Today was our last full day here. What to do? Well, if you remember day four when we were disappointed in Trastevere, we thought to give that quest another chance and go to where the Jewish Quarter really is. (As in, here it is on the map!).
Again, we seemed close to failure but Carol sensed we were really close because she recognized some of the scenes from the TV show. We walked around but were stumped until a very nice gentleman from Milan stopped to offer help. He knew the bakery! And we found it. Phew. As a bonus, he told us of a hole in the wall pizzeria around the corner which, according to him, had the best pizza in Rome. First to the bakery. We could have walked past it all day without noticing it because it had no name and was so small but we should have guessed by the crowds at the door and the aroma wafting out. And it was wonderful. And we bought too much. And we met the three cranky sisters. And we told them we had seen them on TV. And we got a picture with them. Perfect.
Next, to the pizzeria. The guy from Milan was right. Normally we wouldn't have been caught dead there. Just like a dive in the DTES but the pizza was like wow. We had a slice of mushroom, a slice of scalloped potato and a slice of smoked salmon. God they were good.
A taxi home and a nap followed by an evening of window shopping, seeing really great small Italian fashion shops that we wouldn't ever see in Vancouver and a final dinner at our favourite local restaurant. Champagne, wine, pasta, risotto, limoncello and espresso. Perfect. We said fond farewells to the waiters and barely found our way home, even though it was just around the corner. It's now 2130 and Carol is sound asleep. We're gonna need Santa Margherita tomorrow to relax and rebuild our bodies after this hectic week. it was definitely worth it but it's time for a holiday from our holiday!
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Monday, 8 May 2017
May 8 - Fifth Day in Rome -
Today was St. Peter's day. Taxi to the square with a plan to walk around the front of the Basilica, take a few pics and call it a day. Plans have a habit of changing as we all know and quick as a wink, ours did too. As we got out of the cab we were met by this army of hawkers selling guided packages which claimed to avoid all of the line ups which at that moment were averaging about three and a half hours. Being the seasoned travelers that we are, we resisted all of them until we realized that we could not find the Tourist office Rick Steves recommends and were faced with a disappointing day. Just at that moment a very nice girl, working on her PhD in economics pounced and sold us a package which included the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel and The Basilica, all guided by the best rated tour guide on Tripadvisor.
The guide was good, no doubt about it. She could talk for hours about every piece of art in the place and it often felt that way. Also, she didn't mention that 30 000 people a day are doing exactly what we wanted to do. That is walk for miles (literally) down narrow corridors and stairways trying to see the same works of art. As it was, we saw only one floor of the museum, thank god, before reaching the Sistine Chapel (after about two hours).
Call us heretics but the Chapel was underwhelming to us both. We can understand the effort put into it, the fact that Michaelangelo almost went blind painting it on his back and that it took two years and so on but I guess it's just not our cup of tea. The last stop was the Basilica which is ginormous and incredible and almost impossible to fathom and it was a bit like a breath of fresh air because it did not feel crowded and you could feel a breeze wafting through the space feeding us oxygen.
If we had to do it again, we would skip the first two parts and just go into the Basilica on a prepaid miss-the-line basis.
A taxi back to our 'hood and to our favourite restaurant for a seafood risotto and wine. By good fortune we sat next to a lovely couple from Houston and had a howling good time exchanging travel stories. Our dinner ended on a downpour. We got soaked and loved it.
The guide was good, no doubt about it. She could talk for hours about every piece of art in the place and it often felt that way. Also, she didn't mention that 30 000 people a day are doing exactly what we wanted to do. That is walk for miles (literally) down narrow corridors and stairways trying to see the same works of art. As it was, we saw only one floor of the museum, thank god, before reaching the Sistine Chapel (after about two hours).
Call us heretics but the Chapel was underwhelming to us both. We can understand the effort put into it, the fact that Michaelangelo almost went blind painting it on his back and that it took two years and so on but I guess it's just not our cup of tea. The last stop was the Basilica which is ginormous and incredible and almost impossible to fathom and it was a bit like a breath of fresh air because it did not feel crowded and you could feel a breeze wafting through the space feeding us oxygen.
If we had to do it again, we would skip the first two parts and just go into the Basilica on a prepaid miss-the-line basis.
A taxi back to our 'hood and to our favourite restaurant for a seafood risotto and wine. By good fortune we sat next to a lovely couple from Houston and had a howling good time exchanging travel stories. Our dinner ended on a downpour. We got soaked and loved it.
