Italy 2016 – Vatican City and the Borghese Gallery

Posted on June 16, 2016 by herktrav

Day 30 – Rome, Italy

Early to rise today, we’re scheduled to take the “Pristine Sistine” tour at the Vatican and we have to meet the group at 7:15 am.

The Herkeys getting somewhere at 7:15 am? I tell you it’s true!

Everyone showed up on time; and our guide, Angela, got us organized for the walk over to the entrance.

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Animated Vatican Guide – Angela

So today’s tour is a “Before the doors open” tour of the Sistine Chapel, plus the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica. When our group of 16 arrived, there were many more groups also waiting to enter. And here I thought we would be all alone – silly me!

When the doors opened, we made our way in and headed for the chapel.

To get to the Sistine Chapel, you pass through three long galleries – the gallery of the Candalabra, the gallery of the Maps, and the gallery of Tapestries.

Our favorite was the gallery of the maps with paintings of Italy and all its regions.

The Sistine Chapel is beautiful. ThIs extraordinary chapel, which was painted by Michaelangelo, is truly incredible.

First, there is the ceiling. There are nine panels that make up the main vault, plus side panels containing the Prophets, Sybils and Ancestors of Christ. The two panels that most people know are the Creation of Adam (we have affectionately always called it pull my finger) and Original Sin and the Expulsion from Paradise, but they are all beautiful and interesting.

In addition to the ceiling, Michaelangelo also painted his – “Last Judgement” on the wall behind the altar. The details are amazing, with the one feature that truly stood out was the blue of the Virgin Mary’s dress.

One of the things we found interesting was Michaelangelo’s revenge. In the bottom corner, there is a depiction of hell and one of the people there is a man who tormented Michaelangelo while he was creating his masterpieces.

After the Sistine Chapel, the tour took us throughout the Vatican Museum giving us an opportunity to see many of the other artworks, sculptures and antiquities of the collection. There are some pictures included of some of the highlights.

Another artist who was commissioned to work in the Vatican was Raphael and his works are also beautiful to see.

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Vatican – Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’

We had to retrace our steps and head back to the Sistine Chapel. Much different now that the crowds have arrived. This time you shuffled your way through the galleries, slowly moving along the way. Besides getting another look at the Sistine Chapel, this is a way of cutting through to our next stop – St Peter’s Basilica.

The Basilica is so much larger than I had pictured. I knew ahead of time that it was large, but this really blew me away.

Since this is a Jubilee Year of Mercy, we entered through the “Holy Door”. Entering through the door at St Peter’s is asking for God’s mercy, forgiveness and blessing and receiving them all.

One of the first things you see upon entering the church is Michaelangelo’s “Pieta”. It is truly beautiful and takes your breath away. Unfortunately, due to vandalism, it is now behind a glass partition. Still beautiful, still inspiring.

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St Peter’s Basilica – Michaelangelo’s “Pieta”

The basilica was very crowded, especially around several points – the Pieta, the Tomb and Chapel of Pope John Paul II, and Bernini’s incredible altar piece. We also managed to find the spot where Charlemagne knelt to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day of the year 800 AD.

Our tour ended outside in St Peter’s Square. Our guide Angela provided great commentary along the way and was funny too. She brought an excitement to the group due to her passion for the tour and the artworks. It was a very good tour and well worth the price.

We had a second tour scheduled for the afternoon, so we decided to head there via taxi and grab a bite to eat. The second tour was at the Borghese Gallery. I would have sworn that there was a cafe there, instead there was a rather lack-luster cafeteria. Not what we had been looking for, but we did manage to grab a quick sandwich and beverage.

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Borghese Gallery

This was another Walks of Italy tour and our guide Valentina was awesome. Talking before the tour started, she was telling me how much she loved this gallery. I could tell we were in for a great tour.

