Italy 2016 – Another day in Paradise

Posted on June 7, 2016 by herktrav

Day 20 – Positano, Italy

I’m feeling better, thanks for asking. Unfortunately, it looks like Sue is catching my cold. Hopefully it will pass quickly so we can enjoy our remaining time here in Positano.

Alanis Morissette could add this top her song – “Isn’t it ironic”, we are in the prettiest place and can’t enjoy it so much because we don’t feel well. Such is life.

Took a little walk after breakfast down the end of the cove. There is the regular beach in front of us and then a private beach further down. People are in the water or relaxing in their beach chairs. The beach itself is made up of small, round, polished stones. It’s the same kind of beach as in Nice, France. The private hotel beaches will sometimes truck in some sand, but for the most part it’s stones.

The water looks crystal clear. It’s fun watching people of all ages, shapes and sizes enjoying themselves. There is a young Japanese couple who were just married. We saw them taking pictures in her wedding dress when we arrived and they are all lovey-dovey. I told Sue if I came out of the water in front of them it might traumatize them thinking Godzilla is returning!!

Walking down the beach in the other direction, we get to the boat dock for the transports. Boats leave just about every hour going somewhere. They have shuttles, ferries and jet boats to go to most of the Amalfi Coast towns, plus some excursions and joy rides.

Around the bend, up some stairs and then back down is another beach. No chance we’re gonna navigate our way over there, but it looks nice.

There are some souvenir shops, but many of the shops sell really nice stuff. Jewelry, clothing, artwork and limoncello – you name it, you can find it. The shopkeepers are all very friendly. I’m sure they are used to many people just browsing as they walk by. How will someone pack the two foot round pasta dish in their carry-on?

By now you all should not be surprised, but if it’s the afternoon, it must be prosecco time. We stopped back at our hotel terrace bar and our favorite waiter knows what time it is too. We must look needy!

This time, besides chips, he also brings out a bowl of olives. Yum! These aren’t like the green olives in a jar or at the supermarket. Not vinegar brined, just tastes like some herbs and olive oil. Mild taste, perfect as a compliment to the drinks.

Back to the room afterwards to relax and find someplace for dinner. A little nap turned into a longer nap which took us right up to dinner time. Decided to eat lighter this evening.

The Cova Dei Saraceni has a small brasserie that is located right next to the pier and that looks like the place. Sue had a caprese salad, I had a caesar salad and we split a pizza. Add in a bottle of Rose’ and dinner was perfect. The waiters were extremely friendly and made for a very nice evening.

1.1465430400.positano---good-eats

A short stroll back to the hotel and a fairly early night. Sue’s cold is worsening, so hopefully she’ll get some much needed rest.

Posted in Italy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – I think we’re in Heaven

Posted on June 6, 2016 by herktrav

Day 19 – Positano, Italy

Woke up feeling a little better, but not as good as I’d like. Since hauling bags around while feeling sick is not on my bucket list, we decided to book a private car instead of taking the boat to Positano.

Our driver arrived right on time and by 12:10 we were on our way to Positano. The driver was probably about the same age as us, maybe a couple years older and was such a nice guy. We chatted along the way and he even told us he would drive a little slower so we could see all the beautiful sights along the way. It was really a great ride along the winding roads along the coast. He even offered to stop if we wanted to take pictures.

All in all it took a little over an hour to arrive in Positano. The narrow streets are lined with shops, restaurants and residences. People press themselves into doorways or close to the walls as the cars inch by. He can’t take us all the way to our hotel because the road doesn’t go that far, but there is a drop off station where porters will take our luggage to the hotel while we descend the steps.

1.1465230784.positano---hotel-buca-di-bacco

Our hotel is called La Buca Di Bacco and is right near the main beach and port. Finding the hotel, we enter and are greeted warmly by the staff. They joked that they had our reservation from October and I told them that we wanted to make sure we could stay with them.

Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we went up to the terrace bar and enjoyed a glass of prosecco while waiting. The view was absolutely gorgeous. The blue water, people on the beach, boats anchored in the harbor and the buildings clinging to the walls like frosting on a cake. Just beautiful. We definitely like the vibe being given off too. I hope the pictures can do justice to just how pretty everything is here.

