Day 1 (Saturday) Starting the Trip - Seattle to Rome 9/22/12
Flying to Italy! Left Seattle for Chicago, so far so good. Best seats ever on the flight from Chicago to London. Upper deck on a 747. That meant private seats that lay down flat and become a pretty comfy bed. It was so comfortable I even slept some - especially after the complimentary wine and gourmet dinner. However, we never did quite understand the purpose of the complimentary socks. Are we expected to wear them? is there something we don't know about the floor? In Chicago we spent a few moments in the British Airways lounge between flights and then were back on the plane to London. Time for a nap - next stop Europe....
Day 2 (Sunday) Landing in Rome 9/23/12
Still traveling... After landing in London, we found another impressive BA lounge. Free food and self serve drinks - even espresso. Starting to feel very full, and haven't even made it to Italy yet. Storms outside made the 2 hour ride to Rome interesting - for me anyway! The ride was much improved by the proper English tea service on the flight-Yum! Its 5:45pm and Finally in Italy! We expected a checkout by customs, but it was nearly non existent, so we walked out of the airport and to the train. Rode the train to Rome without incident, and so began our adventure in Italy. Before leaving the station, we found our way to the ticket counter to get the return tickets from Naples back to Rome at the end of the official tour. First Italian lesson was about credit card chips - and that our card didn't have one - after an unsuccessful attempt to buy a ticket at a kiosk. Drat. Scored a taxi to the hotel, well- almost to the hotel... the taxi driver dropped off at the nearby fountain in the Travestere square, where he assured us only it was only 3 minutes to walk, and much too difficult to drive the rest of the way. To quote "its right over there, go right, then go right". That may be true if you go the the correct way, which we didn't. After trudging up and down several cobblestone streets pulling our luggage, feet and sense of humor were both wearing out. I'm pretty sure the locals were laughing at us in Italian after the second or third time we passed by the same outdoor cafe. After the the impromptu circumnavigation of Travestere, and a walk across the Tiber River, we finally went back to the beginning, pulled out the trusty Rick Steves instructions and followed the directions exactly. After venturing down what appeared to be a back alley, we finally made it. Street signs (and lack thereof), building signs et cetera definitely not what we are used to! Too late and too tired for dinner, we did the only sensible thing, which was heading to the nearest gelato stand. I began my quest to fulfill the goal of having a different gelato every day of the trip. After we finished our very delicious first Italian gelato, it was finally time to head back to the hotel to get some sleep.
Tammy's flavor day 1 - Nutella Harry's flavor day 1 - Stracciatella (i.e. chocolate chip)
Day 3 (Monday) Rome 9/24/12
The Tour starts this afternoon. Slept in and eventually wandered downstairs to check out the hotel breakfast. Yum! Pastries, salumi, cheese, cereal and juice, to name a few of the highlights. A nice Italian lady was even making custom espresso! Espresso dopio for me, grazie. And free Nutella - this could be trouble. We met two of our fellow tourers over breakfast, and then headed out for our first unofficial pre-tour tour - The Vatican Museum. After seeing the extremely long lines, I'm very glad I purchased tickets on-line (and very glad I studied the Rick Steves guide book and took the advice!). We walked right in and were quickly checking out the artwork. Amazing stuff, even though we don't know all of the history, it was well signed and explained. Every surface had a statue, painting, sculpture or fresco, from floor to ceiling, room after room, hallway after long hallway. Photos truly don't do it justice. The highlight is, of course, the Sistine Chapel. Not only amazing for the artistry, but for the number of people that can be packed into the room at one time. We bought several books in the museum so that we can better understand and appreciate just what we saw there. Since we walked from the hotel, we saw a bit more of Rome on the way back, stopping in St. Peter's Square, and finishing along the Tiber River. Back just in time for a quick siesta and the official tour introductory meeting, complete with wine. After the meeting and orientation, our group headed off on a quick tour of the neighborhood of Travestere on the way to dinner. As we passed a recommended gelato stand, I made a mental note to return later. This was also where I learned one of the most important words of the trip - "artigianale" or handcrafted. Especially important when used to describe gelato. Over the Ponte Sisto to dinner at Tratorria Der Pallaro. No menu, so you trust the chef to decide what's for dinner, you eat what they bring you, and It was all terrific!! Anti pasti, including lentils, pasta carbonara, vitollo (veal) 2 ways, potato chips, bread, dessert, and wine. Luckily the walk back by Piazza Navona (an ancient stadium), the Pantheon and Largo di Torre Argentina (also known as Kitty City for the abundance of stray cats) was enough to make room for more gelato.
