forever, looking at every detail the artists incorporated. Simply amazing to be in such a Holy place, and see the intense work that went into making it what it is.

We briefly walked through St Peter's Square to pass from the Vatican and into the cathedral.

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We passed "The Holy Door", which is only opened by the pope for a speech during great celebrations. The last time it was opened was in 2000, by Pope John Paul II, for the Millenium. Each panel commemorates the occasion the door is opened.

The Holy Door
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Construction of St. Peters was started in 1506, and the final architect's design was by Michaelanglo - but he really fine tuned other architect's plans. This layout shows the piazza as well
http://www.marklathan.com/Parallels/Visual_Art/06_Maderno_St-Peter's_layout.jpg
I wish I had taken this photo - here is what the piazza looks like from the roof of St Peter's

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/St_Peter%27s_Square%2C_Vatican_City_-_April_2007.jpg/800px-St_Peter%27s_Square%2C_Vatican_City_-_April_2007.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/St_Peter%27s_Square%2C_Vatican_City_-_April_2007.jpg)



We entered the Papal Basilica' s massive doors
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Door Panel:
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And into the church
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One of Michaelanglo's great works was The Pietà. Unfortunately, the statue was attacked a number of years ago, and you cannot even get close to it. It is also encased in glass, so those two factors made getting a photo, or at least being able to study it up close, impossible. Being tall did have an advantage, however.

The Pietà
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We really wanted to get to Pope John Paull II's tomb, but there was a pilgrimage visiting and had the space cordoned off for their group

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I'm sure the Vatican has a grand plan in the works for his tomb, as we observed just how much this pope is still loved by the Italians, as well as the world.



The tombs of past popes were very detailed. Some requested to be made visible in thier tombs

Pope Gregory VIII (notice how the right statue is lifting up the covering from the casket - how delicate it must have been to carve!)
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Pope John XXIII (this is the Pope's actual body, and a wax mask was created from a cast of his face, and put in place)
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Pope Alexander VII (Impressive is the carving of the cave in marble!)
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Pope Leo XII
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One of the hightlights of the basilica is Bernini's baldacchino over the altar, which is atop St. Peter's grave:
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Entry to St. Peter's tomb under the baldacchino (access is restricted)
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Not my photo, but under the altar, St. Peter's Tomb +
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Petrusgrab_Petersdom_b.jpg/800px-Petrusgrab_Petersdom_b.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Petrusgrab_Petersdom_b.jpg)

Statue of St. Peter
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Michaelangelo's Duomo (calculated weight of the dome itself is 14,000 tons!)
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**Please check this out!: Virtual Tour of St. Peters, view from the altar - HERE (http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/vr_tour/Media/VR/St_Peter_Altar/index.html) . Be sure to look up at the duomo!**


St. Helena in one of the piers supporting the duomo
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Bernini's Gloria
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Walking through the Basilica
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Even the floor in inlaid with intricate marble design
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There wasn't an area inside the basilica that was not overly detailed....you walk around awestruck at every turn
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It is really amazing to see how they carved and polished the red marble
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Whew! Time to go outside and try to digest all of that! We exited the Basilica into St. Peter's Square:
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And past the Papal Swiss Guards:
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The guards have been stationed here beginning in 1506, guarding the Vatican during the Italian wars and ever since.


St Peter's Square
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Statues lining the square atop the colonnades
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Egyptian Obelisk
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Some history - The Obelisk from Egypt was brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula in 37 AD. It originally stood in his circus on a spot to the south of the basilica, close to the present Sacristy. Pope Sixtus V had Domenico Fontana move it in 1586 to the center of St. Peter's Square. It is also a sun dial, its shadows mark noon over the signs of the zodiac in the white marble disks in the paving of the square. The obelisk rests upon four lions, each with two bodies whose tails intertwine. When we returned to Roma on our own at the end of the trip, we visited the square again and spent a little more time here.


A man much missed....
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Bernini's fountain
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And.....our touring group ( we are on the far right, our Tour Director, Millie, is next to us, and our Vatican/St. Peter's tour expert is on the far left.) (nice of them all to pose for me!!)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/Roma2011.jpg


After our tour of St. Peter's, we made a stop at a Vatican gift shop where everything sold was blessed by the pope, and then we moved on to the other side of the Tiber, to the Forum and the Colosseum. So that will be Part 3 of our first day. And still lots more to come!

[minniemex]

Grazie!! Ché giorno intero che avete avuto già e ci sono più??
I love babelfish.:)

[TheWindyCity]

Grazie!! Ché giorno intero che avete avuto già e ci sono più??
I love babelfish.:)





(Thanks! What a full day that you had already and there are more?)

Man, tell me Italian is not difficult and it's easy as Spanish! No way!

This part of the tour brought us to about 11:00 A.M. We then went to the Forum and Colosseum. After that, we had the rest of the day to ourselves. They offered us an excursion, in place of the free time, of "Roman Highlights", which we took. We went back to the hotel area to take a break and get lunch. This offered us a great opportunity to explore their lunch style of the "Tavola Calda" type eateries that Romans like to do for their lunch. (We have a place like this only 15 minutes form our home, just outside of Chicago, run by Italians - only we never knew this concept actually existed in Italy!). After lunch we were then taken to the other side of the Tiber, to old Roma, to see the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi, ect...we even got caught up in a political demostration! How fun!!:eek: - so yes, more to come from this first full day in Roma....at least part three and four!

[lazydog]

I can't believe people told you to miss Rome, what? Rome is incredible.

Thanks for the driving videos. We drove from Munich to Rome and driving into Rome was one of the scariest things I have ever done. No one acknowledges the lanes, although they don't respect the lanes in Cancun either. Your video brought back some memories, laughing and shaking my head just thinking about it. Looking forward to more Italy!

[TheWindyCity]

The Roman Forum & the Colosseum

After St. Peters, we took a break in a Vatican gift shop a block or two outside of the square. We got some much needed water and a quick snack just around the corner from the shop, and headed out to the Forum and the Colosseum.

Once on our way, we passed Rome's Italian Parliament Building
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0518Custom.jpg


We arrived at the Forum
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0524Custom.jpg



The Forum, or Forum Magnum, was the center for Roman public life. It was kind of slowly piece-mealed together, starting around 700 BC, with larger building periods during Caesar's reign.


One could probably spend at least a half day here, as there is a lot to see, including a walk up to Capitol Hill. Our tour was a little over an hour, and only touched on a few areas, before we headed to the Colosseum. While we found the Forum interesting, it was by no means comparable to the ruins of Pompeii. Still, a lot of our concepts of American life and government have very deep roots to the Romans. Unfortunately, like many other ancient Roman buildings, stone blocks have been removed from the Forum and used to build nearby churches and palaces.


We began our walk on the Via Sacra (Sacred Road) near Palatine Hill


We visited an early Roman "Strip Mall". They determined this area to be a strip of businesses or marketplace stalls (yet another Roman contribution)
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We passed the Arch of Constantine (erected in 312 A.D. to award Constanine for a victorious battle)
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On past the Arch of Titus ( Erected in 70 A.D to celebrate the sacking of Jerusalem and its sacred temple by Titus & the Romans. )
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I was up all night transcribing this http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/04.gif, and here is what the inscription is at the top of the arch reads:
SENATVS
POPVLVSQVE·ROMANVS
DIVO·TITO·DIVI·VESPASIANI·F(ILIO)
VESPASIANO·AVGVSTO

"The Senate and People of Rome to the divine Titus Vespasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian".

One of the panels depicts the spoils taken from the Temple, including a huge seven-branched menorah, being carried in triumph down the Forums's Via Sacra. The other panel depicts the triumphant Titus attended by various genii and lesser officials.

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More views within the Forum
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On to the Colosseum......Just to interject....we were blessed with some great weather everyday....blue skys, warm temps, beautiful summer evenings....no rain....it all made for an even greater experience to visit all that is offered here. No doubt, an ideal time to visit Italy.



The Colosseum

The Flavius Amphitheater built in the 1st century AD by Emperor Vespasian (69-79), of the Flavius family, and was completed under his son Titus (79-81) in 80 AD, this arena could seat 45,000 spectators and was the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. It hosted gladiator combats, spectacles with wild animals and unfortunately, the execution of early Christians. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was believed to be a place of martyrdom and is therefore regarded as a sacred place. They had seating arrangements much like today's arenas but divided by status. Cheap seats for the common schmucks (like the Bleachers at Wrigley Field!) to marble covered quarters up close to the action for the hoi polloi, similar to the skyboxes of todays stadiums. (Don't know if they had gourmet catering!).

The holes in the walls, inside and out, of Colosseum are where the marble veneer was pilfered to use for churches and buildings. The holes themselves are from the iron and lead rods that held the marble slabs in place, taking them to melt down for weapons during the Middle Ages. The Colosseum was in ruins and regarded as an eyesore or centuries, so it was slowly dissected for other projects, unfortunately. There are very few spots inside the Colosseum where the marble was still left intact. You can imagine this arena in it's glory days. In reality, the Colosseum is only a skeleton of it's former glorious self.


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Layout of the arena
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This cross has been erected inside the Colosseum by a pope to remind the world of the martydom that took place in the arena
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The simple cross is the first thing you see when you enter the arena. I think it's placement is perfect as it wants to remind you that this just isn't a must-see tourist site, but a place where Christians died as well.



The stage for shows, whose floor was made from a mixture of brick and wood, has disappeared altogether. In its place you can see the cellars which housed equipment used to prepare and carry out the games, and holding cells for the animals. The two underground floors housed the lifts and hoists with their counter weights. They were the "special effects" of the time, (or maybe a halftime show?), used to hoist up animals and gladiators who burst into the arena through trapdoors, suddenly appearing in a burst of white dust giving the audience great surprise effects. A complex system of hinges and lifts also allowed them to hoist up set-designed backdrops.


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Another ingenious system the Colosseum had was a Velarium, which was a roof covering to give protection from the sun. The Velarium was an enormous linen tarpaulin hung by a system of ropes, winches and wooden poles that girded the top of the outer wall. It required 100 men to hoist it's riggings. Who would think that this 2000 year old system would give birth to the domed stadium?

It was about 1 P.M., and this ended our day tour.


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We had the rest of the day on our own, but we opted for an optional afternoon tour of Roma's hidden treasures. We went back to the hotel area for lunch on our own, and were set to continue touring in two hours. So up next is a few more of Roma's gems that are must sees!

.

[FITZ]

What a nice and informative trip report. Of course your pic's are amazing.
Rome is quite a city. Several years ago, while backpacking through Europe learning to cook, I wound up staying in Rome for some time. I traded working in a kitchen for a room, so in Italy my spending money was made by playing competitive chess on the Spanish Steps. What an amazing meeting place that was.
While in Rome I got literally run over on the sidewalk two times by rude scooters, got ripped off alot at the beginning of my trip for bottled water at restaurants and I was constantly watching my behavior because of all of the darn nuns everywhere. Maybe the nuns were a good thing, but I was raised Catholic and felt "the eyes" everywhere!! LOL!
Italy is a fantastic place and to travel where you two did gives you a wonderful "taste". Very romantic too, when the nuns aren't watching!

[TheWindyCity]

Hello Fitz, great to hear from you! We were told if we wanted to cross the streets safely in Roma, to try and cross with a nun or priest, as they are the only ones that get the driver's respect. I think I felt even more of "the Eyes" when we were in Assisi - 10 times more nuns and friars on the pathways. Out of respect, when passing, we were advised to say "pace e bene" - peace and good - to them.

Also, I remembered from our Chicago get together a few years back, that you were familiar Freddie's is Cicero, IL.. or that you grew up in this area? We paid them another visit after our trip, as they run their business so close to the Tavola Caldas that are so common in Roma. Great Italian family and homemade recipes....especially the simple carbonara....and the gelato!! A 9 of 10! You'll have to pay them a visit next time you're in town!

[Lynnette]

:wave: Hey Steve..........love your tour of Italy! As you said it's the trip of a lifetime. Great tip about the camera bag and I can so relate to this "the nut that takes food photos! " My comeback line to people who make comments, is that I'm a food photographer (taking photos of food :rolleyes:)....that usually gets some respect!!

[TheWindyCity]

:wave: Hey Steve..........love your tour of Italy! As you said it's the trip of a lifetime. Great tip about the camera bag and I can so relate to this "the nut that takes food photos! " My comeback line to people who make comments, is that I'm a food photographer (taking photos of food :rolleyes:)....that usually gets some respect!!


Hi Lynn...great to hear from you! You've traveled a lot...have you ever been to Italy?

[TheWindyCity]

I wanted to thank the moderators of TI again for asking me to post a report on Italy. Just when we thought we got over our trip, reliving it brings back memories of great moments along the journey through Italy.....and it's still only the first day of touring!

Recently, thanks to the power of the internet, I have been communicating with a chef who is sharing traditional recipes for the Roma style of Carbonara and Lasagna. He is from Pisa. When I say Roma style, I mean un-Americanized versions of these classic dishes, which translates into very, very simple amounts of ingredients. Honestly, I don't think I can ever eat lasagna again with the thick, box pasta noodles we've had all our lives! They use sheets of very thin (1/16") pasta, which makes a huge difference. We were fortunate to find these lasagna sheets at an Italian deli/grocer here in Chicago. Making that will be our next project in the kitchen. We recently made his Carbonara - and yep, it was what we remembered - and only 4 ingredients!....but it has to be the correct cheese and pancetta, or it won't taste the way it should. I'll be happy to pass on these recipes at the end of the report.

Roma's Hidden Treasures & Gems
We took a break for lunch around the hotel area. Walking a few blocks down the street, we came upon a tavola calda, Al Buchetto. Basically, tavola caldas are family businesses that prepare family recipes and serve them cafeteria style. Known for their "prezzo imbattibile" (unbeatable prices), you can have a great lunch at a low price. You can also have a glass of house wine with your meal, as many do.

Here, they told us they did not speak English, so we pointed at what we wanted and gestured the size or the quantity, which was the extent of my Italian I learned from The Sopranos. They then weigh it and you pay at that time. I wanted to go crazy taking photos of the awesome homemade dishes in the display case, which went on forever. But knowing what happened at the Gelateria, and not being prepared to ask in Italian, I forego being dragged to the back of the shop and given concrete shoes for a trip to the Tiber!

I had to sneak a shot of the back case where the pizzas were just brought out.
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We ordered a couple of pizzicatos, a seafood salad, and an addicting Lemon Soda http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMAG0023Custom.jpg

(There was no way Alice was waiting for me to snap a pic, as witnessed here by her fast fork!) (She comes from a large family, and when they hongree - they hongree!)

How I had wished I brought home a few cans of the Lemon Soda - I cannot find it here at even our most reliable Italian importers! Guess I now have a reason to return to Roma besides for the Three Coins in the Trevi (coming up!)



After lunch, our bus driver took us to a general area in old Roma. We made our way through the old narrow streets
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There was a lot of commotion going on, with whistles and sirens and shouting, and we then found ourselves caught up in a political demonstration

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But it was peaceful, and the sirens from the police vehicles had been to clear the way for the demonstrators. Here is a little video of the interrupted walk:

Romana Dimostrazione - Video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH1B6ZP6kJk

We had arrived at our first stop, the top of the Spanish Steps, or the Scalinata della Trinita dei Monte which translates to 'stairs of the church of the Holy Trinity. The church itself is a French Baroque style church, the Trinita dei Monte.

Trinità dei Monti

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The stairs, all 138 of them, lead down to the Piazza di Spagna, at the front of the Spanish Embassy, hence the name

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At the bottom of the steps, another Bernini fountain, Fontana della Barcaccia, or the "Fountain of the Old Boat". What inspired Bernini to style the fountain this way was because old Rome flooded many times from the Tiber, especially at the Spanish Embassy piazza. During one particular flood in the 17th century, when a few feet of water receded, a boat was left in the piazza.

Fontana della Barcaccia
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You can play "Where's Waldo" and find us on the steps
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I'll make it easy
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With all the fountains of Rome, the water is not recirculated, so they stress you can drink water right from any of the sources, which is what people are doing here, standing on stepping stones and refilling their water bottles
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They do have polizie minding the fountain, and if you get a little carried away and start walking in it, they'll blow the whistle several times and call you out.


We resumed our walk to the next site, passing Colonna dell' Immacolata (Column of the Immaculate Conception). The dried wreath on Mary's arm is placed there every December 8th. The monument was erected in 1857, the column was excavated in 1777 from a Roman ruin

Colonna dell' Immacolata
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The statues in the four corners are David, Isaiah, Ezikiel, and Moses
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Streets of Roma
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Gelato Break
We arrived at the Trevi Fountain, but had to have a gelato first. Here is where we discovered the absolute best gelato of our trip (although we did not know it at the time). On the west side of the Trevi is Melograno Gelati. I only managed one photo for now, but I have a few more at the end of our trip, as we did return on our night walk of Roma, almost on a mission, making it in the door before they closed. They simply have perfected gelato! It is not overly sweet, is less creamy than ice cream, and the flavors are up front. Perfection!


Melograno Gelati

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Fontana di Trevi
The Trevi Fountain was erected in 1735 as a grand display of the termination point of an ancient Roman aquaduct. It positioned at the intersection of three roads. There is also a small church to the left of the fountain, that may have inspired the name, bearing the name San Maria in Trivio (Our Lady at the Crossing of Three Roads) built in the late 1500s.
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The Trevi Fountain is divided into three sections, representing Ocean, Abundance, and Health

Fontana di Trevi

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A copy of a plate created in 1758 - and most importantly, the building on the far left with the three arched doorways is where the present day gelateria is!

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It was amazing to see the number of people who come to Rome to see the Trevi, but to see how even larger the crowd is at night is unbelievable. It is a great place to just relax and people watch, and enjoy a classic gelato, which was what we did when we found a seat and relaxed a while, taking in the view.

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We each tossed "three coins in the fountain", with our right hand crossing our left shoulder. It's the only way the wishes come true!!! One wish must be to return to Rome......ya just never know? (It sure worked for us in a cenote in Tulum!)

After the Trevi, we continued our walk through Roma towards Trajan's Column.
(Great place to open a scooter repair shop!)
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Trajan's Column
This was something we never heard about, but apparently, there are a lot of these lesser known artifacts throughout Rome. This one is 2000 years old! Trajan's Column was erected in 113 A.D. to celebrate Emperor Trajans victorious battles. The column is a unique spiral bas relief with more than 2000 carved figures depicting the story of Trajan's Dacian wars between 101-102 and 105-106 A.D. It's also hollow with a spiral staircase that leads to a platform at the top. It would have been cool to go up inside and look out, but it isn't open to tourists any longer.

Trajan's Column
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We walked on, passing through the Piazza di Montecitorio, which is the plaza in front of the Italian Parliament building built in the 1600s. What we found interesting was the obelisk erected in the plaza. The obelisk dates to late 500BC, erected by a pharoah, and brought to Roma from a conquest. You could imagine that hauling something like this back then was no small task....probably caused a lot of grumbling by the slaves who had to do the actual work for Augustus.

