Here’s an experiment: take two friends, send them on a 2 week trip of a lifetime to Italy and see if they remain friends. Oh, and throw their husbands into the mix. Well, don’t bother after all, it’s been done and it was divine!
Jeanette and I worked at Lederle/American Cyanamid/American Home Products/Wyeth-now-Pfizer for 15 years, sharing the same start date and end date. In fact, we met at the HR indoctrination class on our first day. Luckily, she knew which building and department we were in so I just followed her and we’ve been friends since, going on 30 years now! Allen is a retired house painter and now, ironically, spends his free time painting, though on canvas with smaller brushes. Our kids were born around the same time; we shared ‘MOE’ moments at work (Mother On Edge). When Jeanette suggested that we should travel to Italy together, of course I said “yes”! So we did and we are returned and here is our travelogue:
Greg and I started a few days early, traveling to Tremezzo on Lake Como after landing in Milan. We’d planned a trip here back in 2001 but postponed travel due to 9/11 and it’s aftermath. The wait was worth it! Lake Como is an amazing glacier-formed lake with colorful buildings perched on steep slopes interwoven with narrow, curvy roads. In the distance are the snow-capped Alps and in-between are terraced olive groves. Cars share the narrow roads and tunnels with bicyclists and tourists share the ferries and cafes with locals. Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, and every hotel we stayed in thereafter treated us like royalty. The Grand Hotel was gorgeous, antique, and gilded everywhere there wasn’t marble and had a terraced garden and a floating pool on the lake. And no, we did not see George and Amal anywhere. But Ron Howard had stayed in our hotel the week previously! We took the ferry to Belaggio and Varenna, hiking up to visit the hilltop castle ruins and hiking down through olive groves to the shore. We shared Italian delicacies: shaved Parma ham, Aperole Spritz, Prosecco, Parmesan cheese at a lakeside cafe, and gelato from a tiny storefront on a typical winding, narrow, stair filled alley. The weather was sunny and nearly 80 and so welcome after leaving home in boots and a winter coat. This was a wonderful start to what will be an amazing trip!
We stayed in Tremezzo 2 nights and then drove and water-taxied into Venice to meet up with Jeanette and Allen at our hotel, the Londra Palace situated directly on the Grand Canal and around the corner from St. Mark’s Square. We caught up over drinks and snacks at the hotel and then began our Venice visit, wandering the streets, alleys, canals, bridges, and shops. So many tourists so early in the season! Turns out we started our trip in-between 2 national holidays but navigated the crowds successfully, planning visits off peak hours or purchasing skip-the-line city passes. I can’t imagine what peak season crowds would be like!!! Our first night we ate an amazing meal near the hotel despite Greg’s choice of raw shrimp appetizer. Every restaurant we visited had outstanding, friendly staff which contributed to our amazing trip. Over the next 2 days we visited the Museo Corror art museum, St. Mark’s Cathedral, and the Doje’s palace, with some time shopping for Murano glass and appropriate interludes at cafes for breakfast-into-lunch-into-dinner drinks and snacks (usually Aperole spritz, Prosecco, beer, or wine). St. Mark’s Cathedral, with Byzantine architecture and artifacts, had an interesting exhibit of religious and historical treasures, some relocated here during the Crusades or even earlier. Attention paid to architectural or artistic details is a highlight of any visit to Europe. Jeanette and Greg made use of their digital photographic equipment; Allen and I managed with our cell phone cameras. Another dinner in a secluded garden atrium, which also was the entrance for local apartment dwellers, was delicious and entertaining! Unfortunately the gondoliers were not operating after dinner so we settled for more wandering the city and dancing in St. Mark’s Square to the music from the battling orchestras. As we departed the city on a water taxi through the Grand Canal operated by a George Michael doppelganger, I wondered “How do packages get delivered to all the residents there? Does Amazon Prime promise 2 day delivery?” DHL freight boats, construction boats, and water taxis filled the alleys of a completely different water world. It’s still so awesome to think about, even later when returned home. We picked up our Jeep Compass rental and then drove on to Florence!!!