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Borghese Guide – Valentina

The highlights of the gallery include works by Bernini, Caravaggio, Canova, Titian and Raphael. Valentina was truly a lover of the gallery and the works. She helped us to understand some of the pieces and the politics behind them. Some of our favorites were Bernini’s – David, Apollo and Daphne and the Rape of Proserpine, Caravaggio’s – Goliath and The Madonna of Palafrenieri. We felt so artsy by the time we finished the tour.

By this time we we’re tired, so we headed back to the hotel to relax and actually took short naps. We managed to get ourselves together for dinner and found a nice place right around the corner from the hotel.  You do not have to go to fancy restaurants to find good food in Rome, you just have to avoid the extra touristy ones.

Once dinner was over, we strolled back to the hotel and were both ready to get a good night’s sleep.

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Italy 2016 – Exploring Rome

Posted on June 16, 2016 by herktrav

Day 29 – Rome, Italy

First day in Rome, so we wanted to get the lay of the land. Usually, we’d try the Hop-on Hop-off bus, but today we decided to walk around. Since we have to meet up with our tour group early tomorrow, we thought we’d try and find the meeting spot.

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The Pantheon crowd was just starting to line up as we made our way out of the Piazza. We passed by St Eustache Church and noticed not only police, but soldiers with full gear hanging out. Down another street and we ended up at Piazza Navona.

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Bernini’s Four Rivers

Piazza Navona has one of the famous Bernini sculptures as its centerpiece. The fountain is called “The Four Rivers” and represents the Ganges, the Nile, the Danube and the Rio de la Plata. There are two other sculpture fountains at either end of the Piazza.

Leaving the square we headed in the direction of the Tiber River and the Castel Sant’Angelo. We walked across the Bridge of Angels towards the castel.

The Castel was originally designed by Emperor Hadrian as his tomb. It later became a fortress and prison when Rome fell. When the archangel Michael appeared above the structure, it was renamed Castel Sant’Angelo and was later connected to the Vatican by a secret corridor. Continuing forward, the dome of St Peter’s Basilica came into view.

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The road leading up to St Peter’s Square is actually quite long. Lots of shops along the way and touts every few meters trying to sell you tours or skip the line tickets. If you add in a few street vendors and beggars the picture becomes complete. This year’s hottest street item is the selfie stick.

We walked up to the start of St Peter’s Square, took a couple pictures and then headed over to find our meeting place. Very easy to find and even we won’t need bread crumbs to find our way back.

Took a nice easy walk back towards the hotel. It was definitely getting warmer, so a little lunch and a cold beverage was called for. We stopped at a small outdoor cafe and had a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel. Downloaded some pictures, charged up some gadgets and took a little nap.

Later we found a restaurant not far from the hotel for dinner. As we were walking by, one of the owners said “Hi, good to see you again”. It was either mistaken identity or a clever ruse, but it worked to get us in. Glad we did stop there as the food was excellent.

Afterwards, it was just a short walk back to the hotel to get to bed early. We need to be back at the meeting spot at 7:15 am. Talk about miracles.

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Italy 2016 – From Capri to Rome

Posted on June 15, 2016 by herktrav

Day 28 – Rome, Italy

Today we leave Capri and head to Rome for the last leg of our journey. We woke up early to clean up and get packed before breakfast. It was a nice, sunny morning so we could enjoy breakfast outside on the garden patio.

We saw Sura and he was actually sad that we were leaving. Since there weren’t many people yet, we had a chance to chat with him while we were eating. He’s such a genuinely nice person. He loves to hear about the places that people visit from and to talk about his wife and children back in Sri Lanka. We will miss him too!

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Back to the room to grab our things and check-out. Rafaele took care of us and called for a cab. He and Elena were wonderful hosts. He was really happy when we told him that this was like staying with friends, not staying in a hotel. That is the concept that they are trying to achieve. We would definitely recommend it to anyone going to Capri. With that, the cab arrived and we said goodbye.

Next stop is the harbor to catch a boat to Naples. There was no line at the ticket office, so we were able to buy our tickets and get to the dock with plenty of time to spare. We’re taking the 11:35 am high speed ferry, that will give us time to mosey to the train station for our 3:00 pm train.

