Exploring Italy

Posted on April 21, 2007 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Published April, 2007

I recently found an old journal with entries from our trip to Italy in April, 2007.

Our friends from Alexandria, Virginia, joined my husband and me for a two-week tour of Italy with Untours. I would recommend this company to folks who like to travel and explore on their own, but with backup whenever necessary. Untours booked us into a fairy-tale farmhouse in Tuscany within a short driving distance of many of the towns that would be on your must-see list. The accommodations were excellent, the people we met were congenial, the food was so good Ron was talking about it years later. Of course, it was impossible to take a bad photo in such a spectacular setting. Untours provided us a car, some escorted tours, a welcoming dinner, and a concierge with help or answers to any questions we had. After a week in Tuscany, we spent a week on the Amalfi coast. Finally, we went on our own to Rome, then home.

My little journal starts with a description of a day in Florence.

Drove to Florence and parked at the free parking lot – Piazzale Michaelangelo. Walked down the hill and along the Arne river to the Uffizzi Museum. Got in without standing in line since Verda had made reservations. Museum was disappointing. Too much Jesus, and dark, depressing paintings. Did like the Rembrandts and the Goyas. The weather was hot and humid – miserable! I was soaked.

After the Uffizzi we looked for the restaurant that Ken recommended, but couldn’t find it. Ended up going in a restaurant where lunch cost us $100 for the 4 of us. (Note: in 2025, that would be about average for 4 people without wine or beer.) Verda and I shared fried zucchini flowers which were super. Had salad and roasted potatoes. Bill had a $24 liver entree, and Verda had sautéed spinach which was good. Don’t remember what Ron ordered, probably potatoes.

After lunch we went to the Galleria Dell’ Accademia to visit David up close and personal. The city is chock full of Davids. He greets you at every turn and come in a multitude of sizes in every gift shop. He was meant to be mere decoration of the Cathedral of Florence, commissioned as were so many works of that period by the church.

The block of marble that would eventually become David was quarried in Carrara. It was transported to Florence and entrusted to another sculptor who accomplished nothing but damage to it. It sat for many years waiting for the hands of Michelangelo. He is everything they say he is.

Left the Academy and took a taxi back up the hill to the car and drove home. Long ride home in the dark. Warmed up pizza, made salad, had salami and cheese, and cookies for dinner. Everyone took a PM and went to bed.

Saturday – market in Buonconvento, from the Latin “bonus conventus” which means “happy place.” Cute, cute little town! Walked up and down and bought shrimp, broccoli/cauliflower, green beans, garlic, onion, potatoes and eggplant. Were waited on by a darling little girl named Angela. She was so engaging and wanted to converse with us to practice her English.

We took the food back to the apartment, then headed for Montelcino. Loved it! If you want to step back in time to the 9th century, you won’t find a better example than Montelcino. Known in the past for its exceptional leather goods, it is primarily famous now for its Brunello wine. Verda bought a bottle, even though it is seriously expensive, for her daughter’s anniversary. We stopped at a bar – the Belvedere – and had yummy lunch. I had insalada Caprese which is mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Ron had good bread toasted with a piece of prosciutto on top, with artichoke hearts and melted mozzarella over all. He loved it!

Bought granddaughter Ella an adorable little Italian leather purse – she will be so excited! Also bought 2 little watercolors of Tuscany to frame at home. (And they are still hanging in my bathroom.)

Sunday – Bill is a turtle enthusiast and had discovered a sanctuary within driving distance. Apparently, hundreds of parents allowed their kids to get a little red slider turtle during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze. Eventually the children lost interest and many, many turtles were dumped into British waterways. A charity paid for 800 turtles to be gathered up and flown to a sanctuary in Italy. Of course, Bill was anxious to visit this place, so we set out to find it and, after driving a good ways toward the coast, we found the place. It had been closed for two years! Such a disappointment.

So we went on to Fallonica, situated right on the water. We parked and walked through town. Stopped at a cafe to get coffee and the woman inside had a signed photo of Rafael Nadal, my tennis idol! She had other pictures and newspaper articles about him on the wall behind the counter. She said he had come into the cafe once. We didn’t speak the same language but could communicate quite well when it came to our love of Rafa!

