It’s a beautiful evening in Venice, feels a lot like a breezy Seattle day in the mid sixties.  Nice to be back by the water again.  We really have had fabulous weather with hardly a drop of rain in spite of the predictions.  It was supposed to be raining when we arrived this afternoon, but only some clouds and a bit of fog that soon disappeared.  But more of that later.

A look back at Rome reminds one that trying to see much on anything in three days really is insane.  I’m really glad that the Vatican Museum was the very first thing we did, as it was our big ‘have to’.  Our guide had asked us to meet here on the far side of the Sistine Chapel after our allotted time of 15 minutes and she would lead us into St. Peter’s through the special ‘guide’ entrance so we wouldn’t have to go back around to the front and queue up again.  Well, that didn’t happen – Alex was so mesmerized that I didn’t dare edge her towards the exit – that took about half an hour.  It really is an incredible experience to be standing beneath one of the world’s great works of art, in a room sacred to the Catholic faith.  It really is breathtaking. 

So it was back to our fabulous hotel, a bit of a nap, and then off to our Birthday Dinner.  La Scala we the restaurant suggested by Nicolette, just down the street.  It turned out to be quite good.  Alex had a great pasta dish and I had a house specialty that consisted of a white fish baked in a potato crust – really thin potato pancakes layered over the fish.  Really good.  A little gelato on the way back to the hotel and the day was complete.

Wednesday was ‘walking around’ day, and walk we did.  Campo Fiori was wonderful in the morning with the Mercado in full swing.  Alex found a little shop off to the side and came away with a new dress, and I got to watch the vegetable man, a live infomercial.  He was hilarious.  Campo Nuvona, then the Pantheon which was made even more interesting with our little Rick Steves audioguide.  I’m  becoming a shill for the guy, but his audioguides are great – as I said, probably not nearly as interesting as a good guide or tour, but who knows how to find the good ones? 

We eventually stumbled across a Dali exhibit that was really interesting, showing a lot of his work in chronological order, and explaining some of his ‘stunts’.  Alex was thrilled and I enjoyed it as well, as they took great pains to point out the Italian influence, particularly Michelangelo and Ruebens.

That evening we virtually duplicated the walk after dark, adding the insanity of the Trevi Fountain to the mix.  Not quite as insanely crowded as the Vatican Museum, but close.  We found a great little trattoria near the Campo Fiori on the way back, sitting outside to watch the passing parade.  It was on a little alleyway so narrow that I had to pull my knees in when the occasional car went by.  And the freshest little chunks of fried fish I’ve ever had. 

Thursday was Ancient Rome day and the Coliseum which was the other must see on Alex’s list.  About a 25 minute walk from the hotel, we were a little nervous because it sure felt like a storm was blowing in, cloudy and humid.  The way to beat the line at the Coliseum is to buy a ticket for both it and the Ancient Forum area at the same time.  We had spent about an hour wandering the ruins on our way to the Coliseum when Alex hit the wall.  Pale and weak all of a sudden – at least to me – we managed to find a cab to take us back to the hotel.  And the first scam.  It was a legit taxi, at the taxi stand  and when we started off the meter read 6 Euros instead of 2.50 as the one we took from the train station.  When I asked what the deal was, he said a surcharge for the Coliseum.  Even with that, the fare shouldn’t have been much more than 10 -12 Euros.  It’s a little complicated to find one’s way through the narrow streets of Trastevere,  but he didn’t even get close, leaving us with about a 10 minute walk.  When I looked up the meter read 19.10.  We had definitely been had.  But he wasn’t done yet.  I handed him a 20 Euro note which he almost grabbed from my hand and immediately switched it with a 5 Euro note which is smaller but the same color, saying I owed him more.  Thanks for the warning Rick Steves.  What I should have done was grab the 5 Euro note from him and walked away, but I wasn’t thinking that quickly, just mostly concerned with getting Alex back to the hotel and pissed that this clown was ripping us off.  But as I reminded myself on the walk back to the hotel, if that’s the worst that happens on this trip, we are laughin’.

The ride back to the train station this morning was 8 Euros.  Go figure.

A couple of hours of sleep and some liquids got Alex back on track, just in time for some early evening souvenir shopping.  Cheesy stuff, but somebody has got to buy it.  And we found the very best Gelato of the trip so far, at the same place we had breakfast the last two mornings.  Just a simple local coffee bar.  Great way to both start and end the day

The Vatican Museum

Another great location - 20 minute walk to the Vatican, 20 minutes to The Forum and Ancient Rome, 15 minutes to the Campo Fiori.  Couldn't be better.