Tammy's flavor day 2 - Fico (fig) and Coco (coconut) Harry's flavor day 2 - Stracciatella Step count - 26k
Day 4 (Tuesday) More of Rome 9/25/12
If it's Tuesday, this must be Rome... Now I am feeling seriously sleep deprived. Two, maybe three hours total last night. Trying to get on the Roman schedule is more challenging than I thought. Maybe tomorrow. I'm not going to let it slow me down, though - too much to see! We have our official first Rick Steves tour today and I'm really excited!! Downtown Rome and museums with an real Roman guide. We started by crossing the Tiber river and touring the Jewish ghetto. Interesting note - along the bridge crossing the river were posts covered with initialed padlocks. The story is that these are placed there by couples who promise to remain in love as long as the locks remain. Along with the history of the Jewish community in the ghetto, we started to see the ancient ruins and excavation and restoration activities in downtown Rome. The Roman history museum over the Saturn temple was the first museum of the day. We saw many old things (yes, that's an obvious statement). But - It is really hard to comprehend that many of the statues and artworks date back to the first century and older. From the museum, we had an amazing view over the entire roman forum and ruins. Photos don't do justice to the scale. After lunch at the museum we headed back to the Colosseum. With a very good tip from the guide, we purchased tickets in the short line at a lesser known entrance, and bypassed the mile long ticket line at the Colosseum. The Colosseum is basically a large sports stadium except, instead of baseball, the sport was a battle to the death for some unfortunate people (and animals). Since we were not dead tired yet, we marched on, back the the Pantheon to see the dome we had seen the previous night from the inside, marveling at the engineering expertise required to build the giant dome. Still going strong, we headed to what was reported to be Rome's best coffee stop. Tried a Cafe Freddo for the first time. Kind of a coffee milkshake (did I mention Yum yet?). We finally headed back to the hotel, passing kitty city on the way. Harry tried out washing clothes in the sink, while I relaxed with pictures. On our own tonight, we headed back over the river to Campo di Fiori for dinner. Dinner was forgettable, so we began a quest for good gelato, again following the Rick Steves guidebook. First gelato was good, but not the best, so went after the best - Giolliti. And it was. Finally headed back to the hotel, planning to sleep well.
Slept over 6 hours- finally!! Starting to get on schedule. Moved on from Rome today and not too soon for Harry. One more coffee and croissant then on the bus to Hadrian's Villa, about 1 hour outside of Rome. Beautiful grounds amid ancient olive trees. It was fun trying to guess the original purpose of the buildings that have been uncovered, and wonder what life was like for the rich and famous of Ancient Rome. Then we were back on the bus for the 5 hour ride to the town of Vieste, located on the Gargano coast on the Adriatic Sea. We stopped at an "Autogrill" for lunch. Another new experience- looks like a truck stop, but much, much better. Local Italian food, cafeteria style. Salad and cheese, with local chocolate for dessert. Note- coffee culture in Italy is unique (and of course this is where it all started, Starbucks not withstanding). There are coffee bars everywhere- rest stops, gas stations, etc. All have an espresso bar. The practice is to hit the counter, order an espresso, shoot it, then head out the door. I can do that. And I'm not going caffeine free this week. The road to Vieste is super long and winding, but as we arrived, the town is beautiful. Ancient buildings lining a steep coastline. We walked from the bus to the hotel, down a narrow street built before cars existed. Another delightful multi- course Italian dinner with the gang, where we spent the evening visiting with Kevin and Marilou. We have been finding that a bottle of wine is very easy to finish with dinner in Italy. No leftovers again today. After dinner, we left on our nightly gelato quest. As we were scoping the second gelato shop, we happened to run into Donato, Tom, Dale, Kevin, and Mary Lou. As luck would have it, Tom was in the process of buying everyone grappa. Hmm, change of plan, no gelato tonight, grappa tasting made a last minute substitution. I think we've found a new drink. Definitely time for bed!