The ride over was great. Besides speeding along on fairly calm seas, we met a younger couple who were also heading to Rome. We chatted the whole way over about travels and found out he is an author – Adam Van Susteren. We subsequently learned that he and Ann had just gotten married over Memorial Day weekend. Congrats!

When we arrived, we grabbed a cab to head to the train station. Our cab driver got us to the station ‘rapido’, but was a psycho. I think he would have flattened a baby carriage if it was in his way. Yikes!

The train station in Naples was reminiscent of Platform 4 in Ferrara. The people rushing to and from their trains were fun to watch, but there were plenty of shady characters that we kept our eyes on and kept at a distance. It was such a relief when our train pulled in and we boarded. The hour of sanity before arriving in Rome was very much needed.

When we did arrive at Roma Termini we were both surprised – pleasantly. The station was pretty calm and was easy to maneuver through. We headed out and were able to directly get a taxi with a driver who was a nice guy. Rome was not what we were expecting – it was way better.

We drove past many places that we have heard about on the way to the hotel. Our hotel is literally right next to the Pantheon. The large Piazza del Rotonda also has a fountain and obelisk and seems to be a gathering place for people. The Piazza is surrounded by restaurants and shops and hotels – this should be fun.

Referring back to my previous statement, we were headed to Rome hearing about the high crime rate and beggars everywhere. Watch for scams, hide your valuables… I’m sure it’s here, but so far we’ve seen older buildings and historic places. In fact, the main street over had us thinking of Paris.

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Albergo del Senato

Back to the hotel. It’s called the Albergo del Senato and came highly recommended. The location is awesome and it looks nice from the outside. We were greeted warmly and the front desk staff is very friendly. They were waiting for us and it only took about five minutes to check-in.

As Tiffany was showing us the way to the elevators, she even wished us ‘Happy Anniversary’. Our room is wonderful. It’s located on the first floor (2nd in the US) and overlooks the Piazza and the Pantheon. It’s spacious, has a nice bathroom, separate closet and.. a comfortable bed. Very nice!

Being us, we both immediately went for the windows and opened them to see the view and hear the world. Not bragging, but this makes it eight out of eight for hotels this trip. They’ve all been different, but they’ve all been wonderful.

After unpacking and chilling for a little while, we asked the desk if they could recommend a place for dinner. We had a couple names written down and they quickly scratched off one. They said they would call for us. In the meantime, they also sent up a bottle of Prosecco as a little anniversary present. Nice touch.

The place we ended up for dinner was called Osteria di Sostegne. It was less than five minutes walk from the hotel and is just a small place with good food. Actually, they are a small restaurant with excellent food. The menu had so many choices, it was hard to decide. We both chose wisely though and had great meals. Sue had a linguine with pecorino cheese, sage and black truffles that was one of the best dishes we’ve had all trip.

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Bottom line, we made reservations to go back Sunday evening.

We walked back to the hotel. The piazza looks awesome lit up with the moon over the Pantheon. First impression – I think we’re gonna like Rome.

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Italy 2016 – Last day in Capri

Posted on June 13, 2016 by herktrav

Day 27 – Capri, Italy

Our last day in Capri and we still had some sights to see. Started the day with a hearty breakfast before heading out for a walk.

Our first stop today will be the Giardini Augusto or Gardens of Caesar Augustus for you Roman Empire buffs. To get there, we made our way up to the main Piazza. It was actually pretty quiet, just a couple groups walking around but the boats were on the way.

We found the signs pointing the way and set off towards the Marina Piccolo on the northern side of the island. The walk down was very pleasant, lots of little shops and a few nice hotels lining the way. From our last walk in this direction, we were now on the other side of the Y in the road.

We reached the bottom of the path and were presented with the gardens and orchards of the Hotel Luna. Very beautiful and fragrant. There was wisteria that was very vibrant and lush all along the walls. Through the gardens you could see out to the sea and the Faraglioni. Walking by the orchards, the lemons shown a bright yellow through the leaves of the trees and the apricots were bursting from the trees.