But it's Birthday Day and we are getting into the Sistine Chapel no matter what.  The lovely Nicolette tried to book us with a guide she knows, but no response there, so we just head out the door and see what we can see.  As we rounded the corner we could see there was quite a line to get into St. Peter's, but I'd read that the line to the Museum sometimes dropped off after lunch and it was just a few minutes after one.  Since that line is well around the corner from the Basilica, we decided to head that way and take our chances. 

That's when we were intercepted by Esther, a lovely woman from Ghana who had just the tour guide for us and why didn't we just wander over to the other side of the square and meet her, listen to her talk about the history of the Vatican and see if we wanted to take the tour with her, skip all the lines, and and get into St. Peter's after seeing the Sistine Chapel without standing in another line.  How can you possibly say no to that!  And, by the time we walked around the corner we were still under no obligation - no line we were free to head out on our own. 

Well, guess what - no line, just as Mr. Steves had suggested.  But by this time Sonia, the guide had kind of grown on me, the tour was 45 Euros for both of us, and so we went for it.  And am I ever glad we did.  Not that she got us in any quicker than we would have on our own, but she took us through several galleries befoe we got to the Sistine Chapel, leading us through a throng of tourists that was overwhelming.  We had to fight just to keep together - it was far worse than anything I ever expected.

Seeing the look on Alex's face as we entered the Chapel was worth every hour of preperation putting it all together, and every nickel we spent.  Talk about priceless.

On the Road to Rome

Tuesday was a very special day indeed.  Not only were we on our way from Florence to Rome, but it was the day Alex turned sixteen.  Alex has suggested on Monday that her dream would be to see the Sistine Chapel on her birthday, and I was going to do my very best to make that happen.  Worried about long lines during Easter Week, I tried to call a couple of tour companies mentioned in the Rick Steves book, but to no avail.  So I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it unfolds.  It's her birthday, we are on our way to Rome, how can it not work out? 

First order of business in Rome's very busy station is to buy tickets for the leg to Venice, and we've got that process down.  Now to find our hotel, across the river in Trastevere.  My first thought was we'll just take a bus that will get us close and then walk the rest of the way.  I'm a little concerned because the hotel is so small, I literally couldn't find it on Google Earth.  Then when we walked out of the station to the bus plaza out front, it was gone.  I mean literally gone - the whole are dug up, apparently building a new one.  Taxi time.

Turns out taxis in Rome are pretty cheap and actually have high entertainment value, if you like 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride' in Disneyland.  Driving in Rome is not for the faint of heart.  So off we went, me trying to follow along on a map to get my bearings.  I think we are getting close and the recognize the street we are on as one I'd walked down a few years ago with friends, Janine and Lori, and sure enough, at the bottom of the hill, the taxi stops, driver jumps out and places our bags on the side of the road, and says 'Twelve'.  I think he's telling us the address and for the life of me I can't see any '12's anywhere.  We both looked confused for a moment until he breaks out in a grin, points to number 7, and says "12 Euros".  Perfect.  If we'd taken the bus I might still be wandering around looking for that door.

A Young Lady Turns Sixteen

FLORENCE

Sunday is another beautiful day, warm and sunny, and we have just two things on the 'must' list - make sure we have our Rome train tickets in order, and if we are going to see the Ufizzi Gallery, Italy's answer to the Louvre, today is the day as it is closed on Monday.  So after a little breakfast at Dei Mori, great coffee and home made bread, we set of for the train station and find ourselves immediately in the middle of a women's 10K.  So well organized with volunteers on almost every corner, we followed the route almost to the train station, enjoying the music at the finish line along the way.  It was great fun and a great way to start the day.

Tickets taken care of, we spent a lot of the day just wandering and sightseeing, took in part of a mass at one of the famous churches, San Marco.  Then, late afternoon, off to the Uffizi to see if we can avoid the long lines we saw all day.  Sure enough, about 5pm, a couple of hours before closing we walked right in, plugged in the Rick Steves audiotour on the phone and were on our way.  I'm sure a good tour - we saw a few of them - would be the best way to see it, I'm never sure how to find the 'good' tour.  So Rick leads the way with a really entertaining and thoughtful guide which we both thoroughly enjoyed.  It was a great two hour tour of Renaissance Art.  That was followed by another fine dinner at a tiny place suggested by our host.   The highlight was either Alex' Green Pizza, or my steak, sliced and seasoned with the finest balsamic vinegar I have ever tasted.  It comes from a farm they buy from and isn't available for sale or I'd certainly have a bottle in my suitcase right now.