A short time later our room was ready and Roberta from the desk showed us the way. When she opened the door and urged us in, we were both stunned. What a gorgeous room and then opening the curtains, wow! We have a terrace that looks right out over the harbor and beach.

We have stayed in some nice places throughout our travels, but none as beautiful as this room. I believe Roberta could sense our amazement, as the smile on her face broadened as we gushed. Right after she left, the porter arrived with our bags and he smiles at us and says in broken english – “It’s the best room”. So to my bowling mates who had to endlessly endure hearing my chatter about planning, I’m sorry, but it was worth the early planning. Besides, we’re champs so it must not have thrown off our games!

Once we settled in, we grabbed a couple chairs and just sat and enjoyed the view from the balcony. This is way beyond my expectations. Watching the boats and hearing the waves lapping at the beach is so nice. This is probably as close to heaven as we’ll get, so we’re gonna enjoy it fully!

No over-crowding here. There are plenty of people, but it is not as hectic as what we saw in Amalfi. There are shops and restaurants here, but I don’t think that Positano has the same attractions for the tourists. Especially since it’s not so easy to get here by car and parking is a whole other thing.

Dinner this first evening will be at the hotel restaurant. They offer a 10% discount to hotel guests, so why not take advantage of it. The restaurant is nice and overlooks the beach. The lights of the town are beginning to come on and it just adds to the ambience. The choices are definitely geared towards vacationers, but there are a few choices that are representative of the area, especially the fresh fish.

We had a table of six women, who sounded very southern, maybe even Texans sitting off to the side of us. The were all excited about the spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parm. They really should have asked about and tried the buccatini with pesto sauce or the zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese. Doesn’t matter, they were happy and so were we!

Just to show that I still wasn’t feeling 100%, we didn’t finish our bottle of wine. Luckily, the waiter gave us a cork and we were able to bring it back to the room. With full bellies, we strolled back up to the room and relaxed before getting a good night’s sleep.

Posted in Italy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Our last day in Sorrento

Posted on June 4, 2016 by herktrav

Day 18 – Sorrento, Italy

Woke up to our last full day in Sorrento. Everything has been just wonderful. The plan for the day was to just relax and enjoy the sites of the town.

If only those sniffles I had would have cooperated. Instead, they turned into a full blown cold. So while Sue sat on the balcony and enjoyed the view, I fell asleep feeling miserable.

Woke up later in the afternoon and we went out on to the hotel grounds to get a little fresh air.  There’s a pool, a lounge, lots of lemon trees and thankfully, lots of sunshine.

Dinner would be nearby, so we didn’t have to rush. When it was time for dinner, we went to a nice place called L’Antica Trattoria. It was down a little side street and was very pleasant. Our meals were delicious. Though there were plenty of tourists to be found, the restaurant is not a tourist trap. In fact, as the evening wore on, the patrons became mostly Italians. We were seated at a table next to a couple from Ireland, who seemed to be enjoying their dinners too.

IMG_0039

As we were waiting for our desserts, an older man wheeled a younger man up near the restaurant, pulled out his mandolin and went inside to play for the patrons. Sue immediately identified the young man as having CP and when the older man returned to the outside, she went over to say hello. The man then played a couple of tunes by us and Sue and the woman next to us went over to chat up the two of them.

The woman from Ireland had a nursing job working with the same handicapped clients that Sue had, so a little bonding went on. We had a very nice time chatting with them before heading back to the hotel. Safe travels Michael and Theresa!

Despite my sniffling, it turned out to be a very nice evening and a perfect ending to our time in Sorrento.

Posted in Italy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – A day of ruins and new beginnings..

Posted on June 3, 2016 by herktrav

Day 17 – Sorrento, Italy

Looks like another beautiful day – perfect for our day trip to see the ruins of Pompeii.

The tour bus picked us up near the hotel along with a few others from hotels nearby and then we were off to Pompeii. Traffic was heavy with long lines of cars making their way towards Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. Our driver, Marco, kept us moving and in no time (an hour) we arrived at Pompeii. Our small bus group joined up with other groups to make a group of 50 on the tour.

We all received small radios with an earpiece and then we headed in. Our guide was very good. Besides keeping the group together, she also provided inciteful information and added a little humor along the way.

