I can't even begin to express how awesome this trip has been for me, and I'll go ahead and speak for my parents and say that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves as well. Italy was all that I dreamed it would be and more and I can't wait to save my money and go back again and again!
I suppose I should chronicle our last day in Italy just to close things out properly. So we began Wednesday with a 3am wake-up call...fun. A shower, quick last minute packing, and the trials of lugging our bags down ourselves due to lack of bellboys took up an hour and we were on the road by 4am. Sorrento is only about 3 hours from Rome and the airport but we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time before our 11:15am flight. The drive was mostly uneventful and we arrived at the international terminal by 8:15 or 8:30. Flights were all on time, and it was smooth sailing in the skies back to Philadelphia, then on to hometown of good ol' Richmond, VA. Mark graciously met us at the airport to take us home, and by the time we got back to Villa Rosa we had been awake for 24 hours! Exhausting, but completely worth it. The end of the week and a nice relaxing holiday weekend have proved to be necessary for getting over jet lag for all of us. Now we are back on our feet and back to the daily grind.
I can't wait to post all the pictures and share all the memories and sites and gorgeousness with all of you! The only thing that would have made it better is if we could have taken you all along for the adventure. Just to name a few of my favorite things and memories about L'Italia, in no particular order: kids on leashes, dogs in strollers with diapers, crema gelato, sidewalk cafes, intense hand gesturing everywhere, yelling everywhere, getting to say "buongiorno!" and "buona sera!" all the time, seeing zero SUVs and zero pimped out cars and zero spinning rims, Gucci, most delicious pizza anywhere, watermelon gelato, walking down public streets with a beer, having 2 glasses of wine with every meal (not just lunch and dinner), tasting gnocchi and realizing we really do not like it, tasting the original Alfredo sauce and realizing no American knows how to make it, seeing the motherland - Sicilia! Trying to speak Italian and failing miserably, trying to speak Italian and having a coherent conversation (kind of), adding 11 spoons to my collection (haha), buying a pair of genuine Italian leather shoes (they are beautiful), tasting Limocello for the first time and realizing why they serve it in such small little glasses, lemon trees growing in every possible crevice of every street and yard, fields of sunflowers, vineyards, tiny cars everywhere, stracciatella gelato, motor scooters taking over the streets, moms with three kids on one scooter, taxis that overcharge, hotels that overcharge, getting free food at our hotel, custom-made omlettes that weren't on the menu, Mount Visuvius, Mount Etna, thousands of years of history next door to modern government buildings and apartments, the Roman Road, umbrella pine trees, Oleander flowering 7 months of the year, wild roses everywhere, "2 Euro, special price!" from the unauthorized vendors, winding roads that are illegal in the US, views that do not exist in the US, and a thousand or more pictures to remember it all by. I could keep going...
Thanks, Mum and Dad, for taking me on the trip of a lifetime! It was simply amazing. And thanks to the fam and my dear friends for reading our adventures...I know I'm wordy and probably too detailed, but you know this is as much for you as it is for us. Love to everyone, look for our pics coming soon!
Arrivaderci,
Sara
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
More Breaking News!
I'm sitting in the hotel room checking email and updating this blog, while watching Bloomberg TV becaues it's the only channel in English and I just had to share my astonishment: Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in jail!!! Good for the judge I say, and what a message he's sending. Anyways I don't want to turn this into a political or newsy blog but I had to share about poor Bernie. Go America.
Good night from lovely Sorrento...I'll look out my window to the beautiful city view for you ;)
Good night from lovely Sorrento...I'll look out my window to the beautiful city view for you ;)
Amalfi Coast: Positano and Amalfi town
It is so hard to pick a favorite day or excursion on a trip like this, but I’d say that Positano definitely ranks up there for me. But first I must tell you about driving there…oy. We got a decent start by leaving the hotel in our rental car around 10:30am, and following the Hertz “NeverLost” (aka a Garmin GPS with a Hertz sticker on it), began to make our way to Positano. There are no highways in this part of the country, so it is all back roads by our standards…they twist and turn sharply and at some points people have to pull over to let others pass or let a bus pass. So the whole trip was an adventure because of this, but the funniest part was that the “NeverLost” led us down a road that was not really a road for real cars, in my opinion. For 2 whole kilometers we were squeezing between stone walls, scraping side-view mirrors and door handles, and holding our breath hoping we weren’t going to get stuck and have to go backwards. Luckily Dad has lots of video game car experience and handled the car quite nicely and we made it out the other side in one piece…I took some pictures of the sidewalk we drove down so you’ll have to check them out.
Now! On to Positano! There is one road that leads into Positano and one road that leads out. We wound our way down the cliff and finally found a tiny parking garage to store our car while we walked the solely pedestrian town center of Positano. It is just wonderful – just a downward sloping sidewalk with some occasional stairs winding down the cliff with chic women’s boutiques, ceramic shops, art galleries, touristy stores, pizza stops, and gelati counters. Just the most charming place ever! Mum and I went into a bunch of the stores to check out the clothes which they have in abundance, and I bought an authentic made-in-Italy shirt! So fun. Once we reached the bottom, we walked along the beach briefly, had some beverages, and then wound our way back up the cliff for a pizza snack and the most delicious watermelon gelato before getting our car and heading south to the town of Amalfi. We successfully found the town, since there is pretty much one road that connects all these little coastal towns it wasn’t too difficult, found some parking and did much of the same as we did in Positano. Amalfi is structured a bit differently though, so we parked much closer to the town center. We spent a little time window shopping, checking out the massive lemons for sale, and then the rains came and we sought shelter under a restaurant umbrella. After a little while, we decided it call it a day and got back on the road to Sorrento.
I have failed to mention it sufficiently, but the drive along the coast to and from these towns is just breathtakingly beautiful. Some famous guy said something about how you may think you have seen beautiful landscapes but you have seen nothing until you’ve seen the Amalfi Coast, and although I’m not a world traveler and can list the international places I’ve been on 4 fingers, I completely agree with him. It is the most charming place, with so much character, so much to see, plenty but not too much to do, GREAT food, and inexpensive souvenirs (very important). I have absolutely loved our day today and aside from a couple close calls with busses on precarious curvy bridges over deep gorges, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Tomorrow I believe we are relaxing yet again before we prepare ourselves to travel back to I Stati Uniti! Arrivaderci, miei amici e famiglie!
Now! On to Positano! There is one road that leads into Positano and one road that leads out. We wound our way down the cliff and finally found a tiny parking garage to store our car while we walked the solely pedestrian town center of Positano. It is just wonderful – just a downward sloping sidewalk with some occasional stairs winding down the cliff with chic women’s boutiques, ceramic shops, art galleries, touristy stores, pizza stops, and gelati counters. Just the most charming place ever! Mum and I went into a bunch of the stores to check out the clothes which they have in abundance, and I bought an authentic made-in-Italy shirt! So fun. Once we reached the bottom, we walked along the beach briefly, had some beverages, and then wound our way back up the cliff for a pizza snack and the most delicious watermelon gelato before getting our car and heading south to the town of Amalfi. We successfully found the town, since there is pretty much one road that connects all these little coastal towns it wasn’t too difficult, found some parking and did much of the same as we did in Positano. Amalfi is structured a bit differently though, so we parked much closer to the town center. We spent a little time window shopping, checking out the massive lemons for sale, and then the rains came and we sought shelter under a restaurant umbrella. After a little while, we decided it call it a day and got back on the road to Sorrento.
I have failed to mention it sufficiently, but the drive along the coast to and from these towns is just breathtakingly beautiful. Some famous guy said something about how you may think you have seen beautiful landscapes but you have seen nothing until you’ve seen the Amalfi Coast, and although I’m not a world traveler and can list the international places I’ve been on 4 fingers, I completely agree with him. It is the most charming place, with so much character, so much to see, plenty but not too much to do, GREAT food, and inexpensive souvenirs (very important). I have absolutely loved our day today and aside from a couple close calls with busses on precarious curvy bridges over deep gorges, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Tomorrow I believe we are relaxing yet again before we prepare ourselves to travel back to I Stati Uniti! Arrivaderci, miei amici e famiglie!
Lounge day
Sleeping in is so glorious and I will miss it dearly on July 13th (or 20th, not sure yet) when I start my job as a real life person and no longer have time to sleep in. Boo. But back to sleeping in…we did so until about 10 or 10:30 and went up to the upstairs lounge where we had free breakfast on the outdoor terrace and enjoyed the view of Sorrento. Wonderful. Then Mum and Dad went to work out, and I went to work on my tan. Equally as difficult, as you all know. There is a separate pool on the 7th floor we get to use and it’s great…there’s no kids and we get free drinks and snacks all day long. So awesome. Eventually the parentals joined me in the sun and we enjoyed the day! Early evening brought some clouds in, and we moved under the covered terrace to snack and play Canasta…very fun, and need I mention that Dad won. Eventually we figured we should get ready and head to dinner! So we cleaned ourselves up around 7:30 and headed into town to hit up a guidebook recommendation, Pizzeria Giardiniello. I had an enormous calzone made for 5 people, Mum had delicious spinach ravioli, and Dad had pasta fagioli and cannelloni with a wonderful mix of meat inside. Everything was so good, and for such a reasonable price too! I love these small non-touristy places because no one speaks English and they are so friendly and happy to have you there, regardless of whether you can communicate or not.
So that was our day! After dinner we walked around a little bit in town and then came back to read and relax in our rooms…quite uneventful but absolutely delightful. Tomorrow we head south over the mountain to explore a little of the Amalfi coast!