The Obelisk of Pharoah Psammetichus II
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An item on top of the Parliament Building, the weather vane of an hour glass, is one of the many types death symbols, called Memento Mori, used in sculptures, paintings, and bas reliefs throughout Rome and inside the Vatican and St.Peters. It is an in your face reminder translating to one thing, "Remember that you will die" .
- I thought 'Hey......that's why I'm here!'.


The Pantheon
Rome is amazing. Sometimes, you turn a corner and you are hit in face with something magnificent

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The Pantheon (Greek for to every god) was built in 126 A.D. as a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome. It is now a Catholic church of St. Mary of the Martyrs. Over the centuries, the marble and bronze tiles that filled in the triangle of the facade was stripped away and used elswhere. It was awesome to stand before a refined man made structure 2000 years old!

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We took a tour of the inside, where the marble was still intact, and it had undergone a restoration.

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The dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome! It was studied by Michaelanglo for St. Peter's duomo. The oculus is the only natural source of light in this whole building - it's 30 feet in diameter. It must be cool to be in here when it is raining! Actually, that is an attraction that brings visitors here on rainy days. When the floor was designed 2000 years ago, they designed a sewer grate into the marble and pitched the floor so it would drain.

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Jesus should have slapped Thomas for that one!
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After we toured the inside, we relaxed for a little by the fountain in the Piazza della Rotonda, outside of the Pantheon. It was built in the 1500s. The figures have a lot of repairs made to their delicate parts. It has to be one of the creepiest fountain figures I have seen in Rome!

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continued ---->

[TheWindyCity]

After our tour of the Pantheon, we continued our walk through the streets towards the Piazza Navona

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Piazza Navona and the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers (1651)
The Piazza Navona is built on the site of a 1st century stadium where the Romans held games. The Piazza has three fountains, but the center fountain is the grandest in the piazza, designed by Bernini (Mr. Under Acheiver once again!)

The fountain is anchored by four figures, each representing what was thought of in the 16th century to be the main rivers of the world:
The Ganges - carries a long oar to show it's navagability
The Nile - shown with it's head covered because they did not know the river source
The Rio De Plata - shown sitting on coins representing silver riches, and a snake to show the riches can be stolen just as well
The Danube - with papal coat of arms since it's closest to Roma

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The Nile (right) and the Ganges (left)
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The Nile
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The Ganges
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Rio de la Plata (left), The Danube (right)
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We walked around the plaza a little while longer. There is so much going on, with places to dine al fresco, street performers, painters. I got so caught up I stopped taking photos! But we would return on our own in a week or so.

It was already after 6 P.M....quite a long day of touring. We could either hang around for dinner in the piazza, or head back with the bus to the hotel and eat in the neighborhood. We felt we needed to get showered up and changed for dinner, so we headed back to the hotel with the bus.


For dinner, we found a great little neighborhood gem with an al fresco area set up in front of the restaurante. Their specialty was seafood!

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Mostly Italian was spoken, so we had a rough start with wanting wine by the glass, but even better was when the waiter brought a carafe of the house white for 4 Euro! it was a nice white, comparable to a Pinot Grigio.

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We started with a bucket of fresh oysters. As the Italians say "Mangiare pesce, vivono più a lungo ... Mangia ostriche, l'amore più a lungo"!
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I had the seafood spaghetti in a light tomato sauce - it was excellent!
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Alice had the seafood risotto in a light white wine sauce - full of flavor!
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We really enjoyed our dinner. It was such a different experience to be among the locals and observe their ways and interactions with each other. The classic cigarette smoking, kisses on greetings, and endless wine pourings and just enjoying life. Yep, we could live here!



After dinner, we took a walk through the neighborhood because we just didn't quite walk enough today http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/04.gif. and headed back to the hotel for much needed rest. We had to have our bags outside the door by 6:30 A.M., breakfast at 6:45, and be on the bus by 7:30 for our trip into Tuscany. We would stay in a small town outside of Florence, called Montecatini.

[beachreader]

I remember these places from my college days. We had NO money, and saw the signs advertising the price for the pizza, so we got a big piece. We didn't know the price was listed per 100 grams, and the piece we chose took all of our food money for the day!

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[minniemex]

Really enjoying your report Steve! Such wonderful sights. It is so fun re-living Italy through your eyes.

BR ~ funny story about the pizza! We had some wild experiences with food when we traveled in Europe too. When I think of it, Italy was where we had some of our most memorable experiences ordering food!

[Lynnette]

Hi Lynn...great to hear from you! You've traveled a lot...have you ever been to Italy?

I promised my daughter we'd go to Italy together...she's been there.....Amalfi coast, Milan, Rome....she is in love with Tuscany. I'm really enjoying your little history lessons....the Colosseum is fascinating, in a macabre sort of way. I love this pic of you & Alice....so Italy!!!

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[tbpeaceful]

Windy ~ thanks, once again, for sharing your adventure with us. This is as close to Italy as I will probably ever get. The beautiful architecture and history is amazing, and the food porn you have been sharing should be illegal, but God, I do love it anyway!
Gracias. :)

[PhyllisB]

omg, i've only gotten through a few days so far but i need to take a break and soak it all in. wow wow wow! thank you so much for sharing italy with us!

the driving reminds me of boston, several orders of magnitude worse.

your photos are stunning, as always. LOVE the photo of the wooden chair!

[TheWindyCity]

**** Hey Phyllis! Great to hear from you. How have you guys been? Got your note on Maya's TR..yep, the Chicago get-together was a memorable one - but I liked meeting Rick Bayless more than seeing Obama:p!
Thanks for the shout out - Orvieto is next - and if you think Rome was something, just wait.... the facade of the Orvieto cathedral is mind-blowing! Unbelievably excessive ornamentation. You could problably spend a day here just analyzing the detai on the facade.

**** tbpeaceful - Thank you - but don't discount yourself from a visit - you just never know when a deal may pop up and you say what the..... Just go for it, it is so worth every euro!!

[TheWindyCity]

Orvieto

After our final breakfast in Roma, with a couple of our favorite double shot cappuccinos to get us fueled for the day, we headed out of the city, towards Tuscany. But first, after about 3 hours, we passed through Umbria, to the cliff-top town of Orvieto. The town was built for it's defensive position atop a volcanic plug.

To get into Orvieto, where no vehicles are allowed, you have to take a funicular, or "funicolare", to the top. (There's even an Italian song, (here's a video -> Funiculi, Funicula (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=garNxavx8gY&feature=fvwrel) just for the occasion! [Most of you will remember this little Italian guy from back in the day]). Many of the elevated towns in Italy use the the funicolare system, which are two cable cars counterbalanced to move each other to the top or bottom over one rail track. It runs very smoothly, and is a great low, or no energy system to accomplish this. They don't need the huge motors to run this, just free gravity and brakes.

We received our tickets and entered the funicolar station, where the turnstyles only allow in the amount of people a car can hold
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Funiculare Video: (shot on the way back down) (watch how the cars pass each other at the split)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb_n38YBcik (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb_n38YBcik)

We arrived at the top, into Orvieto, and from there, we took a bus into the town center

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We walked around the town center until we were ready to tour the Cathedral. The Hydrangeas were blooming everywhere.
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The streets were laid out like a classic medieval town. Lots of little shops, clean, spotless streets, little archways giving way to the tight streets. The little tunnels were part of the town's defense system, and were barracaded at night
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We passed the Piazza della Repubblica, where many of the retired locals hang.

Piazza della Repubblica (sorry about the poor shot from shooting near the sun)
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One thing Alice and I made it a point to do was to always greet the shop owner whenever we walked in, just out of courtesy and respect.


Orvieto is also known for glazed pottery. We stopped inside a shop that seemed to have unique patterns. A mother and daughter did all of their own designs. Really nice items. Some caught our eye, like pasta bowls and full place settings. The lady looked a little uncomfortable when I walked in toting my camera and told me I was not allowed to take photos of the items for sale. Too bad, she missed a great opportunity to become famous! We didn't buy anything from her.


We found a little shop selling wine ( Enoteca ) and olive oil, and bought a bottle of Orvieto olive oil. It's amazing how the soil and growing conditions affect the taste, much like the differences in honey from the Yucatan.
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We passed a nice little coffee shop and decided we needed a little jolt. The lady behind the counter bit my head off because I mispronounced macchiato. Man, what the heck is with some of these shop keepers?? Can you please be a little friendlier towards tourists?? Anyway, my hollered-at mock-ee-ah-toh was really good, as was Alice's Cappuccino, and it served the purpose
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We could see the cathedral coming up
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Orvieto Cathedral (dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin)

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Wow, huh? We were dumbfounded at the sight of the cathedral. It was surreal standing before the facade, looking at such excess. We thought St. Peters was amazing, but it is all about what's inside, This building is constructed of both white limestone, and greenish black basalt, giving a a one of a kind pattern. The Italian Gothic facade on this church is probably the grandest in all of Italy.
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On a historical note: The cathedral was started in 1290, and completed in 1607! It was built to house the "Chapel of the Corporal". In 1263, a skeptical priest — who doubted that the bread used in communion was really the body of Christ - was saying mass, and broke the host, which then bled onto the small cloth on the altar. It was viewed as a miracle, and a visiting Pope wanted to commemorate it by housing the cloth in a specially built cathedral. Make no little plans.......



We began our tour inside. The light coming in is from the windows, who's glass is mostly alabaster, casts a warm glow to the interior.

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The organ loft
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The rose window is awesome on the outside, The frame of the rose window holds 52 carved heads, while the center of the rose window holds a carved head of the Christ. The view from the inside is just as awesome.


The rose window

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I could not believe the detail in the small intricate mosaic work on the outside doorways -

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(Statues of the twelve apostles in the facade)
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We found this to be one the most memorable exteriors on all of the churches we visited in Italy. I could have pulled up a lawn chair and just sat and studied it all day and would have been happy!

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The town would be a great day trip, as there are many other things to see, such as the underground city, which housed nobility to protect them during a seige, and provided escape tunnels away from the city. Also, St Patrick's Well is supposed to be an engineering marvel. Orvieto was just a side stop for us, as we had a long drive ahead, "under the Tuscan sun", around, and over, the Appenines to get to Montecatini.


Part 2 of this day will cover our unexpected surprise of food quality at a lunch stop on the road, and our Tuscan dinner in the country at a farm in Montecarlo.....YUM!

[Solbound]

Awestruck...thanks for the heavy on the pics report!

[TheWindyCity]

Montecatini, Montecarlo - Tuscany

We departed from Orvieto and headed into the Tuscan countryside

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After an hour on the autostrada, we stopped at an Auto-Grill, which is comparable to the highway oasis we have here in the USA for gasoline, food, and snacks. That's about where the comparison ends.

The Auto Grill is divided into four sections. Upstairs is where the hot food and fresh salads are prepared, cafeteria style with tavola caldas and beer and wine as well. (Yes, that's right...you can have a beer or wine with your lunch!) Downstairs, premade paninis, & pizza, a coffee bar, and a quick snack area.

We picked something light along with fresh baked bread and fruit. Also, in Italy, they do not offer different salad dressing as they do here - no Ceasar, bleu cheese, creamy garlic, Thousand Island - just olive oil and balsamic, salt and pepper, which was great with us!

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Everything in the salad, as well as the fruit, was incredibly ripe and fresh - exceeding anything we ever expected. I might return to Italy just to eat on the highway!



We resumed our drive toward the Appenines and into the heart of Tuscany
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We passed many tree farms as well as sunflower fields

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Many hours later, we arrived at our destination in a little town outside of Florence called Montecatini. We would stay here for two nights, traveling 45 minutes to Florence for touring. We stayed at the Francia & Quirinale, a nice little neighborhood hotel.

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For a quick minute, I thought I walked onto the set of Brady Bunch -- Marcia-Marcia- Marcia !

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Actually, it was a nice large clean room with a comfortable bed, and large windows with shutters. It was great to open the winows and let in all that fresh Tuscan air!

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Another feature in the hotels that we were not used to was the bidet - kinda of like a self-serve car wash for your junk http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/09.gif . Throughout our trip, Alice said several times that we have to get one of those. When we got home, I temp'd one in with a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket and a garden hose through the bathroom window! Yep, she is real happy! ;)




We had about two hours before we were to meet for dinner, so we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood before we got ready for the evening.

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After we got ready, we headed to the tour bus for a 45 minute drive into the countryside. We drove into Montecarlo, Tuscany, to a vineyard and olive farm.

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We arrived at the Fattoria iL Poggio (http://www.fattoriailpoggio.it/).

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This parcel of land has been farmed for centuries, since 600 A.D. We were greeted by the proprietor, and taken to see the vinyard and olive trees. It was cool to learn how olive oil is pressed, and the fact that Extra Virgin and First-Press are pretty much generic terms. It's all about the acidity of the oil.

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They also have a few laural trees planted who's leaves were used in the sauces and entrees we enjoyed. Guess who brought home a nice rememberance of our time on the fattoria to cook with?

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Everything seems to be blooming in excess

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Ahhhh - dinner time - let's eat! We were seated at large, communal tables with our group.

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They served wine bottled at the vineyard

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And, their own olive oil

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For appetizers, they served plates of salami with fennel, their own olives, crostini, bruscheta, and sun dried tomatoes, Everything was delicious!

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Also, a soup made from the ancient grain, spelt

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On our tour, we passed a kitchen where a saw a few nonnas taking a break outside. I knew we were in for a treat, and it was!
Homemade pasta with meat sauce - and how thin the pasta was - and soooooo good!

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I had a hard time focusing the shot because of the tears welling up in my eyes.....
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We had a few more entrees that included sausage, grilled chicken, and grilled ribs - all very good, and as much as you wanted. We were all one big happy!

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By now, the wine is flowing like crazy, and we all were getting to know each other better (and yes, we prefer the reds!)

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For dessert, they served Vin Santa, a sweet wine, to dunk our contucci into.

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And also an Espresso with a shot of grappa (similar to Sambuca)

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After dinner, it got a little crazy when they got the party going with music from a man who played an instrument and also DJ'd - they made it a fun evening for us!

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After the vino, dinner and music, we visited their little store and bought some oil and things to take home, and headed back onto to bus to the hotel. After we arrived, we decided to take a long walk through town for some gelato. We found the atmosphere of Montecatini to be very laid back and slower paced. the people were friendly and so were the shopkeepers. It was much like Smalltown, USA,

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We passed a park with a Merry-Go-Round

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A friend of my sister has family in Montecatini that she visits. Her friend recommended that we try to find a place that, besides having great gelato, makes a wafer cookie that is unique only to Montecatini, called Le Cialdi de Montecatini. I couldn't remember the names of either, so we just walked until we found the nearest gelateria.

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As we were sitting there, enjoying our gelatos - oi, the Lemoncello - we couldn't believe how good the gelatos were, and when I looked up and notice the sign hanging, it hit me that we found the right gelateria after all! The name of the Gelateria is Desederi ( for "desire" in Italian!)

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And also the famous wafer cookie of Montecatini, Le Cialdi De Montecatini (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.cialdedimontecatini.it/&ei=swBHTozlHeirsAKenIzzBQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dle%2Bcialde%2Bdi%2Bmontecatini%26hl%3 Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D795%26prmd%3Divns)!

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The cookie is the size of a tortilla, and has a filling of an Italian almond paste sandwiched between two thin wafers - it is awesome, and addicting!!! We headed inside and bought a bunch of packages to take home. The shop keepers were friendly and happy to learn we were from Chicago and had heard about their famous treat.

After relaxing, and enjoying our treats, we walked back to the hotel, passing several shops. This one said it all.

I deal with this all day at work, and here we find a store selling it in Italy!
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Later, as we got closer to the hotel. just walking and enjoying a beautiful Italian summer night, we heard music in the air and decided to find it and see what was happening. There was a DJ outside in a little piazza next to a hair salon. They were throwing a party for customers and new clients, and doing makeup on some of the young girls. They invited us to join in and look around and help ourselves to the sweet table - - never had to ask me twice! I did decline the makeup session, however.
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Well, that was an excellent closer to another beautiful day! Once again we learned many new things and enjoyed and savored the offerings of another new region.


Tomorrow we had an early day with breakfast at the hotel, and off to visit the art of Firenze, anticipating what a thrill it will be to see Michaelangelo's David for the first time! - ugh--- but no pictures are allowed:mad:.


.

[Lynnette]

Wowza!!!! The Orvieto Cathedral is amazing, and you really captured the details. But Tuscany...ahhhhh!! Now I know why so many fall in love with this region. Your macro shots are fantastic, my friend......all of your photos are wonderful as always, and you totally captured the Tuscan countryside & towns. I love this wine shot....NICE!! Can't wait for Florence.

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[TheWindyCity]

.


Florence (Firenze)

We began the day early with breakfast at 6:30 A.M. in the hotel
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We took a 45 minute drive into Florence and then walked through the tight Firenze streets toward the piazza where the Duomo is located.
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Just a candid shot of a store owner having a smoke while talking to a customer - so Italian!
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The Duomo (Santa Maria Del Fiore)


The Duomo is actually the cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore.


Santa Maria Del Fiore was built from 1296 to 1436 - no big hurry.
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Most of the beginning major construction was done by Giotto. A separate structure was created as the bell tower.

Giotto's Bell Tower (Campanile)
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Across from the church is the octagonal St. Johns Baptistry, built between 1059 and 1128. Many notables were baptized here, including Dante and many of the Medicis.

Battistero di San Giovanni
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The Baptistry is renowned for its three sets of bronze doors. This one features the Gates of Paradise, designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1401. His bust (the other bust) is poking out on this relief.
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Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze (Michelangelo's David)
We were here today not to view this particular church inside, but to visit the Academy of Fine Arts - Florence (Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze), where the most notable work is Michaelangelo's David. Photos were not allowed anywhere inside the Academy. I was really dissappointed about that. They have really tight security and cameras all on the statue. More secure than the Vatican, I thought.

It was really chilling to stand before and around Michaelangelo's creation. You really cannot describe what it is like to see the beautiful detail of David, and how hard it must have been to create. We also viewed his unfinished works of the Four Prisoners, which was meant for a the tomb of Pope Julius II.
Virtual Tour of David - click here (http://www.whereisthedavid.com/david-virtual-tour-at-accademia-gallery/)






Piazza Del Signoria

After our tour of the Academy, we walked the narrow streets to the Piazza Del Signoria.

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I think what disturbed me the most on touring major cities is the amount of graffitti.

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Actually, I was surprised that it is allowed to pile up as it does, especially in Roma. It made me appreciate the "Graffitti Blasters" program that Chicago came up with 10 years ago to help the citzens take care of their property and neighborhoods. Not perfect, but help is only a phone call away.


Former convent converted to condos
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We arrived at the Piazza Del Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio
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Palazzo Vecchio - the Town hall of Firenze
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Fountain of Neptune
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A replica of David and a statue of Hercules and Cacus
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Hercules and Cacus
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Loggia dei Lanzi is an open air galleria with Medici sculptures
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Perseus with the head of Medusa
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We continued our walk on to the Basilica Santa Croce, with Palazzo Vecchio looming in the distance now
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Basilica of Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross)
Built in 1290, it is the burial place most notably of Michealangelo, Dante, and Galileo.