Sunday, 7 May 2017
May 7 - Extra! - Musical tables
This is an unprecedented extra issue. Never in the history of travel blogging has there been a need for a second blog for the same day but there is today.
After our nap we went for a stroll, window shopping with a grand finale in a new Zara shop nearby. Of course that made us hungry so we returned to our 'hood where we sorta know the restaurants. On one street just around the corner from our apartment there are three in a row so we sat down at the first one desperately wanting spaghetti and meatballs. they didn't have any so we moved to the next one where they were so busy they didn't have a table but brought one out for us from inside including chairs and just plunked it down at the end of a long row. As soon as we had sat down the couple at the next table down the row left so we moved over and the staff then took the table they had brought out for us back inside. Then the chief waiter thought he wanted a table available for four so he asked us to move another table down and he then brought the inside table back out in order to achieve that. Of course, in true Italian fashion, the next couple to come were seated there so the idea for having a table for four was totally ignored. All the while everyone in the restaurant was watching it unfold, holding their collective breaths and smiling. the good news is that we got the meatballs and ended up sitting next to this lovely couple from Wales on their honeymoon. We had a good long chat which made an unusual evening even better.
After our nap we went for a stroll, window shopping with a grand finale in a new Zara shop nearby. Of course that made us hungry so we returned to our 'hood where we sorta know the restaurants. On one street just around the corner from our apartment there are three in a row so we sat down at the first one desperately wanting spaghetti and meatballs. they didn't have any so we moved to the next one where they were so busy they didn't have a table but brought one out for us from inside including chairs and just plunked it down at the end of a long row. As soon as we had sat down the couple at the next table down the row left so we moved over and the staff then took the table they had brought out for us back inside. Then the chief waiter thought he wanted a table available for four so he asked us to move another table down and he then brought the inside table back out in order to achieve that. Of course, in true Italian fashion, the next couple to come were seated there so the idea for having a table for four was totally ignored. All the while everyone in the restaurant was watching it unfold, holding their collective breaths and smiling. the good news is that we got the meatballs and ended up sitting next to this lovely couple from Wales on their honeymoon. We had a good long chat which made an unusual evening even better.
Saturday, 6 May 2017
May 6 - Third Day in Rome - Thank God Cows Don't Fly
As we work our way through the week here, we are learning, day by day, how to handle Rome. Today's lesson learned is to use taxis judiciously and lavishly in equal measure. Judiciously in that there are neighbourhoods throughout the city where there are several key sights within easy walks from one to the other and lavishly in that these Neighbourhoods are often too far from each other to walk between them. So, pick a neighbourhood, take a taxi there, walk walk walk, take a taxi to another one (or back home) and continue. This saves a lot of shoe leather and time.
Today we chose the area dominated by the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. We have always wanted to see the Pantheon simply for what it is: a Roman engineering marvel continuously in use since the day it was completed in 86 AD to today. It was a structural feat not equalled anywhere until the Renaissance. When we got there, we saw right away that it is so much more. Entering the space takes your breath away. The scale of it, the majesty, the simplicity and the subdued colours of the various plaster and marble surfaces are magical. And the Oculus at the top of the dome lights the space perfectly. We just stood there with our mouths open going OMG. A highlight for sure.
While we were having lunch in the square outside the Pantheon, a bird dive bombed Carol hitting her head with a wing as it careened trough the cafe patio on its' way God knows where. Kamikaze all the way!
After that we headed to the Piazza Navona, a ten minute walk away. It was built as a race course by a Roman emperor (Chariots a la Ben Hur) and is now home to the fountain of the four winds. Huge long oval space with lovely buildings all around. The magic here though is found in all of the tiny winding streets leading out from the piazza. Just incredibly picturesque, photo ops every few feet in all directions and great gelato. One of our great finds was the magnificent hotel Raphael whose rooftop terrace view of St. Peter's is considered to be the most beautiful in the world.
Then taxi back home. As we stepped out of the car, we ran into this fabulous Grand Dame from San Diego who had just arrived in Rome two hours before from her 14 day cruise. She was hilariously funny, recounting her 30 years of cruising and quite unsure which way was up.
Today we chose the area dominated by the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. We have always wanted to see the Pantheon simply for what it is: a Roman engineering marvel continuously in use since the day it was completed in 86 AD to today. It was a structural feat not equalled anywhere until the Renaissance. When we got there, we saw right away that it is so much more. Entering the space takes your breath away. The scale of it, the majesty, the simplicity and the subdued colours of the various plaster and marble surfaces are magical. And the Oculus at the top of the dome lights the space perfectly. We just stood there with our mouths open going OMG. A highlight for sure.