So that was our day! After dinner we walked around a little bit in town and then came back to read and relax in our rooms…quite uneventful but absolutely delightful. Tomorrow we head south over the mountain to explore a little of the Amalfi coast!
Rental Car fun and Sorrento!
Buongiorno! This morning, Dad got up early to catch the shuttle to the airport to pick up our rental car – we decided of all the options for getting to and from Sorrento, this was the best, cheapest, and easiest option for all of us. So after some hassle at the rental counter and an hour of round-trip travel, he returned and we piled all of our luggage (all 7 bags) into our “luxury” Ford Focus and we got on the road! The trip from Rome to Sorrento (which is south of Naples – check your maps) is rather short and pleasant, only about 3 hours. We made it to our hotel in Sorrento in 3 hours and maybe 15 or 20 minutes because of some traffic and some confusion on the roads in this small city. The Hilton Sorrento Palace is located on the side of a mountain which overlooks the city/town of Sorrento, the Bay of Naples, the city of Naples which is visible across the bay, and also a cool view of Mount Vesuvius. Our rooms (I was lucky enough to score my own room again!) on the 6th floor give us a great vantage point for this fantastic view, and the layout of the rooms is such that the beds face the huge sliding glass door. It’s wonderful to wake up to, especially since there is a switch next to the bed you can press to have the curtains automatically open. So cool.
After checking in and settling into our rooms, we explored the hotel (it’s huge and has a conference center, three pools, gym, auditorium…just endless), and then ventured out to do a lazy walking tour of Sorrento. We started in the city center, Sorrento’s only piazza, Piazza Tasso. It’s very loud and congested with pedestrians, cars, busses, mopeds, dogs, and tables which leak out into the piazza and the road from the surrounding cafes and restaurants. On one side of the piazza you can see down a gorge and into the sea where the harbor of Sorrento is, and turning around you can see the main couple of streets in this city. From the square, we found the statue of Signore Tasso, the 16th century poet who is namesake of the square. Behind the statue, there was a cool indoor garden which apparently is typical of an 18th century aristocratic palace’s courtyard. It was kind of like a greenhouse with painted tiles all over the walls, a fountain and lots of greenery. After that we went down a narrow street, passed a couple of road-side shrines to Mary and some other saints, and found the local Cathedral which apparently houses the bishop of this area. Mass was going on so we of course stayed and tried to get as much out of the Italian service as possible. It is, as they all are, a beautiful church. This one however has lots of inlaid wood art in it, as this is the area’s artistic specialty and it is everywhere. I have never seen this kind of work so detailed and wood in so many different colors…the craftsmanship is just remarkable. So after mass was over, we wandered down some other streets, passed the Sorrento Men’s Club (which is so hilarious – it’s a closed off patio full of old Italian men gesturing, yelling, and drinking. Think of the Godfather, and any other stereotypical Italian scene where the women are cleaning and the men are sitting around talking about them. Just great. Also there are no phones allowed in this place…so funny. The guide book we’re using tells us an Italian joke that says that Jesus must have been a southern Italian, because his mother believed he was God, he believed his mother was a virgin, and he lived with his parents until he was 30. Haha! Anyways, after this bit of fun, we found the main shopping street! It is full of shoe stores, designer boutiques for men and women, small town stores, touristy places, and of course lemon products! The lemon is ridiculous in this region – they grow it everywhere and do everything with it.
So then it was dinner time and we made our way to a place that had been recommended to us by friends called L’Antica Trattoria, since 1930. This place was SO cute. The outdoor patio was covered in oleander, purple blooming vines, lemon trees, wild rose vines, and a bunch of other beautiful flowers overhead. They served dinner in a sort of set price menu style, where you pick and entire meal including all three courses for one price. So mum got the vegetarian meal, which was a plate of yummy seasoned vegetables for antipasta, a bowl of linguini with zucchini flowers (a specialty of this place – it’s a fried battered zucchini flower stuffed with ricotta cheese…so good) and pesto-ish sauce, and then eggplant cooked as we’ve never seen before…delicious. I had one of their “traditional spring” meals, which included a plate of fried vegetables (zucchini flower, fried carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and onion), gnocchi in a tomato and mozzarella sauce, and then beef with potato cake and spinach…we learned we’re not so big on the gnocchi but everything else was great. And Dad had another of their traditional meals which included a local fish for antipasta (it was so good but weird – really thin and transparent), cannelloni, and then pork with potatoes and vegetables. All in all it was a great meal and we were all stuffed to the brim afterwards!
Tomorrow we are taking a day off from being world travelers and will be relaxing at the hotel…more to come!
After checking in and settling into our rooms, we explored the hotel (it’s huge and has a conference center, three pools, gym, auditorium…just endless), and then ventured out to do a lazy walking tour of Sorrento. We started in the city center, Sorrento’s only piazza, Piazza Tasso. It’s very loud and congested with pedestrians, cars, busses, mopeds, dogs, and tables which leak out into the piazza and the road from the surrounding cafes and restaurants. On one side of the piazza you can see down a gorge and into the sea where the harbor of Sorrento is, and turning around you can see the main couple of streets in this city. From the square, we found the statue of Signore Tasso, the 16th century poet who is namesake of the square. Behind the statue, there was a cool indoor garden which apparently is typical of an 18th century aristocratic palace’s courtyard. It was kind of like a greenhouse with painted tiles all over the walls, a fountain and lots of greenery. After that we went down a narrow street, passed a couple of road-side shrines to Mary and some other saints, and found the local Cathedral which apparently houses the bishop of this area. Mass was going on so we of course stayed and tried to get as much out of the Italian service as possible. It is, as they all are, a beautiful church. This one however has lots of inlaid wood art in it, as this is the area’s artistic specialty and it is everywhere. I have never seen this kind of work so detailed and wood in so many different colors…the craftsmanship is just remarkable. So after mass was over, we wandered down some other streets, passed the Sorrento Men’s Club (which is so hilarious – it’s a closed off patio full of old Italian men gesturing, yelling, and drinking. Think of the Godfather, and any other stereotypical Italian scene where the women are cleaning and the men are sitting around talking about them. Just great. Also there are no phones allowed in this place…so funny. The guide book we’re using tells us an Italian joke that says that Jesus must have been a southern Italian, because his mother believed he was God, he believed his mother was a virgin, and he lived with his parents until he was 30. Haha! Anyways, after this bit of fun, we found the main shopping street! It is full of shoe stores, designer boutiques for men and women, small town stores, touristy places, and of course lemon products! The lemon is ridiculous in this region – they grow it everywhere and do everything with it.
So then it was dinner time and we made our way to a place that had been recommended to us by friends called L’Antica Trattoria, since 1930. This place was SO cute. The outdoor patio was covered in oleander, purple blooming vines, lemon trees, wild rose vines, and a bunch of other beautiful flowers overhead. They served dinner in a sort of set price menu style, where you pick and entire meal including all three courses for one price. So mum got the vegetarian meal, which was a plate of yummy seasoned vegetables for antipasta, a bowl of linguini with zucchini flowers (a specialty of this place – it’s a fried battered zucchini flower stuffed with ricotta cheese…so good) and pesto-ish sauce, and then eggplant cooked as we’ve never seen before…delicious. I had one of their “traditional spring” meals, which included a plate of fried vegetables (zucchini flower, fried carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and onion), gnocchi in a tomato and mozzarella sauce, and then beef with potato cake and spinach…we learned we’re not so big on the gnocchi but everything else was great. And Dad had another of their traditional meals which included a local fish for antipasta (it was so good but weird – really thin and transparent), cannelloni, and then pork with potatoes and vegetables. All in all it was a great meal and we were all stuffed to the brim afterwards!
Tomorrow we are taking a day off from being world travelers and will be relaxing at the hotel…more to come!
ROMA!
Today was lovely. We slept in a little bit and got going about 11 or 12 to head into the city center. Once there, we ventured back to the souvenir shop that we visited yesterday next to the Vatican. Mum and Dad saw some things they liked and we wanted more time to pick out what we wanted. Buying a crucifix is serious business when they come in such a variety of shapes (haha), sizes, and colors! So we spent a significant amount of time there, and then on the recommendation of our friend Mario (a friend we made while making purchases at his store), we went and found Ristorante Spinosi, where we were greeted by a bleach blond fat Italian grandma. She asked us if we wanted wine or beer, salad, and pizza or pasta…and a few minutes later we were eating the best meal of all our lives. It was wonderful, and I’m certain that she took our “order” and went back to her kitchen and prepared our salad, pizza and pasta herself. It was glorious, and of all the good meals we’ve had on this trip, this one is in the top 3. That’s really saying something.
After the landmark lunch, we wandered our way back west across the city and first found the Pantheon. It really is a testament to the incredible engineering and architecture the Romans were capable of – without any kind of heavy machinery or computers! The dome is the biggest unsupported dome of its kind, and engineers and architects around the world still marvel at its structure and ability to stay standing, let alone for so many centuries. The White House, among other government and national buildings worldwide are modeled after the Pantheon. It has some cool altars inside honoring kings of Italy, and Jesus – the side where mass is held weekly. How cool would it be to go there regularly! “Oh me? I belong to the Pantheon Church of God, how about you?” Right. Anyways, after that we kind of followed a walking tour that took us to some extra special churches and monuments, and eventually finding our way to some old Roman ruins, the Coliseum, and the Palatino which includes the Roman Forum. These sites really were fabulous, and showcase the former glory of the Roman Empire. I’d say that we probably would have gotten more out of them if we had gotten a guide or done a guided tour instead of just wandering around. While it was nice to go at our own pace and leave whenever we wanted, we certainly had a lot of questions about what we were seeing that went unanswered. Still, definitely worth it! Check out the pictures (they will go up eventually, promise) for some cool views.