The car was a bit of a squeeze with the four of us but still allowed for napping for those of us not driving (Greg was our excellent driver!) There are SO MANY tunnels in Italy and although it’s not quite like driving the Autobahn the speed limit seems to be a suggestion for some drivers. Greg managed to keep a reasonable speed, having been reminded of expensive international speeding tickets. I like to think I assisted with my navigational skills and a ‘limited’ amount of back-seat driving/nagging. Jeanette and Allen would be the best judges of that, I guess (Jeanette? Allen? Beuhler?) In any case, we arrived at our hotel, Villa Cora, a former palace just outside the city walls and adjacent to the Boboli Gardens and the Pitti Palace. Again, the hotel was OUTSTANDING and the service by the staff was amazing. Of note, the pool bartender Milo and our waiters serving onsite dinners made our stay all the better. Of course, it’s hard to improve upon anything to do with Florence, but this hotel took the experience to another level. Did I mention our hotels offered breakfast buffets? These were nothing like you’d see at the La Quinta or Best Western. These were buffets fit for kings and queens (the villa actually belonged to a German count at one time). After our breakfast gorging, we took the 5 minute shuttle into Florence. We toured the Pelazzo Vecchio art museum and climbed the belltower to view the city and the Duomo. (We witnessed an ‘ugly American’ moment here, a good reminder to treat everyone with kindness.) Below us, there were celebrations of the Italian Independence Day with speeches and marching bands. We also visited the Galileo Galilei museum just around the corner, with scientific and engineering exhibits from throughout the ages. Also on display was a ‘reliquary’ of Galileo’s finger and teeth. Don’t ask why. Next stop, the Franciscan church of Santa Maria Croce, the building and artwork restored after the devastating 1966 flood from the river Arno. Within this cathedral are the tombs of Michaelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Dante Aligheiri. We stopped for a cafe lunch (with, you guessed it, our favorite drinks and more charcuterie or pasta or pizza). Allen sat so close to the alley the cars driving behind him caused his chair to move! We then proceeded to the Duomo but the line was so long that we redirected our visit to the Baptistery and the Duomo museum. The bronze doors from the Baptistery are now housed in the museum; the three dimensional, lifelike artwork on these doors allegedly sparked the Renaissance. It was a long day touring, so we headed back to the hotel for poolside relaxation and dinner. The next day, after another delicious breakfast selection, we returned to the city to visit the Accademie to see Michaelangelo’s divine ‘David’, and then back to visit the Duomo and it’s bell tower. We also stopped in a leather shop and bought beautiful leather jackets (one for myself and my daughter, one each for Allen and Jeanette. Greg declined, he’s happy with his faux leather Bass Outlet bomber). We dined in the city and then bought desserts at Gilli’s to enjoy later while watching the sun set over Florence from the hotel’s rooftop deck. After being home over a month, I’ve forgotten to add: We also visited the Uffizi art museum to enjoy the amazing artwork and sculptures. When visiting museums, our foursome split up each to enjoy on their own, but amazingly, we would finish within a short time of each other. This time, however, Greg and I stopped at a cafe for a drink before Allen and Jeanette were out. We chatted with several couples nearby, one a German couple who are chemists by day but he, a Blues harmonichist by night. You never know who you’ll meet traveling.
The next day we drove to Lucca, Pisa and Volterra. Going west from Florence to Lucca the highway is lined for miles with nurseries; trees, bushes, flowers in perfect rows. We arrived at Lucca, a walled city between rival cities Florence and Pisa. The tunnels within the walls are lined with artwork with a Star War’s theme and above the walls are beautiful bike and walking paths. We strolled the uncrowded streets and visited two churchs, one under excavation and with a rickety staircase to the belltower, the other with elaborate architecture and decoration. The medieval wooden corpus and crucifix, Volto Santo aka The Holy Face, was on display. This venerated icon was allegedly carved by Nicodemus who helped remove Jesus’ body to his tomb. The crucifix on display is a copy from the 11th century, the original having been splintered beyond repair by pilgrim’s for personal relics. I’m fascinated by history and lore and traditions that have been going for centures and Italy delivers plenty! Now, onward to Pisa through more rolling rural hillsides and towns. We circled tiny alleys in pursuit of a parking space and with assistance and some handwaving from some local schoolboys we entered the walled city. It is an amazing sight walking into Pisa with acres of green lawns anchoring the Piazza dei Miracoli. The blazing white Cathedral, Baptistry, Campinile (aka the Leaning tower), and the Camposanto Monumentale were framed by a pure blue sky. Greg and I had visited here previously 19 years ago but this time we were able to climb the now-stabilized (but still leaning) Leaning Tower! Climbing the steps to the Tower is like walking in a carnival funhouse, moving upwards while leaning either right or left depending on the angle of the spiral. The view of the cathedral and city from atop the tower was outstanding. We visited the Cathedral where Galileo allegedly formlated his ideas about gravity by observing a swinging incense lamp and also visited the acoustically perfect Baptistry (as demonstrated by a volunteer cantor). We toured the Camposanto, a cemetery/mausoleum and learned from another visitor some history; having been bombed in WWII due to it’s proximity to the train station, the Camposanto burned and the frescoes were destroyed. It’s reconstruction was initiated and followed through the years by Deane Keller, a WWII vet and member of the US Army’s Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program, a Bona Fide ‘Monuments Man’. He was buried there at his request. Very moving.