While we were having lunch in the square outside the Pantheon, a bird dive bombed Carol hitting her head with a wing as it careened trough the cafe patio on its' way God knows where. Kamikaze all the way!
After that we headed to the Piazza Navona, a ten minute walk away. It was built as a race course by a Roman emperor (Chariots a la Ben Hur) and is now home to the fountain of the four winds. Huge long oval space with lovely buildings all around. The magic here though is found in all of the tiny winding streets leading out from the piazza. Just incredibly picturesque, photo ops every few feet in all directions and great gelato. One of our great finds was the magnificent hotel Raphael whose rooftop terrace view of St. Peter's is considered to be the most beautiful in the world.
Then taxi back home. As we stepped out of the car, we ran into this fabulous Grand Dame from San Diego who had just arrived in Rome two hours before from her 14 day cruise. She was hilariously funny, recounting her 30 years of cruising and quite unsure which way was up.
Friday, 5 May 2017
April 28 - Those Who Can Cannes Can can
Author's note: This blog is also a re creation of the lost original.
Our next shore excursion was Cannes. It was a walking tour starting right at the ship. First we walked around the harbour which seemed a little like a wanna be Monte Carlo harbour. Some mega yachts but not like there. Past the Film Festival theatre and a statue of the man who brought winter tourism to the French Riviera, Lord Brougham. As we understand, he was passing through wanting to go to Italy but couldn't get through the border for some reason and was forced to stay in Cannes which in his day was a one horse town. Well, he loved it and found out that it also cured his TB or some other loathsome illness. As soon as he went home he told others and soon Brits of all kinds were flocking there. Anyone can probably shoot all kinds of holes into that story but the general drift is there.
Carol loved the high end shops along the promenade, stopping to drool every few feet. Then we went a bit inland onto a pedestrian street where ordinary people hang out. It was a lot busier and more comfortable for commoners like us. We passed through the market, bought two kinds of cheese, ate it all and we both promptly came down with lactose intolerance just like Meg Ryan in French Kiss.
But we soldiered on to the Old Town which was the most interesting. Again, narrow winding streets and old buildings. We were led to a lookout up a long ramp and thousands of stairs but the effort was worth it. The view over Cannes was priceless. We came down a different way involving only thousands and thousands of steps, ending just at the promenade back to the ship.
Tonite we went to a show called "Burn the Floor" originally conceived by some of the folks who do DWTS. A dancing phenomenon full of high energy action and singing. Lots of fun.
Our next shore excursion was Cannes. It was a walking tour starting right at the ship. First we walked around the harbour which seemed a little like a wanna be Monte Carlo harbour. Some mega yachts but not like there. Past the Film Festival theatre and a statue of the man who brought winter tourism to the French Riviera, Lord Brougham. As we understand, he was passing through wanting to go to Italy but couldn't get through the border for some reason and was forced to stay in Cannes which in his day was a one horse town. Well, he loved it and found out that it also cured his TB or some other loathsome illness. As soon as he went home he told others and soon Brits of all kinds were flocking there. Anyone can probably shoot all kinds of holes into that story but the general drift is there.
Carol loved the high end shops along the promenade, stopping to drool every few feet. Then we went a bit inland onto a pedestrian street where ordinary people hang out. It was a lot busier and more comfortable for commoners like us. We passed through the market, bought two kinds of cheese, ate it all and we both promptly came down with lactose intolerance just like Meg Ryan in French Kiss.
But we soldiered on to the Old Town which was the most interesting. Again, narrow winding streets and old buildings. We were led to a lookout up a long ramp and thousands of stairs but the effort was worth it. The view over Cannes was priceless. We came down a different way involving only thousands and thousands of steps, ending just at the promenade back to the ship.
Tonite we went to a show called "Burn the Floor" originally conceived by some of the folks who do DWTS. A dancing phenomenon full of high energy action and singing. Lots of fun.
April 27 - Carol's Bad Day
Author's note: This is a re creation of the original post for this day which I tried to post on that day but lost it somehow in the ether. The original was funnier.