By the end of our Roman ruins exploration, it was about 6:30 or 7pm, and so we had to sort of speed up our tour to get to the things we wanted to see before dinner reservations at 8pm. So we caught a taxi to the Trevi Fountain since we had heard this was a must-see while in Rome. It definitely was wonderful! The fountain is a little different from others in that it’s not in a traditional piazza – the fountain is huge and is only a one-sided fountain (instead of circular) and was set against the side of a building. This makes for a neat looking fountain and good views from the facing street, but it’s not so good for the thousands of tourists coming by daily to take pictures! We managed to work our way down and snag a spot in front of the fountain to take our picture and throw some coins over our shoulders for good luck, as is the tradition. One coin to come back to Rome, and a second coin to find love, and apparently a third coin to get a divorce…not so sure about that last one. Mum and Dad tossed one each, and I tossed two just in case :) From there, we walked to the Spanish steps to take some pictures…I have to say the steps were not as glorious as they were talked up to be, but still very pretty! Plus they’re on one of the streets that has all the designer shops on it, so that was fun too.
Sight-seeing finished, we got a taxi to our dinner destination: Lo Zodiaco. This place was great – it sits at the top of a hill/mountain which overlooks the whole city of Rome. As you can imagine, the views were wonderful of the city all lit up at night! We were one of the first people to get to the restaurant (surprise, no one eats as early as 8pm in Italy), and so it was nice to have the porch to ourselves for a little while. The food was good – I had spaghetti in seafood sauce, which means I had spaghetti in a light red sauce with shrimp, clams, oysters, and muscles. Mum had a delicious veal in light lemon sauce, Dad enjoyed beef and cannelloni, and we all had some yummy dessert – tortufa, gelato, and a bowl of strawberries. Hungry yet? After dinner we caught another taxi back to the city center where we waited for the hotel shuttle to pick us up at 11.
Tomorrow we have decided to leave Rome early and head south to Sorrento to make sure we get some good relaxation time! Only a few more days…
After the landmark lunch, we wandered our way back west across the city and first found the Pantheon. It really is a testament to the incredible engineering and architecture the Romans were capable of – without any kind of heavy machinery or computers! The dome is the biggest unsupported dome of its kind, and engineers and architects around the world still marvel at its structure and ability to stay standing, let alone for so many centuries. The White House, among other government and national buildings worldwide are modeled after the Pantheon. It has some cool altars inside honoring kings of Italy, and Jesus – the side where mass is held weekly. How cool would it be to go there regularly! “Oh me? I belong to the Pantheon Church of God, how about you?” Right. Anyways, after that we kind of followed a walking tour that took us to some extra special churches and monuments, and eventually finding our way to some old Roman ruins, the Coliseum, and the Palatino which includes the Roman Forum. These sites really were fabulous, and showcase the former glory of the Roman Empire. I’d say that we probably would have gotten more out of them if we had gotten a guide or done a guided tour instead of just wandering around. While it was nice to go at our own pace and leave whenever we wanted, we certainly had a lot of questions about what we were seeing that went unanswered. Still, definitely worth it! Check out the pictures (they will go up eventually, promise) for some cool views.
By the end of our Roman ruins exploration, it was about 6:30 or 7pm, and so we had to sort of speed up our tour to get to the things we wanted to see before dinner reservations at 8pm. So we caught a taxi to the Trevi Fountain since we had heard this was a must-see while in Rome. It definitely was wonderful! The fountain is a little different from others in that it’s not in a traditional piazza – the fountain is huge and is only a one-sided fountain (instead of circular) and was set against the side of a building. This makes for a neat looking fountain and good views from the facing street, but it’s not so good for the thousands of tourists coming by daily to take pictures! We managed to work our way down and snag a spot in front of the fountain to take our picture and throw some coins over our shoulders for good luck, as is the tradition. One coin to come back to Rome, and a second coin to find love, and apparently a third coin to get a divorce…not so sure about that last one. Mum and Dad tossed one each, and I tossed two just in case :) From there, we walked to the Spanish steps to take some pictures…I have to say the steps were not as glorious as they were talked up to be, but still very pretty! Plus they’re on one of the streets that has all the designer shops on it, so that was fun too.
Sight-seeing finished, we got a taxi to our dinner destination: Lo Zodiaco. This place was great – it sits at the top of a hill/mountain which overlooks the whole city of Rome. As you can imagine, the views were wonderful of the city all lit up at night! We were one of the first people to get to the restaurant (surprise, no one eats as early as 8pm in Italy), and so it was nice to have the porch to ourselves for a little while. The food was good – I had spaghetti in seafood sauce, which means I had spaghetti in a light red sauce with shrimp, clams, oysters, and muscles. Mum had a delicious veal in light lemon sauce, Dad enjoyed beef and cannelloni, and we all had some yummy dessert – tortufa, gelato, and a bowl of strawberries. Hungry yet? After dinner we caught another taxi back to the city center where we waited for the hotel shuttle to pick us up at 11.
Tomorrow we have decided to leave Rome early and head south to Sorrento to make sure we get some good relaxation time! Only a few more days…
Breaking News!
Michael Jackson is DEAD?!?!?!!!!! I have just learned this and am so shocked I don't even know what to say, it is so weird. He was so weird. More breaking news about this event: Italy doesn't really care. I've heard a couple blips about him on the radio, but other than that, absolutely nothing. Life moves on! And now his children (and children all over for that matter) are safe.
Civitavecchia and Il Vaticano
Ciao! Our last dinner on board the ship was wonderful – took lots of pictures, laughed, cried, and of course had many beverages. We even got to see the grand finale of the karaoke superstar competition…what a great way to end the trip!
Our ship docked in Civitavecchia early at 5am and we got off the ship for the last time at 7:15am and boarded a bus for our tour of the Vatican City in Rome. It was about a 45 minute bus ride from the port to the city center where we got off the bus, and we were appreciative of the nap time! Once we got to the Vatican City walls, we met up with Fabio who would be our tour guide. He led us up some stairs to a kind of back entrance to the Vatican where we went through security and directly into the Vatican Museum (instead of the main entrance into St. Peter’s Square that is so popular and crowded). The museum was wonderful – they have so many fabulous artifacts and pieces of art (shocker), obtained God knows how (probably not all purchased honestly if you catch my drift…again, shocker). There were enormous tapestries, statues, Roman candelabras, the first maps ever commissioned by a Pope, and so many other wonderful things. Check the pictures when we finally get them online. Then we made our way to the Sistine Chapel…beyond words that place is. The paintings done by Michelangelo cover the entire ceiling and all 4 walls. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful. Fabio explained to us before entering the various meanings of all the different scenes, origins of the stories they tell, and also the process of the conclave, how the stove works, and all of that. A tip for anyone who wants to visit the Vatican: do it with a guide, you will learn so much more. Also bring a neck brace for after you visit the chapel, because you will get a crick staring at the ceiling for 20 minutes…totally worth it. I could talk about this place for another 5 paragraphs so I’ll move on. We then made our way out of the chapel and to St. Peter’s Basilica. Again, absolutely wonderful and breath-taking. I am of the opinion that you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate all of these things, but because I am Catholic I suppose I can’t speak for those of you who aren’t…go there and then tell me if you agree that it’s absolutely fabulous and awesome. The Basilica, for those of you that don’t know, is the biggest basilica in the WORLD. Yes, like the whole entire globe. And once we were inside I had no trouble believing that – it is huge and seemingly endless. The first awesome thing we saw was Michelangelo’s Pieta’, which, like the statue of David, is wonderful to see in person. Another little lesson for you folks (I’m sure some of you know this already but I didn’t so I’m sharing), the Pieta’ di Maria, or the Compassion of Mary, is a common statue and painting idea that was done during the Renaissance (and before and after that as well), but Michelangelo’s is simply the most famous representation of Mary’s compassion for her Son after He has been crucified. It is really quite moving.
So anyways then we moved on to numerous other landmarks within the Basilica, including different famous Pope’s entombed above ground with shrines and statues, marble work, and one of the most impressive things, the mosaics. There are absolutely no paintings or frescos in the Basilica – it is ALL mosaics, which is again just mind-blowing. Check out the pictures and you’ll get a good idea. Moving on we explored more shrines to Popes, saints, martyrs, the most important of which (next to Jesus obviously) was the one for St. Peter, which was especially decorated since it was the week of his feast day. Then we saw Bernini’s most famous altar (it is enormous and beautiful also), and more little mini shrines and altars along the way on the way out. The Basilica is 3 football fields long and ridiculously tall. Inside the biggest dome and all along the main aisle, the letters along the ceiling are 6 feet tall. The place is just huge.
After exiting the Basilica we were able to enjoy the beauty of the Square, the symmetry of the columns surrounding it, and the lovely sound of hammers and cranes as they set up for St. Peter’s feast day event. We then traveled with our tour group to a gift shop selling mostly Catholic goodies (big crucifixes, millions of rosaries, statues of Mary, mini holy water holders to hang by your door…like I said, Catholic goodies), and then after a bit of shopping and free toilettes (which as you know are a hot commodity in Italy) we boarded the bus again and were dropped at Termini Station for transport to our hotel.