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Gallileo's Tomb
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Michaelangelo's Tomb
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Dante's Tomb
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We exited the church, into a quiet garden with the classic cypress trees seen all over Italy

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After the tour of the church, since Florence is known for it's leather, they took us to a well known leather goods shop, where the owners gave us some good info on buying leather. We decided not to buy here, as it was a bit touristy and set up. Also, we did not find the styles we liked, and decided to go somewhere else later. At this point, the tour ended for the day, and we could have the rest of the day to tour on our own. We could visit the inside of the Florence Cathedral, maybe climb the Duomo, and go to the top and take photos, or visit the Uffizzi Gallery. BUT!....they offered us a tour to the medieval town of San Gimignano. We love art, but we also would like to see more out of the way places and architecture as well, so we booked the tour

.

We had a few hours until we met for the optional tour, so we found a little out of the way place for a quick lunch and some re-hydration

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Lots of old rosemary plants in the al fresco area

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We shared a large tuna salad and a few gallons of water. After last night's excursion, we skipped the vino http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/23.gif. The salad was so fresh, and tasty with just a little olive oil and balsamic.

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After lunch and feeling rested and recharged, we headed to buy some Florentine leather at a shop away from the tourist area. I bought some belts and wallets, and Alice bought a few belts and other items. The shop owner was really friendly, helpful and did a little customizing for us as well.

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We met our group back at a designated spot, and had to walk a while to our bus. (No tour buses are allowed in the main area of Firenze.) We walked along the Arno River.

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For the rest of the day, we hooked up with the other tour bus and guide, Elizabeth. We really liked her a lot as well. She dispensed a wealth of information historically, but also would tell us about the little things that made a region so special. She would tell us about a wine specific to the town, or the special meats or cakes they made, telling us to be adventureous and give it a try. She was going to be our guide to San Gimignano. Elizibeth had the bus driver drive us to a special spot that looked over Firenze from a hilltop. I could only imagine wow beautiful this spot would be to see the city at twilight.

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Interesting fact: Firenze only allows building colors to be within the shades of white or yellow - nothing else.
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Arrivederci, Firenze!


Firenze Skyline Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhRY4QGo20





Up next....the medieval town of San Gimignano!




.

[TheWindyCity]

.


San Gimignano

After touring Florence and a lunch break, we headed out to the 10th century medieval town of San Gimignano (san jimmy-nyah-no) with our efferviscent guide, Elizabeth. The town is located on a hill overlooking the Elsa Valley in Tuscany.

We learned that one of the specialties produced here today is a wine that is unique only to this town, called Vernaccia. It is a white, less dry and very slightly sweeter than a Pinot Grigio. Also, wild boar produces some of the best Italian sausages and hams.


http://www.world-guides.com/images/san_gimignano/san_gimignano_map.jpg



http://www.torreprima-holidays.it/imgs/san-gimignano.jpg




The city is protected by a large, gated archway. Back in the day, it was the only way in and out
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It felt really cool to be walking the ancient streets, and see the simple, castle-like structures
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For the most part, we were free to explore the town on our own for a few hours.
We stopped in another leather shop and found a few items. The prices were actually a little better here, and the leather quality was very good
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Elizabeth had pointed out a walkway that would lead to a path on the outside walls of the city, where we could get a view of the valley.
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Ahhhh....the Tuscan countryside.....
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It was a beautiful day, and to be up here taking in all the Tuscan air and sun was just awesome! We were getting hungry again and decided on an early dinner. We found a little cliffside cafe, Ristorante Le Vecchie Mura, and were able to grab an al fresco seat with the view!
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We saw that they had a tasting menu of the specialties of San Gimignano - perfect!!!
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The wine flight was really good. We especially enjoyed the Vernaccia.
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A taste of the region!
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Boar meat sausages
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"Lardo de Colonatta" - Well, by the name, you can guess what this is. This would go against everything Alice would stand for - lard! But wow!... we both sampled it and it was actually a delicacy. It was served warm, with pepper and salt on a crostini. Excellent with the wine!
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Ahhhhh....it was so nice to relax, taking in the view, sitting in the sun with a warm Tuscan breeze blowing up from the valley - enjoying the wine and each other's company. Life was pretty good right now. But what can make it better? Gelato!! That's what!!



After our little cliffside dinner, we walked to the piazza and found a welcoming gelateria

Gelateria di Piazza
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Oh Mama Mia - too many choices!
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Needless to say, Alice was pleased with her triple chocolata and in heaven right now.
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The gelato was really good here, maybe a 9 of 10. We relaxed in the piazza and took in our surroundings
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It was suddenly late and we realized we needed to be down below at the bus! Where the heck did the time go? Darn vino! We ended up having to run through the streets of San Gimignano, down, and out to the parking area where the bus was waiting. We barely made it, but luckily for us, someone else was running even later....darn vino!


.

[beachreader]

San Gimignano was one of my favorite places in Tuscany, so old and beautiful!

[TheWindyCity]

San Gimignano was one of my favorite places in Tuscany, so old and beautiful!

Kind of like Raquel Welch!;) Seriously though, yes, it seems like all of your senses get an overload in Italy. There's beauty is in the smallest of details and the simplest of things.

How much of Italy did you get to see?

[beachreader]

I think I've been to Italy twice (? thrice?), once in college, traveling as a poor college student, taking trains around, not being able to afford the Uffizi entrance fee so we took pictures of the copy of David out in the piazza and figured we were good to go, etc. I don't really remember too much of those days, but one thing about traveling around by train and sleeping in hostels and spending no money gives a different picture of a country.

Then I went back as a young professional and rented a car with a friend and stayed at lovely hotels and ate at wonderful places. We flew into and out of Milan,drove down to the coast up there, saw the Cinque Terre, into Florence (dumped the car at the edge and taxi'd to our hotel and walked from there), around Tuscany, down to Siena, then up to Venice (dumped the car of course), several days there and then across the top of the country back to Milan. That was a great trip, with some really amazing food, since that was our goal. Driving is really easy in most of Italy (outside the cities), roads are in good shape, signs clear, even the smallest place well-marked. We had one night where our hotel owner recommended a Michelin-starred country restaurant for our dinner and we drove miles out into the countryside, kept thinking we'd missed it and suddenly there it was. Driving back in the dark was interesting too, but we made it! Another night our hotel owners apologized that they weren't going to have the restaurant open because we were the only guests, but would we join them for dinner in their home? They cooked an incredible meal with roasted pigeon, just an amazing evening. Wow that was a long time ago, thanks for reminding me to think of it!

[minniemex]

Loving the report Windy ~ quite a few chuckles ~ especially with your improvised bidet for Alice. :)

The wine glasses weren't really wine glasses. Is that the way they drink their wine or was it because regular wine glasses break so easily they would go broke if those were used??

Loved this picture ~

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0670Custom.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

I think I've been to Italy twice (? thrice?), once in college, traveling as a poor college student, taking trains around, not being able to afford the Uffizi entrance fee so we took pictures of the copy of David out in the piazza and figured we were good to go, etc. I don't really remember too much of those days, but one thing about traveling around by train and sleeping in hostels and spending no money gives a different picture of a country.

Then I went back as a young professional and rented a car with a friend and stayed at lovely hotels and ate at wonderful places. We flew into and out of Milan,drove down to the coast up there, saw the Cinque Terre, into Florence (dumped the car at the edge and taxi'd to our hotel and walked from there), around Tuscany, down to Siena, then up to Venice (dumped the car of course), several days there and then across the top of the country back to Milan. That was a great trip, with some really amazing food, since that was our goal. Driving is really easy in most of Italy (outside the cities), roads are in good shape, signs clear, even the smallest place well-marked. We had one night where our hotel owner recommended a Michelin-starred country restaurant for our dinner and we drove miles out into the countryside, kept thinking we'd missed it and suddenly there it was. Driving back in the dark was interesting too, but we made it! Another night our hotel owners apologized that they weren't going to have the restaurant open because we were the only guests, but would we join them for dinner in their home? They cooked an incredible meal with roasted pigeon, just an amazing evening. Wow that was a long time ago, thanks for reminding me to think of it!


Wowza...what a great trip! Cinque Terre must have been awesome to see before it has become so popular now. And how lucky you were to have the dinner suddenly made so personal. Venice was one of the cities we visited for two days but I really wish we had a day or two more. We wanted to get more out of San Marco Square at night. It's amazing how alive Venezia becomes at night - the music, the food, the people, and being surrounded by the historic buildings amid all of this! WOW!...

[TheWindyCity]

Loving the report Windy ~ quite a few chuckles ~ especially with your improvised bidet for Alice. :)

The wine glasses weren't really wine glasses. Is that the way they drink their wine or was it because regular wine glasses break so easily they would go broke if those were used??




Yeah, Alice hates when I tease her about a Home Depot bucket & running a garden hose thru the bathroom window....but I promised her if we ever moved and bought another house, she'll have a bidet.

Were you talking about the Tuscan dinner wine glasses? That was just the way they did it outside on the farm....probably learning their lesson from prior group dinners! I don't blame them though. It makes clean up easier, plus the the picnic table tops might be too uneven for stemware.

[beachreader]

Growing up around a lot of Italian restaurants, the non-wine glasses were very common, and I still know of a few that serve their wine in what I would call juice glasses. Maybe the stemwear thing was more of a French invention?

Venice is an amazing city. The first time I saw it (in college), I hated it, but it was pouring rain, very expensive and we had just been robbed on the train from Greece, so I guess maybe the circumstances created that perception. The second time, on that later trip, I fell in love. Just such a cool, atmospheric town. We even had dinner at Harry's Bar, complete with bellinis and a table visit from Signore Cipriani himself. When I said I was from NY, he mentioned that they were in the process of opening a place in Manhattan (this was probably 20 years ago). Now they have many in NY and all over the place.

[Solbound]

Did I say Incredible already? If Penny sees Tuscany don't think I can hold her back! Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience....and so much more to come!

[TheWindyCity]

****Beachreader - ya know, the more you talk of your time in Italy, the more I wish were able to get together for dinner in Tulum on your upcoming trip. You really have some good travel stories we'd like to hear more of.

****Solbound - thanks! Ahhh, let her read it! You guys should go, at least for a special occasion? Just like Tulum, it changes you - for the better!


I've been working on the next part but it really takes a lot, especially with the vids, which I'll have about 4 from Venice. I'm working on Pisa and Venice right now, and there were a lot of photos, as you might guess.

[beachreader]

****Beachreader - ya know, the more you talk of your time in Italy, the more I wish were able to get together for dinner in Tulum on your upcoming trip. You really have some good travel stories we'd like to hear more of.



All it takes is a plane ticket, plenty of rooms for you in September!!! :D

[Westybchbum]

I am incredibly impressed by your trip reporting, your memory of the details given how much you did and saw, is simply astounding! I love how they drink their wines in juice like glasses! We have a local pizza place that serves their wine like that and I find it homey and comforting!!!
Your pictures are amazing.... I find the feel of some of these photos reminding me of the look and feel of Segovia and Seville in Spain that I visited almost 30 years ago..... So interesting.

Cant wait for more and cant give you enough kudos for sorting through all these pics and sharing them. 2 truly jumped out at me, Im gonna go back and find them now.....

[Westybchbum]

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0736Custom.jpg
This photo is gorgeous, LOVE.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0762Custom.jpg
The blues in this photo are unreal!

Okay, I want to ask about these 2 statues and if you know the story behind them.... Both are have some interesting details that I find slightly uncomfortable if you know what I mean...like in the first, the look on the on guys face given his sitting position and the head being held in the hand of the second one. Yikes!
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This photo is stunning:
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And more thoughts.... I really dont understand the shop owner that wouldnt let you take photos. Thats too bad. Lastly I loved your comment about the thin fresh pasta and tears in your eyes.... The taste comes right out of the picture, oh man!!

[beachreader]

Not sure about the first statue but the second one, I believe, is Perseus holding the head of Medusa?

[TheWindyCity]

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0762Custom.jpg
The blues in this photo are unreal!

I remember this plant standing out because it was so bright. The camera sensor is showing it a little brighter than the plant, but still close.

Okay, I want to ask about these 2 statues and if you know the story behind them.... Both are have some interesting details that I find slightly uncomfortable if you know what I mean...like in the first, the look on the on guys face given his sitting position and the head being held in the hand of the second one. Yikes!It is Hercules and Cacus. Hercules killed Cacus, a fire-breathing god, for stealing cattle. I see what you are saying about the photo, but my perspective from where I shot it made it look worse or less complimentary. So yep, Yikes!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP0806Custom.jpg




The one below is Perseus (son of Zeus, hence "per Zeus") killing Medusa, as BR mentioned. Medusa's head was regarded as an ulitmate prize!

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This photo is stunning: It's the little details you begin to notice everywhere. That's where the beauty is, along with the devil!
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And more thoughts.... I really dont understand the shop owner that wouldnt let you take photos. Thats too bad. This was in Orvieto. She was afraid someone on the internet would copy her unique pottery and plate designs Lastly I loved your comment about the thin fresh pasta and tears in your eyes.... The taste comes right out of the picture, oh man!! Oh Mama Mia!
.h

[TheWindyCity]

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The next day we arose really early, as we had a big day ahead of us, and we had a lot of ground to cover. We would make a quick stop in Pisa for a photo op, with maybe a half hour on our own to climb the tower if we wanted, or walk around the Piazza. We were scheduled to get to Venice, on the other coast, and those who opted for the gondola ride once in Venice would go on that, and then on to the hotel. After that, there was an optional Venitian night out, which we also opted in on. This was, after all, a trip of a lifetime for us, so we wanted to take advantage of everything offered.

What I liked about the tour was we never, ever, had to schlep our bags. We would set them out of the hotel door 30 minutes before breakfast, and they would be taken and put on the bus. At the new hotel, they would be unloaded and brought to our rooms within 30 minutes. This really paid off in Venice, because the bus is unloaded outside the city, baggage is then taken to a special boat that delivers them to the hotel, and then the hotel gets them to your room. Never a worry or a mistake. So while we were taking a gondola ride, the bags are being handled behind the scenes, giving us more time to tour.



Pisa

After breakfast, we headed out to Pisa, maybe an hour away, in the opposite direction of Venice. Pisa is located at the mouth of the Arno River at the Liguorian Sea. This is the same river that runs through Florence. So Pisa was a trading point centuries ago, which is why it was so developed and prosprous enough to afford the structures it built.



You see photos of the leaning tower of Pisa all your life in history books, but to be there in person, you are just awestruck! I remember turning the corner and seeing the tower for the first time, and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck rose.

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Our Tour Director, Millie, ready for Venezia!
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We entered the Piazza Del Duomo (aka - Cathedral Square). The Piazza consists of four buildings : the Baptistry (Battistero di San Giovanni), the bell tower (Campanile or Torre de Pisa) - that happens to be leaning severly; the Cathedral (Duomo), and the Camposanto (meaning Holy Field because it was built on top of shiploads of sacred soil brought in from Golgatha).

The Bapistry was built from 1152 until 1363 - 211 years in the making!

Baptistry - Battistero di San Giovanni
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Duomo - the Cathedral of Pisa
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Duomo and Bell Tower
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a touristy Must-Do! - (check off another item on the Bucket List)
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The tower was closed in 1990 because they discovered it was leaning even further. Rather than lose the tourist industry, they decided to fix it somewhat by pulling it back 18 inches and then stabilize it for the next several hundred years. It reopened in 2001.
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Just to show how much the famous tower is leaning (by 4 degrees - - 13 feet off center!)
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All 16,000 beautiful tons of it!
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After we viewed the tower, we had a half an hour to look around. The line was a bit long to climb the tower, so rather than hold up the bus, we walked around some of the streets and Alice found a few items including colorful aprons to bring home
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We headed back to the bus after our quick tour - still couldn't get our fill of Pisa
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The drive to Venezia

We left Pisa at 9:00 A.M. and had a 6 hour drive to the Adriatic coast, with Appenino mountains between us to cross. During that time some folks will sleep, but I couldn't relax enough to do that - the scenery and small towns you pass through kept your interest. Also, our guide, Millie, would have stories and history of the regions and small towns as we would pass through. She would talk for hours on many things, and always relate how everyday words and phrases originated back to the Romans, and Italy in general.



We passed the last of the free standing Roman aquaducts that brought water to Roma from the Appenines. We flew past them on the bus, so it's a little blurry. Amazing to see a 2000 year old gutter, none the less!

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And the last of the Tuscan countryside
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We made a one hour stop for lunch once more while on the Autostrada, and again, I cannot say enough about the food at the highway oasis' of the Auto-Grill.

Gassing up on the Autostrada
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Anyone contemplating a trip to Italy - forget the art, history, archeological sites - go for the food at the Auto-Grills, if anything
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And a quick dessert on the bus takes care of the needed chocolate fix - one of our favorites
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After lunch, we boarded the bus and had about three hours until we would arrive in Venezia. Little did we know at this time how fun, different, and beautiful Venice actually was.

[minniemex]

Love the gag shots holding up the tower!

Can't wait for Venenzia!! WooHoo!

[TheWindyCity]

.

Venezia (Venet-sia) - Venice



By three in the afternoon, we had arrived in Venezia! We departed from the bus on the outside of the city, and took a boat into Venice proper. Our bags were loaded to a special boat and taken to the hotel.

Venice got it's name from the people who inhabited the area in the 10th century B.C., the Veniti.
Venice's main waterway is the Grand Canal, but the whole city is basically a series of little islands making up what we would know as blocks. This is what made Venice so wealthy - the trade business due to the waterways. You can get around by water taxi, which is expensive, or by water bus, but it's best to just hoof it, which saves a lot of time, and you would need to have a good map!


This map shows just how much of Venice is built on the water
http://venicexplorer.net/venice-guide/venice_images/index_map_1.jpg


Many people don't know that Venice is actually built on top of closely spaced wood piles, from the Alder tree, that are sunk deep into hard clay soil beneath the canals. The wood is now centuries old! The building foundations are set on top of the piles. Not an ideal construction, as we saw many crooked buildings from the piles settling! Even some of the hotel rooms had uneven floors. Bell towers here notoriousy tilt due to the tremendous weight sitting on the piles, both in Venice, and on the island of Burano that we would visit.


Once we arrived in Venice, we went for a gondola ride. It all happened so fast, so it seemed. Being in Pisa a few hours ago, and now sitting in a gondola. One of the boats in our group lucked out with an Italian crooner in their gondola. It was really fun touring around the canals and seeing such different architecture as well, but more on that later. We also learned that it is a law that all gondolas must be painted black, thank you Mick Jagger.