Tammy's flavor day 5 - Grappa! Harry's flavor day 5 - Grappa! Step count -12.5k
Day 6 (Thursday) Vieste 9/27/12
All day in Vieste today! Started the day with more pastry and yogurt and we're looking forward to the boat ride to see the caves along the coast. The water is looking a little choppy, but we're going for it. We went off bouncing over the waves, and got a little wet, hoping no one on the boat is prone to sea sickness! Caves are very cool, and we floated into several of the limestone caves to see the rock formations and beautiful light effects. Much different (and more peaceful) experience as compared to our days in Rome. Vieste is a coastal vacation town, where vacation season is about over, so it is quiet and slow right now. Lunch was the much anticipated pasta demonstration. Now I know what I'll be making when I get home, and I'll be searching for the 00 flour. Lunch consisted of 3 plates of different homemade pasta, and yet another bottle of wine. After lunch, we took a walk through town, learning that siesta time really means it. Most shops are closed until 4pm. We did find a market selling local foods and fresh produce. I Felt very inadequate in my use of Italian, but managed to purchase some sun dried tomatoes. After my first successful purchase, we headed back for a nap. Refreshed, we headed out for an evening stroll. Visited the shell museum (Museo Malacologico). Small museum, but quite interesting with lots of well labeled shells. Next we were off to dinner. Decided to be brave and head to the recommended restaurant and try out our Italian skills. There were no English translations on the menu at the Osteria deli Archi, so I started out with the handy translation book. Luckily, the waiter spoke English, so we didn't have to struggle too much. Dinner was molto bene! Started with octopi dishes - grilled and carpaccio. Yum! We weren't going to have wine, but sure glad we did. Another bottle quickly disappeared and was a great complement to the food. After antipasti, we had pasta, salad, and topped the dinner off with Grappa Sibona, aged in oak barrels. Wow. So much better than the first one. Need to find this in Seattle... Didn't want to miss gelato again, so headed back to the gelato shop for a small cup. Then we walked the long way back to the hotel, through the narrow streets of the old town, checking out the small shops and restaurants along the way. I could stay here longer, but we are heading to Matera in the morning. Tammy's flavor day 6- Mozzarella di Bufala , Cherry Harry's flavor day 6 - Stracciatella , Chocolate Step count - 15k
Day 7 (Friday) Vieste, Alberobello and Matera 9/28/12
Another travel day today. We walked back up the street to the bus stop. Sad to leave, as this was a wonderful town, quiet, laid back and very pleasant. Left town on another winding road, and then to the highway. This time, the bus education session was on how to make Pasta de Donato. Sounds promising! I'll be giving it a try when we get home. The first challenge of the day was a closed rest stop, no power. We bussed on to the next, which was thankfully open. It appears toilet seats are not a regular fixture around here. Tried out the Nutella to go. Pretty good for a snack, maybe not so good for you, though. We arrived at Alberobello around 1pm, stopping to see the "Trulli" stone houses. This is also where we'll be doing a lunch time wine tasting, but not until 2pm, and I'm hungry! Luckily, there is an outdoor market with fresh fruit. Learned the hard way, after being scolded, that you don't touch the fruit like we do at home- they get it for you. I purchased a bag of really good plums and they hit the spot for now. We wandered Up the street and saw a little shop with every flavor liquor imaginable and bought 3 little bottles, plus cookies. Should mention it was close to 100 degrees here in the shade, I so tried to stay out of the sun, even though I thought it felt great. Time for the wine tasting. It's 2pm and we haven't eaten lunch, so the anti pasti is looking really good - and it was. So was the wine. I walked out with a heavy bag of liquor, including more grappa, as well as olive oil and olive spread. I guess we're committed to a checked bag now, but worth it for sure. The Trulli were truly fascinating, it was truly hot, and the food was truly great! But we have to leave so we can get to Matera by dinner time. Andiamo - back on bus. We arrived at Matera and walked into the Sassi, or cave area of the town on the way to the hotel. Another amazing place with a unique history. The hotel is a converted cave dwelling, and each room is actually a cave. Group dinner tonight at Le Botteghe. It was a multi course traditional or "typica" meal for this area of antipasti, pasta with local dried peppers and roasted meat. Lamb and sausage were good, but I'm not a fan of the "sheep interior" dish aka liver bits wrapped in lung...ew. Met Dennis and Sue enjoying the view and balcony on the way back to the room and chatted till around 11pm before heading off to bed. Tammy's flavor day 7- Stracciatella (shared) Harry's flavor day 7 - Stracciatella Step count - 12k