This part of the trip is less interesting but certainly comical and worth mentioning. We waited at the station for a taxi for quite a while, and finally with the help of Armando, secured an honest taxi (again hard to come by) and made our way back to the Rome Park Hotel where we stayed pre-cruise. The weather was lovely and so we decided to nap by the pool, however after a while it was a bit too blustery for relaxation and we moved our naps inside. Our plan was to wake up and go to the city center or a local place for dinner around 8 or 9 (since the Marriott charges 15 euros for a soda, it’s not an economical place to have any meals), but when we woke up at 9:30 we decided to bag dinner and kept sleeping until morning. It was fabulous, and I for one was not even hungry, having eaten for 9 people the past two weeks.
So tomorrow, we will sleep in a little and venture back to Rome to do some more touring!
Our ship docked in Civitavecchia early at 5am and we got off the ship for the last time at 7:15am and boarded a bus for our tour of the Vatican City in Rome. It was about a 45 minute bus ride from the port to the city center where we got off the bus, and we were appreciative of the nap time! Once we got to the Vatican City walls, we met up with Fabio who would be our tour guide. He led us up some stairs to a kind of back entrance to the Vatican where we went through security and directly into the Vatican Museum (instead of the main entrance into St. Peter’s Square that is so popular and crowded). The museum was wonderful – they have so many fabulous artifacts and pieces of art (shocker), obtained God knows how (probably not all purchased honestly if you catch my drift…again, shocker). There were enormous tapestries, statues, Roman candelabras, the first maps ever commissioned by a Pope, and so many other wonderful things. Check the pictures when we finally get them online. Then we made our way to the Sistine Chapel…beyond words that place is. The paintings done by Michelangelo cover the entire ceiling and all 4 walls. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful. Fabio explained to us before entering the various meanings of all the different scenes, origins of the stories they tell, and also the process of the conclave, how the stove works, and all of that. A tip for anyone who wants to visit the Vatican: do it with a guide, you will learn so much more. Also bring a neck brace for after you visit the chapel, because you will get a crick staring at the ceiling for 20 minutes…totally worth it. I could talk about this place for another 5 paragraphs so I’ll move on. We then made our way out of the chapel and to St. Peter’s Basilica. Again, absolutely wonderful and breath-taking. I am of the opinion that you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate all of these things, but because I am Catholic I suppose I can’t speak for those of you who aren’t…go there and then tell me if you agree that it’s absolutely fabulous and awesome. The Basilica, for those of you that don’t know, is the biggest basilica in the WORLD. Yes, like the whole entire globe. And once we were inside I had no trouble believing that – it is huge and seemingly endless. The first awesome thing we saw was Michelangelo’s Pieta’, which, like the statue of David, is wonderful to see in person. Another little lesson for you folks (I’m sure some of you know this already but I didn’t so I’m sharing), the Pieta’ di Maria, or the Compassion of Mary, is a common statue and painting idea that was done during the Renaissance (and before and after that as well), but Michelangelo’s is simply the most famous representation of Mary’s compassion for her Son after He has been crucified. It is really quite moving.
So anyways then we moved on to numerous other landmarks within the Basilica, including different famous Pope’s entombed above ground with shrines and statues, marble work, and one of the most impressive things, the mosaics. There are absolutely no paintings or frescos in the Basilica – it is ALL mosaics, which is again just mind-blowing. Check out the pictures and you’ll get a good idea. Moving on we explored more shrines to Popes, saints, martyrs, the most important of which (next to Jesus obviously) was the one for St. Peter, which was especially decorated since it was the week of his feast day. Then we saw Bernini’s most famous altar (it is enormous and beautiful also), and more little mini shrines and altars along the way on the way out. The Basilica is 3 football fields long and ridiculously tall. Inside the biggest dome and all along the main aisle, the letters along the ceiling are 6 feet tall. The place is just huge.
After exiting the Basilica we were able to enjoy the beauty of the Square, the symmetry of the columns surrounding it, and the lovely sound of hammers and cranes as they set up for St. Peter’s feast day event. We then traveled with our tour group to a gift shop selling mostly Catholic goodies (big crucifixes, millions of rosaries, statues of Mary, mini holy water holders to hang by your door…like I said, Catholic goodies), and then after a bit of shopping and free toilettes (which as you know are a hot commodity in Italy) we boarded the bus again and were dropped at Termini Station for transport to our hotel.
This part of the trip is less interesting but certainly comical and worth mentioning. We waited at the station for a taxi for quite a while, and finally with the help of Armando, secured an honest taxi (again hard to come by) and made our way back to the Rome Park Hotel where we stayed pre-cruise. The weather was lovely and so we decided to nap by the pool, however after a while it was a bit too blustery for relaxation and we moved our naps inside. Our plan was to wake up and go to the city center or a local place for dinner around 8 or 9 (since the Marriott charges 15 euros for a soda, it’s not an economical place to have any meals), but when we woke up at 9:30 we decided to bag dinner and kept sleeping until morning. It was fabulous, and I for one was not even hungry, having eaten for 9 people the past two weeks.
So tomorrow, we will sleep in a little and venture back to Rome to do some more touring!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
O, Napoli!
Firstly, I want to apologize for forgetting my blog title mechanism…I forgot I was doing this in parts, and if any of you know me, you know that when I realized I had forgotten that for the last few titles, it really bothered me. Unfortunately I cannot change it now, and so enough with the parts and on to Naples!
We started the morning by being ready for our excursion today by 7:15am! Yay. Our tour started with a bus ride through Naples, and around Mount Vesuvius to the ruins of Pompeii. First our guide led us through a cameo factory where we got to see an artist in progress (fascinating!), and then got to look through their very extensive showroom. Like the Murano glass showroom, there was some beautiful jewelry, furniture, and other pieces of art, but they were quite over priced. Still nice to look though! So from there, we walked across the street (after getting our complimentary bottle of water…ooh!) to the old original entrance of the ruins of Pompeii. I really am not sure how to go about explaining this place, but it was really fascinating to see the things that had been preserved underneath 8 meters of ash after the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1600s (our guide had an intense accent, we never could hear the actual date. Google it if you want to know). We got to see some old Roman temples, a house that had been preserved miraculously, the fish market, some shops, the city square, the whore house (complete with frescos above the doors letting customers know what they could expect in each room) and sadly some of the mummified remains of some of the victims. There were lots of things the people of Pompeii had in their city that were very advanced and it was really cool to see all that stuff.
So from there, we got back on our bus and traveled south along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the town of Salerno – the views on the way there were just breath-taking, and I would say probably some of the best in the world (at least the part of it that I’ve seen). From there we boarded a boat and had a nice relaxing cruise along the coastline to see all the little towns that dot the Amalfi coast. The architecture in this region is mind-blowing, with homes built right into the rocks of the cliffs, highways zig-zagging back and forth, tunnels going through mountain sides, and massive arches supporting tight curves overlooking nothing but the sea below. Sort of scary if you don’t know what you’re doing! Our boat ride was about a 45 minute trip to the town of Amalfi, where we docked and had some free time to roam the streets. Or should I say street, since there was really only one main street and one church. We didn’t do too much touring since we will be returning there in a few more days. We relaxed at a café and had a taste of some local limoncello (so strong!!) and a delicious margherita pizza, and then got back on the boat to head back to Salerno, and then back on the bus to go back to the ship.
We left Naples at around 6pm and are cruising (big time speed tonight) back to Civitavecchia and will dock at around 5am. The DiMantova’s are debarking at 7am to do a guided tour of Rome and the Vatican, so it promises to be lots of fun and very tiring! Big hugs for everyone, will write more as soon as we get someplace with cheap internet!
We started the morning by being ready for our excursion today by 7:15am! Yay. Our tour started with a bus ride through Naples, and around Mount Vesuvius to the ruins of Pompeii. First our guide led us through a cameo factory where we got to see an artist in progress (fascinating!), and then got to look through their very extensive showroom. Like the Murano glass showroom, there was some beautiful jewelry, furniture, and other pieces of art, but they were quite over priced. Still nice to look though! So from there, we walked across the street (after getting our complimentary bottle of water…ooh!) to the old original entrance of the ruins of Pompeii. I really am not sure how to go about explaining this place, but it was really fascinating to see the things that had been preserved underneath 8 meters of ash after the massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1600s (our guide had an intense accent, we never could hear the actual date. Google it if you want to know). We got to see some old Roman temples, a house that had been preserved miraculously, the fish market, some shops, the city square, the whore house (complete with frescos above the doors letting customers know what they could expect in each room) and sadly some of the mummified remains of some of the victims. There were lots of things the people of Pompeii had in their city that were very advanced and it was really cool to see all that stuff.
So from there, we got back on our bus and traveled south along the beautiful Amalfi coast to the town of Salerno – the views on the way there were just breath-taking, and I would say probably some of the best in the world (at least the part of it that I’ve seen). From there we boarded a boat and had a nice relaxing cruise along the coastline to see all the little towns that dot the Amalfi coast. The architecture in this region is mind-blowing, with homes built right into the rocks of the cliffs, highways zig-zagging back and forth, tunnels going through mountain sides, and massive arches supporting tight curves overlooking nothing but the sea below. Sort of scary if you don’t know what you’re doing! Our boat ride was about a 45 minute trip to the town of Amalfi, where we docked and had some free time to roam the streets. Or should I say street, since there was really only one main street and one church. We didn’t do too much touring since we will be returning there in a few more days. We relaxed at a café and had a taste of some local limoncello (so strong!!) and a delicious margherita pizza, and then got back on the boat to head back to Salerno, and then back on the bus to go back to the ship.