We walked down to the water and Ron took off his shoes to say he had waded in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Later, we drove to Volterra, the setting for the Twilight books. Traveled the twistiest road we had been on yet. It took much longer than we had expected to get there, but Tuscany is so beautiful, you don’t mind. Volterra was a great little town. It is the birthplace of Pope Linus. Linus was entrusted with his office by the apostles Peter and Paulafter they had established the Christian church in Rome. Very pleasant little town – I bought alabaster souvenirs just before the downpour began. We left and headed for Siena and home.

Dinner was potatoes, green beans, the rest of the broc/cauliflower, and I had the remainder of the tortelinni. Slept like Katie!

Monday –

Went first to San Giovanni d’Asso, a tiny town with only 100 residents, but couldn’t find a place to park the car, so drove on to Pienza. It is the birthplace of Pope Pius II, and the name was changed from Corsignano to Pienza which means city of Pius. Because it is a World Heritage Site, it is a bit more upscale than some of the other towns in Tuscany.

Tuesday –

Last full day here. Went to Siena – great city. So-so-so much better than Florence. The parking was easy. Walked to the “Campo” where they run the Paseo- something I wish we could have seen. If I ever came back to Siena, I would plan it for the running of the Paseo. Must be auite the experience. We found a table at an outdoor cafe even thought the plaza was crowded with tourists. Vendors were set up throughout the plaza and we couldn’t resist the scarves. We bought quite a few to take home.

The Duomo is the most amazing building! Bought lots of postcards since there is no way to properly photograph the immense space. Truly fascinating. The ceiling in one room is entirely gold. On the way down fro the Duomo we stopped and had pizza to hold us over til dinner, then went shopping. I found a shoe store with shoes on sale. I bought a pair of bone colored loafers. Too bad we can’t take some pecorino cheese home for Kathy and Steve.

Wednesday –

Left La Canonica about 9:00 headed for the Amalfi coast. Long drive on the A-1 – crazy Italian drivers all thinking they’re competing in an F-1 race. Stopped at an Autogrill for a picnic lunch. Thanks to Verda we had sandwiches. Ron bought a baguette for 1 euro.

Arrived at Agerola and asked directions for the street where the internet point was. (This was back when there were beginning to be internet cafes, but not personal computers with internet capabilities.) Found it and it turned out it was run by Giovanna’s husband, Pasquale. He spoke excellent English and he led us to the house. Climbed down about a hundred stairs to a lovely house perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the sea. Breathtaking view. Inside they had even left some of the rock exposed. Two bedrooms with double beds, nice bathroom, and a washing machine. Made pasta with pesto and a salad for dinner. Ron made eggs and potatoes. It was hard to go inside and leave the iconic view of the Amalfi coast. You’ve all seen those pictures – houses defying gravity to perch on the side of the mountain. It is so beautiful I wish everyone could spend just one day and night trying to appreciate the genius of those who built on this coastline.

Thursday –

Had to turn the car in today in Sorrento, so went to Pompeii first. So crowded driving was insane! Finally got there and parked. Walked around the site but lots of things weren’t open. Kind of disappointing. We’re getting jaded, I guess. Had a snack at a little place just outside the gates. I had bruschetta and it was awful. Drove to Sorrento and turned the car in, then walked to the train station to catch the bus.

After asking twice and searching, we finally found the station. Bought tickets to Amalfi. There was only one seat left on the bus, but a young man from Ireland whose Mama had raised him right gave us his seat and Ron and Bill stood up til we got to Positano. Scary ride but on a crowded bus you couldn’t see enough to be terrified. Hard to get good photos from a moving bus going around one S curve after another. Everyone got off at Amalfi. We had to change buses and take the one to Agerola. We had just missed one bus and had to wait for the next one at 9:00 pm. We were so tired, hungry and overstimulated. Made it to Furore and found some other people who were walking to their apartment and discovered they were from Charlotte. Got to our house, made sandwiches and went to bed. I know it sounds like we ate nothing but sandwiches, but we usually had our lunch at a restaurant and ate a lighter supper.