A little ways further and there was a lemon stand. They had various lemon flavored treats including lemonade to quench your thirst. Next up was a Perfume Shop that has been around for a very long time. If you have a sensitive nose, ‘popping’ in might not be for you as the air was thick with the smell of the various fragrances.

We finally reached the Giardini Augusto. The story goes that Caesar Augustus loved Capri so much that he traded another island to get it for his own. Probably had nothing to do with the fact that Emperors were getting assassinated back in Rome fairly regularly back in the day.

Anyways, the gardens planted in his honor are beautiful. Located right along the shore on a high cliff, they provide wonderful views of the sea as well as a peaceful retreat among the plants and flowers. It only costs 1 Euro each to get in, nice bargain.

For the next part of our journey, we decided to walk over to see the ruins at Villa Jovis. To get there, we had to backtrack to the Piazza. When we arrived this time, it was mobbed. Luckily, we headed off in a direction that most of the day trippers don’t go.

The narrow streets headed up.. up..up. It was nice walking through what was mainly a residential area for a while. We were able to see some of the day to day goings on in Capri – and laundry hung out to dry. We walked for a while and then came to a map and saw where we were and where Villa Jovis was. According to the map, we still had about a 40 minute walk and most of it was uphill.

I pretended to be tired, knowing that Sue was probably exhausted and just doing this for me. Then I suggested that we turn around and head back. And people think I don’t do things for her. Ha!

The crowds were still packing the Piazza and funicular station, so we just wandered back towards our hotel.

We ducked into a small snack bar for a drink and a little snack to take the edge off. Turned into a wonderful way to remember Capri. Our waiter seemed nice when we walked in and got even better as we interacted.

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Besides being critical of my Italian (Four weeks and that’s all you know?) he kept an eye on us the whole time there. When someone would come in and speak English, I’d just give him a look and he’d laugh. We had fun with him – and the food and wine were good too. When we were leaving, he kissed Sue on both cheeks like she was a good friend and shook my hand thanking us for coming in. There were two women who he seemed to know well, who were beaming and “Ciao’ing” us as we were leaving. It was a perfect way to remember the people of Capri.

Back home at the hotel, we checked to make sure that we would be ok to get a taxi in the morning and then relaxed for the evening.

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Italy 2016 – On the sea and Anacapri

Posted on June 13, 2016 by herktrav

Day 26 – Capri, Italy

After yesterday’s rain thwarted our sight seeing, today’s sunshine welcomed a day full of activity. We started out with breakfast overlooking the blue water below. Everything was excellent as anticipated. Elena’s marmalades were delightful and the fresh fruits from the garden helped fill us up.

Talking with Rafaele, he suggested that we take our boat ride first and then go up to Anacapri afterwards. The rains and breeze have the Blue Grotto closed and it could worsen, so we took his advice and set off for the harbor.

We headed up to the Piazza Umberto I so we could take the funicular down to the harbor. We got there at a good time as there was no waiting line. The fare is only 1.80 Euro each for a one-way ticket. The train arrived almost immediately, and five minutes later we were at the harbor. A ferry had arrived, so the line to go up on the funicular was very long. Timing, it’s all about timing.

We had decided to take the boat around the island, but as Rafaele had warned, the weather had the full ride closed down, so we took what they called the Red Line. The red line goes around the island to just beyond Marina Piccolo and back. It still gives you a look at the Faraglioni Rocks and several beautiful grottos. Tickets were 16 Euro each.

The boat was just leaving when we approached and they actually backed up to take us aboard. Great timing as the boat only contained about 17 people. We were able to comfortably sit and enjoy the sites and the water.

The water was a little bit choppy, but oh so blue. It’s actually more of a teal color with the sun reflecting off it. Our captain piloted us around the island, pointing out sights and moving into position for great photo-ops. There were a couple of large cruise ships anchored off the coast, one a regular cruise ship and the other a Club Med five masted sailing ship.