We left Naples at around 6pm and are cruising (big time speed tonight) back to Civitavecchia and will dock at around 5am. The DiMantova’s are debarking at 7am to do a guided tour of Rome and the Vatican, so it promises to be lots of fun and very tiring! Big hugs for everyone, will write more as soon as we get someplace with cheap internet!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Un altro giorno al mare!
Today we slept in again, and I finished my second book of the trip (Atonement – if you’ve not read it, you must, it was very intriguing and captivating), and went to the gym. Mum and Dad enjoyed a relaxing breakfast, and then they too made their way to the gym and now they are relaxing by the pool. I am thinking of joining them! Tonight is our last formal night (which we are thinking of skipping…dressing up is such a task sometimes!), and I believe there is a good show on afterwards, or possibly more karaoke…if so you will all know where we will be.
I hope you are all enjoying the blog and enjoying your times at home! We are missing all of you and our own home (and the dogs of course!), but are very happy with this long vacation, and excited for the next portion of our trip! Stay tuned for adventures in Napoli tomorrow! Hugs to everyone :)
I hope you are all enjoying the blog and enjoying your times at home! We are missing all of you and our own home (and the dogs of course!), but are very happy with this long vacation, and excited for the next portion of our trip! Stay tuned for adventures in Napoli tomorrow! Hugs to everyone :)
Dubrovnik!
I have no idea how to greet people in Croatian, so hello will have to do! Today we docked and got up early for our excursion to Dubrovnik. We started out on a coach and traveled along the coastline (beautiful – rocky cliffs and views of the sea and mountains) to a little town called Cavtat. Here we had some free time to wander and check out the churches and local stores, and then boarded a little boat for a “cruise” to see the Dalmatian coastline. It was gorgeous, except for the sea was very rough that day and so we did more rocking, clinging to our seats, and lifting bags clear of splashing water than taking pictures. I did manage a couple good shots, and miraculously no one fell overboard or got sick in the 45 minute adventure. Then we docked in old town Dubrovnik, which is a walled city fortress that used to be great and powerful trading and commerce city, back when Eastern European countries were not all socialist and scared of Russians. We visited the old Franciscan Monastery, where Monks still live in poverty and carry out their good works, and then wandered the main street of the walled city to see the old homes and shops along the way. Then we were treated to a traditional Croatian lunch at a local restaurant by the sea – The Nautika. We had delicious veggie risotto, which again even a veggie hater like me just loved, and some kind of grilled turkey steak in delicious mushroom sauce with yummy gnocchi-like potato cakes, followed by refreshing ice cream dessert. Splendid! During lunch, we got to chat with a fellow from Australia who sings on another of Royal Carribean’s ships – he was on 6 months vacation, and it was cheaper for him to cruise than fly home! We learned a lot about the goings-on on all the ships and the way things operate; it’s really quite fascinating! Following lunch we did a bit more exploring of the town and the walled city, and then made our way back to the ship for much needed naps.
We skipped the headliner show, and dinner was a little quiet tonight, as one of our ladies wasn’t feeling up to joining the table. The seas were a bit rough for the first time yesterday and the ship was doing a lot of rocking and rolling! Luckily, the DiMantova’s escaped sea-sickness, and I only felt a little dizzy at times with all the swaying. It gave me the sensation of being rocked to sleep as a baby, and I do believe we all slept wonderfully that night!
Tomorrow is another day at sea as we travel back south to our last port, Naples! Very excited. Stay classy, America!
We skipped the headliner show, and dinner was a little quiet tonight, as one of our ladies wasn’t feeling up to joining the table. The seas were a bit rough for the first time yesterday and the ship was doing a lot of rocking and rolling! Luckily, the DiMantova’s escaped sea-sickness, and I only felt a little dizzy at times with all the swaying. It gave me the sensation of being rocked to sleep as a baby, and I do believe we all slept wonderfully that night!
Tomorrow is another day at sea as we travel back south to our last port, Naples! Very excited. Stay classy, America!
Buongiorno al mare e Venezia!
Another uneventful day at sea has passed – we took advantage of no tours or events onboard and slept in until about 10:30. A good breakfast and excellent workouts followed, and then a little relaxation around the ship until the late afternoon. We played a bit of mini golf and shuffle board on the top deck, until it was too windy to continue, and then got ready for the evening show and dinner. Tonight’s show was a singing/comedy performance by Jordan Bennet, the star of Les Miserables, which was absolutely wonderful. After the show we went up to the lounge to participate in the karaoke competition but unfortunately were unable to get Momma D on the list – next time!
The next morning, our tour of Venice began at 8:30, but we all got up early to sit on our balcony and watch as our ship cruised through the canals to the port. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful, and definitely surpasses all explanations of how awesome Venice is and any pictures we have seen. So then our tour began with a boat ride to a small island across from St. Mark’s Square to see the church of San Giorgo Maggiore – absolutely beautiful. Then our boat shuttle took us to the island of Murano, made famous by the beautiful glass that is created there. We got to see two master craftsmen at work in the factory, and then toured the showrooms. I have never seen such beautiful pieces in my life, and for such a price! We contemplated a couple of chandeliers for about 250,000 Euros each (not to mention the outrageous current exchange rate), and Mum had her eye on a couple of glass bowls and dolphins that would go wonderfully in our living room. Unfortunately each piece costs more than 4 years of tuition at UofR, so we proceeded to what they called the “tourist shop” and bought some more reasonably priced and smaller pieces for some friends and as souvenirs. Then we climbed back on the boat and made our way to the Grand Canal where we disembarked to walk to a small pier, where we all boarded gondolas, and had a pleasant ride through some small canals to see houses and hotels, and back down the Grand Canal to finish it off. Marco our gondolier, strongly resembled a pirate, and spent the whole 25 minute ride yelling back and forth with the other gondoliers in our little parade of gondolas. I tried to pick up on what they were saying, and apparently one of the other gondoliers had just gotten out of jail, and this was the main topic of conversation as we tried to enjoy this supposedly romantic tradition. It was pretty cool though and no visit to Venice is complete without a gondola ride, yelling or not.
So then we opted out of transferring back to the boat so early since we are in port for 2 days, and asked our tour guide, beautiful Adriana, for a good local place to eat. She suggested we find Ristorante San Trovaso which was sort of on the way to St. Mark’s Square. So we meandered through the tiny streets, across some bridges, and with the combined power of three brains and three sets of eyes, we finally found this tiny out of the way place that probably hardly ever sees tourists. It was absolutely delicious – we had fish soup (which is more like a bowl of shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, and scampi in a tiny amount of broth), meaty lasagna, oyster spaghetti, shrimp and clam linguini, and some delicious meat dish. Needless to say we were stuffed, and for a decent price got to enjoy a traditional Venetian meal. After this we managed to find our way to the Piazza San Marco, which is the only Piazza in all of Venice – they only have small piazzas, which they call campo, or camponelli. We did some wandering checking out the vendors and souvenirs, and other glass shops. Some friends had recommended that we find Harry’s Bar and have a bellini, so after asking about 5 people where the heck this place was, we finally found it, a little hole in the wall place that seats about 30 people if that, and ordered a bellini. It was, in my opinion, overpriced, small, and very interesting. I couldn’t begin to tell you what was in it, but it was a pinkish purplish color, had a hint of champagne maybe, and some kind of fruit juice was evident by the pulp left in the glass. No idea. So then, having missed our rendezvous with our dinner friends (meeting up in St Mark’s Square is impossible), we went to investigate another suggestions, the Danieli Hotel which was supposed to have a wonderful piano bar. Just our kind of entertainment! Upon entering however we realized we were not properly dressed, and decided to make our way back to the ship for dinner and a long nap.
Our next day in Venice started at 8:45 with our guide, Patrizia, taking us through the Doges’ Palace. A Doge is like a Duke of Venice, and so this is where the seat of power lived during the times of the Venetian Republic. We got to see some marvelous rooms and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, walk up the golden staircase, see the Great Council Chamber, and cross the Bridge of Sighs. Then finishing in the palace, we were supposed to have a tour of the grand cathedral of St. Mark’s, but of course it was Sunday so it was “closed.” So instead we decided to again leave our tour group and got to attend high mass at 10:30am. It was absolutely glorious. The cathedral is beautiful, with incredible mosaics covering the entire ceiling and walls, old paintings and statues. It was just phenomenal. The choir they had was unbelievably good, and I’m sure the great acoustics of the building didn’t hurt them. Everything was in Italian of course, but a little sister at the front provided us with an English translation of the readings of the day and listing of the songs. I attempted to translate a bit of the homily which was given by one of the 8 priests they had present, but with the echoing and the priest’s fast speaking it was pretty impossible. So then after mass we did a little more wandering around, all bought traditional Venetian masks, a painting by a local artist, and returned to the ship in time for our 2pm departure. Watching from the upper deck as we left the lagoon was awesome – the views from about a hundred feet up are pretty good!
That night, after refreshing naps, we made our way to the entertainment theater where we anticipated a “comedy show”, which I took to mean that a comedian would be there doing a little stand-up, which is always entertaining. Instead, it was this guy who looked like Einstein with the big white hair, named Zietwig or something, and it was more of a slap stick performance – although he was a very talented musician and ended up playing some impressive pieces in between falling off his bench, playing with his toes, laying inside the piano and playing backwards, and the like. Not really my cup of tea, but hearing Claire de Lune is always pleasant. After dinner and a dinner group photo of all of us in our Venetian mask finery, Dad and I made our way to the casino where I ended up being a bit of a bad luck charm, but still a good time!