We moved on from Pisa and headed to Volterra. This mountain top walled city came highly recommended by Rick Steves’, our travel book guru, and it did not disappoint. We wound our way up the switchbacks to an amazing view of the Tuscan valley, all shades of green and gold in the sunset. The stone city is famed for alabaster and marble and luckily the gift shops were open late. At dinner we feasted once again and also assisted Allen with his ginormous and delectable Florentine steak. The ride back down the switchbacks in the dark with crummy rental car headlights was not anything I would like to repeat. Greg, on the other hand, as the driver was fine with it and we made it safely back to Florence. Next stop: Rome, by way of Assisi.
We’ve been to Assisi previously but I love this hill-city with it’s bricked buildings and the cathedral that houses St. Francis’ tomb and relics so we visited again. After some difficulty finding parking at the furthest lot uphill, we wound our way down to the cathedral. The church actually has 3 levels, the cathedral above, the beautiful mosaic-lined chapel mid-level, and the altar and tombs of St. Francis and his acolytes furthest below. The reverence observed by visitors to the tombs is moving. Some of St. Francis’ relics, his multiply-patched robe and worn sandals for example, are on display in a small room off the side. We left to find lunch, walking uphill forever. In these small towns the restaurants break from noon til at least 3, so we were lucky to find a pizza place open. From there we observed a random marching band proceeding down the hill. We returned on the tiny country alley we came in on and headed to Rome. Luckily, it was Saturday so the streets were not too crowded. Rome definitely has a different air than the rest of Italy. Our hotel was the Sina Bernini Bristol in Piazza Barberini, not too long a walk to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. The next day we visited the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, again, history exuding from the very earth. It was another beautiful, hot day and wildflowers were blooming everywhere. As we strolled the grounds we refilled our water bottles from the fountains dotting the area, water rolling down from the ancient aqueducts still in use. After a morning imagining the Vestal Virgins and the market in the Forum as well as the palaces on Palatine Hill, we found a little lunch place with much needed air conditioning and beer. We were then on our way to the Colosseum. Timed entry was a blessing for this trip, so we didn’t have to wait long to enter. At this point I had a moment with a security guard. Oh, Italian men! They seem to love older women, thank goodness!
The Colosseum, if you have never been, is enormous and yet the engineering and architecture are outstanding. The removable floor boards enabled water to flood in for small ships to sail for battles. The ancient manual elevators carried wild animals from the cages below to the floor above for Lions vs. Christians or Gladiator on Gladiator battles (or whomever else was unlucky enough to be on the docket). The floor was covered with sand hence the term ‘to the sands’ which translates to ‘arena’. So much to learn by hovering near tour guides that speak English. We had a drink later at the hotel’s roof top bar with the staff trying their best to ignore us, but we were so tired it didn’t matter. This night’s dinner was Salt Encrusted Sea Bass, so tasty!
