Buona Sera da Firenzi

This is part of my room at the hotel, are you ready, Pitti Palace. The room is square, compact and very efficient. I couldn't capture the desk and closet with the mini-bar and the bathroom with an actual tub. This is a bona-fide hotel unlike the one in Rome. While it was clean and the people very nice, it was still only on 1 floor of an apartment building! I managed to turn down the room they wanted to give me - right behind the concierge desk! Anyway, it didn't really matter because it was within walking distance of everything I wanted to see ... except for the Coliseum ... I guess I'll just have to come back LOLOLOL!!!!

My taxi ride back to the train station only cost 15Eu ... I guess the distance to the hotel is longer by 20Eu than the trip from it. I was going to purchase a rail pass but the ticket agent talked me out of it and ended up saving me 200Eu by selling me all the tickets I needed to finally end up in Rome again for the trip home. I was very grateful. I think one of the new Grandkids will have to be named Gianni!

Well, as you all know, I'm directionally challenged. Even with the map in Rome I always seemed to end up going in the wrong direction! I eventually found my way around and probably ended up walking twice as far as I needed to.

Apparently, I can't find the right train either! I did get on the train to Florence ... but it was the wrong one. Luckily, since I couldn't find my coach number and asked, I was directed to the train going to Venice sitting on the track opposite. My lucky day! I found my coach and seat as per my ticket and felt very lucky that this particular train was late. It was supposed to leave at 12:30 and I didn't see Florence posted on the departure list until past that and the announcement said it was leaving at 12:57. When the ticket lady came by, she pointed out that the train I was supposed to be on DID leave at 12:30 and it would cost me an extra 8Eu. The train was moving, what were they going to do, throw me off? Not wanting to chance it, I paid the extra and wondered how I was supposed to know that if I was going to Florence I had to get the train to Venice. Oh well, no harm, no foul.

The picture below is the entrance to the Ponte Vecchio which I snapped from the doorway to my hotel - how great is this! This should be renamed Ponte di Bling-Bling. All but 2 of the 40 or so shops are jewellers. All real and all expensive. I saw a Breitling watch in one window - the price tag was over 16,000Eu. If I won the lottery, I wouldn't waste my time shopping in North America. The quality and the style of the goods here, including clothing for both men and women is incomparable. I have drooled over luggage made of such fine leather you would want a slightly larger cheap suitcase to carry it in!

At the middle of the Ponte Vechio is an observation area. The next picture looks across the Arno River toward the Uffizi where I'm going tomorrow.

My hotel boasts a roof-top restaurant half of which is on a covered terrace. This is the view from my table as I had dinner last night. They also serve a breakfast buffet.

Ciao for now Dahlings!

Saluti continued....

These are some of the pictures I wanted to include yesterday. However, I just figured out that to avoid having to drag and drop (which doesn't work because the window is not big enough) you put the pictures in first starting with the last one you want people to see. Never mind, I know it sounds rediculous but so far it's working.

The picture below is of the organ, still in use today for Church services in the Pantheon. I have no idea how old it is but it can't be more than 7 or 8 feet wide. Really quite amazing.

The next picture is of Adrianna's Temple, well what's left of it anyway. I think it's quite amazing that through millenia, people in this part of the world appreciate their heritage and have always tried to preserve it.

This is the view from one side of the covered terrace of the Pallazzo Venezia to the other. It is quite a spectacular building.

This last photo I took this morning before I left Rome. I had capuccino and a sticky bun at this little cafe.

I'll be back in a while to tell you all about my trip from Rome to Florence. As they say on TV - Stay Tuned....

Ciao

Saluti....

Finally had my first capuccino this morning with breakfast. It was made in one of those all purpose commercial machines, you know dispenses everything from espresso, American coffee, Latte, hot chocolate... it was fantastic! I couldn't believe the quality. I guess the 5Eu charge for breakfast helps pay for it!

I slept like the proverbial log last night. I was sooo tired from traveling that I nodded off while having my dinner of Fettucini Alfredo and Insalata BellaVista. Restaurants may be open all day but will close between 5-7:30 when they open again for dinner. We tourists stick out like a sore thumb. Italians DRESS for dinner and to go to work I might add.

Well, I hit the bricks around 8:30 this morning. Watching a part of this great city gear up for another day was delightful. Vespa's buzzing around all over the place competing with cars and pedestrians for maneuvering room. It's almost like watching a very bizzar ballet. The first place I headed for was the Pantheon. Oh my Gawd! It's magnificent. Besides being a church it is also the final resting place for Italy's first King, Vittorio Emmanuel II and his queen. The artist, Raphael is also interred in this building. The dome is open at the top, so the flooring, marble of course, is slightly curved to allow for drainage. Here are a few pics.

I spent a little more time absorbing the atmosphere in the Piazza then wended my way through various alleys, thank God for the map, to the Trevi Fountain. So incredibly beautiful! Of course, I tossed another coin in as I did 7 years ago. I hope it won't take another 7 years to come back!


My next stop was Adrianna's Temple. All that is left now are the columns and some of the front wall. Rather than tear it down thugh, they restored what they could and incorporated it into a new structure. I don't know how old the new section is but definitely built within the last 1000 years! I have a nice picture of this but moving pix around in this forum becomes real cumbersome when you can't cut and paste and all picutures are put at the top to begin with. Will have to figure it out somehow.