Tomorrow we venture to our only non-Italian port of call, Duprovnik, Croatia. Buon Viaggio!
The next morning, our tour of Venice began at 8:30, but we all got up early to sit on our balcony and watch as our ship cruised through the canals to the port. It is absolutely breathtaking and wonderful, and definitely surpasses all explanations of how awesome Venice is and any pictures we have seen. So then our tour began with a boat ride to a small island across from St. Mark’s Square to see the church of San Giorgo Maggiore – absolutely beautiful. Then our boat shuttle took us to the island of Murano, made famous by the beautiful glass that is created there. We got to see two master craftsmen at work in the factory, and then toured the showrooms. I have never seen such beautiful pieces in my life, and for such a price! We contemplated a couple of chandeliers for about 250,000 Euros each (not to mention the outrageous current exchange rate), and Mum had her eye on a couple of glass bowls and dolphins that would go wonderfully in our living room. Unfortunately each piece costs more than 4 years of tuition at UofR, so we proceeded to what they called the “tourist shop” and bought some more reasonably priced and smaller pieces for some friends and as souvenirs. Then we climbed back on the boat and made our way to the Grand Canal where we disembarked to walk to a small pier, where we all boarded gondolas, and had a pleasant ride through some small canals to see houses and hotels, and back down the Grand Canal to finish it off. Marco our gondolier, strongly resembled a pirate, and spent the whole 25 minute ride yelling back and forth with the other gondoliers in our little parade of gondolas. I tried to pick up on what they were saying, and apparently one of the other gondoliers had just gotten out of jail, and this was the main topic of conversation as we tried to enjoy this supposedly romantic tradition. It was pretty cool though and no visit to Venice is complete without a gondola ride, yelling or not.
So then we opted out of transferring back to the boat so early since we are in port for 2 days, and asked our tour guide, beautiful Adriana, for a good local place to eat. She suggested we find Ristorante San Trovaso which was sort of on the way to St. Mark’s Square. So we meandered through the tiny streets, across some bridges, and with the combined power of three brains and three sets of eyes, we finally found this tiny out of the way place that probably hardly ever sees tourists. It was absolutely delicious – we had fish soup (which is more like a bowl of shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, and scampi in a tiny amount of broth), meaty lasagna, oyster spaghetti, shrimp and clam linguini, and some delicious meat dish. Needless to say we were stuffed, and for a decent price got to enjoy a traditional Venetian meal. After this we managed to find our way to the Piazza San Marco, which is the only Piazza in all of Venice – they only have small piazzas, which they call campo, or camponelli. We did some wandering checking out the vendors and souvenirs, and other glass shops. Some friends had recommended that we find Harry’s Bar and have a bellini, so after asking about 5 people where the heck this place was, we finally found it, a little hole in the wall place that seats about 30 people if that, and ordered a bellini. It was, in my opinion, overpriced, small, and very interesting. I couldn’t begin to tell you what was in it, but it was a pinkish purplish color, had a hint of champagne maybe, and some kind of fruit juice was evident by the pulp left in the glass. No idea. So then, having missed our rendezvous with our dinner friends (meeting up in St Mark’s Square is impossible), we went to investigate another suggestions, the Danieli Hotel which was supposed to have a wonderful piano bar. Just our kind of entertainment! Upon entering however we realized we were not properly dressed, and decided to make our way back to the ship for dinner and a long nap.
Our next day in Venice started at 8:45 with our guide, Patrizia, taking us through the Doges’ Palace. A Doge is like a Duke of Venice, and so this is where the seat of power lived during the times of the Venetian Republic. We got to see some marvelous rooms and paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, walk up the golden staircase, see the Great Council Chamber, and cross the Bridge of Sighs. Then finishing in the palace, we were supposed to have a tour of the grand cathedral of St. Mark’s, but of course it was Sunday so it was “closed.” So instead we decided to again leave our tour group and got to attend high mass at 10:30am. It was absolutely glorious. The cathedral is beautiful, with incredible mosaics covering the entire ceiling and walls, old paintings and statues. It was just phenomenal. The choir they had was unbelievably good, and I’m sure the great acoustics of the building didn’t hurt them. Everything was in Italian of course, but a little sister at the front provided us with an English translation of the readings of the day and listing of the songs. I attempted to translate a bit of the homily which was given by one of the 8 priests they had present, but with the echoing and the priest’s fast speaking it was pretty impossible. So then after mass we did a little more wandering around, all bought traditional Venetian masks, a painting by a local artist, and returned to the ship in time for our 2pm departure. Watching from the upper deck as we left the lagoon was awesome – the views from about a hundred feet up are pretty good!
That night, after refreshing naps, we made our way to the entertainment theater where we anticipated a “comedy show”, which I took to mean that a comedian would be there doing a little stand-up, which is always entertaining. Instead, it was this guy who looked like Einstein with the big white hair, named Zietwig or something, and it was more of a slap stick performance – although he was a very talented musician and ended up playing some impressive pieces in between falling off his bench, playing with his toes, laying inside the piano and playing backwards, and the like. Not really my cup of tea, but hearing Claire de Lune is always pleasant. After dinner and a dinner group photo of all of us in our Venetian mask finery, Dad and I made our way to the casino where I ended up being a bit of a bad luck charm, but still a good time!
Tomorrow we venture to our only non-Italian port of call, Duprovnik, Croatia. Buon Viaggio!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Part 5: Day at Sea, and Sicilia!
Our day at sea was lovely. As I said in the last entry, we did indeed sleep in until about 11am. Momma and Poppa D got up for breakfast and I hung out in our room organizing pictures (which we still haven’t been able to upload – sorry!). They went to work out after that and I went topside to enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean sun and read. Then at 3:30 we all enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting – definitely look for pictures from that, it was hilarious, and delicious. Afterwards, I went to do my workout, and after a short nap it was time for dinner! It was one of our dinner-mate’s birthdays, so we got to sing to him and had a wonderful time. After dinner we went up to the lounge bar for Rat Pack hour, followed by ladies night and a very disturbing performance by what they called “Hunk-a-Mania.” I really have no words to describe this, except that they were hardly hunks if you catch my drift. Ladies, you missed nothing, and in fact I definitely could have gone without seeing it. Comical though, nonetheless.
So then today, we docked in beautiful Messina, Sicily and were ready to board our coach for Taormina at 8:30am. Taormina is a little city of about 11,000 people about 30 minutes south of the city we’re docked in and is absolutely beautiful. Apparently, scenes from the Godfather when Michael is banished to Sicily were filmed in the countryside right outside of Taormina. This is because the real town of Corleone would not allow the film-makers to film in the actual city, since there really was/is Mafioso there. We even got to see the church were Michael marries Appollonia! Fascinating. Anyways, so the city of Taormina is situated on the side of a big hill/mountain right near Mt. Etna, overlooking the sea. The road to get there is so twisty and winding, going out onto cliffs and going into mountain tunnels. Scary! But our bus driver, Giuseppe, was excellent. Gorgeous views everywhere you look. We wandered through the streets with our guide, Marina, and saw all the different parts of the town: the Arabian side, the Greek side, and the Byzantine side. Taormina was conquered by all of these at some point in time and so there are different parts of the city which reflect each of the different cultures. While the Greeks were in Taormina, they built a beautiful Greek Theater which overlooks the sea, the mountainside, and Mt. Etna. The Romans came in and of course changed some things, so now it is a Roman Theater. The awesome part is that the acoustics are so good, they still use it for concerts today!
So now we are back onto the ship, and will set off this evening for Venice! Tomorrow we have another day at sea, and then we reach Venice early Saturday morning and will be there for two days. So excited!
I hope you are all enjoying yourselves, where ever you are. Big hugs from the Legend of the Seas :)
So then today, we docked in beautiful Messina, Sicily and were ready to board our coach for Taormina at 8:30am. Taormina is a little city of about 11,000 people about 30 minutes south of the city we’re docked in and is absolutely beautiful. Apparently, scenes from the Godfather when Michael is banished to Sicily were filmed in the countryside right outside of Taormina. This is because the real town of Corleone would not allow the film-makers to film in the actual city, since there really was/is Mafioso there. We even got to see the church were Michael marries Appollonia! Fascinating. Anyways, so the city of Taormina is situated on the side of a big hill/mountain right near Mt. Etna, overlooking the sea. The road to get there is so twisty and winding, going out onto cliffs and going into mountain tunnels. Scary! But our bus driver, Giuseppe, was excellent. Gorgeous views everywhere you look. We wandered through the streets with our guide, Marina, and saw all the different parts of the town: the Arabian side, the Greek side, and the Byzantine side. Taormina was conquered by all of these at some point in time and so there are different parts of the city which reflect each of the different cultures. While the Greeks were in Taormina, they built a beautiful Greek Theater which overlooks the sea, the mountainside, and Mt. Etna. The Romans came in and of course changed some things, so now it is a Roman Theater. The awesome part is that the acoustics are so good, they still use it for concerts today!
So now we are back onto the ship, and will set off this evening for Venice! Tomorrow we have another day at sea, and then we reach Venice early Saturday morning and will be there for two days. So excited!