Jeanette was able to book us into the Vatican for breakfast (Pope Francis was unable to join us) which then allowed us directly into the museum, again, another time saver (and breakfast wasn’t half bad!). Greg and I remembered the Vatican museum to be much larger, but nevertheless, there was plenty to see, from Egyptian mummies to Renaissance art, religious Van Gogh’s (not too many of those but apparently he favored his sister with a few) and contemporary artists. There were many tour groups racing through the galleries so we sought quieter rooms to enjoy the displays. As we approached the Sistine Chapel the crowds got more congested, but nevertheless, the Chapel and it’s awe-inspiring artwork were amazing and something to behold. We emptied into St. Peter’s Cathedral, again, awe-inspiring with it’s size, beautiful architecture, and sculptures and tombstones. Upon entering, Michelangelo’s David is directly to the right and the tomb of Pope John Paul II (my mom’s favorite Pope) is just beyond. We spent some time wandering through various chapels and the Bernini Baldachin altar and then headed out. We walked back into the city to the Piazza Navonna where we again lunched at a cafe where Jeanette met her lost Baldwin brother working as a waiter and we were serenaded by wonderful street musicians. More meandering took us back towards the hotel, shouldering through the crowds past the Trevi fountain. Here Jeanette and I parted from our husbands to pursue our favorite team sport: shopping (softball was a close second). In our past lives we spent a few lunchtimes hitting the Nanuet mall or running to Toys R’ Us for diapers and formula, so it felt good to spend some time together and Jeanette scored big-time at a few shops. Another great dinner near the hotel and we were ready to move on from Rome. Arrivederci Roma!
From Rome we headed to Sorrento but with a side trip to Cassino. After getting lost on some very narrow local alleys, we finally found the path up the switchbacks and behind multiple tour buses to the top of the mountain where the abbey of Monte Cassino is located. St. Benedict founded the monastery in the 6th century. This beautiful location was bombed by the Allies in WWII believing the German forces were ensconced here, part of the Gustav Line. According to historians the Germans did not occupy the monastery despite the observational vantage view of the valley below. In fact, the Germans had already removed to Rome the historical and artistic treasures under pressure from the Vatican. The US commander was unsure of the German occupancy status but, under pressure from his command, was forced to destroy the monastery. Only then did the Germans move in as the rubble provided excellent cover and it took several months further for the Allies to take the mountain on their way from Anzio to Rome. Over 50,000 Allied and 20,000 German troops perished. The abbey has since been restored and most of it’s treasures returned. Remarkably, a bomb fell on the altar and did not explode, preserving the tomb of St. Benedict and his sister St. Scholastica, below. There is a cemetary nearby for the Polish soldiers who perished in the battle. I met a Polish soldier veteran of the battle years ago and the abbey has intrigued me since. It was a visit well worth making.
We arrived in Sorrento to our beautiful hotel, the Grand Hotel Cocumella, located on the Tyrhhenian Sea with views of Naples to the north and the Amalfi coast to the South. This hotel was a former monastery; the rooms were large but well appointed. This hotel also had a lovely pool, gardens, and steps down to the sea; many, many steps. We wandered out into Sorrento proper for dinner and some late nite walking about. The next day we were met by our limo driver for our tour of the Amalfi Coast on a beautiful day. The guide ably drove the winding, narrow seaside roads, sharing the 1.5 wide lane road with other cars and vans, buses, motorbikes, vegetable stands and parked cars. Mind you, this road is perched out and over the mountain side, with houses and hotels and terraced olive groves likewise roosting above and below. The views were spectacular and unbelievable. We made stops in Portofino, Amalfi, and Ravenna for shopping and sightseeing. We also visited a grotto, where we embarked on a boat tour of a very tiny cave to see the blue sunlight from the underwater entrance. The guides were hilarious as they paddled and sang to us in broken English throughout our short tour. I particularly enjoyed Ravenna, as it was less crowded and thus less touristy. We enjoyed dinner in Sorrento at a restaurant dedicated to Enrico Caruso, the famous opera star from ‘back in the day’. How funny to have the waiters sing and also photo bomb our pictures. We also visited Pompeii, spending a wonderful day wandering the ruins and imagining life back around 79 AD just prior to Mt. Vesuvius spewing it’s pyroclastic surges and ashfall. How sad to see a few of the fallen bodies; in fact, they don’t discover bodies but rather the space in the ash the bodies had occupied. The shape of each person is caught in the plaster they flow into the space. In fact, they recently made a plaster of a horse in the ash and are discovering new areas to excavate every year. It is estimated over 20,000 people perished there.
Our final day in Sorrento was spent visiting a few local museums; of particular interest was the Museum of Inlaid Wood and Marquetry. Greg was inspired and we were in awe of the artistry with wood. We visited the local cathedral; the hands-on Da Vinci exhibit was pretty lame but the photography exhibit was spectacular. Indeed, the photographer himself (name unknown 😦 ) was there to discuss his work. There was also a Sophia Loren photographic exhibit which Greg and Allen enjoyed immensely. We lunched on the Grand Marina beach and returned to the hotel for a concert by local school children and a very tasty dinner at the hotel. This was the only overcast day with a little rain for the whole trip; the weather was outstanding throughout. Oh, I forgot to mention, Limoncello! What a sweet surprise that most every Italian restaurant provided after dinner. In addition, Greg and I sampled Tiramisu everywhere. And, it was delicious, everywhere!!!