Today was our first shore excursion, to San Giminagno and an agriturismo for lunch. The bus ride to S.G. was long, about 90 minutes but really beautiful for the second half, through quintessential Tuscan hills along narrow, winding roads. About 15 minutes before arrival we started seeing bits of S.G. around bends and through the trees and knew we were in for something special. The town is sometimes called the Manhattan of Italy because of the towers and you can imagine what they must have looked like in their heyday when there were 70 of them. Now there are only 8 left but they are still imposing. Sunny piazzas linked by narrow and windy lanes with 4, 5, 6 storey old buildings lining both sides. Lovely shops, markets and restaurants all along. And the views whenever you get to an edge of the town or from the highest point are stunning.
We stopped for gelato at a recommended place and to our surprise, it had won the "best gelato in the world" competition in 2007 and 2008. Try to remember your most delicious gelato experience and double it. Yum.
Next, back in the bus and on to lunch. San Donato is a working agriturismo farm harvesting olives and making wines, located on a hilltop overlooking the Tuscan landscape. It was actually a very small village, four homes and a church, all purchased by an Italian farming family who expanded it over the years, buying land for the farming operation. We had a typical Tuscan farm lunch of sliced sausage, pasta, bread and salads with a sampling of their wines, white and red. For dessert we had a very potent sweet wine called "holy wine" into which we dipped biscotti.
Our dining room was up a flight of concrete stairs and as we were descending after lunch, Carol's ankle suddenly gave way about half way down and she fell. I shudder to think what might have happened if she hadn't had the presence of mind to grab the railing immediately. As it was she hung on for dear life, her body horizontal, her head pointing down the stairs until I caught up with her. She survived only to get outside and have a bird poop on her arm. I guess that means she's returning to Tuscany some day!
Today was our first shore excursion, to San Giminagno and an agriturismo for lunch. The bus ride to S.G. was long, about 90 minutes but really beautiful for the second half, through quintessential Tuscan hills along narrow, winding roads. About 15 minutes before arrival we started seeing bits of S.G. around bends and through the trees and knew we were in for something special. The town is sometimes called the Manhattan of Italy because of the towers and you can imagine what they must have looked like in their heyday when there were 70 of them. Now there are only 8 left but they are still imposing. Sunny piazzas linked by narrow and windy lanes with 4, 5, 6 storey old buildings lining both sides. Lovely shops, markets and restaurants all along. And the views whenever you get to an edge of the town or from the highest point are stunning.
We stopped for gelato at a recommended place and to our surprise, it had won the "best gelato in the world" competition in 2007 and 2008. Try to remember your most delicious gelato experience and double it. Yum.
Next, back in the bus and on to lunch. San Donato is a working agriturismo farm harvesting olives and making wines, located on a hilltop overlooking the Tuscan landscape. It was actually a very small village, four homes and a church, all purchased by an Italian farming family who expanded it over the years, buying land for the farming operation. We had a typical Tuscan farm lunch of sliced sausage, pasta, bread and salads with a sampling of their wines, white and red. For dessert we had a very potent sweet wine called "holy wine" into which we dipped biscotti.
Our dining room was up a flight of concrete stairs and as we were descending after lunch, Carol's ankle suddenly gave way about half way down and she fell. I shudder to think what might have happened if she hadn't had the presence of mind to grab the railing immediately. As it was she hung on for dear life, her body horizontal, her head pointing down the stairs until I caught up with her. She survived only to get outside and have a bird poop on her arm. I guess that means she's returning to Tuscany some day!
May 5 - Second Day Rome
We needed a sleep in so didn't get out til about 1100. As it turned out we were a short stroll from one of the places we wanted to see here: Hotel de Russie. It is near Piazza Popolo and is a Forte hotel with the most amazing gardens in the back. We saw a TV show on PBS hosted by Alex Polizzi whose grand father-in-law (?) was Mr. Forte. She featured the gardens so we just had to see them. Well worth it but you can only afford to stay there if you're filthy rich.
We had lunch after that, wanting a proper meal with protein and veg. and found it in a cute buffet style place nearby. Meat and veg are expensive here so one cannot do it every day. Then we found a new street to come back along called via Margutta, a quiet, shaded, tree lined lane which was obviously upscale judging by all the well dressed people out and about and no tourists! Now we're back for a siesta before heading out again when it cools off a bit.May 2 - Seventh Cruise Day - 11793 Utterly Chaotic Steps
We had an excursion booked for today which would have required us to leave at 0815. Not a chance given how tired and achy we were so we cancelled and instead went out on our own at 1030. The first thing we wanted to do was get antibiotic drops for my pink eye. The medical centre on board charged $150 US plus the medication so we declined and just went to find a pharmacy cause we knew what it was. We asked at the first pharmacy. They told us to go out and turn right for four blocks. When that led us to an industrial wasteland, we turned around and found a nice hotel where we got a map and instructions which told us to go in exactly the opposite direction. We followed those instructions and still had to ask twice more on route but eventually we got there. It turned out everyone had been steering us to the same spot via totally different ways.