After a little wandering around on Monday, Alex allowed as how she would like to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  I had never seen it, and since we'd just had a little picnic lunch outside the big Central Market, we were only five minutes from the train station.  Fifteen minutes later we were on a train to Pisa, about  45 minutes away.  About a twenty minute walk through the old part of town and through my impressive map reading skills, we were stumbling around the university, hopelessly lost.  Now Pisa just isn't that big, and a river runs through the middle of it, so getting lost is quite some feat.  A few more blocks and we sighted the masses again, fell into line, and headed off to The Field of Dreams, as the sign identifies the area.  It was a couple hour wait to climb the tower, and really, neither Alex or I had any desire.  I was far more interested in seeing the inside of the Duomo that stands right next to it.  The one thing I wished we'd done differently would be to leave much earlier in the day, as there is a bus that makes the 30 minute ride to the walled city of Lucca, and then an hour back to Florence.  I think Lucca might be a far more interesting destination than Pisa.  Next time.

"David"

Finally, with jetlag abating, it felt like the trip had really begun.  After our briefing by the irrepressible Danny, and his promise to make dinner reservations for us, we set off to wander about a bit a let Alex get the feel of a the place.  It was a thing of beauty to watch.  We walked through the insanity of the San Marco street market and all the thousands of leather jackets in the different booths in a variety of shades, and lots of other displays of tee shirts, scarves, you name it.  If it could have “Italy” printed on it, it was hanging there for sale. 

It was getting to be  late afternoon so it was off to the Accademia to see if the wait was manageable to get in to the “David”, as I wouldn’t want to drag Alex through all Florence has to offer and miss that.  We hadn’t made reservations , maybe a silly oversight, but knew that lines dropped off as the day wore on, and Saturday was no exception.  Probably no more than twenty minutes and we were in the door for one of those ‘jaw-dropping’ moments.  No cameras so I wasn’t able to capture the look on Alex’s face as she rounded the corner into the hall with that magnificent stature looming over one and all.  It really is quite a sight, beautifully presented in fine Italian style.  I think that no matter what you’ve read about it, pictures you’ve seen, it’s a bit like the Grand Canyon – once it’s in front of you, it’s grandeur is overwhelming.  Then you get  up close for the details – thank you Rick Steves for the audio guide – and it’s all even more amazing – and I fine introduction to the art of Italy for Alex. 

Dinner that night was in a little trattoria only about 10 minutes from the hotel, but we nearly couldn’t find, tucked away on a side street – well, they are all side streets.  But find it we did, and when we mentioned our hotel, we were treated like old friends, which was really wonderful.  The waiter couldn’t have been nicer, and there was just enough English on the menu that our questions didn’t sound totally inane…I hope.  We had big plans for a fine three course meal, but were so full after the pasta dishes that we stopped there, saving the experience for another night.  Kind of too bad as Tuscany is known for its fine beef and pork dishes, but it was Italy and we wanted pasta.  Of course it was fabulous with flavors one can only dream of.  A little gelato on the way home and we both decided we really love Florence, a notion only reinforced by the next couple of days

At Last

Finally an intrnet connection we can work with and maybe get this thing updated somewhat.  I'm sitting in a wonderful hotel room in a part of Rome called Trastevere away from the madness of central Rome.  It really has the feel of an old village and is only a 20 minute walk from the Vatican.  All those hours at the computer looking here and there and reading reviews on all kinds of sites has really paid off.  They have all been good, but Florence and Rome are real gems.

Here are some notes that were scratched together when I wasn't able to get an internet connection on this old netbook.  It will help get us moving down the road:

Notes:.

Lucerne.  Beautiful city and a great stop for the first night.  Great hotel, comfortable, clean, staff friendly, comfortable bed, and quiet when you remember to close the window, but that left it a bit stuffy.  Fabulous breakfast, certainly far better than we would have ever seen at our original choice.

Train to Como was comfortable and wonderfully scenic.  Overcast took some of the brilliance away from the countyside, but I do know this – churches seem always built on the highest point in the town, and the Swiss do a lot of building with concrete,   Maybe it was the narrowness of the valley that brought so much of like so close to the tracks. 