As our journey continued, we sailed towards the Faraglioni Rocks and arch – Natural features that rise out of the water over 100 meters. There is room for boats to sail through the arch and they say a kiss while passing under will bring lasting love.

The captain approached and we did pass through, so now with lasting love I should be all set!

We sailed on a little farther before turning and heading back. Our return voyage took us back through the arch for those who missed out on the first go through and hugged the coast – giving the folks on the opposite side of the boat a better view.

Back at the harbor things had settled down a little bit. We had a nice view of town as we were pulling in and docking. Very enjoyable!

Once off, we headed to the ticket office for the ferries to see about reservations for our trip back to the mainland on Wednesday. The woman said none were needed for the 11:30 boat, so we hope she is correct.

Took a quick peek at the beach. Not too many people there, but I think the beaches away from the marina are a little more popular.

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Eyeing the line for the funicular, we made an executive decision to grab a cab to go up to Anacapri. Sue negotiated a 25 Euro fare with a cabbie and off we went.

The taxis are topless, though today ours had a cloth sunscreen. It kept us from getting fried by the sun and blown apart by the breeze, so it was a welcome addition. The ride up provides some awesome views of the town and the harbor area. Our driver was pointing things out to us and then when we arrived in Anacapri, gave us directions to the top spots.

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With Sue’s courage at an all-time high, we decided to start with the chairlift ride to the top of Monte Solaro. The ride is 11 Euro each round trip and takes about 13 minutes to get you to the top. From the top, the term ‘bella vista’ must have been coined because it was beautiful.

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So the chairlift is an individual chair with a lap bar for safety. The ride is a slow, gentle glide to the top at a height of about 1800 feet. Along the way, you skim over tree tops and vineyards with a great view. Sue, who is not a fan of heights, kept hold of the bar as we rose, while I was swinging my feet and taking pictures. It was like the sky ride at Crystal Beach, except much, much higher.

Once at the top, we were actually in the clouds. Quite exhilarating and quite beautiful. The clouds would drift by and it would be a little chilly, then they would move on and the sun would shine.

We walked all around the peak taking pictures and loving the view. There is a little snack bar at the top, so people were sitting at tables enjoying a beverage and the view.

By the time we were ready to go back down, Sue was a chairlift pro. She was waving, talking and only clinging with one-hand.  The descent provided the same beautiful views as the ascent. In no time at all, we were approaching the station where you hop off the ride. Lots of fun and a personal triumph for one of us!

Our next stop kept us grounded. We walked over to the belvedere by Villa San Michel for what was promised to be a wonderful view of Capri and the harbor. Know what? They kept their promise. The views were spectacular.

Next stop, back to the main piazza to get to the Church of St Michael. A lovely walk through another part of town took us to the church. The church looks rather ordinary from the outside, but inside, the floors are painted tiles with the biblical scene of Adam and Eve being cast out of the Garden of Eden by the archangel Michael. It was beautifully done and there are platforms that you walk on so as not to walk on the floor itself. There is a spiral staircase that takes you to the organ loft for a full view. Very beautiful.

After leaving the church, we decided that we needed a little something to eat. We walked by many places until we came to a place playing great jazz music. We knew it was the spot for us. Besides being super-friendly, the food was excellent and the glasses of Prosecco were definitely non-management pours! Salads, pizza, Prosecco and a carafe of Rose’ wine and we were happy as could be.

Next stop, the hotel. Grabbed a cab and had him take us down to the roundabout in mid-town. We stopped at a local market for some snacks and tissues, then headed back home.

Did a little pre-planning for Rome and then just relaxed until bedtime. Great day!

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Italy 2016 – Hiding from the rain in Capri

Posted on June 12, 2016 by herktrav

Day 25 – Capri, Italy

Well now, in case you wondered if it rains in Capri, let me tell you about our Sunday.

Woke up around 5:30 am to a thunderstorm and downpour. Kept us up for a little while before we fell back asleep. Truthfully, I fell right back to sleep, Sue tossed a little bit.