We then had to walk all the way back to the terminal to catch a taxi into the city. By this time we were pooped and ready to faint from hunger but we got the taxi and rattled off the name of a square (Piazza Bellini) from Rick Steves' Naples guide and hung on for life. There don't seem to be any road rules here except for the one that goes "you blink, you lose". And that applies to pedestrians, cars, buses, trucks and mopeds. They are all together at every intersection in one big mash up. On top of that, mopeds love pedestrian zones. They can zip between the pylons that keep cars out and love jumping out of narrow lanes right at you. On foot, you are not safe anywhere if you hesitate one bit.
Right in Piazza Bellini we found a cafe and shared a veggie lasagna and coffees. Wonderful. Much better. Now we could play tourists. We basically followed parts of Rick Steves' "a slice of Neapolitan life" walk from the Piazza southwards, concentrating on the Spaccanapoli area which is supposed to be the gritty heart of Old Town Naples and we could see why. Tall, old, crumbling buildings, narrow streets, hordes of people and mopeds nipping at your heels. Just like the movies.
Still we had fun, stopping at one restaurant for pizza and Italian beer, another for coffee and pastries (tiramisu in a jar for Carol - she can explain this for you later and sfogliatelle - which looks like an albino armadillo with custard filling, for me). We then walked back to the ship and are now resting cause we have to pack tonite to get our suitcases outside by 2200.
We had our final dinner in the proper dining room and finally scored a window seat just in time to see a beautiful sunset and view of Naples as we steamed away. Tomorrow, Rome and our apartment. Yea.
We had lunch after that, wanting a proper meal with protein and veg. and found it in a cute buffet style place nearby. Meat and veg are expensive here so one cannot do it every day. Then we found a new street to come back along called via Margutta, a quiet, shaded, tree lined lane which was obviously upscale judging by all the well dressed people out and about and no tourists! Now we're back for a siesta before heading out again when it cools off a bit.May 2 - Seventh Cruise Day - 11793 Utterly Chaotic Steps
We had an excursion booked for today which would have required us to leave at 0815. Not a chance given how tired and achy we were so we cancelled and instead went out on our own at 1030. The first thing we wanted to do was get antibiotic drops for my pink eye. The medical centre on board charged $150 US plus the medication so we declined and just went to find a pharmacy cause we knew what it was. We asked at the first pharmacy. They told us to go out and turn right for four blocks. When that led us to an industrial wasteland, we turned around and found a nice hotel where we got a map and instructions which told us to go in exactly the opposite direction. We followed those instructions and still had to ask twice more on route but eventually we got there. It turned out everyone had been steering us to the same spot via totally different ways.
We then had to walk all the way back to the terminal to catch a taxi into the city. By this time we were pooped and ready to faint from hunger but we got the taxi and rattled off the name of a square (Piazza Bellini) from Rick Steves' Naples guide and hung on for life. There don't seem to be any road rules here except for the one that goes "you blink, you lose". And that applies to pedestrians, cars, buses, trucks and mopeds. They are all together at every intersection in one big mash up. On top of that, mopeds love pedestrian zones. They can zip between the pylons that keep cars out and love jumping out of narrow lanes right at you. On foot, you are not safe anywhere if you hesitate one bit.
Right in Piazza Bellini we found a cafe and shared a veggie lasagna and coffees. Wonderful. Much better. Now we could play tourists. We basically followed parts of Rick Steves' "a slice of Neapolitan life" walk from the Piazza southwards, concentrating on the Spaccanapoli area which is supposed to be the gritty heart of Old Town Naples and we could see why. Tall, old, crumbling buildings, narrow streets, hordes of people and mopeds nipping at your heels. Just like the movies.
Still we had fun, stopping at one restaurant for pizza and Italian beer, another for coffee and pastries (tiramisu in a jar for Carol - she can explain this for you later and sfogliatelle - which looks like an albino armadillo with custard filling, for me). We then walked back to the ship and are now resting cause we have to pack tonite to get our suitcases outside by 2200.
We had our final dinner in the proper dining room and finally scored a window seat just in time to see a beautiful sunset and view of Naples as we steamed away. Tomorrow, Rome and our apartment. Yea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)