Day 8 (Saturday) Matera 9/29/12
All day in Matera. Today started at 9am- after another traditional breakfast of pastry, Nutella, croissant and coffee, and then a 3 hour tour of the Sassi lead by our local Matera guide. Another interesting note is that only Italians can legally give tours, so our Rick Steves tour guide was not able to lead the tours in these locations. We walked down through the streets, glad to have a guide who knows the way, and through the historic sections of town. History here is very unique, as is seeing how the residents lived until the 1950s. Again, hard to imagine that most of these buildings have been here for 1000's of years, and some older cave dwellings date back to the Middle Ages. Climbed up, down, and around to see the sights. We then headed back to town for lunch. By then I was ready to sit down! We found a small Trattoria and had our first official Italian pizza of the trip. Very pleased. Since 1pm to 4pm is again siesta time, we zipped down to the outdoor market. I found fresh tomatoes, and remembering my lesson in Alberobello, didn't touch this time. Next stop gelato. Headed back to the gelato artigianale shop that we spotted as we finished the tour. My mental notes and gelato radar are paying off. Again, molto bene!! Best pistachio ever, and Harry had, wait for it... Stracciatella. And a little chocolate. Heading back to the room, we saw a bit of an Italian cooking demo in progress. Not sure what they were saying, but it sure looked good. Back at the room we finished some siesta time ourselves. Before the evening get together for wine and cheese, we walked back into to the town square - what a difference a couple of hours makes! Everyone was now out, and there were non stop activities. We saw a birds of prey exhibition, as well as donkeys and many agricultural booths. Back down for wine and cheese, courtesy of Donato, and a plan for dinner. In town again and on our own tonight. We located the restaurant we had in mind, which didn't open until 8pm, so joined the crowds walking the streets and window shopping. By 8 we were ready to eat and headed back to Trattoria Lucana, just in time to see Kevin and Marilou heading to the same place. We ate dinner together. HUGE portions at this place. Harry had veal scallopini the size of a dinner plate and an equally large plate of risotto. I had "pasta ala Mel Gibson" named in his honor after the filming of the Passion of the Christ in Matera. Even with the big dinner, we wanted to make one more stop at the great gelato stand we'd found earlier. Joining what appeared to be the entire town in the passeggiata (evening stroll) we headed back past the festivities, including live music and dancing, to the Gelateria. One more and now we are ready to head back to the Sassi to pack and prepare for the next days bus ride. Note , step counts appear to be trending down, and gelato counts are trending up. Tammy's flavor day 8 - Pistachio, Baci de Perugina Harry's flavor day 8-Stracciatella, Chocolate ( one Milk chocolate, one Nero) Step count - 15k
Day 9 (Sunday) Positano 9/30/12
Buffalo Farm and Amalfi Coast! I'm excited!! We are up early to catch the bus to Positano, with a first stop at the buffalo mozzarella farm. (Mozzarella di bufala). What a great place! First we got to meet the water buffalo and hear about their daily life, which included massage, baths and classical music to ensure they are relaxed, happy, and providing maximum milk production. The process is highly automated, with milking machines that measure production for each cow using RFID chips for tracking. The techie in me is fascinated by the process. We then went to see where the less fortunate male water buffalo end up - the leather shop. Many euros later, we left with a beautiful water buffalo leather bag for me and belt for Harry. Time for lunch, so we headed over for a mozzarella themed meal. Wow - caprese salad, ricotta, bread and the best strawberry yogurt ever for dessert. All accented perfectly by another bottle of Puglia white wine. On the way out, a choice of gelato or espresso finished our trip. Did I mention this was THE BEST?? Our first experience on the famous Amalfi Coast road was next. Those on the right side of the bus were treated to some major views of the town, and a major drop off over the edge of the road. Dodging buses and scooters, we finally made it in one piece, but several on the bus were in need of a stiff drink to calm their nerves! No crazy driving in the US compares to this traffic. The one way road in town was barely big enough for one vehicle, much less pedestrians and scooters. We had to dash from the bus to the hotel to avoid getting run down ourselves. After cleaning up, we started our orientation walk to the beach and had a seafood dinner at a very nice water front restaurant - Chez Black. The highlight there was the sea urchin pasta, served in a sea urchin bowl. After the evening gelato, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the view and a good night's sleep.