I hope you are all enjoying yourselves, where ever you are. Big hugs from the Legend of the Seas :)
Part 4: Florence and the Tuscan Countryside
Buongiorno! Today we got up early to catch our 7:30am coach for our excursion to Florence. Once on the bus, we met our guide, Lucia, and got bright pink stickers to identify us as a touring group. The travel time from Livorno to Florence was about an hour and a half, and she spent most of the hour talking to us about the history of Florence, the Medici royal family, and other famous people who made Florence their home. Apparently Florence was quite the cosmopolitan place back in the day, which continues today. Once we arrived, we first stopped at a piazza which over-looked the whole city of Florence – absolutely gorgeous views of the old city walls, the cathedrals, and old palazzos. After a few minutes stop for picture taking, we again boarded the bus and traveled the rest of the way into the city center to begin the walking tour. Lucia guided us first to the Accademia Museum, where we saw fine examples of Medieval Art, and compared it to the paintings of the Renaissance – definitely an interesting study of art work, and so thrilling to be so close to such old artifacts! The other main attraction at this museum was the famous statue of Michelangelo’s “David.” I must say that it really is worth the hype to see the real one; it really is very impressive to see all 15 feet of him in real life and to look at all the angles and details and everything. We also got to see some other unfinished sculptures done by Michelangelo, and learn a little of the history. Very cool stuff.
After the museum, we traveled on to Cathedral Square to see the famous Duomo, Baptistery, and Bell Tower of Florence. The detail in these places is absolutely amazing, and to hear the stories of how they were created and what they’ve been through is just beyond imagination. From there we walked to the other famous square in Florence, Piazza della Signoria, to see the copy of the “David” that now stands in the original’s place and other statues, fountains and monuments. Around the corner was the old Palazzo used by the Medici family, and the Ponte Vecchio with all its gold and jewelry vendors. We also visited the Church of Santa Croce and got to see all the famous people buried there, like Michelangelo and Galileo just to name a couple. Very cool to see their sarcophaguses with all the fancy marbling and statues and plaques surrounding them. After that we were treated (included in the price of the tour) to a delicious “authentic Florentine” lunch, which included spinach lasagna (it was yummy – even to a veggie hater like me!), thinly sliced roast beef with gravy and roasted potatoes, followed by a delicious tart which I can only describe as being creamy, fruity, and light. We had limited time to explore on our own and then met to take the bus back to the boat for our departure.
Tomorrow is a day at sea, which I know the DiMantova’s will be enjoying by sleeping in and relaxing all day. Until tomorrow…
After the museum, we traveled on to Cathedral Square to see the famous Duomo, Baptistery, and Bell Tower of Florence. The detail in these places is absolutely amazing, and to hear the stories of how they were created and what they’ve been through is just beyond imagination. From there we walked to the other famous square in Florence, Piazza della Signoria, to see the copy of the “David” that now stands in the original’s place and other statues, fountains and monuments. Around the corner was the old Palazzo used by the Medici family, and the Ponte Vecchio with all its gold and jewelry vendors. We also visited the Church of Santa Croce and got to see all the famous people buried there, like Michelangelo and Galileo just to name a couple. Very cool to see their sarcophaguses with all the fancy marbling and statues and plaques surrounding them. After that we were treated (included in the price of the tour) to a delicious “authentic Florentine” lunch, which included spinach lasagna (it was yummy – even to a veggie hater like me!), thinly sliced roast beef with gravy and roasted potatoes, followed by a delicious tart which I can only describe as being creamy, fruity, and light. We had limited time to explore on our own and then met to take the bus back to the boat for our departure.
Tomorrow is a day at sea, which I know the DiMantova’s will be enjoying by sleeping in and relaxing all day. Until tomorrow…
Bad news for pictures…
The internet connection on the ship, while nice to have and conveniently located, moves at a glacial pace. Therefore we will not be able to post pictures until we reach dry land again and have a faster connection. I’m terribly sorry and I know it makes the blog entries less interesting, but you can always catch up later. I am keeping them nice and organized so once we get a better connection they will be all ready for your viewing pleasure. Happy reading!
Part 3: Livorno and Pisa
Ciao miei amici e famiglia! Today I write to you from our balcony, as we are docked now in Livorno. Livorno, we have learned, is a not-so-tourist friendly small port town that is mainly industrial. The marina is huge, and there are at least 3 other cruise ships docked here in addition to ours, plus other industrial looking ships and barges. The town looks pretty cool though because there are old fortress towers and huge walls (see pics) but then there are also modern looking buildings mixed in with the traditional Tuscan looking homes and other old structures.
Today, knowing we would be docked here for 2 days, slept in again until 11am, and made sure we were ready to leave for our tour of Pisa by 1pm. We traveled through a little of the countryside by coach (bus, not horse and carriage, for those of you confused) on the original Roman roads lined by umbrella pines. So beautiful! And we are told it’s still the original road built by the Romans! Very impressive. So about 30 or 45 minutes gets us to the outskirts of Pisa, and we walked about 15 minutes into the center, where we saw THE Leaning Tower itself, along with the beautiful Baptistry and Cathedral in the Piazza of Miracles. Our tour guide, Tony, or “To New York” as he said (get it, TO-NY), was hilarious and wonderful. A native of Pisa, he apparently wrote a book on all things Pisa, and brought it along to share the history and random facts about all the sights. It was the perfect length tour, and then we got to go inside the cathedral which was just breath-taking (see pics, get an oxygen tank). After about an hour on our own, we wandered back to the bus and traveled back to the boat. I did learn that there is a huge army base (Camp Darby) along the Roman Road (which I think is called Aurelia – our bus guide was Australian so I’m not sure), and apparently they have an Italian-American fair on some weekends and all the Italians flock here to get good American food. Isn’t that something! They had American ambulances and fire trucks, and hundreds of those big green army trucks with the canvas backs, and lots of tents. Anyway, random facts for you.
So now back on the ship, we have gone to the gym again, taken little naps, and discovered how the internet works! Tonight we have casual dinner, maybe a show, probably the bar and casino routine again, and definitely more fun times ahead! It is beautiful here and everywhere we go is just more and more gorgeous. Leave some comments if you’d like or send us an email! Sdimanto@gmail is mine – we got some internet minutes and the wifi spot is 30 feet from our room. So convenient. Check back soon for our adventure in Florence tomorrow! We’re off at 7am…
Missing everyone back home, but loving our time here :)
Today, knowing we would be docked here for 2 days, slept in again until 11am, and made sure we were ready to leave for our tour of Pisa by 1pm. We traveled through a little of the countryside by coach (bus, not horse and carriage, for those of you confused) on the original Roman roads lined by umbrella pines. So beautiful! And we are told it’s still the original road built by the Romans! Very impressive. So about 30 or 45 minutes gets us to the outskirts of Pisa, and we walked about 15 minutes into the center, where we saw THE Leaning Tower itself, along with the beautiful Baptistry and Cathedral in the Piazza of Miracles. Our tour guide, Tony, or “To New York” as he said (get it, TO-NY), was hilarious and wonderful. A native of Pisa, he apparently wrote a book on all things Pisa, and brought it along to share the history and random facts about all the sights. It was the perfect length tour, and then we got to go inside the cathedral which was just breath-taking (see pics, get an oxygen tank). After about an hour on our own, we wandered back to the bus and traveled back to the boat. I did learn that there is a huge army base (Camp Darby) along the Roman Road (which I think is called Aurelia – our bus guide was Australian so I’m not sure), and apparently they have an Italian-American fair on some weekends and all the Italians flock here to get good American food. Isn’t that something! They had American ambulances and fire trucks, and hundreds of those big green army trucks with the canvas backs, and lots of tents. Anyway, random facts for you.
So now back on the ship, we have gone to the gym again, taken little naps, and discovered how the internet works! Tonight we have casual dinner, maybe a show, probably the bar and casino routine again, and definitely more fun times ahead! It is beautiful here and everywhere we go is just more and more gorgeous. Leave some comments if you’d like or send us an email! Sdimanto@gmail is mine – we got some internet minutes and the wifi spot is 30 feet from our room. So convenient. Check back soon for our adventure in Florence tomorrow! We’re off at 7am…
Missing everyone back home, but loving our time here :)
Part 2: Bello Portofino
Portofino is a small port town, with similar small port towns neighboring it, and we had the option to get up early and take a tour (which started at 7:15am) of the three towns, totaling 8 hours in duration. So we gave that a big fat negative and all 3 of us slept in until 11am! So great. We all went to the gym, had some lunch and then prepared for a quiet afternoon exploring the town. We caught the tender boat because Portofino has no pier for big ships like ours, and this turned out to be an interesting and unorganized experience. Fortunately the scenery on the way there is gorgeous and there are a bunch of yachts cruising around and docked in this tiny pier – see pics. Once we were there, we wandered around taking pictures, checking out the many designer shops (I took pictures of the ones I knew but there were tons more big Italian names), and enjoying the nice weather. I was able to use my Italian speaking skills and asked a police officer for a restaurant – another recommendation. But unfortunately when we found it (because of my awesome Italian speaking skills) they couldn’t seat us because the cook had left. We should have known since it was mid-afternoon at this point. So we found another cute pizza shop, again with the tables outside under big umbrellas and shared a half bottle of wine and two mini pizzas. Delicious! It was a great people watching spot because like I said there are many yachts there so all the swanky people are walking around with their designer yachting clothes and sunglasses and bags, but also there are the locals walking around with their tiny fishing boats and children on leashes (no lie). So it was really quite interesting. Look for the picture I took of tiny little Nonna hanging laundry outside her window. Precious!