So in 79 AD, Mt Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii under tons of volcanic ash. The pyroclastic blast probably incinerated many people as it rushed towards the city. It wasn’t rediscovered until the 1500’s and excavations began in the late 1700’s. The amazing thing that came out of the tragedy was that they didn’t know they were living on a volcano.

1.1464998400.pompeii---mt-vesuvius-and-mt-zuma

Our tour took us through the same streets that people walked on 2600 years ago. You can see the wear marks from the chariot wheels that once rolled through the streets. The crosswalks were stones that kept the people from getting their sandals wet, but also showed the type of street. One stone for a one way street, two stones for a two-way and three stones for a major thoroughfare. I wonder how many stones there would be on Union Road?

1.1464998400.pompeii---three-stone-cross-walk

The ruins were fascinating. Pompeii must have been beautiful. The items that are still intact give just a snippet of the ingenuity that they employed. Just a few items – crosswalks, drive through restaurants, product branding and health clubs. As you can see in some of the pictures, they also used pictures or sculptures as signs since many people were illiterate or came from far away, especially the sailors.

A couple funny things that our guide shared with us were phrases that may have started there:

There wasn’t plumbing as we know it, so much of the waste flowed downhill. Rich people lived uphill, poorer people downhill. The crosswalks were necessary to avoid stepping in the liquid waste. At night, the slaves would flood the streets with water and vinegar to help clean away the smell. Hence, those people were said to be full of “piss and vinegar”.

Along with the people of Pompeii, when foreign sailors came into town they were required o bathe and clean up first thing.

Their next stop was usually the brothels. As directional markers, there were phallic symbols carved into the street to show the way. As our guide said – “the first GPS – giant penis system”.

1.1464998400.pompeii---gps---giant-penis-street

When they got to the brothels, the service menu was painted on the walls. And the price? About the same as half a glass of wine.

We also saw a recently returned plaster cast of a person who was buried during the eruption. It was sort of eery looking at the person and thinking about what it must have been like on that fateful day.

1.1464998400.pompeii---cast-of-person-buried-in-ash

Only about a third of Pompeii has been excavated. The work continues, but the cost is high. They do take volunteers, so if anyone has an interest…

Heading back to the buses to get back to Sorrento was chaos. People took off their earpieces, so they couldn’t hear the directions. Others just wandered aimlessly looking for souvenir stands. Our group was all together except for the same two girls from the day before who dilly-dallied. We weren’t in a hurry to get anywhere, it’s just annoying when it’s the same people.

1.1464998400.pompeii---well-stocked-souvenir-stand

Traffic heading back to Sorrento was heavy, nearly at a standstill at some points. There’s really only one way in and out so everyone from the morning travel was just going the other way. We were the last stop for the driver and he was surprised when we told him he didn’t have to take us all the way to our hotel. The road is narrow and he would have to squeeze in and out.

Once off the bus, we took a little walk to get some water and soda for the room. On the way to the store, we passed a church where a wedding was getting ready to start. We hung out with a few others to see the bride arrive. The priest and groom’s family were mingling with guests and people were watching the time. When they started entering, we knew the bride was coming. She was pretty in a plainer gown, papa looked proud and happy. He even gave me a smile as they started to enter the church. Very nice to see a piece of every day life.

For dinner, we went to a small restaurant that was right across from the earlier wedding site. It was called Il Pozzo and was a pleasant little place. The food was good, the service was good and the prices were very reasonable. Our waiter seemed to like us; I suppose it had something to do with trying Italian and not griping about everything and hastily leaving. Why people can’t just go with the flow and enjoy the evening meal. Uptight Brits and Americans were the main grumblers. I digress.

Big smiles probably added to by the complimentary limoncello and we were on our way back to the hotel. A little music while uploading pictures and off to dreamland.

Posted in Italy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Tour of the Amalfi Coast

Posted on June 3, 2016 by herktrav

Day 16 – Sorrento, Italy

It was a dark and stormy night, really! A rain storm moved into the area last evening, hitting strongest around 2:30 am. Heavy rain, a little thunder and lots of wind woke us up and kept Sue up throughout the night. We had a tour of the Amalfi Coast scheduled, so we had to be up early and we were both pretty tired throughout the day.