Tammy's flavor day 9 - Almond Chocolate and After Eight (mint chip) Harry's flavor day 9 - Stracciatella, Chocolate Step count - unknown....
Day 10 (Monday) Positano 10/1/12
An entire day in Positano! Woke up to a rain shower, but we (or at least me) are determined to take the bus ride up the coast and see the towns of Amalfi and Ravello. The trip between the towns is famous for its white knuckle ride, and is compared to the road to Hana in Hawaii. At the bus stop, we start to get a feel for "Italian time" as the bus is about 20 min late, but the bus driver is apparently working to make that up, and we speed down the narrow winding road. Wow, descriptions don't do it justice!! Beautiful views, wild ride. We make it to the town of Amalfi in one piece, and take the same bus up another hill to Ravello. The bus drivers here must have lots of experience, and steady nerves, to get by as they clear other vehicles by mere inches, barely missing speeding scooters zipping between vehicles. Ravello is a quaint little town at the top of a hill. It was reportedly the home of Sophia Loren for several years. We walked down the road a bit, looking at the views and hillside gardens. By then it was lunchtime, so along with Sue, Dennis, Lucia and Bill, we found the Rick Steves recommended spot. It had not only a five star view, but good food too. Very relaxing. Now we have to get back. We aim for the bus stop, planning to ride the boat from the harbor this time. One problem, the bus from Ravello back to Amalfi is now late, and we might miss the boat. Saw a taxi who will take all 6 of us for 40 Euros, and at that point, we thought we better do it, so crowded in for the ride down. Made the boat with moments to spare, and had a nice ride back. Dinner with the group tonight at Bruno's, right up the street. Seafood, pasta, more wine and tiramisu for dinner. Really full, but still not too full for gelato. No diet on this trip.
Tammy's flavor day 10 - Tiramisu Harry's flavor day 10 - Stracciatella, Chocolate Step count - 12k
Day 11 (Tuesday) Positano, Pompeii and Sorrento 10/2/12
Pompeii! Its going to be an eventful day, so we got an early start from Positano to Pompeii. Again, I'm very excited to see this town, as it was one of my most anticipated stops. Weather is good for us and not too hot. The city of Pompeii is very big and our tour guide is excellent. He came to Pompeii as a boy with his grandfather, so the tour is very personal. He did a great job of relating life in Pompeii to modern culture, from the government to the social structure. Even the Spa with a sauna and steam room was surprisingly similar to what we have today. After the tour, we were able to wander on our own and see some of the areas that are still being excavated. After a few hours we met back at the bus, taking the bus to Sorrento instead of the planned train, due to a potential train strike. Yay Julio for sticking around to drive us! On the way from the bus stop, we had the best surprise yet. Gelato making demonstration!!! We are at a 4th generation family owned gelato shop in Sorrento, and received a very good lesson on making lemon gelato/sorbet. I recorded the entire thing so I can transcribe it later and try my hand at home. Sorrento is definitely the city of lemons. There were lemon products, including limoncello, everywhere. After walking down the very cute, and narrow, shopping street, we arrived at the hotel and checked in. After a quick rest, we headed to dinner at the restaurant Delfino in the nearby harbor. Another wonderful dinner with octopus various ways and the best seafood risotto ever (they said so and we couldn't disagree). Finished up with a limoncello and then back to town for a little shopping -and one more gelato. Last stop of the evening was a dress shop, where I walked out with several beautiful Italian linen items. I now have some new things to wear for the rest of the trip, as well as after I get home!