Enjoying the cruise through the canals (yes, another check mark on my "bucket list"!)
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Some new friends we got to know on the trip, students A & S, and a father and daughter traveling to Italy for the first time as well, Mr. C and his daughter, C.
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Water Taxi
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I took a couple of videos, but not knowing that I need to invest in a small microphone that can mount on the camera with a wind screen on it.


What a set of pipes this crooner had!

Venice Vids:

Gondola 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Bo_tbwjdU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Bo_tbwjdU)


Gondola 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iao2h9gzBHI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iao2h9gzBHI)


Gondola 3 - Awesome chops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do0rf61oXZc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do0rf61oXZc)



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School kids - so Venitian!
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Classic Venezia!
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O.K. .... so there we are, enjoying our gondola ride, the seranade, the new sights....just taking it all in. Then we hear a cell phone ringing and a "Ciao!" It was gondolier - awwwww...he just ruined the moment!!




Our ruined moment! http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/17.gif Ahhh - but yet so Italiano - no?
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Ha ha ha ....well now we have something to talk about. It was funny and we all gave him a hard time for it!





Boscolo Grand Hotel Dei Dogi
The hotel we would stay in for the next three days was the Boscolo Grand Hotel Dei Dogi (Doe-zhhee). This was quite a place! The hotel was the French Embassy four centuries ago, and was refurbished in 2001. It has a private courtyard with little pathes and tunnels, and they lead to a rear guest quarters that faces a lagoon. It was one of the best hotels we had visited - very classy and elegant.

Location of our hotel
http://images.travelnow.com/hotels/VEN_BOSC.map.gif

After our gondola ride, we were taxied to our new hotel, The Boscolo. It felt like a little neighborhood hotel, away from the main tourist areas as you can see on the map. It was very unassuming on the outside

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The inside was another story. The building is a former French Embassy, a few centuries old, restored in 2001
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Murano glass chandeliers
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Our Room
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The giant windows opened up to the canal - letting in the fresh Venetian air - one of the great little things when staying in Italy!
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The garden

The back of the hotel led to a private garden with paths through lush gardens, tunnels, grottos,and caves

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The garden lead to guest quarters facing the lagoon and Tyranian sea
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We took a short walk out front around the hotel before we realized we needed to start getting ready for the evening dinner

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Un gatto Italiano
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As long as you navigate Venice on foot, you'll never need a gym for cardio or a Stairmaster
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Beauty in the simplest form
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[TheWindyCity]

.

We got ready for the evening and the tour company had water taxis lined up for us in the canal in front of the hotel. We headed out for the "Venetian Night Out" we signed up for.



This gave us another opportunity to really enjoy the Ventian Gothic architecture Venice is so noted for (but all new to us). The amount of Arab influenced, Moorish architecture from Spain is so prominent along the Grand Canal.

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Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti - Venice Institure of Science
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Santa Maria della Salute One of the "plague churches" built in the 1600s when the black plague spread through Italy, to help pray for an end to it.
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We took a quickie tour of Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) on our walk to the restaurante



To enter the piazza from the waterway, you must pass between two columns,

St Theodore on the western column , The Lion of St Mark on the eastern column

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Doge's (doe-jiz) Palace (we will tour this tomorrow - unfortunately no photos allowed)
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Doge's Palace and San Marco Basilica
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Porta della Carta of the Palace of the Doge's (Document Gate, where the credentials of visiting dignitaries were checked)
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The Doge Francesco Foscari, on his knees before the winged lion of St. Mark

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Portrait of the Tetrarchs
Carved in the 4th Century, this carved stone symbolized harmony (oh sure, but they kept their other hand on the sword....you know.....just in case) between the eastern and western regions of the four types of ruling hierarchy of Italy - the Augusti and the Ceasars. This was stolen by the Venitians after sacking Constantinople.
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San Nicholas
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Campanile San Marco - St. Marks Bell Tower (erected in 1514, rebuilt after it collapsed in 1902)
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Some of the artwork on San Marco Cathedral
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Torre dell'Orologio - Clock Tower
Good Lord, one of the most impressive clocks we've ever seen. The clocks workings were by Paolo and Carlo Rainieri, brothers from Reggio Emilia. It took them 3 years to complete. Local legend stated that other cities were so jealous of this fine clock, they circulated a rumor that the citizens of Venice tore out the eyes of the brothers to prevent them ever building a similar piece.

The clock doesn't just give an accurate time, but also shows the zodiac sign and latest lunar phase for the time. This is one of a few clocks in Venice that show a 24 hour clockface. On top of the tower are 2 bronze figures (cast in 1497) of ' The Moors' or 'The Mori ', who sound the hours. Their hammers strike the large bell - so cool to watch! And to think that this is centuries old and works perfectly?




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Dining in San Mark Square is pure class - but we'll come back to this later tonight http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1052Custom.jpg





After all that architectural beauty and history to soak up, we were hungry and ready to dine, so we continued to walk to our final destination

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We would be dining at La Terrazza, and we could see it coming up
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It was in the Hotel Bonvecchiati
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The Menu
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We started our dinner with a prosecco toast. After that, bottles of white and red wine were set out for us. We ended up getting into a very good conversation amongst our group at the table, that I neglected to take photos of our setting and ourselves, which I have been kicking myself for.....we had such a great evening!! All the ladies and gents were dressed up for a night on the town.


Ms. D (aka G) (and of Italian heritage!) was wowed by some of her menu favorites
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Random pic that caught my eye out of the window of a lady trimming her plants and talking on the phone
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We started our dinner with an appetizer of
Prawns salad with Royal octopus, crab; with potatoes and string beans
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Alice had the Emiliana style lasagna - I will say this was one of the best lasagnas I have eaten in Italy.
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I had the homemade Ravioli filled with vegetables and covered with a Taleggio sauce. I will say that this was one of the absolute best, most memorable dishes I had in Italy - it was THAT incredible!
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We were then served a simple garden salad, with olive oil and aged balsamic on the table
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For dinner, we both ordered the baked sea bass on potato with cherry tomato and olives
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For dessert, we had the merinque in chocolate sauce, and the tiramisu. Forgot the pics!
The dinner was really memorable. We had a lot of fun with our traveling companions and everyone enjoyed their selections - (but I think the Ravioli was the most incredible!)


Piazza San Marco di notte

San Marco Square is awesome, but at night, it awakes and comes alive. there is no other feeling in the world like being in the piazzas at night, and especially in Venezia! The people dining, drinking, laughing....the smells of Italian food wafting through the air, and the music - make for an incredible scene.

I hope you can imagine yourself here some day and make it happen
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The restaurants all have live music, and they all agree to pick a theme. Tonight, it was Vivaldi! To hear this in Italy on such a beautiful night made for a sweet memory.

Maybe to help imagine - - - -

Piazza San Marco at night - video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR-EqQcbpFo


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It was one of the most memorable nights in our lives
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[beachreader]

Gorgeous!!! Wow what a great day, and you had such beautiful weather!

What a wonderful trip, I'm so happy you're sharing it with us.

I'm so impressed by the skills of those gondoliers. To manage those boats in tight spaces, with so many other boats around, with one oar, is really incredible.

When I was wandering around Venice, I did see a gondola that wasn't black. It was brown--the local UPS "truck"! Wish I still had the pictures of that, totally cracked me up. Regular driver in his brown outfit, loading packages onto his brown boat with the UPS logo. A classic contrast of eras!

[burlygirl]

Absolutely wonderful trip report. My son, who is now 17 has been asking to go to Italy since he could talk. I wish i could give that to him....

Thank you so much for sharing.

KIM

[Westybchbum]

I think you are inspiring Tyt and for that I THANK you! We have been toying with a London trip next March and just yesterday, T asked how I felt about Italy instead!? Crossing fingers!

That ravioli looked flippin amazing!! And that clock! And the hotel, just wowowowowow! More more! :)

[TheWindyCity]

I think you are inspiring Tyt and for that I THANK you! We have been toying with a London trip next March and just yesterday, T asked how I felt about Italy instead!? Crossing fingers!

That ravioli looked flippin amazing!! And that clock! And the hotel, just wowowowowow! More more! :)

Thank you, thank you Westy. BP. piqued my interest to visit Italy, so I hope I can do the same for someone here. If you go, just avoid July and August, as we were even told that by our tour guides. Alice's co-worker went in July to two major regions, and said it was miserably hot. Personally for us, if we can handle Tulum's heat, then heat in Italy wouldn't be a big deal. There's plenty of wine and gelato everywhere to cool you down!! - ;)

[minniemex]

Venice was one of my most wonderful trips while I was there! Loved every minute of it.

[beachreader]

I think weather-wise, Italy in March would be MUCH better than England in March. The difference between wearing a light jacket or a sweater (or having the excuse to buy a new leather jacket ;)) vs. bundling up against rain and such. No offense to the Brits, just sayin'.

[TheWindyCity]

I think weather-wise, Italy in March would be MUCH better than England in March. The difference between wearing a light jacket or a sweater (or having the excuse to buy a new leather jacket ;)) vs. bundling up against rain and such. No offense to the Brits, just sayin'.


Oh hel*, the food's much better!

[Lynnette]

What a fabulous trip, and you portray it so well in words, and stunning photos! It would be impossible to choose a favorite among so many stellar shots, but I do love the perspective on the tower!

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[TheWindyCity]

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Today, we had the choice of exploring Venice on our own after a morning tour, or taking an optional day trip excursion to the Venitian island of Burano. All the optional excursions Globus presented are at an added cost, but discounted as well. What made it worth it to us was that all the logistics of getting you there and back are handled for you. They are, after all, the experts. This gave us more time for ourselves - enough time to get us back in the late afternoon to have dinner on our own in Venice. For the morning however, we would tour Venezia with a trip to the Doge's Palace.




We began the day with a Euro-style buffet breakfast at the hotel
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We really loved sitting in the area outside by the garden
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We boarded the water taxis and headed towards the Grand Canal and on to Piazza San Marco
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Not happy about what "they" did to the Rialto bridge - pretty sad
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Garbage is hauled away by boat through out Venezia
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And supplies are delivered this way as well
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We were back in the piazza, with the Palace of the Doges on the left
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They are still doing restorative work on San Marco Duomo
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Unrestored spire, with the Venetian flag symbol at the top
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Restored spire
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Palazzo Ducale (The Doges's Palace) - Venezia

The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. As well as being the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) it was the venue for its law courts, its administration and bureaucracy and - crossing the Bridge of Sighs — the city jail.

The palace was rebuilt several times due to fire, but each time they rebuilt it, they made it even grander and excessively ornate.

Now the bad news: No photos allowed inside! And they had person in every room watching and monitoring. Great. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and I can't take one photo! I think next to seeing some of the churches, the Palazzo Ducale was the second best site we visited regarding grand ornate buildings - but on the inside. The interior will be impossible to describe to you, but we were pretty much awestruck at every turn, every room inside where the dukes administered and practiced law was done up to the nines.


We were allowed to take photos in the halls and vestibules, however:

At some point in our lives, we all feel this way
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1098Custom.jpg


How do you feel about your boss at times?
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Scala d'Oro (Golden Staircase) inside the palace
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Courtyard
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1107Custom.jpg




Photos from the internet - just to help convey the beauty of the rooms we were in:

Inside the Sala de Collegio

http://www.pictures-of-venice.com/images/pictures/68/sala-doges%20palace-800.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Francesco_Guardi_034.jpg/800px-Francesco_Guardi_034.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Francesco_Guardi_034.jpg)

http://blog.shortstayapartment.com/wp-content/uploads/images/venice.jpg

http://www.mediastorehouse.com/image/hand_painted_ceiling_in_the_doges_palace_venice_un esco_world_heritage_site_veneto_italy_europe_42637 83.jpg



Some photography was allowed, as long as you pointed the camera outside - The views through the windows of the Salas (salons), of the Grand Canal ;

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Ponte dei Sospiri - Bridge of Sighs
We got to walk over the bridge and then past the prison cells. It was a bad feeling looking in on the cells, similar to when we visited Alcatraz island.

The Doges Palace was connected to the prison via what was known as The Bridge of Sighs, where the prisoners got one last view of the free world before paying their dues.
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View of what the prisoners saw - and tourists looking at us on the Bridge of Sighs
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At one time, the formal entrance, Scala dei Giganti (Giants Staircase) with statues of the gods Mars and Neptune.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1118Custom.jpg


Ceiling inside the palace
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After our tour, we headed back out towards Piazza San Marco, and would tour a glass factory making the famous Murano Glass

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No such thing as a simple gutter in Venezia
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Murano Glass

We visited a glass factory in Venice, known for Murano glass. Originally, Venice was known for it's glass factories, but with all the old wooden buildings, the glassmakers were ordered to the island of Murano in 1291, out of fear of fire taking down Venice.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1130Custom.jpg


Photos of the glass objects were not allowed, once again - so you will have to go there to see for yourself!

We were taken to a room for a demostration on how a vase is made. It was a hot morning already, so you can imagine the furnace room we were all in!

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1128Custom.jpg





It was really cool to watch this artisan make a vase with a glass horse stopper:
Murano Glass Factory Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qEeldnhtrQ






We then wandered the store and met in a room for more personal explanations of different glass items and jewelry, and explained the specific designs as to what makes them unique, such as the glasses that cannot be tipped over, ect. - Interesting.... and expensive!

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1132Custom.jpg




After our tour of the factory, those of us that signed on for the day trip to the island of Burano made our way to the dock to board the boat


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At the dock, we passed a vendor who was keeping his drink offerings cool with running water trickling over each shelf of drinks
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1137Custom.jpg


.

[TheWindyCity]

Burano

We boarded the "vaporetti" for the 45 minute trip 7 kilometers away to the little island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon. Burano is known for it's lacework and cameos. Also, there are a number of small glass makers there as well. Two stories are told as to how the city got its name. One is that it was initially founded by the Buriana family, and another is that the first settlers of Burano came from the small island of Buranello, 8 km to the south.
Burano is also known for its small, brightly-painted houses, popular with artists. The colors of the houses follow a specific system originating from the early days of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colors permitted for that lot. We also learned that a family will be allowed to have their own color, passed on to generations. Also, another story was that the houses were painted this way so the sailors knew which island was their home when obscured by the fog during the winter months.

Setting sail through the lagoons and past small islands, we noticed that many other bell towers (capanile) are leaning as well
What an architect's nightmare! They can always blame the vino!
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We passed a few glass factories located outside of Venice
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There are many different types of statues along the way the sailors may pray to for guidance and protection as they head out to sea
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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1152Custom.jpg


After 45 minutes, we made it to Burano, and started seeing the uniquely painted houses. Somehow, drying laundry adds to the quiet quaintness of a village
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1153Custom.jpg


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The leaning capanile of San Martino can be seen from the port
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1154Custom.jpg


We left the boat and walked the streets to the restaurant. Burano also has canals like Venezia
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For lunch, we went to Osteria ai Pescatori con Cucina
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We started with some simple italian rolls made to look like shells, along with pitchers of vino a tavola
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000313Custom.jpg


The waiters brought out and served fresh seafood risotto
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000316Custom.jpg


Plated Heaven!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000318Custom.jpg


Ms. D was very grateful!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000317Custom.jpg


Served up next was seafood spaghetti - it was really tasty!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000319Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000322Custom.jpg


Poor Ms. K got the last of it, but they came back with more and took care of her!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000321Custom.jpg


Next course was the Fritto Misto, excellent and fresh!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000325Custom.jpg


Fritto Misto - Mama Mia!
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And lastly, grilled whitefish
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000324Custom.jpg



Things got a little crazy after the waiters overheard Alice and another guest toast to my birthday today. What better place to be than in Italy to celebrate! They brought out a cake and the whole place sang. Next thing ya know, I felt two big kisses, one on each cheek - unfortunately by the waiters! Ha ha - not the fantasy I had in mind!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000327Custom.jpg

Hey! What the.....?
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Great memory of Burano!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000332Custom.jpg


And to end the meal, a shot of Sambuca and a Cappuccino
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000333Custom.jpg


Ms. D got the same smoosh I did, but I'd say she was living her dream...ha ha, way to go Ms.D
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000334Custom.jpg


After our meal, we walked around Burano and shopped. Alice bought some jewelry and some glass items.

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One jeweler she bought some Murano glass earrings from had a famous visitor recently
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After our visit, we boarded the boat and headed back to Venezia. We had the rest of the day to ourselves, so we walked back to the hotel and had a drink in the lounge and then in the garden out back, talking with some of the folks from our trip. We got ready to go out for dinner. No plans, we just wanted to find someplace where the locals would eat.






Dinner time - back in Venezia

It was getting near sunset already, and we decided to try to find something with a little more local feel than the tourist restaurants in San Marco Square. And, it was my choice for a little birthday dinner - in Venezia! This wasn't an easy choice, because the aromas wafting from everywhere made it tough to decide on one place. It was fun crossing all the bridges and just enjoying all the people watching.

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We eyed up the plates coming out of the different restaurants and chose Hosteria Al Vecio Bragosso (http://www.alveciobragosso.com/restaurant-in-venice/restaurant-venice.htm) - named after a peculiar craft used by the fishermen up to the first postwar period, the so-called "bragosso"
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000347Custom.jpg


We began our meal with a nice Chianti
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We really enjoyed al fresco dining in Italy on the typical tight, almost back-alley streets
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We started with a mixed seafood appetizer plate - everything was fresh!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000338Custom.jpg



Alice had the ravioli w/fish sauce, grilled lettuces and tomatoes - really full of flavor!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000345Custom.jpg


I had the papardelle with scallops and porcinis - the scallops were small and very sweet and tasty.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000346Custom.jpg



For dessert, they brought us complementary lemon sorbets. We saved room for gelato we figured we'd find on our walk.
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Well, after that awesome meal, we decided on a slow walk across Venice, back to our hotel. We were going to hit the famous Harry's bar, but it was late and we also heard it was pretty much a packed tourist destination.


Lucky for us we stumbled upon Grom Gelateria (http://www.grom.it/eng/gusti_mese.php). Honestly, I think we can just live on vino and gelato and we'd be happy!

Grom Gelateria
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1186Custom.jpg


Loosely translated: nothing but the best ingredients!
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The "gelaterarians" were friendly and bi-lingual
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000353Custom.jpg

I believe we got the Stacciatella and the Cioccolato Extranoir - great gelato, maybe and 8 of 10 -- very good, but not "Trevi Fountain good"!

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000354Custom.jpg


We walked back to the hotel and called it a day. Tomorrow we would be heading South to Assisi, with a lunch stop in Ravenna for homemade Lasagna.....something to dream about tonight!


.

[ByTheBay]

I love all of the beautiful relief carving and sculpture incorporated into the architecture in so many of the places you visited. I do relief carvings in ostrich egg shells and so many of your photos have given me design ideas! Here are a few of my eggs mounted on LED tea light stands:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand3.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand2.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand1.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

Hi BtB...I remember talking to you about our SF trip and side trip Sausalito last year. How have you been? Your art looks awesome...how do you do do such precise work? Do you have a store or sell any of it at those little boutiques in Sausalito, or is this for yourself? Be sure to post something if you happen to make one of your ideas a reality.