Friday –

Got up a bit later today. Took the 10:15 bus down to Amalfi and bought tickets for the ferry to Positano. Had an enjoyable boat ride with spectacular views to photograph. Got off and found a neat bar on the water. I had bruschetta and Ron had salami and mozzarella panini. Then we hiked up to the bus stop to get the bus back to Amalfi. We had some time in Amalfi so walked around a bit and I had a gelato. Then went to a cafe where Ron had a beer. The Agerola bus came and Bill and Verda were on it! Funny how often that happens.

Made spaghetti for dinner. Ron had gnocchi and mushy peas.

Saturday –

Caught the bus up the street again to Amalfi and were planning to go to Capri, but it cost $120 just to get there and back. So Ron and I opted to take the ferry to Salerno which was wonderful. There were maybe a dozen people on the boat and I could sit by the window, put my feet up and snap pictures. Salerno is a normal town where real people live and work, so we found a department store where we bought Faye some shoes, and a little shop where we got her a cute little hat. Still have to find something for Mike for his birthday. Had a little snack of horrible coffee and french fries and potato croquettes with little bits of ham and cheese in them. I had a granito de limon in Amalfi which was so good! The best drink yet. Just like Steve’s margarita machine, but with lemonade. Ron had a little Amalfi cake – sponge cake with lemon flavored whipped cream that was superb.

We went to the Maritime Museum which was really interesting. Found out the symbol for Amalfi in the regatta is a golden unicorn. Tried to find one for Kathy but no luck.

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That’s the end of my notes. It’s a good thing I didn’t write any more because after our idyllic stay in Amalfi, we continued on to Rome. My advice to anyone going to Italy is to skip Rome altogether. You’ve seen all the pictures and scenes in movies anyway. Our rooms were awful – could barely fit 2 people in the room and couldn’t turn around in the shower. It was hot and humid, so I was miserable. The line for the Coliseum was miles long, so we skipped it. We did go to the Vatican and marveled at the riches displayed there. Seeing the Sistine Chapel so close was worth the whole trip. True to his nature, Ron insisted that we walk back to our little nook. I tried, but simply gave out even with frequent stops. He finally grabbed a taxi, thank goodness. Rome was so crowded and so expensive that we were happy to leave.

If I were asked what to do in Italy, I would recommend a week in Tuscany, and even that might not be enough time. We weren’t able to squeeze in the Cinque Terra, something I would devote at least three days to if I could. And next time, I would ferry across to Sicily, if only to see where the Mafia originated. Instead of Rome, I would add Milan for the fashion and Venice for the canals. And, then, if I had a whole month to explore, I would experience Naples.

First Trip to Europe

Posted on April 7, 2007 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Published Mar 29, 2007

When I was a little girl, my mother enrolled me in an educational program from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. They sent a packet of information each month about different art museums in the world and the works of art that could be seen in them. I pored over these materials for hours, and carefully, so carefully, put the stickers in my booklet in their little frames. My favorite was the “Winged Victory of Samothrace.”There was something about her power and grace that spoke to me. I imagined myself transported from my little room in Selma, Alabama, to Paris, to the Louvre, and standing in front of her. And then, over the years, I forgot about that dream.

Many, many years later when the children were grown and we had more time, we started investigating the possibility of more travel. And, by then, we had the internet. I was able to investigate sites like Travelzoo that searches out great travel deals and sends them to you in an email each week. I happened to see an entry for “European Destinations,” which offers packages that include airfare, accommodations and, sometimes, ground transportation or connections when necessary. For example, in 2007, this was available: Fly to Rome, spend 2 nights, take the Eurostar train to Florence, spend 2 nights in Florence, take the train to Venice, spend 2 nights in Venice and fly home for an unbelievable $955 per person. Allowing ourselves $1000 for meals, fees for attractions, and shopping, we could have 6 nights in Italy for just under $3000.

I emailed our travel friends and sent them the link to this amazing package. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as it turned out) they were on vacation at Hilton Head and had no computer access in their condo. Days crept by with no response from them and the longer we waited, the higher the price went as the less expensive hotel spots were taken.