Tammy's flavor(s) day 11- Lemon, Chocolate Rum, Coconut, Walnut Harry's flavor(s) day 11- Stracciatella, Chocolate, Lemon Step count - 17k
Day 12 (Wednesday) Sorrento 10/3/12
A relaxing day in Sorrento. We decided against the trip to Capri and plan to spend the day relaxing and wandering in Sorrento. After a late breakfast, we head out to the street to check out the shops. We walked down the hill to the large harbor, back up again, and then to lunch at the Mozzarella di Bufala restaurant for one more taste of fresh mozzarella. I'm really glad I don't know the nutrition facts for this stuff. Next we checked out the lemon grove, a very nice little park with locally made limoncello samples waiting at the end. Bought a bottle there and headed back to town for more shopping. By then, Harry was tired of shopping so he headed back to the hotel while I continued my quest for the perfect souvenir(s). I ended up with cookbooks, a linen table runner, a scarf, more grappa, espresso cups, limoncello glasses and a little bit of chocolate. My shopping bug was satisfied, and since I couldn't carry much more anyway, I headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We went back to the same place and had another wonderful dinner. The highlight this time was the fried anchovy/sardines. Very fresh - bene again! After dinner, back out for nightly gelato. Sigh - time to pack again and get ready for the next days trip to Napoli.
Tammy's flavor day 12 - Caramel Harry's flavor day - 12 Chocolate Step count - 23k
Day 13 (Thursday) Sorrento to Naples 10/4/12
Grand Finale - Naples. Up early again to head to Naples. I'm sure glad we are normally early risers. After many warnings about pick pockets, we remove most jewelry and are wearing the money belt again. Admittedly, we've been pretty lax about that in the smaller towns. As we watched our bags being loaded on the van to take to the bus, we are hoping they don't fall off! Looks like another beautiful day in Italy, and off we go to Naples. Jewelry free, money belt securely attached, and worried about pick pockets. As we drive into town, it definitely has a big city feel. The bus winds through the narrow streets and we arrive at our first event of the day, a tour of the Naples Museum. It is actually cool enough for a sweater today, but the sun is out, so no complaints here. We wait for our local guide at the massive doors of the building. The tour and the guide are both delightful. She has a real passion for the art work and the history and draws us in. It really makes the art come alive when you better understand the history and context. Ending the tour with a nice espresso, we headed into the city of Naples to check in at the hotel. The bus parks near the port a couple blocks away, so we get to take our luggage for a short stroll through Naples' streets, keeping an eye out for the treacherous robbers we've heard about. Of course we easily make it to the hotel and get checked in without incident. After getting settled, we walked down the street for a sandwich at the 'My Way' sandwich shop with the happy face. Not sure it was my way, but it hit the spot! You could definitely describe the streets In Naples as chaotic. Narrow roads with pedestrians, cars and scooters maneuvering around each other and very little visible traffic control. Also noticing a large amount of American shops, Sephora, Benetton, Esprit and Tommy Hilfiger to name a few. Some similarity to NYC, but much wilder. After lunch, we meet in the lobby to start our next tour. Up the street to ride the funicular (trolley) up the hill to a fortress overlooking the city. Now we understand what the song is about! Views are as good as advertised. We are treated to a 360 degree view of the city with Vesuvius in the background. WOW again. Back down and now oriented to our location, we walk back and head out on a quest for real Neapolitan pizza. On our guides recommendation, we head to Gusto & Gusto on the waterfront, and again aren't disappointed (we never are). Mozzarella di bufala antipasti, a Margherita Pizza and bottle of wine are a great end to the day, but of course there is still room for one more gelato. We walked back by the port, dodging the street vendors, and have oour gelato to finish a great day In Naples.