It was so sad when it was time to leave Sorrento for the Naples airport. We dropped the rental car off, remarkably unscathed despite the Italian traffic and narrow roads and ever present pesky, lawless motorbikes. Some alleys may not have even been roads despite our GPS recommendation. One guy had to shimmy up next to the wall and suck his belly in to allow the car to pass! We enjoyed an amazing time visiting Italy with Jeanette and Allen and we were still friends throughout! Jeanette and Allen departed for home and Greg and I flew to Milan. Milan is very different from Rome; it was severely bombed in WWII and thus many of the buildings are newer. The flavor of Milan is also different; it’s proximity to Switzerland reflects the Swiss efficiency and as the financial capital of Italy, there is a more business-like atmosphere. However, the Italian gothic Duomo is spectacular, and the iron and glass-ceilinged Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel II which connects La Scala to the Duomo area is very impressive, being the first ‘mall’ (with the first Prada store). We were able to visit the ‘Cenacola Vinciano’ aka the mural of the Last Supper painted by Da Vinci in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. The tour guide described the soul of the painting so well it brought Leonardo’s vision to life. Unfortunately, he hastily (over 4 years) painted onto dried plaster which has caused the mural to peel and decay so there is constant restoration ongoing. Greg and I also toured the Duomo, which allows visitors to take an elevator to the roof of this spectacular building. The exterior and roof are decorated with ‘millions’ of statues and marble ‘gingerbread’. Unfortunately, the marble used exclusively for this building is susceptible to decay and erosion so the exterior and decorations have to be replace/restored every so often. Best intentions… The interior, on the other hand, is truly gothic: it’s dark and mammoth and not nearly as impressive as the exterior. Still, a wonderful visit.
And so our Italian odyssey comes to an end. Italy is one of my favorite countries to visit; the people are warm and friendly and the scenery is to die for. And the history…
We had an amazing time with two amazing friends. We walked so much I gained little to no extra weight despite the food and drink we enjoyed (thank goodness!) And the Limoncello. And the Tiramisu. We’ll be back, someday.
Some notes: our travel agent, Erica Harnett at erica.harnett@protravelinc.com booked our hotels and car rental. She was ever available and happy to help; the hotels were outstanding and the perks she negotiated added to our enjoyment (breakfast, champagne, etc.) She worked with Greg and myself to accomodate our changes in schedule and investigated affordable travel insurance for us. She also booked Jeanette and Allen’s airfare. We highly recommend her! (and typically we don’t use a travel agent!)
When travelling, it might be better to leave the backpack at home. Museums etc might ask you to leave the backpack behind prior to entry, so in order to save time, don’t use one. Take a larger purse or carry your camera separately.
Look for restaurants that have EITHER a seating charge or charge % tip or NEITHER, but not BOTH. We almost got snagged in Pisa with an 8 Euro charge for sitting which included wifi but who uses that much wifi at lunch? Thanks Jeanette for catching that. Besides, we had free wifi at all our hotels. I downloaded Google maps of the areas we were travelling to prior to the trip. The downloaded maps are available for 30 days on my tablet. This supplemented the GPS that came with the rental car, which worked very well.
Apparently the toll takers on the Italian expressways expected exact change which we more often than not did not have. We just gave an American grin and ignored the heavy sighs and rude looks. Why have a human man the booth if they won’t make change?
‘Raw’ shrimp on the menu means ‘raw shrimp’. It’s not shrimp cocktail. Do not order. Since this trip Greg has had to request permission from me to order anything….ever….
There are no microbrews in Italy.
There’s lots of other things to drink in Italy. Wine, for example. Limoncello often is served free at the end of the meal, but not always. It’s SO GOOD!
We did not have any problems with crime or pickpockets or street urchins this time around; quite different from 20 years ago.
I made a rookie mistake and took relatively new shoes. DO NOT DO THAT! I ended up buying new sandals in Florence, so it wasn’t all bad. My blisters are still healing, however.
My new reality 