[minniemex]

I love all of the beautiful relief carving and sculpture incorporated into the architecture in so many of the places you visited. I do relief carvings in ostrich egg shells and so many of your photos have given me design ideas! Here are a few of my eggs mounted on LED tea light stands:

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand3.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand2.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p135/klb607_bucket/eggstand1.jpg

Absolutely stunning Bythebay! You have a great talent!

[minniemex]

Windy ~ loved the glass islands!

[ByTheBay]

Hi BtB...I remember talking to you about our SF trip and side trip Sausalito last year. How have you been? Your art looks awesome...how do you do do such precise work? Do you have a store or sell any of it at those little boutiques in Sausalito, or is this for yourself? Be sure to post something if you happen to make one of your ideas a reality.

GLad you like them TWC. I carve the eggshells with a high speed dental drill and very tiny diamond bits. I haven't sold any yet. I'm just doing it for fun and practice at this point. I want to do one with the Mayan calendar carved in relief but I just don't have enough hours in the day to devote to it. One day when my house in Tulum is built I hope to spend many relaxing hours sitting on the deck working on my carvings.

[ByTheBay]

Absolutely stunning Bythebay! You have a great talent!



Glad you like them Minniemex! Thanks!

[Lynnette]

It's worthwhile to look up....love these shots!

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[TheWindyCity]

Thanks Lynn. I like the fact that people take the time to decorate the smallest, probably unused, cupola and windows with flowers seemingly everywhere in Italy.

[lazydog]

Autogrill! Something those fancy pant train-takers and flyers will never understand! You have to take a bus or drive through Italy to find an Autogrill.

Glad you made it to Burano, we only made it to Murano, we took the water bus. Do not try to take the water bus at five o'clock in Venice. There is a rush hour in that city like all other cities. That was the day my daughter got her foot smashed and bloodied on the water bus. It was quite the day, after we got home National Geographic did an article on Venice. I wrote a letter to the editor about our water bus trip back from Murano and they printed it in the next issue. It was quite an experience, good thing you took a taxi;)

[TheWindyCity]

.



We sadly left Venezia after an all too quick three days. If we were ever to return to Italy, Venezia would be the place to spend a little more time. It is an awesome city by all means, and there is still a lot to do and see there as well.


After breakfast in our favorite garden spot behind the hotel, we boarded the vaporetti and headed back to the main land to meet the bus. Our luggage had been loaded on to a separate boat by 6:00AM, so you know how early we had to get up and get our checked luggage outside our room door!


Alice and Ms. C, from California, enjoyed the vaporetti deck and the early morning fresh air of the sea as we headed back to mainland.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1187Custom.jpg

We met Eduardo, our driver once again, boarded the bus, and headed out into the Umbrian countryside.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000357Custom.jpg


The drive was quite long, so we made an early lunch stop in the little town of Ravenna, in Umbria, on the border of Classe. Millie told us they were taking us to a family restaurant that specializes in .........la la la ...lasagna.......YES! Are we there yet????




Ravenna, Umbria
The ristorante was Sant' Apollinare (http://www.s-apollinare.it/apollinare3.html), just off the main autostrada boardering on Ravenna and suburb of Classe.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000368Custom.jpg


Like water, the wine flows in Italy - even at 11:30AM! We had our choice of a glass of red or white to go with the meal, and a fresh salad.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000358Custom.jpg


Making a quick stop at the bathroom earlier, and passing the kitchen, I saw the nonnas working away at the tables making pasta sheets, mixing sauces, and assembling the lasagnas....it was a wonderful quick glance I caught before the kitchen door shut!



Next course served was the lasagna. It was delicious, but second to the lasagna of Venezia's La Terraza on the previous night.

Nonna's Lasagna
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000359Custom.jpg



The restaurant does share their recipe freely on their web page, so if you want an authentic style lasagna - here it is: Lasagna Recipe (http://www.s-apollinare.it/recipes.html)




After dinner, we were served some gelato, and a cappuccino topper.


Gelato
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000361Custom.jpg



Cappuccino
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The ristorante boarders right on the suburb of Classe, and across the road, we could see the capanile of the church Sant' Apollinare (Saint Apollinaris), the patron saint of Ravenna.


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Sant' Apollinare church was built in 549AD. It is know for its large, ornate Byzantine mosaics inside. The church was closed, so we couldn't go inside. We had time to wander around the 'hood before we boaded the bus. The church is surrounded by farmland.


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After that satisfying lunch, we boarded the bus and continued through Umbria, into the province of Perugia, and on to Assisi.



ASSISI

Assisi is a town and commune on the side of Monte Subasio. It is the birthplace of Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan order in 1209, and also of his good friend, later to be known as St.Clare.

We arrived at the base of Monte Subasio, and took a small funiculare up to Assisi. There are no cars in Assisi, accept battery powered vehicles to move supplies and remove trash.

Assisi is a pilgrimage destination for Christians. There were many religious orders making a pilgrimage here during our visit. We saw "gangs" of nuns, friars, and priests on the streets. Out of respect, when passing them, we were instructed that we can say to them,"Pace e Bene" ( (Pachay y Benay) - "peace and good" - if we wished.


Entrance to Assisi
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Perugian countryside
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Medieval castle called Rocca Maggiore
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Basilica di Santa Chiara

The basilica is dedicated to, and contains the remains of St. Clare. After having remained hidden for six centuries - like the remains of St. Francis - and after much search had been made, Clare's tomb was found in 1850 with the clothing and skeleton remarkably preserved, and the basilica and shrine were built to honor her.

She founded an order of nuns, the Poor Clares, and followed St. Francis' example.

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We took a tour of the basilica, where no photos whatsoever were allowed. We were able to view her open tomb, as well as artifacts such as her habit and sandals, and lock of hair. Pretty amazing to see from the 13th century!




After our visit to St.Clare's, we walked a little through Assisi to the next church landmark. The views are spectacular
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Santa Maria sopra Minerva (St.Mary over Minerva)


As we walked to the hotel, we visited yet another major church in Assisi, Santa Maria sopra Minerva. There is such so much history in this 2000+ year old church - yes, over 2000 years old!!! - the facade and structure, anyway, date this far back, but not the inside though. Let me explain.

The structure was a pagan temple dedicated to Minerva in the first century B.C. Many martyrs were executed here in front of the temple. By the 5th century, paganism was outlawed, and the temple was abandoned. In the 1200s it was used by the order of the Franciscans, and in 1539, Pope Paolo III, making a visit to Assisi, ordered the Temple of Minerva to be completely restored and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The temple then took the name of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (St. Mary over Minerva).


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Standing the test of time for over 2000years!
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Inside Santa Maria sopra Minerva
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Assisi streets

After viewing Santa Maria, we continued out walk through Assisi to our hotel. We passed many different religious orders as well as tourists like us. Assisi is worth a few days visit, but we were merely staying overnight. We were really looking forward to the next church, the basilica of Santa Francesco


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Public clothes washer from the past (didn't see the dryer anywhere)
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Mobile confession...
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.

[TheWindyCity]

Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and consists of two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church (inferiore e superiore), and a crypt where the remains of the saint buried.

Inside, it is regarded as an extremely sacred and holy place, so no photos are allowed. We visited both the upper church, and toured the lower church, which is just awesome and very sacred ground. We then visited St. Francis' tomb as well.

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Since we could not take photos, I found a few pictures on their web page to show the beauty of the upper and especially the lower church.

San Francesco - Basilica Superiore
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Assisis_Basilica_superiore.jpg/400px-Assisis_Basilica_superiore.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Assisis_Basilica_superiore.jpg)


San Francesco - Basilica Inferiore
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Assisi_Altare_Basilica_inferiore.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Assisi_Altare_Basilica_inferiore.jpg)



Tomb of San Francesco
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Assisi-Tomba_di_San_Francesco.JPG/450px-Assisi-Tomba_di_San_Francesco.JPG (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Assisi-Tomba_di_San_Francesco.JPG)



San Francesco is located on what was known as "Hill of Hell" from the middle ages because prisoners were put to death. It is now known as the Hill of Paradise after the basilica was built here. The views from the church are beautiful
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After our tour, we checked in to the hotel.

Hotel Subasio
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Hotel entrance
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The hotel lobby and restaurant were nice, but the rooms were very simple, without amenities more so meant for religious orders who had renounced worldly possessions. The rooms were pretty worn as well, not photo worthy nor recommended as a place to stay. We looked at it just as a bed to sleep in for the night, and were pretty beat already. We rested a bit and got ready to meet the group for dinner.


We ate at the hotel, outside in a covered terrace overlooking the valley below Assisi
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We started with an Umbrian red (of course!)
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We were served penne pasta in tomato herb sauce
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Chicken breast and potatoes
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The real treat before dinner ended was trying to catch the sunset over the Umbrian countryside
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And for dessert, a little apple streudel
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After dinner, we walked the streets through Assisi, but the real beauty was seeing the Basilica at twilight
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It was another perfect early summer evening. We stopped at a little gelateria and sat at a table outside and talked with a few new friends, and met some students visiting from the USA.

Tomorrow, we had another long drive down to southern Italy, through Naples, and into Pompeii for a day tour of yet another awesome archeological site.



.

[thetureks]

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your trip report! Thanks for taking the time to put it out there.

[minniemex]

I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your trip report! Thanks for taking the time to put it out there.

Ditto :)

[minniemex]

Just deleted a creative spammer who posted here as "JohnPaul". Gave me a smile anyways:).

[TheWindyCity]

Just deleted a creative spammer who posted here as "JohnPaul". Gave me a smile anyways:).

I was wondering about that myself....I just thought he was a world traveler by his "trekker" links.

[TheWindyCity]

.

The Ruins of Pompeii





After a good night's sleep and an early breakfast at the hotel, we rolled south on the autostrada to make our way to Pompeii, and eventually to the island of Capri. The beautiful island of Capri, that is. Nonetheless, we had a lot of road to cover to get there. So we walked to the funicolare that would take us back down to the bus. We said our goodbyes to Assisi.....

Dawn at Assisi
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Once on the Autostrada, we passed a factory known for intricately decorated Italian pottery. I wanted to bid on the big one, but we were going too fast. Next time.
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Abbey on a hill in Umbria
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Via Appia (Appian Way)
We passed a road built in the mid 4th century, the Via Appia, or Appian Way. The road was built to transport military supplies to Roman troop bases.



Historic old Roman highway, the Via Appia (Appian Way)
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The road is lined with the familiar Roman umbrella pine trees
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POMPEII
Pompeii is a partially buried town near Naples. The city was a busy port used by Greek and Phoenician sailors. It was destroyed and buried under 6 meters of ash after a two day eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in August of 79 AD, right at the height of the Roman Empire. The ash, it was believed, fell heavily for 6 hours at one point. It was accidently discovered in 1749, and only 1/4th of it has been uncovered - the rest will remain covered until they decide otherwise.

Some new evidence is saying that the people of the city died from large intense bursts of heat, as opposed to suffocation from the ash. Also, sulphuric gases from the eruptions may be to blame for the deaths, and that the ash was a secondary factor.

I took a HUGE load of photos, so the rest of the report will be nothing but. The great thing about the tour is that I was able to wander a bit and do my thing while our guide for the day narrated about the many things we viewed that day, all done wirelessly into the earpieces we wore.

It was interesting to learn just how modern the city was, and how similar the everyday things they had in city life is what we still have today at a basic level. They had strip malls similar to what we have now, and bakeries, as evidenced by the murals in some of the stalls. Also, they had what was called a Thermopolium, where hot and cold food items were served, similar to a cafeteria. The market stalls had pocket doors to save floor space, and full view windows so that the goods could be easily seen from the street. The streets were paved with dark volcanic rock, but white pebbles were placed in the mortar so that the moon would relect off the stones to show the road at night. The ceiling of the steam room had ribs to channel the condensation away so that the cooler water would not drip on the guests. And,...they had a "red light district" for the sailors - as the road was marked with phallic symbols pointing the way to the bordellos. The city was laid out with a grid system, just as Chicago is now, which made navigation very easy.

Partial layout of Pompeii
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/PlanPompeji4.jpg/739px-PlanPompeji4.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/PlanPompeji4.jpg)


Depiction of the Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Pompeii_the_last_day_1.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Pompeii_the_last_day_1.jpg)


Ash fall during the eruption
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Mt_Vesuvius_79_AD_eruption_3.svg/652px-Mt_Vesuvius_79_AD_eruption_3.svg.png (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Mt_Vesuvius_79_AD_eruption_3.svg)



Depiction of the last day of Pompeii (by Briullov, 1832)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Karl_Briullov%2C_The_Last_Day_of_Pompeii_(1827–183 3).jpg/800px-Karl_Briullov%2C_The_Last_Day_of_Pompeii_(1827–183 3).jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Karl_Briullov%2C_The_Last_Day_of_Pompeii_(1827–183 3).jpg)





We arrived at Pompeii in the early afternoon, and had lunch at the stalls by the entrance. Nothing notable or photoworthy, as it had to be quick. But even fast food pizza is actually pretty good, with grilled vegetables and sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh squeezed lemonade.

We began our tour with an introduction to our new guide/expert, who led us inside and gave us a lot of background information. Standing under the umbrella pines, out of the sun always felt good. I couldn't imagine this tour in July or August.

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Pink Floyd recorded HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=646KtkEcPm8) in the amphitheater in 1971
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Fallen column in the amphitheater
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Amphitheater wall construction
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The roads were used also as a way to channel water back to the sea during heavy rains. Therefore, stepping stones were placed across the road so that folks could cross without wading, and still allow the chariot wheels to pass between. The stone ends are rounded to guide the wheels between the stones
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Many of the roads have grooves from the wheels of the chariots passing between the stepping stones.
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It was surreal to be up close and standing on this ancient road
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Evidence of an ancient McDonalds? Urns inside heated tables still had food inside them
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Lead pipes were also found
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Pompeiian Streets
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2000 year old graffitti (don't know why it's backwards - Pompeiian deliquents?)
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Road markers pointing the way to the "Red Light District"
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Pompeiian tilework.... it must have been amazing to see when they first uncovered it
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Mount Vesuvius looms over Pompeii
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You can see that a chunk of the mountain that would otherwise form a classic peak is missing. That is the chunk that blew off 2000 years ago and buried Pompeii!
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Some of the murals uncovered in the market stalls. This was a food store or bakery
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I had wondered if the chariot ruts in the road was a fact or not.....it was cool to see that it really was...
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[TheWindyCity]

The bodies....

The ash hardened before the corpses decayed so that a good mold of the deceased remained. Early in the excavation it was discovered that filling these molds with plaster produced remarkable casts of the victims of the eruption.


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The Sauna

The entrance to the sauna is what would be comparable to a large locker room

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Original tiled floor
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The holes in the wall is where metal hooks for robes have been pilfered.
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Hot bath
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Steam Room

Check out the design of the ceiling in the steam room

The ribs in the ceiling were designed to channel condensate down to collecting gutters, keeping the droplets from dripping on guests
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Steam generator - heated rocks were kept on this table as water was poored over them
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Cold bath
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1364Custom.jpg



Cave Canem ( Cah-vay Cahn-em)
(Beware of the Dog)


The dogs of ancient Pompeii were pets and guard dogs, as dogs are now. They were also protected by law from ill-treatment, as dogs are now. The dogs who live there now are strays - dusty, scruffy, mutts, always on the lookout for a handout in the form of a sandwich or a slice of pizza - but they all have a special dignity. They too are protected in a way unusual for stray dogs - the guides to the ruins of Pompeii care for them by pooling money to pay for food. We also liked seeing how dogs were honored to the extent of the tile work placed in some of the residences.


This little guy was laying inside the corner of the cold pool
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How the floor looked when first uncovered
http://blogs.discovery.com/.a/6a00d8341bf67c53ef0120a6aad1a7970b-320wi



Floor designs
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Private residence murals
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Public Fountain
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Dog in agony
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White stones set in the paver joints to reflect the moonlight at night
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Pompeii was one of the best archeological sites we have ever seen so far. We were surprised at the level of advancement the Pompeiians had. Based on bible stories and movies, we always envisioned that time period as much simpler and less advanced. But visiting Pompeii proved otherwise. It was awesome to have been able to get a glimpse into the past of what life was like in a first century Roman city.



.

[mayaflya]

Pompeii was truly amazing...and to think that most of it is till there, still covered in ash and untouched.

[minniemex]

This was one of the places that we didn't get to when we lived in Germany. We got to Capri so am looking forward to that part of your report too! Thanks for the great reporting Steve!

[TheWindyCity]

Hey Maya! Yep, you guys would definitely appreciate a visit here, but for a full day or even two. There was a lot we did NOT get to see. It was surreal to be walking the same streets the Pompeiians walked.

Hi Minnie....after we left Pompeii, we headed through Naples right to Capri. Capri and the Amalfi Coast are really beautiful. I've concluded that one needs a month in Italy to really savor her!

[TheWindyCity]

.


Capri



After our tour of Pompeii, we reboarded our bus and ventured out into the Campania region of Southern Italy, heading toward Naples. We made our way through Naples, but at a bad time for a tourist. Naples was having a major garbage strike, and the streets and hotel fronts were piled high - as in 20 feet high - with garbage. Protesters were angry about making a landfill on Mount Vesuvius as well. I thought it would be unfair to take any photos of this dire situation and post it because this sure wasn't what the citizens wanted, nor appreciated, as they were victims of the government vs. the Mafia on this issue.




The island of Capri is home to two towns. On the lower level is Capri, having most of the population. Then, on the higher elevation, is Anacapri, or upper Capri. Capri Island has been a resort since Roman times, as far back as the year 29!


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Capri_sights.png/720px-Capri_sights.png


As the Romans and Italy itself has contributed so much to the world, little Capri carries a few notable donations to make life beautiful :
- Limoncello - that lemon liquor we love as an apertif, originated here with their unique flavored lemon. (If it's got Yellow #56 - it's not from Capri!)
- Caprese Salad - Bufalo mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive oil
- Capri pants
- Torta Caprese - Capri almond and chocolate cake
- Capri Cheescake



Once in Naples, we boarded a jetfoil and headed through the gulf, to Capri Island. What a beautiful day it was....but then again, they all seemed to be this way for the whole trip.

Heading through the Gulf of Naples
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Always a statue to bless sailors on the way out in any Italian port
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Naples bay in the distance now
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Approaching Capri Island
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Cliffside villa
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Pulling into Marina Grande
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It was great to experience another region, so different from the mainland, having that seaside resort atmosphere
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After we docked, we walked to the funicolare station, and took the funicolare up to Capri. We then did a lot of uphill walking to get to the hotel. Our hotel was superb. Built over 150 years ago as a personal residence in 1826, it was expanded and turned into a hotel in 1853. It was updated and very modernized inside. The hotel is The Hotel La Palma (http://www.lapalma-capri.com/en/index.html), named after a giant palm that marked it's location for guests back in the early days.



We thought this was one of the best hotels we stayed in on our entire trip. The service, location, and amenities all were very good. We lucked out when given our room, as it was a Deluxe Terrace Room, having a larger terrace over the hotel entryway that served as it's roof.