Tammy's flavor day 13 - Strawberry, Baba with Rum, Mixed Nut ( Italian name way too long to remember) Harry's flavor day 13 - Stracciatella, Chocolate Step count - 21.9k
Day 14 (Friday) Naples 10/5/12
Sigh. Last official tour day. I'm going to miss everyone. We start the day with breakfast of pastry, yogurt and espresso. I'm also going to miss the new typical breakfast. Now its off to the the Archeological Museum, about a 40 min walk from the hotel. I wish we had more time for shopping as we pass some very interesting stores along the way. Again I made some mental notes for places to return later. We have the same tour guide as yesterday, and this museum is even more fascinating than the last, with many exhibits from Pompeii. After seeing Pompeii, adding the museum really brings the experience to life. We were able to visit the 'secret room' containing erotic Art - entertaining, to say the least! Also some amazing pieces in the Farnese collection, great marble statues - including Hercules - which was just one of many that were memorable. We walked back, stopping at a church filled with marble masterpieces, including carved marble fishing net and two somewhat out of place skeletons with blood vessels, then down a street of nativity scenes. We had lunch in an outside courtyard with Sue and Dennis which was very pleasant. During lunch we even chatted a couple of local Naples residents who LOVED living there. We meandered back to the hotel, stopping for a Mexico coffee and another gelato. By then it was siesta time and most shops were closed for the afternoon, so we headed back through the trap door and into the hotel. Spent some quality time packing to make sure we have enough bags for the return trip. I think we can do it! I dressed for dinner (in my new Italian linen dress from Sorrento ) and we made our way down for our last dinner as a group. Our guide surprised us with some pre dinner entertainment. The evening highlight was that Harry was picked out of the crowd to do some dancing. I was able to capture it on video for future blackmail opportunities, although I was laughing so hard at that the time that's its kind of shaky! We walked down the street to have our last dinner, as well as one more opportunity to window shop. As with the others, this dinner highlighted many of the local specialties and good wines. Then it was time to say goodbye to everyone and return to the hotel. Lots of hugs later, we made it back and did the last of the packing so we are ready for the trip back to Rome...
Tammy's flavor day 14- Cannoli Harry's flavor day 14- Chocolate Step count - 14k
Day 15 (Saturday) Naples to Rome 10/6/12
On our own again in Rome. We are at the end of the official tour and on our own again, but feeling much more comfortable this time. Up early to get the taxi to the train station to head back to Rome, the weather is good and sunrise over Vesuvius is beautiful. Just when you think you are getting the hang of things, something new shows up. This time it's the toilette in the train station. One Euro to get through the automated turnstile and then a very nice and well kept spot - complete with real seats and Dyson hand driers. One espresso for the road and then we were on the bullet train headed across the countryside to Rome. Super fast trip, with a top speed of about 300 km/hr. Wow, if my calculations are correct, that's close to 180 mph! Then a quick taxi ride and we're back to our hotel. This time the taxi took us right to the door. It's too early to check in, so we headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. After another espresso, we explore Trastevere and come across a Botanical Garden we hadn't noticed before. How cool is that? We spent the next couple of hours wandering through a very nice and peaceful little garden. A very unexpected and delightful change of pace from the busy city. After leaving the garden, we had lunch at one of the many sidewalk cafes, checked in to the hotel, and prepared to head to the Borghese Gallery for the afternoon. We decided to walk, heading toward the Trevi fountain which was on the way. The fountain is as beautiful as we imagined, but the crowds are huge! We make it out the other side and continue up the road past the big hotels to the entrance to the Borghese Gardens. Following the signs we keep walking, and walking, and finally make it to the museum entrance to check in for the 3 pm group. Just when you think you've seen it all, there's more amazing art to experience. This time, the highlight had to be the Bernini marble sculptures. My favorite was Apollo and Daphne, although the most famous was definitely Venus. Completing our tour we headed back by the Trevi fountain, which was even more crowded. We're ready for a break and so stopped for a cool drink along the way. Passed Kitty City, so I know we are headed the right way, and found ourselves in Piazza Trulissa once again. We had dinner at the Osteria Ponte Sisto - good food, good pasta, and then, of course, the evening gelato. After a final walk through the streets of Trastevere, we head in for the night.
Tammy's flavor day 14- Chocolate Rum, Biscotti Harry's flavor day 14- Chocolate, Stracciatella Step count - 24k (ouch!)