When we woke up it was still drizzling a little but looked like it would be clearing up. Cleaned up and went for breakfast, the rain had forced breakfast inside and the quarters were a little cramped, but not a problem.

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Capri Wine Hotel – Wine bar / rainy day breakfast room

As people were leaving, many were talking about their plans for the day. We finished breakfast and started chatting with Elena. Both she and Rafaele are very nice, in case I haven’t said it enough times. Sue and she were chatting about cooking and baking, the Bastianich family cooking shows and just having a good time. Rafaele joined the conversation and we added wines to the chat topics. Very pleasant!

Our plan was to wait out the tourist boats a little while before heading out for a walk. We sat on the patio, Sue reading, me planning when the rain decided to return. And did it ever return. It poured off and on all afternoon.

Always resourceful, we pulled the chairs under the umbrellas a little more and stayed dry. Rafaele dashed over during a little slow down and we ended up getting a bottle of wine (Falaghina – italian white) and a plate of munchies. The Herkey picnic lasted most of the afternoon and was delightful.

As time passed, other guests were returning looking a little damp. Call us lazy, but it’s vacation. No need to run around in the rain. Besides, we’re both getting over colds. When the rain stopped, we scooted back to the room. There were a couple small cloud bursts, so hopefully ‘Mamma Naturale’ got the rain out of her system.

I was able to connect my phone to the Apple TV in the room, so we enjoyed viewing some of our photos on the big screen, as well as watching a few You Tube videos to kill a little time.

The weatherman promises a nice day tomorrow so we’ll take advantage of it.

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Italy 2016 – Relaxing in Capri

Posted on June 11, 2016 by herktrav

Day 24 – Capri, Italy

Woke up to bright sunshine for our first day in Capri. Breakfast is served out on the back terrace with a beautiful view over the bay towards Mt Vesuvius. Umbrellas provide plenty of shade while you enjoy your meal.

The buffet includes many items, most of which are homemade. Elena makes the cakes along with the marmalades, and much of the fruit and vegetables come from the garden. Besides all the choices on the buffet, Sura will make eggs for you any style you want. The omelettes are fluffy and full of veggies and cheese.

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After breakfast we sat out on the patio for a while, planning out our day and enjoying the peace and quiet. I wish we had a patio like this back home.

So we decided that we would venture up to Piazza Umberto I and then walk around from there. It is about a ten minute walk from the hotel and that was where the action was.

We headed off on the main shopping route – think Rodeo Drive. All the big name designer shops, jewelers, a fancy restaurant or two and a whole bunch of hotels. When you add in the people looking “fabulous” as they stroll along looking to be seen, it’s quite interesting.

Again, bowling not being a big sport here, we didn’t have to dodge the paparazzi. We eventually found a bar to have our afternoon Prosecco and do some people watching. The prosecco came with a nice dish of munchies and olives – that we devoured. Our waiter was really cool too. When I tried to order a second round in Italian, he smiled and said “not even close” and then provided an impromptu Italian lesson. So… “Un altro giro, per favore” or “Avremo un altro favore”.

Back to the people watching. A bride came through the square and got a nice round of applause waving to her admirers. Some of the outfits were beautiful, though most were typical tourist outfits like we were wearing. It’s amazing to watch some of the women walking across the stoney streets in their high heels or platform wedgies. I figured I’d twist an ankle and I was wearing flats.

Now refeshed, we walked around a little more. We found the funicular that travels down to the harbor. That will come in handy Monday when we take our boat trip around the Island.

We passed by a nice little restaurant ‘Al Capri’ and decided to have an early dinner. We had a table with a nice view over the marina, the food was delicious and our bottle of Rose’ was local and terrific. Great way to cap off the day.

There was a beautiful sunset as we walked back to the hotel.

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When we returned to the hotel, Rafaele was outside and we chatted for a bit. He’s really nice and so accommodating. We can see why so many people have had such good things to say about the hotel.