The murals throughout the room and bathroom are all hand painted
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The bath was huge!
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We really enjoyed the terrace
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OK, Alice knows I have to do the photo thing, so by now I no longer have to say "Wait!! Don't unpack, don't touch anything!" She didn't mind chilling and taking in the street scenes below.
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After we unpacked and relaxed a bit, we showered up and got ready for dinner. Dinner was pre-arranged at the hotel because of our busy touring schedule with Pompeii, so we didn't have a chance to venture out on our own. Dinner was outside under their gazebo.

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We began with a nice regional white, similar to a Pinot
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We had a cold vegetable salad with olive oil and balsamic
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Baked Salmon
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For dessert, Caprese cheesecake with almond mousse
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After dinner, there was dancing in the bar with live music, and I bought a round of Limoncellos to get things moving
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After dinner and dancing, we decided to take a walk through Capri at night and do a little shopping and people watching. It was pretty late by now, but the stores were still open.


Our hotel - Hotel La Palma
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Reception
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La Piazzetta (Piazza Umberto)
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We loved all the open air restaurants along the streets. Not temporary cafes, but due to the year 'round climate, permanent al fresco dining
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We were pretty beat from the long day we had, so we called it a day and looked forward to a good night's sleep. Thankfully, we had a later breakfast time in the morning, and we had a few small tours scheduled of Anacapri and the Capri island, with it's well known Grotta Azzurra (blue grotto). Not too hectic of a schedule, so we know we will enjoy all that the island has to offer. Also, we knew tomorrow would be our last dinner on our own (on the tour, that is), so we chose to celebrate our 30th with classica cucina Italiana, seaside of course!




.

[mayaflya]

Nice deal to get the upscale room...more so to celebrate that special anniversary!

You are going to need all your memories of those warm summer evenings. I read yesterday that Chicago is slated to have the worst winter weather in the US this year...50" plus snowfall and sub-zero temps :(



.

We loved all the open air restaurants along the streets. Not temporary cafes, but due to the year 'round climate, permanent al fresco dining
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1458Custom.jpg




.

[TheWindyCity]

You are going to need all your memories of those warm summer evenings. I read yesterday that Chicago is slated to have the worst winter weather in the US this year...50" plus snowfall and sub-zero temps :(

Hey!!! $%#@&! Who threw that bucket of ice water on me while I was laying here in the sun???? (We need a "sound-icon" that can say "wha wah wah wah waaaaah.)

Yep, that's what the Accuweather prediction is based on weather pattern analysis. We'll probably, very severly, need to be in Tulum come Spring after this one, no doubt. :mad:

[minniemex]

Loving Capri. I want to visit there again. Tell me your hotel is adults only? I can just see a child eating a chocolate bar here.:eek:


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1462Custom.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

Loving Capri. I want to visit there again. Tell me your hotel is adults only? I can just see a child eating a chocolate bar here.:eek:



No...not adults only, but we didn't see any children on Capri...mostly adults and teens. Definitely not a place for the little ones.

[TheWindyCity]

.



Anacapri

After a quick buffet breakfast at the hotel, we walked to the main piazza to meet our guide expert for Anacapri. His name was Dario, and he was very good, giving us a lot of tips and suggestions for later, if we wanted to avoid the throngs of tourists that might day trip from cruise ships.


We took a funicolare up to Anacapri, the only way up or down. From there, we took small buses up to visit Villa San Michele, which was a former residence of a doctor, Dr. Axel Munthe. I'll elaborate on that in a bit, but first, the view from upper Capri is amazing.



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The Gulf of Naples
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We arrived at the Villa San Michele. As I mentioned, this was the home of Dr. Axel Munthe. Dr. Munthe was born in Sweden in the 1850s, and 20 years later, due to lung problems, moved to Capri. He administered to the poor throughout Italy without a fee, and was also a doctor to royalty, for which he expected payment. Much of his work was done to help the poor however. He spoke 5 languages, and was an animal rights activist, owning many animals and had a few favorite dogs. He believed in euthanasia for extreme hopeless medical conditions, such as rabies, since the remainder of life with that was extreme pain and insanity.

Being a doctor to royalty had it's advantages where he was able to afford houses in Capri, and also collect many artifacts for display as well. He passed away in 1949, and his home was turned into a museum.

He wanted his home to be open to let in as much light as possible, hear the sounds of the sea below, and have magnigicent views of the bay. He had an extraordinary garden, with unusual plants from all over the world.

Dr. Munthe
http://www.keats-shelley-house.org/system/images/0000/0690/Axel-Munthe.jpg?1260445236


Villa San Michele
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Dr. Munthe loved his dogs, and replicated the floor at Pompeii into the Villa
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A sphinx believed to once be owned by Nero, had to be carried 777 steps up to it's resting place here, overlooking the Gulf of Naples
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A reminder to guests that our time here is short, and we are all born to die (Gee, thanks doc! I feel better already!)
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For some reason, I did not want to take photos inside the villa, only because it was not interesting to see bedrooms and kitchens, ect. He had many artifacts from ancient Rome that were given to him...but there, I felt they needed to be in a dedicated museum from where they originated, not in someone's once personal residence. We did however, enjoy the grounds and gardens immensley, with the unusually healthy Hydrangeas.


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The views from the Villa were spectacular....we couldn't imagine this being our home
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We left the villa and had an hour to walk around on our own. There were many little shops selling and sampling Limoncello, and all things related to the lemon, from aprons to soap. Alice found a few nice kitchen items, and I of coarse, got my Limoncello on.


We found an obscure sign by a staircase advertising a little coffee bar, so we decided to have an espresso break. When we got to the top, much to our delight, we found a spot outside and enjoyed the view with a caffe macchiato (yes, as the shop owner who hollered at me in Orvieto haunted me in my head, I pronounced it correctly this time without flinching)
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It was great to be out in the sun, in the peacefulness of the outdoor surroundings. It was so quiet with just the sounds of all the birds.



We ordered our caffes along with a Torta Caprese (lemon torte)
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Couldn't be any closer to heaven up here...
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The views from the little cafe were just as astounding..
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After more walking, it was time to meet with the group for the ride on the funicolare back down to Capri


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Our guide had mentioned that the tour to the famous Grotta Azzurra (the Blue Grotto) is pretty packed to get as many tourists as possible. He suggested that we might enjoy the tour to the Grotta Verde instead, as it encompasses a tour around the whole island, with a lot more to see, so we decided to buy tickets for that tour run by Laser Capri.



Of coarse, at every turn, you find flowers that seem to do so well in this climate
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We had about an hour or so before we sailed off to the Grotta Verde, so we decided to catch a light lunch. Dario suggested visiting a salumeria, a classic Italian deli experience for perhaps a pannini. We opted, instead, for a wood-fired pizza place he mentioned, getting it "take away" of course, and a couple of Italian beers from a street vendor. Alice held a bench for us near the harbor while I went to find the pizza place and beer.


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The pizza was probably the best I had in Italy....and so great just to sit and enjoy dockside in Capri with a cold Peroni
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000407Custom.jpg


Roasted vegetable wood oven pizza
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000406Custom.jpg




And I thought I loved my Peroni.....

http://pwood33.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/birra_peroni_collo_corto.jpeg



I'll continue part two of this day with our trip around Capri and evening dinner out on our own on the island next.




.

[minniemex]

Wow! I remember I was impressed with Capri but I had forgotten how beautiful it was. Your flower shots are killing me. :p I love the colors in this hybiscus.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/P1000411Custom.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

.




Capri

After touring Anacapri, and a quick lunch dock-side, we headed to the slip to board our boat for a trip around the island. We decided to bypass the Grotta Azzurra tour, which is very popular, as it was really crowded at this time of day with the shipload of day trippers. If it was still early in the morning, we would have booked it, but our Anacapri tour took up our morning already. The only tours available were the late afternoon and evening tours that were not sold out yet. So, if we ever return to Italy, http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/03.gif, we will have something to look forward to next time.


This part of the report will be really photo heavy.


As we boarded our boat....some of the guys had their provisions lined up for the trip
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Sometimes, you have to look hard to find statues placed on the rocks around the island
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One cave had a rocked formation like the Virgin Mary
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Faraglione Mezzo - classic symbol of Capri
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Capri law: You must kiss the one you're with when passing through the rock, or a breakup will be inevitable
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Not mine
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Gerber Baby Food mansion at the very top
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1541Custom.jpg


The house that baby food built
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Can you spot San Francesco di Assisi?
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We arrived at the Grotta Verde
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It was cool to see the water so green
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If you own or rent a small boat, you can snorkel on your own
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Approaching Punta Carena Faro
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Il Faro
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You can barely make out the mountain goats
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After our tour, we stopped in one of the salumerias for a bottle of wine (crazy low prices!)and cheese to enjoy back at the hotel on our terrace. We relaxed a while and enjoyed the street view below, and took a long soak in the bath before we got ready for dinner.....we could live this way forever!




This was our final dinner (on our own) of the tour, and we wanted to celebrate our 30th as well. I had asked the hotel concierge (who looked unbelievably like an older Al Pacino) to recommend a restaurant with "home cooking', (some cucina della nonna), and not typically touristy. His recommendation was Il Geranio (http://www.geraniocapri.com/en/index), a cliffside restaurant with a view of the Faraglione.


We found our way through the little charming backstreets, which seem so classic everywhere in Italy. We cut through Parco Augusto. The park was once a private garden to Augustus, who retreated on holiday to this island.



In Parco Augusto
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Alice wore a scarf I found for her in Roma
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The restaurant was obscure and hard to find, but we spotted a marker near it's lone staircase
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IL Geranio setting was tranquil, with a view of the bay and gardens
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http://www.geraniocapri.com/images/eventi-img.jpg


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For starters, a local white and house made rolls
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We began our meal with a few appetizers - something out of the ordinary


Outstanding was the Carpaccio di Pesce, dressed with lemon olive oil ......(knock knock knockin' on heaven's door!)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000415Custom.jpg


Another outstanding dish was the rapini with garlic, olives, capers and pine nuts...
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000419Custom.jpg


For our entrees, Alice had the tufoli pasta with seafood and tomatoes
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000420Custom.jpg


I had the spinach fettuccini with seafood
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000418Custom.jpg


Both entrees were simple, and yet so flavorful and fresh.


After dinner, we shared the classic chocolate Caprese cake
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000423Custom.jpg


After dinner, we walked around Capri, visiting some of the shops and called it an evening, heading back to the hotel. Tomorrow, we head inland to Sorrento, tour Positano, and head back to Roma for our final day of the tour. Sigh....you always hate when it has to end.....but we were happy that we had made arrangements to spend more days on our own in Roma...which is yet another adventure when you have to figure things out for yourself!



.

[FITZ]

Your report is such a treat!

[minniemex]

Love this picture! What a trip you are having. Why must they end?

http://www.geraniocapri.com/images/eventi-img.jpg

[Lynnette]

This is the best travelogue with beautiful photos ever!! You've set the bar high with your food shots, and this is a killer view!!!

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1506Custom.jpg


Did Alice color coordinate her scarf with the flowers???

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy%202011/IMGP1582Custom.jpg

[TheWindyCity]

Did Alice color coordinate her scarf with the flowers???



Actually, I noticed it in a shop in Rome and Alice liked it and bought it with other things....and luck of the draw worked in our favor when we cut through the park.

[TheWindyCity]

.




Leaving Capri was pretty hard, almost as bad as leaving Venice. Two totally different vacations within one trip, really. Four bellboys had to pull me from our room in Capri and throw me on the funicolare, lemons and all!


But....... we must move on, and on to Sorrento we went. Our luggage was set out early, and taken by boat to the mainland while we ate our breakfast. We took the funicolare down, and walked to the dock for the ride back to Naples Bay.


On our way out of Naples, we caught our last glimpse of the famous Roman Appian Way
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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000424Custom.jpg


Sorrento

Sorrento is in the Campania region of Southern Italy, and overlooks the Bay of Naples. It is famous for it's lemon cultivation, and wood craftsmanship. It is also the home town of Flavio Gioia, the man who invented the marine compass.



We arrived in bustling Sorrento probably during their morning rush hour
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1593Custom.jpg


Scooters seemed the most popular way to get get around
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1601Custom.jpg



It was amazing to watch the traffic flow at this five corner intersection without stop signs, stop lights or any traffic control. In the little video segment below, you can see a "traffic monitor" walk slowly to the center of the intersection eventually, but he played no role in any type of direction. Alice and I crossed the street to visit a shop, and it felt like that episode of Seinfeld, where George is trying to cross the intersection with the Frogger video game console, only to become the actual game. It was crazy!

Sorrento traffic video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnTU1_bfLqA




We made a stop at a well known Sorrento shop called Sorrento Inlaid Wood (Intarsia Sorrentina) , established in 1852 by the A Gargiulo Jannuzzi family. It was actually pretty remarkable to watch a little of the process of how they create furniture using techniques they have mastered and passed on.

Intarsia Sorrentina
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1595Custom.jpg


We had some time to walk around Sorrento on our own before we would continue on to Positano. We walked towards the bay of Naples
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1598Custom.jpg


We found a small park with some pretty healthy lemon trees and fresh lemons ready for picking as well....(hope there were no laws against that)
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Positano
Ahhhh....Pozzi-tahhhhhh-no! We reboarded our coach and headed onto the coastal autostrada, and drove along the Amalfi, making a few lookout point stops, and then on towards Positano.

Positano was a port of the Amalfi Republic during Medieval times. In the early part of the 20th century, it was reduced to a poor fishing village. It became popular in the 1950s after it received some press in Harper's Bazaar. The song "Midnight Rambler" was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the cafes of Positano while on vacation here.


We took a quick break at a roadside stand, and bought some dried mixes exclusive to Positano for making about 5 different pasta dishes. We're not big fans of not using fresh ingredients, but they had samples to taste, which were really good, and this seemed like something good to have on hand for a quick weekday meal when you don't have a lot of time. We walked over to a few lookout posts on the Amalfi Coast, right above Positano.


The Amalfi Coast above Positano
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After visiting the lookout point, we went down into Positano, where we were free to have lunch and visit on our own. We stopped into a church for a visit. The church of Santa Maria Assunta features a golden dome made of majolica tiles, as well as a 13th century Byzantine icon of a black Madonna inside.

Santa Maria Assunta
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After visiting the church, we walked through some of the market stalls.....
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1632Custom.jpg




......where the local artists displayed and sold their work while chilling out
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After shopping and strolling the streets, we decided to grab a quick lunch with a stone-fired pizza. We thought this would be a good choice, but the pizza was pretty lousy and we couldn't eat it, and decided to ditch it. Couldn't even take a photo of it, and you know that says something. We did, however, have a nice view on an outside bar rail to eat our lunch, but even the view didn't make the pizza taste any better.
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We headed down towards the beach for a view up of the village....it was awesome.
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360 degree panoramic video from the beach at Positano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTqNKqKGmPc


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1628Custom.jpg



Back to Roma
Back on to the bus, we headed up the coast towards Roma. Our final night will be spent at the Roma Holiday Inn, which is a close and central point for everyone departing to the airport or to the train station in the morning.

No photos of the Holiday Inn, as it was just simply that. It was nice to have modern amentities for a day, but we did get used to the European style of the other hotels with minimum amenities. We arrived in the late afternoon, and we'd be getting ready for our final night out, our good-byes, and gratutities to our guide and driver, who we couldn't heap enough praises upon.


The Last Supper....
We were driven back into Rome, to a full service restaurant called Mangrovia. They made it nice for our last night, with live music, and an over the top waitstaff that went out of their way to show us a fun time and serve every coarse. We pretty much just had to just sit there and open our mouths!


Judging from the place setting, looks like we were in for quite a degustation
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We began the meal with many bottles of wine and a toast
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and a little music
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Caprese salad and stuffed eggplant
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We had the choice of a few pastas. Here, the ravioli was my choice
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000430Custom.jpg


I chose the salmon and potatoes
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After dinner, there was more music, and the wait staff was having fun with the tour group
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Near the end of the evening, the ladies collected their roses and gave them to Millie, our tour director, in appreciation of her being such a perfect host to us for the last 10 days
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The evening was over, as was the tour pretty much, and we had a fun evening full of laughter
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Tomorrow, while everyone headed home, Alice and I would head to another hotel in Roma to relax after this hectic pace, and be on our own to perhaps see sites and other aspects of Roma we could not absorb on the first pass through. So lucky us....the adventure can continue!



.

[beachreader]

Oh my, these photographs are just amazing! I can't even pull my favorites out, there are so many, but I did really love the pink light filtering through the flowers in that alleyway.

But the food, and the towns, just beautiful! Looks like you had perfect weather all the way around. Awesome.

[mayaflya]

I sold my share of the business yesterday (but will still be working there), and my partners were asking guests at the open house to "add things to my bucket list"...topping the suggestions was a trip to Italy...so I'm reading your report with great interest, my friend!

[Westybchbum]

This TR just keeps getting better but I have to know!?!? You DID kiss Alice going through the rock, RIGHT??? :D

[TheWindyCity]

This TR just keeps getting better but I have to know!?!? You DID kiss Alice going through the rock, RIGHT??? :D


You want me to kiss and tell?? You noticed the inconsistency in the photos, right? Only a photo before the rock....and nothing in between and after.....:o

[beachreader]

That must have been an interestingly quiet few minutes on the boat, with everyone necking.

Maya, congratulations on the business deal! Hope this means you'll have more time to travel, can't wait to see where you go!

So Steve, did you guys ever get used to views like this?

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1630Custom.jpg

Even if the pizza didn't live up to the surroundings, that is gorgeous.

[TheWindyCity]

So Steve, did you guys ever get used to views like this?Even if the pizza didn't live up to the surroundings, that is gorgeous.


*BR - No, every town and every turn always provided a different and astounding view. Each place was so different from the other. It was difficult to say we had one favorite region. The big cities are fun, the little towns are slower and relaxing, the coast is gorgeous - you're like a kid in a candy shop. The last part of our trip in Roma (coming up!) was really fun, especially the piazzas at night, when they take on a different life....which you'll see soon!


*Maya - a big anniversary is coming up for you, so you have to go (as my mom will say, "while you can still walk"). If I know you, you'll probably do your own thing...but if you chose to tour, Globus also has different selections of options for Italy, one is a few more days longer than what we did. They even have one tour that you can chose your own pace with minimum guided toures. It's called something like "Italy at Leisure". You really must see Italy in your lifetime. I think it was our most memorable vacation ever.

[TheWindyCity]

.


For anyone kicking around a future trip to Italy (Maya?), I thought I would share this note from a couple living in Minneapolis, who just returned from the October tour:



Ciao Steve!
The trip was amazing! People ask what we liked the best and there is nothing we would have left out. We arrived early the 16th and were out and about by 11:00am. The demonstrations were only on the 15th - so no problems.