Day 16 (Sunday) Last Day in Rome 10/7/12
Last Day in Italy. I'm sad to see the last day arrive, even though Harry is ready to get out of the city. There is still so much to see and do! Enjoying one final breakfast of pastry and espresso in the hotel, we chat with Tom and Dale, who also returned to Rome yesterday. We work on planning our last day in Italy. I had wanted to climb the steps up the dome, so we headed back up to St. Peter's Basilica. It was Sunday and a mass appeared to be underway. We had to change our plans since we couldn't do any stair climbing right then, with the crowds and security in place. It was interesting to watch and see the huge crowd, even though we don't understand the specifics of the ceremony. After watching for a while, we walked back out on a final round of shopping. We didn't realize it at the time, but we actually saw the Pope performing the service! It was not just an everyday (or every week) Mass, but a special ceremony that including several historical figures becoming Saints. We enjoyed ourselves for the rest of the afternoon, exploring Rome, doing some last shopping, and generally soaking up a little more Italian atmosphere before we head back home in the morning. Remembering our good experience the night before, we chose to have our final dinner at Osteria Ponte Sisto. I am able to try one more of the dishes I had wanted to have - Cacio e Pepe. Again, not disappointed!! Then we were off for our final gelato, and made sure to make it count.
Tammy's flavor day 14- Amareno (cherry), Pistachio, Fico (fig), Nutella Harry's flavor day 14- Chocolate, Stracciatella Step count - 27k
Day 17 (Monday) Heading Home 10/8/12
The long Flight Home. We met Dale in the lobby bright and early this morning. Or at least early, to share a taxi back to the airport - no train ride today. We are quite happy, and feeling a little spoiled, back in first class for the relatively short ride from Rome to London. We again pass some time in the luxurious British Airways lounge, and get ready to head to the flight to LA. I learned one of my final travel lessons today - British Airways is VERY picky about carry on luggage. After unpacking and going through everything in my bag, re-bagging many of the small liquids, and scrutinizing my 00 Flour, I was ready to go. The flight back to the states was sooo comfortable. Stretched out in the comfy seat, with my drinks and movies, the time flew by. Pun not withstanding... Our final surprise happened as we landed in Los Angeles and found that our flight home was delayed 3 hours due to a network outage at Alaska Airlines which affected the reservations system. Made for a very long day, but not a major imposition, as we still caught a flight at a reasonable time, had a comfortable final leg home, and were able to sleep in the next day. I was happy that I had planned to take the first day home off to rest, recuperate and unpack!! We are already looking forward to the next trip back to Italy and recounting the happy memories as we start to get back to the daily routine once again.
Epilogue 2/23/12
My homemade Orchiette with Tomato and Basil
We've been back for over four months now, but I'm still dreaming of Italy. Even recreating the Italian food has become a hobby. My already intense liking of gelato has turned into an all out obsession. I've deciphered and made the lemon gelato based on the lesson we had in Sorrento, including having my Aunt to send fresh lemons from her tree in California and ordering glucose syrup from England, to be as authentic as possible. I'm now a sucker for any shop with "artigianale" in the name. In addition, I've tried my hand at home made pasta, including orchiette, cheese ravioli and pasta alla guittara. I am (hopefully) impressing family and friends with my handiwork! I really miss the mozzarella di bufala. Any US version has paled in comparison. Other things I miss: Highway rest stops with Italian coffee bars (no Starbucks needed); The fashionable dress that is a way of life; Super friendly people that helped the struggling Americans with their Italian communication; Real ancient history!! And so much more. We have watched several of the Rick Steves videos since we've returned, lamenting the fact that we didn't pay closer attention before we left, as we've learned as much about what we saw in Rome since we've been home as we did while there. Events taking place in other parts of the world seem much closer now that I have a context in which to put them. For instance, we are really glad we were able to see the Pope in person now that he's retiring. It is fascinating to watch the proceedings on television and know that we stood on those very spots.
Already counting they days until the next trip. The biggest challenge is deciding which to do. There are so many great options. I didn't realize how much one trip would open my eyes to the world of wonderful experiences waiting when I leave the comfort of the world I know, and venture into new environment. Caio!
Homemade Orchiette in progress.
Final Counts- 14 day Totals: Gelato: Approximately 28 scoops or more. Steps: over 232,000 logged.
(Hopefully the steps helped offset the gelato, not to mention Pizza and mozzarella!)
About Us:
Living in Seattle, the idea of touring Europe has been a goal since attending a Rick Steves seminar while in college. After many years of vacationing throughout the US and Canada, and with a milestone birthday approaching, this was finally the year! Having never been to Europe before, this was definitely a new and exciting experience for us, and one we'll want to keep repeating.