Some picture downloading, blog updates and reading before we settled in to sleep.

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Italy 2016 – Moving on to Capri

Posted on June 10, 2016 by herktrav

Day 23 – Capri, Italy

Last time we wake up to our gorgeous view of the sea. After breakfast we’ll be heading to the Isle of Capri. Had a chance to say goodbye to our favorite waiter at breakfast. He has welcomed us with a big smile each morning and made sure Sue had her honey for her tea. We wish him well. Checked out at the desk. They had our boat reservation made for us, so after the paperwork we were ready to go.

We’ll be taking the jet boat to Capri, which should take just about a half hour. We found the back stairs down to the beach level – they are newer, flatter and not crowded. Pretty quick walk over to the pier. The boat is already docked, but it won’t be boarding for about 30 minutes.

Very nice being next to the water, even if it is just waiting to go. The sea was rolling, not big waves, just swales. The boats were bobbing and the sun was shining. Boarding time came quickly. Easy enough getting the bags across the gang plank. We chose to sit inside. We’ll get lots of fresh air in Capri, no sense tempting Sue’s cold.

The ride over is great. We speed along the shoreline, lots of great views. The boat creates big splashes as we cruise along.

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In no time at all, we can see the island. The first glance is always exciting (my friend Dave taught me that in Canada) and there it is. Lots of big yachts anchored just outside the harbor. I thought that one of them was a cruise ship at first – Wow!

The pier is bustling. Our boat was dropping off, another bigger ferry was loading up. People, cars, trucks and porters all squeezing together. We made it to the end of the pier and found a cab to get to the hotel. The cabs are open top vehicles. You feel like you’re part of a parade – sun shining, wind blowing through your hair. The road winds up from the harbor to the Piazzetta Umberto in the town center.

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Taxi at the Capri Marina Grande Pier

Our hotel, the Capri Wine Hotel, is about three-fourths of the way to the top. The hotel is a newer boutique hotel. This is their fourth summer open. It’s a family run hotel and our hosts are Rafaele and Elena. The family was previously in the wine business, so the theme is a tribute to Rafaele’s grandfather who was the winemaker.

The room is nice and we have a balcony view of the sea. There is a wine chiller unit that is part of the mini-bar, a big shower and a comfortable bed.

Outside, the grounds are beautiful. There are three different areas to sit and relax or enjoy a glass of wine. The breakfast area is a patio that overlooks the sea with views of Mt Vesuvius. They also have a huge garden and orchard with apricot and lemon trees, artichokes, tomatoes, lettuce, squash and lots of different herbs.

It’s like visiting friends, not staying at a hotel. Elena gave us the rundown on the hotel, gave us lots of suggestions for places to visit and also restaurant suggestions. So we’re ready to tackle Capri.

The walk to the center of town is about ten minutes. We’re going to do a little exploring before dinner. Elena made us reservations at a local favorite called Vergieniella.

As we are 3/4 of the way to town, the walk is headed up. There is a quiet little alley that serves as a short cut, but it is still heading up and there are stairs. With just a little huffing and puffing, we arrive at the upper level and head towards town. We pass by the restaurant and continue forward. Lots of little shops and restaurants line the street. It will be fun to check things out.

But for now – dinner time! The restaurant is definitely more of a local spot, though there is a smattering of english to be heard. We ordered antipasti and pasta, plus a bottle of Amalfi Coast rose’. Everything was good, though Sue’s was a little saltier than she prefers. However, I have to share my antipasti with you. And I probably could have shared with everyone.

I had prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. When the plate arrived, there was a ball of mozzarella the size of a baseball or large orange. It was so fresh and so delicious – mamma mia!

Made our way back to the hotel afterwards – downhill. Met Rafaele as we arrived back and got a big bottle of water for the room. Just finished off the evening listening to Patrizio Buanne before getting a good nights rest.