Our hotels were fine. We also didn't care for the hotel in Assisi - we stayed at the Windsor. Maybe there are not good hotels in Assisi. We were glad it was only for one night. The hotel did have a gorgeous view from a large balcony that made for a nice evening of drinking good, inexpensive wine while watching the sunset. That was more important to me than the hotel room. I think that was the evening many of the tour group really bonded which made for an even more enjoyable trip.

The food was very good. I ate more pastries in that time than I normally would eat in months. My husband, who is normally not a sweet eater, especially enjoyed trying different pastries. He couldn't get enough of the bread and we had many sandwiches as a "take away" to eat as we were off on our adventures. In Venice we purchased a 12 hour water bus pass and went to Murano and Burano. We must have taken the wrong water bus back because at the end of the line we were not at St. Mark's Square. We had met 2 other couples from the U.S. on the water bus who also thought they were going to St. Mark's Square. We got lost with them on our journey to find it by foot instead of figuring out a water bus transfer. It was actually very fun finding our way back.

Unfortunately, we had an afternoon and evening of fairly heavy rain on Capri. We were still able to walk around with umbrellas without getting completely soaked, but we did not go on the boat trip around the island. However, about 10 of us bought sandwiches and bottles of wine and spent a couple hours enjoying ourselves in the lobby of the hotel. We really did need a day of rest anyway. From our room balcony we could see both the bay and the hillside so we also enjoyed our time there. We stayed at La Residenza on Capri. It was a little farther down the hill on the right hand side of the one where you stayed. From the outside your hotel looked much nicer. Our lobby was quite spacious, but didn't have the fancy white furniture I saw in your photos. We really liked our room because the view was magnificent. I think a 4 star in Europe is more of a 3 star in the U.S.


We loved Positano. I wish we could have stayed there a night. We bought sandwiches and sat on the beach. I waded in the sea and birds stole part of my husband's sandwich he set down for a moment - more good memories. I did find the pasta seasonings you wrote of and bought some packets. We will have a bottle of wine we brought back when I make the pasta.

Your pictures are so much better than mine and I especially appreciate all you wrote. Thank you for the suggestions and for creating a wonderful trip report. The trip is information overload in a short time, so it is nice to be able to go back to your narrative to remember details. We really feel like we have seen the Italy we wanted to see. It was exhausting, and we are so glad we didn't wait many years to do this type of trip. We are in good physical shape, but there were a few people on the trip who had some difficulty at times. It was fun talking to others about their future travel plans. The bucket list keeps getting longer.

Enjoy your next adventure - keep them coming!
K

[TheWindyCity]

.





Back to Roma

The next morning, we had no reason to wake up early and ready our luggage and be on the bus at any certain time like everyone else, as we made our own arrangements to stay in Roma for two extra days. We had a leisurely breakfast downstairs, and it was surprisingly better than we expected, with machines to make our own Cappuccinos,and Espressos. Also, the breakfast choices were a little more elaborate, with omelets, which we hadn't seen or heard of for 10 days already, along with the classic European style continental fare. (I couldn't tell you how much I wanted a Mexican breakfast by now, and boy, did I miss a good Huevos Moltulenos or Chilaquiles.) I could tell that despite the pastas, I lost weight due to the lighter breakfasts and major walking we had done. Of course, not expecting much at The Holiday Inn Roma, I left my camera in the room. I was glad I was wrong!


After breakfast, we arranged for a cab to take us to our hotel across the Tiber and a little North of the Vaticano. It was morning rush by now, and the cab took a while, and cost 45 EU.

After researching TripAdvisor, I happened to get an email a few days later from TripAdvisor's spybot that highlighted some top rated places, but not necessarily expensive, high end hotels. I really wanted a small, neighborhood hotel that would bring us closer to where the local Italians would live, despite our not being able to speak Italian.

We found The Franklin Hotel to fit what we wanted for a local experience. You can compare it possibly to a Hard Rock Hotel or a House of Blues (even though we haven't been to either), as it is a music themed hotel. How can you go wrong with a disco ball in the bathroom? (What??? - Yep, that's right - a disco ball in the bathroom!) ....You'll see.

We arrived at the Franklin early, around 11:00AM, so we checked in and left our bags with them.

The Franklin Hotel
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Lobby with refreshment bar, as well as a massive choice of CDs to take to your room
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The back of the hotel has a terrace to enjoy a cappuccino and breakfast. We took a break before we headed back out. Our room has a private terrace behind the hedges on your left
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Our room was not ready, and we needed to return to the Vatican gift shop to pick up a few more items, so we decided to walk to Vatican City, which may have been thirty minutes on foot away. (The gift shop is one of the few on the outside walls of the Vatican that has all of it's items "pre-blessed" by the Vatican). It was nice to walk through the neighborhood on the way there. We stopped in a little meat/cheese store, which looked like it had been a neighborhood fixture for a very long time. We wanted to know if we could order Bufala Mozzarella, but vacuum packed, so we could take it on the plane ride home. Well, that didn't work out for us as we, of coarse, had a language barrier problem with the 70 year old proprietor. Alice was trying to say "plane ride" by flapping her arms....I was just cracking up because of the look on the elderly gent's face.

We walked further and stopped in a bakery that, once we returned home, saw it on a travel show featuring out-of-the-way and obscure places in Roma. It was located in the basement of an apartment building. You had to pay attention to what door you went through, as there was a sex shop entry to the right, and the bakery to the left inside the hallway. We did stop in both for the heck of it - never know what you might find - bakery goods or latex goods!

On our way to the Vatican gift shop, we passed through St. Peter's Square once again. It was another cloudless, beautiful day, and the bells were ringing in the Square


St Peter's Square video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH3aWCqqQeU



The Egyptian Obelisk was brought to Rome by Caligula in 37AD, and moved to the Vatican in 1586
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We learned the obelisk is the centerpoint of a sundial, with markers all around the square like this
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After hanging out in the Square for a while, we walked back to the hotel. After seeing a lot of locals walking with bags from a market with what looked to be a lot of fresh bread and tomatoes and such, we tried to find out if there was a local farmer's market so we could make our own lunch back at the hotel. There was a market....somewhere... We had a difficult time in expressing what we needed with the older locals we asked, but did find out the open air market was getting set to close. A few police told us it was a few blocks away and we would not make it in time.

We stopped a few younger locals who knew English, and they directed us to the local supermarket called Billa. It was a good choice as well, as we pretty much went crazy in the deli and produce section not to mention the wine section! They also had a bakery, with the smells of fresh baked Italian breads filling the air....mama mia! I was trying to get a few photos, but they sure don't like that....not even in a public market....I could feel the uneasiness and the "what the heck is he doing?" stares! Mi Scusi! !!


Nevertheless, the deli case had a great selection of olives, stuffed peppers, artichokes, ect..
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Arms full of good things to eat, we headed back to our hotel feeling like we were going home.



The Franklin Hotel
We returned to the hotel to get settled in our room. We had a choice of different rooms, labeled as Jazz, Rock, Blues, and Soul. We booked the "Soul" room, as it had a private terrace at ground level, a large jacuzzi tub in the bathroom with mood lighting, an awesome Bang & Olufsen Sound system with additional speakers in the bathroom, free Wi-Fi that I couldn't get my phone to agree with, free breakfast with coffee barista, LUSH body products, and a ton of music CDs to choose from in the lobby. We were really happy with our choice and with the whole experience and service.


Gotta love the drums for night stands
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Who wouldn't love a disco ball in the bath?
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Alice enjoyed the LUSH bath products
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And I enjoyed the.....well....never mind....
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We appreciated having our private terrace
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It was late afternoon, and we decide to soak for a while before we relaxed outside with our lunch. I got some tunes from the lobby for the CD player while Alice got her bath ready. They have speakers piped into the bathroom so you can relax and enjoy your soak with subdued lighting, while enjoying your tunes......which Alice did...
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For our very late lunch, we enjoyed a bottle of wine from grapes grown at the base of Vesuvius...something we learned about on an Italian wine tasting seminar we attended in Chicago before our trip. We made Caprese sandwiches with Bufala mozzarella, had some olives, artichokes, and crusty, warm bread....it was great to just relax and enjoy the quiet for a while.......
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Continued..........


.

[TheWindyCity]

.
Rick Steves' Night Walk Across Rome
After lunch we caught a little sleep and then got ready to head out and do Rick Steves' Night Walk Across Rome. It was difficult to get reliable directions on which bus to take from near the hotel. We needed to cross the Tiber and get to the Campo di Fiori, where the walk would begin. We waited a good while for the bus, and asked the bus driver (who spoke English) to let us know when to jump off near the Campo. Armed with a few different maps, we finally made it to where we needed to be.

I learned to appreciate a few things while visiting Italy. One is that the transit system in Chicago is extremely easy to navigate with the maps, electronic signs, and announcements....none of which we found in Rome. I asked the Metro clerk for a system map, and he pointed to a giant map on the wall. He said they print no small maps. The other thing was having my Android phone work on a reliable system. I had intermittent to non-existant coverage between Wi-Fi and regular data, so I wasn't able to use my Google map at all, like we did in San Francisco last year. I'm sure a rented phone might have worked better. I had no trouble with phone calls, however.


Here is what the route looks like:
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It took us a while to get our bearings and street names, but we finally found the starting point. It felt like we were on a treasure hunt of sorts.


Campo de Fiori
We began at the Campo De Fiori (Field of Flowers). Campo de Fiori was actually a meadow during Medieval times. It is used now as a daily market for fresh fish and vegetables during the day, and a place to hang out and dine al fresco in the evening. The piazza was beginning to come alive with early diners and groups just hanging out and talking.

It wasn't always so pleasant, however, as public executions used to be held here. In 1600, philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt alive by the Roman Inquisition because his ideas were deemed dangerous. All his works were placed in The Index of Forbidden Books by the Holy Office, (as if burning him wasn't enough). They erected a statue of him in 1887 on the exact spot of his death, and positioned him facing the Vatican in defiance.


Giordano Bruno - Campo di Fiori
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The fountain, known as la Terrina (the "soupbowl"), once watered cattle. Its inscription: FA DEL BEN E LASSA DIRE ("Do the good and let them talk") was meant to describe the gossipy nature of the marketplace.
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We continued our walk, and sometimes you feel you are in an alley, when in fact it is really a street.


Piazza Navona

This has to be everyone's favorite piazza - one that really says "Roma!" The piazza is so alive with music, artists, tourists, locals and vendors selling things you didn't know you needed. And I can't forget to mention the aromas of that wonderful Italian food wafting through the air from all the cafes.....mama mia!...soooo goooood!

The piazza sits on the site of the original Stadium of Domitian, from the first century A.D., where games known as the Agones was held. They think 'Navona' is a derivitive of that name. The piazza is pretty huge, and has three fountains.



We entered the piazza on the southern end, by the Fontana del Moro
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Another prominent building is the Palazzo Pamphili, built by the pamphili family in the 1600s, used now as the Brazilian Embassy
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If you saw "Angels and Demons", you will recognize our favorite fountain, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), with it's Egyptian obelisk in the center. The fountain was built by Bernini in the 1600s, commissioned by the pope along with his Pamphili family. It represents the four rivers of the four continents where the papal authority had spread at that time. It was great to just have a seat somewhere and admire it, or just people watch and take in all that is happening on a beautiful summer night

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
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Video at Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGtj2k6bCII




The piazza is full of restaurants and little stalls and stands of artists selling their wares
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We heard an instrumental Hendrix song drifting through the piazza that is one of our favorites, and we wanted to see who was playing it so well. It is Marcello Calabrese, an independent guitarist, who is requested by some of the restaurants to set up near them and have at it. We bought one of his CDs, which is loaded with his instrumental versions of classic rock songs.

This video helps portray the real feel of the piazza at night:

Marcello Calabrese: Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc70sbrPI9g




On the north end of the piazza is the Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune)
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We hung around the plaza for a while and then continued on our walk toward the Pantheon. We passed through a a few winding streets and past a few famous buildings, many are embassies.

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We were getting a little hungry, but we just wanted to grab something light and quick. We passed a tavola calda where some fresh pizzas were brought out, Their aromas grabbed me by the nose and pulled me inside! Not wanting to start another war as tourist vs. proprietor, I snapped a few inconspicuous shots

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You show him how much you want with your hands, and he cuts and weighs it, and then you pay. It was dirt cheap at about 7 Euro. We grabbed a couple of Limonitas, our pizzas and headed toward the next spot on the map .


The Pantheon
We continued on our walk through the tight streets and turned the corner. Suddenly, we get hit with an intense scene as the view opens up to reveal the next gem.

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We walked into the piazza and found a seat by the fountain, devouring our pizzas, while taking in the view -
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I thought I felt a little uneasy while trying to eat.......
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Also, check out this 360 View (daytime) of the Piazza Pantheon (and not a good place for the man to be bent over by the horse http://mail.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/18.gif) click HERE (http://www.360cities.net/image/piazza-del-pantheon#352.04,5.59,70.0)




We continued on the walk, towards the Piazza Colonna. We may have taken a wrong turn, maybe only one street over, and it took us to the Piazza di Pietra (Plaza of Stone). It turned out to be a fascinating mistake, as we passed Hadrian's Temple, erected in 145 A.D.! (The building is now Roma's Stock Exchange building. The columns are the 11 surviving of the 48 original).

Hadrian's Temple
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It was awesome to be standing before such a historical structure
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Here is a pencil drawing from the 1700s as well:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Vasi-Piazza_Pietra.jpg




Piazza Colonna

We rounded another corner and found the next stop, the Piazza Colona, featuring The Column of Marcus Aurelius in the square, with the Palazzo Chigi to the left. The column was placed here in 193AD, and has a statue of St.Paul on it's top placed here by the pope in 1589. It is a Roman victory column dedicated to Emperor Aurelius. The spiral relief tells the story of three battles.

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Column of Marcus Aurelius
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Continued......



.

[TheWindyCity]

...and on to the Trevi

I promised Alice we'd find the the Gelateria where we had the best Gelato in all of Italy, and it was by the Trevi Fountain....and..... it was getting late. I wasn't sure how long the gelateria would be open, as it was now about 10:30 PM, and we continued to follow the map to the Trevi Fountain, hoping the Gelateria would still be open.



Sweet Goodness!
We turned at the next corner and we heard angels voices coming from heavenly hosts on high, as the Gelateria lay before us!



Gelateria Melograno
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We may have each gotten two-scoopers with banana and chocolate truffle gelato......oooohhhh mama.....
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Who's happy?
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Gelato, a magnificent view, and we are in Italy.....could it be any better???
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Video of the Piazza di Trevi


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a1st_XWGqM


It was amazing to see how packed the plaza was at this time. So many languages being spoken from people all over the world who have made this their destination.

It was a few minutes after 11 P.M., and I turned around toward the Gelateria (not that I was thinking of round two......well, maybe) , and it was closed for the night....we must have made it by just 15 minutes! We relaxed for about a half an hour, took some photos, and just took in the whole scene, maybe thinking about the coin toss and the promise of having to return to Rome someday as the legend goes.


We still had one more stop on the night walk, and that would be a visit to the Spanish Steps, so we took in one last view and continued on towards the next piazza.



We passed through the Piazza Mignanelli, with the Colonna dell'Immacolata (Column of the Immaculate Conception)
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The Spanish Steps - (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti)

The Spanish Steps were installed to link the Spanish Embassy to the Trinita Dei Monti church in 1723

The steps take on another life at night, definitely not as crowded during the night as compared to our day visit over one week ago. Seemed more like a local's place, some playing guitars, and groups of teens just hanging out.

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This concluded our self-guided tour using Rick Steves' guide for Roma. It was really amazing to see Roma in this light, (or lack thereof). At this point, we were really exhausted from the amount of walking we took on today! Luckily, we had both a cab stand, and a Metro station right near the Steps, called "Spagna" station. We decided it would be simplest and cheaper to take the Metro back across the Tiber and near the Vatican, so we took the tubes below ground.
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We didn't have to wait too long...
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About fifteen minutes later, we reached our stop at "Ottaviano" station, and walked home about six more blocks. We passed a little neighborhood Gelateria...but we didn't hear those angel voices. We looked over the selection, (because we just never know when to stop) and shared a small fig gelato, but agreed it was nothing comparable to what we just had at the Trevi and we better leave well enough alone. We made it back to the hotel and slept like a "pietra"......



.

[TheWindyCity]

.



Roma On Our Own, Day 2

The next day we had a simple breakfast at the hotel, with fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, Italian meats, fresh breads and pastries. They also had a barista on duty to make our coffee drinks. She told us to relax outside and she would bring us our drinks, and she knew where to find us our own little patio as well.


Before we left our tour a few days ago, we asked the director for recommendations of what we should see that we did not cover on our trip. Her suggestions were Capitol Hill, and two curches - Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Pietro in Vincoli - two must-sees. We decided to try and make a mass. It was almost wrong for us to be visiting Italy, seeing so many churches and other very Holy ground, and not attend at least one mass. So we hoped to catch a mass on this being Sunday morning.

I forgot to mention that we had purchased 3-day transit passes, which makes for a great bargain. We took a bus to the tubes, and the tube under the river to the Termini station, and took another train to the next stop, which put us in the center between the two churches.



Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major)

The church is titled this way because it is a papal basilica. It was built from 432 to 440 A.D. under Popes Sixtus and Leo, back when the Vatican had big bucks because of their landholdings. Most of it's beauty lies on the inside.

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We were fortunate enough to make high noon mass at the church, so we quickly got a seat. The mass was in Italian and the choir is made up of all priests. As we walked in, the air was saturated with incense, and to hear the church's immense pipe organ playing, and priests singing in Italian - it was very uplifting and felt surreal to be wrapped up in the moment.




I was able to turn on the camera at the ending of the mass, so here is a quick video of what it was like to be there

Video, Mass - Santa Maria Maggiore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE5nA30qo_Y





There is a lot going on inside. The church is pretty spectacular, with chapels (Capellas) located off to the sides of the main aisle that are mezmerizing and can be a destination on their own. The sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini is buried here as well. His sculptures and fountains are found all over Italy, but mostly in Rome......what a legacy he has left behind for us to enjoy over 300 years later!


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The main altar has a baldachin, or canopy over it, like St. Peters
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View to the rear of the church
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Sacra Culla (Sacred Crib)
Under the high altar of the basilica, is the Crypt of the Nativity or Sacra Culla, with a crystal reliquary said to contain wood from the Holy Crib of the nativity of Jesus. The Sacra Culla is set below the altar just like the tomb of Saint Peter is set under the altar at St. Peter's, with a baldachin (canopy) over the top. Just to be standing on such hallowed ground and to walk down to view the crypt was very humbling.