Note: as I remember this now, I realize that 10 years ago, not everyone had a cell phone, a data plan, an iPad, and Wifi everywhere.

When we were finally able to speak with Bill and Verda on the phone, we discovered another glitch. They had recently been bumped from a Delta flight and were given a voucher for a free flight as long as it was the same price or less than the flight they’d been bumped from. When Verda checked the voucher, she saw that it expired in two days! Therefore, we had no time to work out an itinerary with European Destinations since there are options to choose from – including length of stay in each city; 3, 4 or 5 star hotels; which mode of transportation ( train, bus, or car) – so planning was imperative. We were on our own as far as planning this trip.

The next thing we knew, Bill and Verda had booked tickets to Amsterdam! I was surprised, to say the least. Amsterdam is quite a ways from Rome, Florence, and Venice. And they booked their flight on May 30th without thinking that, if we traveled from Amsterdam to Rome, it would put us there right at Easter, which that year was on April 8th. Trying to find an inexpensive hotel in Rome on the holiest of days in Christendom? You guys do know that the Vatican is in Rome, right?

True to their adventuresome character, Verda said

“Don’t worry. Wherever you guys fly into, we’ll just take a train and meet you.”

So, with that in mind, we started searching online for airfares. As I looked and looked, I was getting discouraged because I couldn’t find anything – not to Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Munich, anywhere – for less than about $800. Too much for us to spend. Finally, one night, my husband was standing by the computer while I showed him what the fares looked like. He suggested that I look for the previous day – the 29th – instead of the 30th. Lo and behold! Flight to Amsterdam for $478 each! Instead of European Destinations to Italy, this was Cross Your Fingers to The Netherlands.

How Much Is That in Euros?

Posted on April 2, 2007 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Published Mar 30, 2007

In 2007, there were not as many websites available to help travelers find flights, hotels, restaurants, and everything else you need to know when you travel. After searching the few sites online I found a relatively inexpensive hotel with a restaurant and that advertised shuttle service to and from the airport. We booked a room for 3 nights and Bill and Verda booked into the same hotel for 2 nights.

The idea of guest reviews was not as popular then as it is now, so there were not very many reviews to check. But I sure wish someone had mentioned that the shower leaked all over the bathroom floor in our room. We had to roll up our pant legs until it dried up.

Another unpleasant surprise was that, when we arrived at Schiphol airport, we discovered that the shuttle cost 12.5 Euros per person, or about $33.00 for the two of us. And, it was my mistake that I assumed that the shuttle would be free if we stayed at that hotel. When the cost of the shuttle was added in to the cost of the room, it turned out not to be an inexpensive room after all.

But upon arriving after a trans-Atlantic flight, you’re not going to care about much but sleep. We crawled into bed immediately and had a nap til we woke up hungry. My husband and I took a walk around the neighborhood and found the markets. We bought goodies for an in-room picnic and went back to sleep for the night.

Bill and Verda arrived early the next morning, but had several hours before they could check in, so we decided to take our first tour of Amsterdam. The hotel was quite close to a tram stop that would take us anywhere we wanted to go, and the hotel desk sold us two-day tram passes. The first thing on our list was the “Damme” or Dam Square.

It is difficult to see this as the original dam across the Amstel River since it is so large. The Dam Square is always full of living statues, like the one above, jugglers, protesters, and unusual monuments.

Right away, we had to learn how to walk around in Amsterdam. In the U.S., the pedestrian always has the right of way, but not in the Netherlands. We had to watch for trams, be on the lookout for speeding cars, and, most of all, not walk in the bike lanes! We were sure Ron was going to get hit before our stay was over. He couldn’t help walking next to the canals, which were where the bike lanes were. We constantly heard Brrrrring! Brrrrring! Get out of the way or get run over!

Coming from a car-centric country, we found it unusual that the favored mode of transportation is the bicycle. There are literally thousands of bikes in Amsterdam with parking garages just for them. Seeing these bikes, you can’t help but think that the Dutch must be much healthier than Americans. The other thing that strikes you is the lack of “safety standards.” You know that what you see in the photo above would never be allowed in the U.S.