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Italy 2016 – Fun in the Positano sun

Posted on June 8, 2016 by herktrav

Day 22 – Positano, Italy

Not quite the miracle of Lourdes, but Sue woke up feeling better. Still coughing, but a bit more rested. Hopefully she’ll beat this in a couple days similar to my experience. So down for breakfast. Having just picked at a couple snacks yesterday, I was hungry and everything looked delicious.

As you may know, I don’t drink coffee, but I have had a cappuccino just about every morning in Italy. Can’t wait to get back to my Snapple when we get home.

We enjoyed a hearty breakfast, stopped back at the room, then grabbed our sunglasses and sunscreen, and headed out to wander through the winding stairs of Positano for a while.

The town starts at the beach or at the top of the hill, depending on your perspective. You either wander down the winding lanes or you climb the stairs up. Since we are pretty much prime athletes, we wandered up a few flights of stairs before leveling off and heading back down towards the beach. We did pop into a couple of shops, checked out the church – where there happened to be a small wedding going on, walked over to the pier and then dipped our tootsies in the Mediterranean Sea.

The water is so clear and was actually semi-warm. Not bathtub warm, but tolerable without needing to jump right out. Others were wading, swimming or splashing about in the water. Yes, I’m a weenie when it comes to cold water.

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Enjoying the Mediterraean Sea

Afterwards – surprise – we went back to the hotel and enjoyed a nice bottle of Rose’ wine on the terrace. There was a new British invasion occuring. Seems that there was a wedding this weekend and they were having a pre-wedding party to celebrate. A few people were less than sober and loud and obnoxious. Not the usual group we had been enjoying our afternoons with. Yikes – bloody hooligans!

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Wedding Hooligans

For dinner we decided to go back to the brasserie at the Hotel Covo dei Saraceni. Our waiter / Vic Damone lookalike was there and seemed glad to have us back. His assistant was also there and we had a fun time chatting them up. They loved that we could throw out simple phrases in Italian and we loved trying with their encouragement.

Dinner was wonderful. The brasserie seating is right on the end of the pier next to the water. It’s so nice to hear the waves while enjoying your meal. We will definitely miss this when we leave. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel. One last evening in our beautiful room before we move on to Capri.

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Night lights in Positano

Positano was perfect for us. It has a laid back vibe, yet is full of life. We had thought that it might be a tad snobby, but that wasn’t the case at all. At least we didn’t encounter any of it. Everyone that we dealt with from the moment we arrived seemed to try to make our stay a great experience. If that is their way of making sure that tourists keep coming back, they get it. We will return someday.

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Italy 2016 – A day of rest

Posted on June 7, 2016 by herktrav

Day 21 – Positano, Italy

Woke up to Sue feeling terrible. Her cold has her in its grip and isn’t letting go. We went down to breakfast, but it was just a quick cup of tea for her. Headed back up to the room so she could relax.

Since they hadn’t made up our room yet, we got comfortable on the terrace. Sue dozed right away while I updated the blog. I felt bad for her, mostly because I know who she caught it from and secondly because she was so wiped out.

I worked to catch up with my photo downloads and the blog posts. Eventually, the maids arrived and I did my best to explain that Sue was napping and we’d stay out of their way while they made up the room. It didn’t take them long before they finished and then I herded Sue into the bed to get comfortable. The bottom line is we ended up staying in all day and resting. I’m not so used to being the overseer, but it worked out. The sleep helped her and day went by fairly quickly.

My perch on the terrace helped make staying in much more tolerable. My favorite thing about our room is being able to hear the waves cresting on the shore. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day so we can get out and enjoy the town a little bit.

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Post Script: Since this is a short update, I can answer a couple of questions:

Wi-fi wasn’t so good with mail servers.  Best to use an Internet based mail like Google or Yahoo.

Michele – I only had the one decoy wallet. I’m looking for another one before Rome. May just buy a good one and use mine as the decoy.

Greg – Can’t even get a free drink here with the bowling team photo. Apparently something called soccer is more popular here.

Temperatures have been in the mid 70’s the whole trip so far. We had one hot day and one cool day. Been a little more humid near the water.

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