As we walk down under the altar, this is a view looking back up
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As we walk down, there is a statue of the pope, Pope Sixtus, who authorized the building of the basilica. If you just study this picture, it is evident just how minutely detailed this small staircase and landing is. The marble detail in the handrails, ballusters, pillars, floor and wall panels is remarkable!
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Sacra Culla
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Sacra_culla.jpg/800px-Sacra_culla.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Sacra_culla.jpg)


The marble work detail seen everywhere around the crypt is just mind boggling! You can imagine how long this must have taken to accomplish.
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The mosaic in the apse behind the altar was amazing
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1752Custom.jpg


We were allowed to go into the Borghese Cappella, which was as over the top as everything else inside the basilica..
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1753Custom.jpg


You can sit here all day and just study the extraordinary detail....
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1755Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1754Custom.jpg


Always exciting to capture a crepuscular ray through an oculus (or is it just me?)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1756Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1760Custom.jpg


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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1758Custom.jpg


Battistero (Baptismal Font)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1763Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1764Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1765Custom.jpg




Well, that was a pretty amazing experience! Santa Maria Maggiore is truly a hidden gem, and we know there are many, many more.
We left the church feeling very good, and yet overwhelmed by the detail and the reverance that the artists conveyed through their work.


We walked through Rome and on to our next site.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1767Custom.jpg



.

[TheWindyCity]

San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter in Chains)

Built between 432 and 440, the basilica houses the chains that held St Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, and set free with help from above. The church is very plain and simple from the outside. You could easily pass it by and mistake it for a gallery or government building.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1768Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1784Custom.jpg




We had to wait a few hours on the outside vestibule for the doors to open at 3:00PM, but we needed the break anyway, so we sat and talked to other tourists. Looking up, I noticed the modified Papal Symbol to show St. Peter's keys intertwined with the chains that bound him at one time
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1769Custom.jpg


The doors opened at 3:00PM sharp, and we went inside. The church is very simple overall, but has some remarkable art inside.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1770Custom.jpg


Reliquiry containing St.Peter's Chains
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1771Custom.jpg


The view looking up at the ceiling from in front of the relics is just awesome
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1772Custom.jpg



Organ loft
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1773Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1778Custom.jpg




Michaelangelo's very detailed sculpture of Moses is here as well
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1774Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1776Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1776Custom-1.jpg




There is a painting depicting the angels setting St. Peter free, as the guards nodded off
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1777Custom.jpg




Memento Mori
There are a few tombs within this church, as with all churches in Italy; but the ones that draw the most attention are the ones that remind us of our demise. Many tombs and monuments contain reminders of "Momento Mori" - "Remember that you will die".
The tombs are actually decorated quite simply, without grandeur and homage as to who is inside, and are designed to send a simple message to all who view it.


Tomb of Cardinal Mariano Pietro Vecchiarelli, decorated in "Memento Mori"
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/MarianoPetroVecchiarelli.jpg



Tomb of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1780Custom.jpg



Thank you - - message received!



Ceiling Fresco

The ceiling fresco is telling the story of another legend of The Chains. The chains had been given to Pope Leo I after being privately held by a family for hundreds of years, and as he was telling the story of how St. Peter was freed, the chain links fused together.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1783Custom.jpg


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http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/San_Pietro_in_Vincoli_-_ceiling_Rome.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/San_Pietro_in_Vincoli_-_ceiling_Rome2.jpg





After we left the church, again feeling overwhelmed by all that we saw, we walked a while and on towards the Spanish Steps and piazza below, and then decided to take the tubes "home" to relax with a cold white we had chilling, and make lunch "in the yard". We hung out for a while until dinner......knowing it would be our last dinner in Italy.....sigh....


Evening
We left the hotel and walked to the bus stop, where it took forever to get a bus to the Piazza Navona. We asked a young local about the bus schedule and told him what number bus we were waiting for. He recommended that we take a 'better" bus instead, and was going to the piazza Navona as well, offering to ride along with him. We talked for a long time with him and he really liked hearing what we had to say about our trip through Italia so far. We asked him for a suggestion for a restaurant, as we were winging it, and wanted to eat away from the touristy restaurants, maybe a more local experience. He knew right away what we wanted, and told us the name of a restaurant and where to find it near the Piazza Navona back streets. Well, that's always an adventure in itself and makes it fun.

We walked through our beloved Navona one last time to try and find the joint he recommended
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1786Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1788Custom.jpg


Of course, we pass so many other little back alley cafes as well. The backstreets are a great place to get lost in
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1789Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1794Custom.jpg


We shopped along the way and asked a few store owners if they knew of the restaurant, and they did, and that kept us on the right track. It was pretty obscure, but we did find it and grabbed one of the few tables left. The restaurant is La Vinoteca Di Mimi' E Coco'
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1793Custom.jpg


They had a table set up displaying their wares
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/IMGP1791Custom.jpg


The menu had many classic Roman specialties...all very simple preparations
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000452Custom.jpg


We ordered some fresh baked rosemary and olive oil foccacia to enjoy with our red.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000454Custom.jpg


We shared a pear, gorgonzola, walnut and orange salad
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000453Custom.jpg


I had the Lasagna, which was perfect
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000456Custom.jpg


Alice had the Carbonara - a classic
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000457Custom.jpg



We decided to skip dessert and save room for you-know-what. So we ordered a few limoncellos to sip instead.
I asked for Il conto, and it came to 53.00 Euro, and the Limoncellos were on the house, which made them taste even better!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000458Custom.jpg


After dinner took a leisurely stroll through the Roman streets, stopping at all the little shops and piazzas, trying to sip this last night like a Limoncello. We found a little bakery open near Navona, and got a couple of Cannolli - and this was authentically made in Italy.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000459Custom.jpg


We stopped and found a bench by the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, enjoyed our treat and took in the view.
Much later, we found our way home and sipped the last of our vino out on the terrace....it was a wonderful last evening spent in Roma.


Continued.......


.

[TheWindyCity]

Arrivederci!

The next day, we had arranged for a shuttle to the airport that was owed to us from our trip package. The tour company sent a van to our hotel at 7:00AM for our ride to the airport. It arrived on time and we were off. It was a long two weeks and we were ready to return...always an agonizing moment, but we were ready.


We had arrived at the airport for our 10:00AM flight, and cleared immigration, and the gate without any problems. We had a little time, so we were able to grab some cappuccinos in the airport, which were surprisingly great, and also fresh baked chocolate croissants to eat to tide us over for that great airline food.....and I'm not being sarcastic. Alice shopped the airport for some last minute items, and bought coffee and Italian chocolates, which we really appreciated later in the weaning process at home!


The ride home was on an older plane, so we were glad we got to experience the modern jet on the way into Italy two weeks prior.


Flying over Sardenia
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000460Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000479Custom.jpg



Not serving ordinary fare, Alitalia served up a great Italian dinner of split pasta with a pesto cheese sauce, and marinara. Also, prosciutto and pecorino romano cheese.
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000478Custom.jpg



The vino still flowed freely going 800MPH at 32,000 feet
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000477Custom.jpg




It was a remarkable journey for us. We never really grasped how much we would see and learn when we planned this trip. It turned out to be better than we expected, learning so much about the different regions, and learning about a land so rich in history, and how much the Roman culture has contributed to our world.


Arrivederci, Italia, ci manchi!

[mayaflya]

Amazing journey! It's incredible to see the richness of culture. I can't imagine what it would be like to live with these treasures as a part of your everyday life. Thanks for sharing it in such depth and detail! Italy is definitely on my near term bucket list!

[susan]

Thanks for such an awesome trip report. Sounds like the experience of a lifetime.

[beachreader]

Sigh. Ciao, Italia! What a great report, amazing photos, thanks so much for sharing it, Steve!

[TheWindyCity]

Italy at Home

Like every vacation, we always bring home what we have learned on a new adventure, and try to bring it back into our home, kitchen, and way of life. We really enjoyed a few of the culinary aspects of our trip, and we learned that much of the Italian food we grew up with here is not really authentically Italian, but perhaps Americanized a bit. Of course, we have always heard this, but experiencing it is another story.

For example, the pizza Alice and I grew up with is nothing like what you may find in Italy. And especially the lasagna. Here, it does not even come close to what the lasagna made in various regions of Italy should taste like. The best way to desribe Italian cooking is that is is very simple, where the use of ingredients practices the "less is more" philosophy.

Also, I have been communicating with a chef in Italy who has a website, publishing authentic Italian recipes and also has a downloadable recipe book. His name is Attilio, and he lives in Tuscany, near Pisa and Lucca. He understands that people visit Italy, and then want to make the same authentic tasting dishes that were enjoyed there once they return home. We so related to this!


Attilio had asked me to put something together relating my experiences, when making one of his recipes, for his website, so here it is:
Steve's attempt at Lasagna all'Emiliana (http://www.authentic-italian-pasta-recipes.com/lasagna-recipe-2.html)
He has modified and shortened what I had wrote to keep it simple, but you'll get the idea.


Also, you can find many other recipes and tips at his website, Authentic Italian Pasta Recipes, if you click here (http://www.authentic-italian-pasta-recipes.com/). And if you have questions, you can email him and he will personally answer you with help and suggestions.




If anything, we developed an appreciation for the hard working nonnas in Italy, who put so much passion in their cooking to make it right! So, here are a few of the items Alice and I have turned out in our kitchen, along with some of the wines we learned of, and really enjoy at home:

Rustic pizza on the grill, using our own grown heirloom tomatoes and basil. Believe me, if I had a cow, I would make my own mozzarella!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000504Custom.jpg


Enjoyed with a DaVinci Chianti
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000507Custom.jpg


While Alice was out running errands one day, I attempted to make the Lasagna all'Emiliana style like we had in three different regions in Italy
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000547Custom.jpg


http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000556Custom.jpg


I was able to find fresh homemade flat sheets of pasta at an Italian grocery store, but I didn't quite chop everything as fine as I would have liked, to match what we had in Venice. Still, the flavor was really good
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000563Custom.jpg


I know Alice enjoyed it, (either that, or the fact that she didn't have to cook!) The wine never tasted better once I finally sat down to enjoy
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000567Custom.jpg


We enjoyed our Limoncello from Capri after dinner (yes, that's a shot glass from Tulum, MX! - I'm trying hard to link the continents somehow)
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000568Custom.jpg


On another day, we made Caprese salad using our heirlooms, basil, fresh pesto Alice had made, and mozzarella
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000573Custom.jpg


Also great on olive bread brushed with olive oil and rubbed garlic!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000574Custom.jpg


Two of our favorite whites we located in Chicago. Couldn't believe we found the same wine we enjoyed atop San Gimignano cliffs, called Vernaccia!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000625Custom.jpg


At the Italian grocery, I found homemade portabella stuffed gnocci. So using one of Attilio's recipes, I made a gorgonzola cream sauce. Wow, rich, and awesome accompanied by the Vernaccia from San Gimignano!
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000681Custom.jpg


We enjoyed Spaghetti Carbonara in Roma, and once we were home, I found a recipe for a similar dish that incorporated crushed Italian plum tomatoes. This one is called Bucatini All'Amatriciana, and it was excellent with the Chianti
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000725Custom.jpg



Bucatini All'Amatriciana
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x216/TheWindyCity/Italy 2011/P1000729Custom.jpg



So, there you have it....hope you read this after lunch or dinner. And if not, then you may need to go out to the store!


One of the best things about travel is keeping the memories flowing by practicing the things you have learned along the way! With pasta, however, moderation will be a challenge!


Buon Appetito!

[thetureks]

Thank you so much for the trip report! And, if we're ever in the Windy City, can we come for dinner?

[beachreader]

I know, right? Holy cow, the food you made once you got home looks even better than the rest! Portabella stuffed gnocchi in gorgonzola cream sauce? Are you freaking kidding me? Good. Lord.

And spagetti carbonara was one of the first dishes I learned from my dad (he taught me red sauce, baked ziti and chili as well--good Swedish dad). Bacon in one pan, cook the pasta in another, toss it in with the bacon fat, toss in the egg, cheese and lots of pepper, take it off the fire and let the hot pasta cook the egg. Amazing, amazingly simple, and it became the dish I would cook for myself as a young adult coming home at 2 a.m. and needing something solid. Very fond memories of the carbonara, sorry to reminisce!

[TheWindyCity]

***The Tureks**** Sure, you guys can come over anytime for Italian. Wear loose pants.

***Beachreader*** Always great to hear your stories. You really have to have bad Carbonara to appreciate the good stuff. The Americanized version calls for cream, which makes the dish totally different. Got to have just eggs. Same with a Cesaer salad - can't be a creamed dressing. The correct one uses a cottled egg, and that makes all the difference in taste.

[beachreader]

I know, right? I was shocked the first time I had a restaurant serve me "carbonara" with cream and peas all this other stuff in it. That's not the way my Swedish daddy taught me! (Though my father had a love for Italian food and learned from the guys on the Lower East Side back in the days before the LSE was unaffordably trendy).

[TheWindyCity]

I know someone out there may be contemplating a trip to Italy (possibly to celebrate a milestone) (Maya?). I ran across a really good article in Conde Nast yesterday whilst waiting for a fun teeth cleaning. I wish I was armed with this information when we spent our days in Roma....we were soooo close to many of the places mentioned. They have done all the research and work for you, and the article includes a detailed map. It covers notable restaurants, not necessarily expensive, but just classics for certain pastas and Roman style pizza....as well as notable gelaterias, ect. It's called Relishing Rome - http://www.cntraveler.com/food/2012/01/rome-food-tour-local-favorites-restaurants-lee-aitken

[TheWindyCity]

Thought you I would share some rare photos of Roma under a blanket of snow. The last time this happened was 30 years ago.



http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-covered-in-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-covered-in-Snow.jpg)
St. Peters – from the Daily Mail at Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096402/Rome-snow-Colosseum-closes-drivers-abandon-cars.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-On-a-bicycle-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-On-a-bicycle-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Riding a bike in heavy snowfall – from the newZgrid.com (http://newzgrid.com/world/heavy-snow-rome)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Forum-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Forum-in-the-Snow.jpg)
The Forum – photo from SkyNEWS-HD (http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16163034)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Sledding-at-the-Colosseo-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Sledding-at-the-Colosseo-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Sledding at the Colosseo – Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Motorino-in-Downtown-Rome-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Motorino-in-Downtown-Rome-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Motorini in downtown Rome – Photo from ctpost.com (http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Rome-struggles-with-more-snow-govt-shovels-issued-3018207.php)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Ponte-Milvio-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Ponte-Milvio-in-Snow.jpg)
Crossing Ponte Milvo in the snow – Photo from Angelo Ferraris (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/66055174)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Piazza-Navona-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Piazza-Navona-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Piazza Navona in the snow – Photo by Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/neve-a-roma-8/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Piazza-del-Popolo-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Piazza-del-Popolo-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Piazza del Popolo – Photo from Explore Online (http://exploreonline.org/2012/02/04/snow-in-rome-2012-gallery/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Skier-near-Forum-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Skier-near-Forum-in-Snow.jpg)
Skier near the Forum – Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images, from telegraph.com.au (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rome-has-heaviest-snow-in-27-years/story-fn6e1m7z-1226262846111)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Snowman-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Snowman-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
But did he get the umbrella for €3 or €5?
Photo by Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/large_120204-162601_bast040212var_0062/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Circo-Massinmo-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Circo-Massinmo-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Circo Massimo and Palentine Hill – Photo by Fabio Polimeni/AP, from ctpost.com (http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Rome-struggles-with-more-snow-govt-shovels-issued-3018207.php)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Tevere-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Tevere-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Tevere – photo by Andrew Medichini/AP Photo, from the The Sacramento Bee (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/italy-europe-weather-9/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Trevi-Fountain-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Trevi-Fountain-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Trevi Fountain – Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images – from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/a-photo-taken-on-february-4-2012-shows-4/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Tram-in-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Tram-in-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Public Transportation around the city stops – Photo from www.alriyadh.com (http://www.oo9o.net/19782-موجة_برد_شديدة_تقتل_190_شخصا_في_أوروبا.html)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Arch-of-Constantine-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Arch-of-Constantine-in-Snow.jpg)
Arch of Constantine – Photo by Mauro Scrobogna /LaPresse, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/large_120204-162523_bast040212var_0044/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Bridge-in-Rome-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Bridge-in-Rome-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Bridge in Central Rome – Photo by Riccardo De Luca, AP – from seattlepi (http://www.seattlepi.com/national/article/News-of-the-world-in-photos-2994379.php#photo-2268304)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Colosseo-in-night-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Colosseo-in-night-in-Snow.jpg)
Heavy evening snowfall at the Colosseo – Photo from Dawn.com (http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/04/snow-blankets-rome.html?pid=51897#mgimg)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-Square-Nuns-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-Square-Nuns-in-the-Snow.jpg)
St. Peter’s Square – Photo from The Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/04/4239146/rome-in-the-snow.html)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Janiculum-Hill-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Janiculum-Hill-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Janiculum Hill – Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/neve-a-roma-7/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Plowing-in-Rome-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Plowing-in-Rome-in-the-Snow.jpg)
On Via dei Fori Imperiale – Photo by Andrew Medichini, AP Photo, from The Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/04/4239146/rome-in-the-snow.html)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Two-girls-at-the-Colosseo-in-the-Snow_thumb.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Two-girls-at-the-Colosseo-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Two girls from the Philippines take a self-timer photo in front of the Colosseum on Saturday.
Photo by Andrew Medichini/Associated Press – from CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/02/04/europe-cold-snow.html)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-in-the-distance-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-St.-Peters-in-the-distance-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images – from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/a-photo-taken-on-february-4-2012-shows-5/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Spanish-Steps-in-the-Snow-625x409.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Spanish-Steps-in-the-Snow.jpg)
Spanish Steps – from the Daily Mail at Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096402/Rome-snow-Colosseum-closes-drivers-abandon-cars.html?ito=feeds-newsxml)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Walking-the-dog-Rome-in-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Walking-the-dog-Rome-in-Snow.jpg)
Rome neighborhood – Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images, from Il Post (http://www.ilpost.it/2012/02/04/foto-roma-con-la-neve/a-woman-stands-in-a-street-covered-with/)


http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Pope-reflects-on-Snow.jpg (http://www.roninrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-Pope-reflects-on-Snow.jpg)
The Pope overlooking snowfall in St. Peter’s Square – Photo from apriestdownunder.com (http://apriestdownunder.com/tag/2012/)




Some Videos:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pdJeVtst_4&feature=related

[minniemex]

This is incredible! I know too that my friends in England got lots of snow last weekend. Here I am in Minnesota with hardly a flake on the ground. Loving this winter!! Especially after last winter.

[mayaflya]

I know someone out there may be contemplating a trip to Italy (possibly to celebrate a milestone) (Maya?). I ran across a really good article in Conde Nast yesterday whilst waiting for a fun teeth cleaning. I wish I was armed with this information when we spent our days in Roma....we were soooo close to many of the places mentioned. They have done all the research and work for you, and the article includes a detailed map. It covers notable restaurants, not necessarily expensive, but just classics for certain pastas and Roman style pizza....as well as notable gelaterias, ect. It's called Relishing Rome - http://www.cntraveler.com/food/2012/01/rome-food-tour-local-favorites-restaurants-lee-aitken

How little you really knew at all when you wrote this, amigo....or should I say amico? ......:rolleyes:

[Cocoanib]

I haven't gotten all the way through yet, but I'm loving this trip report. Thanks so much for taking the time!