Back at the hotel for dinner and we were ready to talk about our various options now that we were in Europe and had a car to pick up on Monday morning. Since we were starting out from Amsterdam, we realized that it would be foolish to try to get to Rome, Florence and Venice. Someone suggested that we each pick one thing that we really, really, really wanted to do. My husband wanted to see the beaches at Normandy. His uncle Willie had died in the invasion and Ron had always been interested in the history of World War II. Our friend, Bill, is of German extraction and expressed a desire to learn more about his family’s roots, but since they were staying an extra week, they said they would do that after we left to come home. Verda paints and said her trip would be complete if she could go to the Louvre. Oh, and she wanted to make sure that we actually got to Paris and didn’t fiddle around and run out of time. I agreed with her but said that my heart’s desire was to to stand at the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset and see the lights of Paris come on below us. So, first, explore Amsterdam on the one day we had, then off to Normandy.

See Amsterdam by Boat

Posted on April 1, 2007 by dottieday | Leave a comment

Published Apr 1, 2007

According to the guide books, you can’t go to Amsterdam and not see the Rijksmuseum with its collection of the Dutch masters, and the Van Gogh museum. Verda and I wanted to do those, Bill is a flea-market aficionado, so he wanted to explore the street markets, and Ron, ever the sailor, wanted to take a boat ride on the canals.

Sunday morning we had juice, fruit and croissants fresh from the bakery in our rooms rather than pay the almost $30 for the two of us to have breakfast in the hotel. It turned out that having a restaurant in the hotel didn’t matter since it was too expensive for us to want to eat there. Another lesson learned: don’t make your choice of hotel dependent on its having a restaurant on the premises. In Amsterdam, there are many bars and restaurants within walking distance of wherever you stay. And, if you don’t want to walk, you can hop on the tram and hop off at any of the “pleins” for refreshment.

After breakfast, we took the tram to Museumplein, the stop for both museums that we wanted to see. When we saw the line for the Rijks, Ron balked. He hates standing in lines and can’t deal with crowds. Kind of a problem when you’re a tourist and every tourist has the same guide books that recommend the same attractions. We agreed we would come back later in the day and see if it was a shorter wait. Secretly, I think he and I were both thinking that we had just seen the Rembrandt exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum a week before we left, so a lot of the Dutch masters weren’t here, they were in Phoenix!

So we continued on to the Van Gogh museum, just down the “straat” where we found a similar line, but this time it was I who rebelled. I insisted that this was one thing I didn’t want to miss. The line was moving and if we put everything off until late afternoon we certainly would not be able to fit it all in. Bill and Verda agreed to go with me, so Ron reluctantly gave in.

There were hordes of people inside, and the mob was moving very, very slowly. Verda and I tried to navigate our way around the crowds, and naturally we lost Bill and Ron immediately. We didn’t make it up to the third floor because we had agreed to meet up and have lunch, but Ron said he did go up to the third floor – just to escape the crowd – and saw works by Van Gogh’s friends and colleagues – Gauguin, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec – so, if you go, make sure you allow enough time to see the entire collection. For 10 euros it’s your chance to get up close and personal with some of the best known of the Impressionists. And, if you purchase Canal Boat passes (18 euros for 24 hours) you get a 1 euro discount at the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh, and the Rembrandt museums.

After a brief visit to the gift shop for souvenirs, we hopped back on the #2 tram and got off at Leidseplein. We had learned that “plein” meant something like “square” or “plaza” and we could always find restaurants, bars, outdoor cafes and souvenirs at any of the “pleins.” Bill and I are big basketball fans and we were dying to know what was going on back home at the NCAA basketball championships. We saw a sports bar with a schedule of all the sporting events they had available so we headed there. Very friendly staff, very pretty waitresses, very interesting menu and as promised by the guidebooks, the unmistakable smell of marijuana burning. After a bite of lunch and a beer, we decided to take a boat tour in order to see more of the city in a short amount of time.