Our boat left this port at 5pm promptly so we did a little more wandering – see pictures of some back streets and shops, and awesome views – and then caught the shuttle back to the boat, took naps again (sweet!) and prepared for our first formal dinner night! I failed to mention in the last entry, but there is a casino on board, and only one lively bar it seems. We found both of these this evening J The bar was featuring disco music until 11, and then karaoke starting at 11:15, which Momma and Poppa D both participated in. I begged out luckily, and stayed behind the camera. Maybe later in the week I’ll have a couple more Tequila Sunrises and we’ll see. But anyways, then there was some dancing (hilarity ensued) and we hung out with our new British lady friend (from dinner) and then made our way to the casino! I never knew slot machines were so much fun, and so addicting! I never lost $20 so fast and had absolutely nothing to show for it except 3 minutes of entertainment. It’s insane that people will sit in front of one of those things and do it for hours! Myself probably included now…
Tomorrow we are off to the port town of Livorno to explore the Tuscany district, Pisa, and Florence!
Our boat left this port at 5pm promptly so we did a little more wandering – see pictures of some back streets and shops, and awesome views – and then caught the shuttle back to the boat, took naps again (sweet!) and prepared for our first formal dinner night! I failed to mention in the last entry, but there is a casino on board, and only one lively bar it seems. We found both of these this evening J The bar was featuring disco music until 11, and then karaoke starting at 11:15, which Momma and Poppa D both participated in. I begged out luckily, and stayed behind the camera. Maybe later in the week I’ll have a couple more Tequila Sunrises and we’ll see. But anyways, then there was some dancing (hilarity ensued) and we hung out with our new British lady friend (from dinner) and then made our way to the casino! I never knew slot machines were so much fun, and so addicting! I never lost $20 so fast and had absolutely nothing to show for it except 3 minutes of entertainment. It’s insane that people will sit in front of one of those things and do it for hours! Myself probably included now…
Tomorrow we are off to the port town of Livorno to explore the Tuscany district, Pisa, and Florence!
Part I: Flying, Rome, and Civitavecchia
Greetings and Arrivaderci, friends and family, miei amici e famiglia! I have decided since no one likes reading 15 billion paragraph blog entries, I’d break up our trip into parts so you can read them all at your leisure.
Thursday as some of you who have flown internationally may know, was exhausting! However I must say that flying first class was amazing, definitely worth the extra bucks, and it makes the 8 or 9 hour flight much more bearable! We arrived Friday morning at around 9am Rome time (we are 6 hours ahead of East Coast time – those of you elsewhere, I trust you can do the math), and caught a not-so-cheap taxi to our hotel which is situated in what I’d call the suburbs of Rome – up on a hill, pretty cool view. We all took much needed naps, and then caught the 4pm shuttle bus into the city center to do a little exploring. A wonderful map and an even better map reader, Poppa D, made our self-guided exploration fun and easy. We explored the area around the Vatican, saw Castel Sant’Angelo, an adorable street market where I had an excellent “granite” which is the equivalent to a 7-11 Icee but WAY better. Then we crossed the Tiber and meandered through some more piazzas, finding our way to Piazza Navona where we had our first delicious taste of Italian gelato and dessert at Tre Scalini, a restaurant which had been recommended to us by some friends. Definitely delicious! And of course we took some awesome pictures by the 4 rivers fountain and the obelisk and other gorgeous fountains in the piazza. Those of you who saw Angels and Demons – this square, church and fountains were a part of the so-called “Path of Illumination.”
Next we found our way to Ristorante di Angelo, complete with scooter parking in the front and adorable tables on a covered patio – see pictures. Mum and I ordered the world famous Fettuccini Alfredo – and when I say world famous, I mean that this restaurant, which has been in its exact location since 1907, was the INVENTOR of Alfredo sauce!!! It was easily the most delicious Alfredo sauce anywhere in the world that I have tasted Alfredo sauce. Even Blacksburg. They even prepare it in front of you – super thin home-made noodles, mixed with melted butter and amazing fresh thinly grated Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve. I can’t explain how rich it was, you just have to trust me.
The next morning we made our way via expensive taxi to the port town of Civitavecchia (yes yes say it out loud again, it’s so fun), which is about 40 minutes from where we were staying outside of Rome. There were about 10 other cruise ships docked there, and we have discovered that we are traveling on a similar cruising path with quite a few of them! Once on board the ship, we did a little exploring and getting to know our home for the next 12 days. Our room is very nice and the balcony is excellent; also I have never slept on such a comfortable sleep sofa in my life, it’s really quite remarkable – and quiet with ear plugs J That night we set sail, as it were, at 6pm, took refreshing naps again (I’m loving it, work is going to stink with no naps!), had our “Muster Drill” where they have you put on the life jackets and line up by the life boats and get information about emergencies and whatnot. Always our favorite part of cruising – check the pictures. Then went to the 9pm dinner seating, which we have the whole time. Our dinner-mates are wonderful. Two couples from California who are traveling together, and one single woman from England who is giving this trip to herself as a gift or something. They are all really quite delightful, and of course the food is superb. I love the concept of having all the food included because if we don’t like something it’s so easy to just order something else! 2 appetizers, 3 desserts, it’s all the same price! And no guilt! Except for the calorie intake, but whatever.
Speaking of calorie intake, there is a wonderful gym on board with awesome massive windows which allows for wonderful views while jogging or using the elliptical! They also have pilates mats and exercise balls which is also a big plus. So anyways, to sum up: Rome is beautiful and I can’t wait to get back after the cruise. The ship is wonderful , there are minimal annoying children, there’s great food, bars everywhere, and we are loving it. Tomorrow we are up the coast to visit the port town of Portofino!
Thursday as some of you who have flown internationally may know, was exhausting! However I must say that flying first class was amazing, definitely worth the extra bucks, and it makes the 8 or 9 hour flight much more bearable! We arrived Friday morning at around 9am Rome time (we are 6 hours ahead of East Coast time – those of you elsewhere, I trust you can do the math), and caught a not-so-cheap taxi to our hotel which is situated in what I’d call the suburbs of Rome – up on a hill, pretty cool view. We all took much needed naps, and then caught the 4pm shuttle bus into the city center to do a little exploring. A wonderful map and an even better map reader, Poppa D, made our self-guided exploration fun and easy. We explored the area around the Vatican, saw Castel Sant’Angelo, an adorable street market where I had an excellent “granite” which is the equivalent to a 7-11 Icee but WAY better. Then we crossed the Tiber and meandered through some more piazzas, finding our way to Piazza Navona where we had our first delicious taste of Italian gelato and dessert at Tre Scalini, a restaurant which had been recommended to us by some friends. Definitely delicious! And of course we took some awesome pictures by the 4 rivers fountain and the obelisk and other gorgeous fountains in the piazza. Those of you who saw Angels and Demons – this square, church and fountains were a part of the so-called “Path of Illumination.”
Next we found our way to Ristorante di Angelo, complete with scooter parking in the front and adorable tables on a covered patio – see pictures. Mum and I ordered the world famous Fettuccini Alfredo – and when I say world famous, I mean that this restaurant, which has been in its exact location since 1907, was the INVENTOR of Alfredo sauce!!! It was easily the most delicious Alfredo sauce anywhere in the world that I have tasted Alfredo sauce. Even Blacksburg. They even prepare it in front of you – super thin home-made noodles, mixed with melted butter and amazing fresh thinly grated Parmesan cheese, stir, and serve. I can’t explain how rich it was, you just have to trust me.
The next morning we made our way via expensive taxi to the port town of Civitavecchia (yes yes say it out loud again, it’s so fun), which is about 40 minutes from where we were staying outside of Rome. There were about 10 other cruise ships docked there, and we have discovered that we are traveling on a similar cruising path with quite a few of them! Once on board the ship, we did a little exploring and getting to know our home for the next 12 days. Our room is very nice and the balcony is excellent; also I have never slept on such a comfortable sleep sofa in my life, it’s really quite remarkable – and quiet with ear plugs J That night we set sail, as it were, at 6pm, took refreshing naps again (I’m loving it, work is going to stink with no naps!), had our “Muster Drill” where they have you put on the life jackets and line up by the life boats and get information about emergencies and whatnot. Always our favorite part of cruising – check the pictures. Then went to the 9pm dinner seating, which we have the whole time. Our dinner-mates are wonderful. Two couples from California who are traveling together, and one single woman from England who is giving this trip to herself as a gift or something. They are all really quite delightful, and of course the food is superb. I love the concept of having all the food included because if we don’t like something it’s so easy to just order something else! 2 appetizers, 3 desserts, it’s all the same price! And no guilt! Except for the calorie intake, but whatever.
Speaking of calorie intake, there is a wonderful gym on board with awesome massive windows which allows for wonderful views while jogging or using the elliptical! They also have pilates mats and exercise balls which is also a big plus. So anyways, to sum up: Rome is beautiful and I can’t wait to get back after the cruise. The ship is wonderful , there are minimal annoying children, there’s great food, bars everywhere, and we are loving it. Tomorrow we are up the coast to visit the port town of Portofino!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Getting Ready!
The DiMantova's are busily unpacking, laundering, repacking, and doing boring but necessary things like paying bills (yuck!) and cleaning in preparation for our wonderful house-sitters! No pictures yet...check back in a few days...we arrive sometime late Thursday night or early Friday morning (no idea the time difference or anything), and our ship departs Saturday at 6pm. Getting excited!
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