Anyway, I then walked to the Palazzo Venezia which houses one of their national museums. I went to see the Leonardo Da Vinci touring exhibit which is there until August. It is a tribute to the man's genius and focused on his mind, his studies and his inventions. Imagine Stephen Hawking but with many many interests, questions, ideas and no computer. He even invented drafting implements to help him prove some of his theories. They found their way into the marketplace and are still in use today.

By 2:00 pm I was tired and hungry. I wandered back toward home base, lunched and went for a nap. Two days is not even close to being enough in this amazing city. But, I'll take what I can get. Tomorrow, Florence.

Ciao for now

Buona Sera Tutti

Where to start ... the flight was delayed an hour (I don't know why) and then we sat on the runway for another 1/2 hour because they had to add fuel as we were decidedly TOO heavy. We finally got off the ground. I was seated beside a very nice young woman who became rather ill during the night. It was either stomach flu or food poisoning. Needless to say i didn't get any sleep except I kept nodding off on the train into town. That can be a problem if you aren't paying attention to the stops.

I read somewhere that a taxi ride from the railway station to pretty much anywhere would be in the 10-15 Euro range - my 3.5 km trip cost 35 Euros. and that was after spending 11Eu for a 30 minute train ride that took over an hour! This was a very good lesson in Italian economics - ASK first!





You are not going to believe this hotel for 100 Eu/day. Breakfast is 5 Eu extra. The place is very run down but spotless. And if I had my druthers, I'll take spotless any day. The concierge, Aurora, is very nice and most helpful. She gave me tour info and maps before I even asked for them.



Fargin Airplane, my ankles look like 2 footballs and my eyes are burning due to lack of sleep. I'm relaxing right now but will change into a lighter top and go for a walk - 24C here this afternoon.


The River Tevere meanders through Rome and this is one of many beautiful bridges that cross it usually at the site of some major architectual landmark. There is so much marble in this city and the streets are still paved with flat cobblestone - probably been here since the beginning of time. You know how they say "all roads lead to Rome"? It may well be true, but let me tell you that once you are here Good Luck finding your way around. Except for the large thoroughfares, all the streets are 1 way and in no apparent order, I might add. Not only are they 1 way but they meander and backtrack on themselves. I would not want to own a vehicle here. There is absolutely NO parking!






This is a typical neighbourhood street in Rome. Every 2nd business is either a restaurant, a coffee bar or a gelateria. The next group you will see qute often is antique shops or shops that specialize in collectibles. All of it is so charming.










I followed the tourist map given me by Aurora and managed to find the Piazza Navona. The Piazza is encircled by restaurants. It is, in itself enormous and features artists, caricaturists, photographers, muscians and human statues. I was there today between 4 & 5 and the place was practically wall-to-wall people. I wandered around a bit then found a bench and just absorbed the atmosphere. It was wonderul.

I'm going to sign off for now and go scrounge some vittles. I think I'll bypass the restaurant closest to the hotel ... they want 28Eu for Pasta Verde. Not from this tourist anyway!


Ciao for now!

Departure Imminent!

Roughly 8.5 hours until take-off! I'm getting the "I hope I don't forget anything" jitters about now. I'll have plenty to do on the plane until hopefully I sleep a little. I'm bringing a book, a magazine, a puzzle book plus I have my I-pod with my Italian lessons on it (I need to do a little cramming because this time there is no guide/interpreter!).

With all the things I want to do and see 2 weeks seems short. Still, I'm so grateful to be going at all that however each day plays out it will be an adventure. Love you all and the next time you hear from me will be from the "Eternal City".

Ciao for now!

Departure minus 4 days and counting

Well, I've got extra insurance, just in case. Kathy, my cat lady will pickup the key on Friday and all the cat food and litter have been purchased. The bills have been paid and so far I've managed to clean the TV room. I stopped by the currency exhange at the Mall and wouldn't you know it, they were out of Euros! They expect to have some tomorow.

I'm really getting excited now but I don't think the true realization of what I'm doing will hit me until I get to the airport. Right now, I'm sitting on the deck putting a few thoughts into my Blog and trying to make a mental list of all the stuff I need to bring with me. This time, I'm determined to travel a little lighter! Hauling a large heavy suitcase all over Italy is not fun!

Anyway, I'll try to stop by again just before I leave.

Ciao for now!

Departure minus 6 days and counting

Only 6 more days before I fly to Rome, the "Eternal City". The first thing I'm going to do is find my hotel, check-in, drop my bags and find the nearest Piazza and buy a cappuccino ... I can taste it already!

There are so many things to do before I leave though. There are the must do's like packing, a visit to the hair salon, buy some clothes, pay bills, buy Euros, make sure the cat lady has a key, buy a 2-week supply of cat food and litter, and probably a few other things I can't think of right now!

The "I hope I get it done before I leave" stuff includes, cleaning the house (groan) and finish raking the leaves from last fall - did I mention I tend to procrastinate?

Anyway, I'll try to get back tomorrow and let you know how I'm progressing.

Ciao for now.