Como is said to be a summer resort for the city of Milan, and it certainly does have that feel to it.  It’s also much more of a commercial hub than the reading had suggested.  Our hotel is right on the square across from the lake, which makes getting around very easy.   The first thing we noticed getting off the train was how warm it was – 75 with a very warm gusty wind.  The second was that I’d wished Rick Steve’s had written about Como in his books because he always has lots of info on how to get around.  Not knowing how far we were from the hotel, Alex, in her finest traveller’s Italian, negotiated a fare of 8 Euros to the hotel – a fine investment  of both time and money.  We dropped the bags and set off on a little tour of the surroundings.  Lunch was pizza in the piazza, eaten like the locals, with a knife and fork and no slices.  It does stretch lunch out a bit, and cuts down on consumption somewhat. 

Hotel was okay, right on the piazza across the street from the lake, which was great right up until it was time to go to bed.  I closed the ‘balcony’ doors right after Alex fell asleep, and half an hour later she woke up in a sweat, begging for some fresh air.  It was only then that we realized how loud the traffic on the main road along the water front really was  Turned out to be far less of a hindrance to Alex as she slept for nearly 10hrs, while I managed half of that.

Overall, Como was a bit of a surprise as I guess I was expecting more of a ‘resort’ town rather than one that had the feel of a real commercial center.  Wandering around the old town was fun, but it just seemed like something  was missing.  Expectations really are dangerous.  I don’t think it’s going to make my list of places to visit again, unless we were just passing through on our way to Varenna, farther up the lake.  The funicular was fun, and Alex got some great pictures from high above the town.  Dinner was a little pasta in the piazza right in front of the Duomo, which not only was good, but the people watch was fabulous.  I really love the Italians and the loud talk, both hands and lips.  Such characters – there must  be some fabulous stories sitting around the tables of those piazzas.

Saturday – another beautiful day, warm and sunny, a really bright sunny.  We debated about spending a little time in either Milan or Bologna on our way to Florence as we had most of the day and only about a two and a half hour train ride ahead of us.  What we didn’t know was that it was Saturday before Easter Week, and it seemed like every man, woman, and child was headed somewhere on the train.  We were trying to catch a 10am train to Milan and then on to Florence, and tried to buy that ticket in Como.  The only way we could make that train was in first class, and the ticketing machine wouldn’t let me purchase a ticket beyond Milan. 

In the end it all worked out fine, and we were in Florence a little after two,  having decided to forgo any side adventures along the way.  It was a really good call. 

The Milan station was an absolute zoo, pushing and shoving as too many trains were arriving and leaving at the same time.  But, as I guess happens dozens of times a day in a station that large, fifteen minutes later it was practically a ghost town until it gradually started to fill again.  We waited about an hour for our train, and by the time it was available, the rush had grown again, with folks coming and going with great determination.  Finally we learned to just put our heads down and go charging through right along side the locals.  We found our assigned car and seats just fine, and I think we both were asleep before we left the station.  I thought the jetlag was over, but maybe not.

Again, the train station was a madhouse, and after our ticketing experience in Milan – did I mention that my debit card wouldn’t work in the machine dispensing tickets and that Alex had to buy them with hers – I didn’t want to leave the station before getting our seats to Rome.  One look at the ticket line changed that idea.  We’d come back tomorrow and buy in the off hour Sunday might allow. 

I was headed for the Taxi line as I had a good idea where we staying, but not exactly and we were both to tired to get lost and walk in endless circles trying to find what was probably a poorly marked door on some sidestreet.  But my travelling companion would hear nothing of it.  She popped the address into the iPhone and we were on our way.  Fifteen minutes later with nary a wrong turn we were ringing the bell at the Dei Mori B&B.  Google it and have a look – it is a delightful place in the very best part of town for us tourist types, close to all the ‘big deals’ in Florence, and there are more than a few.  Walking past the Duomo on our way here, there were so many kids on tours from all over the world that it felt like the middle of July, and nearly that warm too.  Of course you have to remember we are from Seattle and anything more than 60 degrees this time of year screams ‘heat-wave’ to us.

Danny greeted us at the top of the stairs he affectionately calls “Montmarte” after the long flight of stairs up to Sacre Coeur in Paris, grabbing the bags to hall up another twisting part to the second floor and his really charming B&B.  Being greeted by name before you even tell him about your reservation is very impressive.  The first thing he does is sit you down on a couch, pulls up a little table, unfolds a map, and asks “What did you come to see in Florence?”.  He then gave us a little history of the city, pointed  out the highlights, and finally marked on the map the three best Gelateria’s in the city, explaining in some detail what makes them the best and all the others so bad.  This man knows his Ice Cream!  He also had a list of restaurants that he said were fair, fair priced and all served great food.  He visits them himself regularly to make sure nothing changes and said he’d be delighted to make reservations for us when we were ready.  WOW, you can’t beat that, and we would certainly take him up on his offer.

Let's try again tomorrow