Showers, a quick breakfast and we were off to meet up with the tour. Luckily, the rain had stopped though the skies were overcast. It took about 20 minutes to walk to the meeting spot to check in with our guide – Caterina.

1.1464984910.amalfi-coast-tour---caterina---our-guide

The tour today was a ride by coach along the Amalfi Coast Highway to Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. It was seven hours in total and half that time was spent just driving to the various places. But what a drive it was!

I am so glad that I wasn’t driving. The road is narrow, winds along the cliff and had more hair pin turns then I could count. Our bus driver deserved a medal for getting us there and back without once hitting anything. Quite frankly, he should have hit plenty of people along the way!

I have lots of pictures from the drive attached, so I’ll let you enjoy them instead of rambling on and on.

The ride took us from Sorrento to Positano with only a brief stop for some photos. That worked out perfect for us since we’ll be staying in Positano after we leave Sorrento. The vista we parked at provided beautiful views of the sea, beach and town. As many buses and tours stop there, there were plenty of enterprising vendors waiting to sell jewelry, limoncello, lemonade, books, snacks and other assorted items.

After about fifteen minutes, we re-boarded the bus and headed to Amalfi. Traffic was pretty heavy, so the ride was slow as we zig-zagged our way along the roads.

We stopped along the way for a bathroom break at a ceramic factory. Lots of local ceramic pottery, plates and crafts were available and many people on the bus took advantage of time to do some shopping.

Getting back on the road, we slowly made our way to Amalfi. The traffic was heavy and the bus parking lot was full when we pulled in. The tour gave us two hours on our own in Amalfi.

We joined about a third of the others and took a boat tour along the coast. It was nice on the boat as it was only our group and got us away from the hoards of people. The ride lasted 45 minutes and only cost 12 Euro per person. The scenery was beautiful and being on the water was so calming. Definitely time well spent.

When we returned to port, we went into the town to look around a little bit. The town was mobbed with all tour groups, which actually took away from its charm. We walked up to the cathedral, but decided against going in because it was so crowded. I can’t even imagine what it must be like in the heavy tourist season. Yikes!

Amalfi Cathedral
Amalfi Fountain
Tourists Invading
Souvenirs
Lemons and Oranges

We found a small little place to grab a sandwich and I was actually able to get a Pepsi. None of that stinking Coke!

So Amalfi turned out to be nothing more than a tourist trap from our standpoint. Quite disappointing given everything that I’ve read about it. We were very happy when our guide gathered us together to move on to the next stop – though we did enjoy the boat ride.

Our next stop was the town of Ravello. It’s located about 300 meters above Amalfi. There is actually a stairway you can take to get there from Amalfi that is just over 1000 steps. Since my stairmaster days are well behind me, I was very happy that the bus would be taking us up.

1.1464984910.ravello---bus-stop-it-goes-she-stays

Ravello’s serenity was a stark contrast to Amalfi’s Disney world feel. The views down to the sea were stunning. While the group split up, Sue and I went to Villa Rufola to visit the gardens and see the views.

What a great choice. The gardens were beautiful and tranquil. Music by Wagner was being played as you strolled through the property. This really brought us back around after our disappointment with Amalfi.

After the gardens, we walked through the town square and just enjoyed the scenery. It was easy to see why so many people love Ravello. Once everyone gathered back up, it was time to head home. The driver took the back way to Sorrento, driving through the hills and narrow roads, but avoiding the traffic of the coastal road.

We saw mountains, valleys lots of goats and other picturesque scenery as we headed home. Really nice and relaxing as long as you weren’t doing the driving.

When we did return to Sorrento, we were ready to take a little nap. We picked up some water and went back to the room. The Hotel Syrene was either continuing the wedding from yesterday or had another celebration going on as there was a band playing and a singer that was really good. Instead of napping, we opened the balcony doors and relaxed listening to swing and big band music. Nice way to chill out. Oh yea, and we had some Prosecco.

Around 7:30, we headed out to dinner. We went back to Sacro & Profano and enjoyed another wonderful meal. Besides having great food, the people there are so friendly we just had to return. Tonight’s wine was called Prio and was a Sicilian white that was perfect with our meals. Before leaving, they came over with a complimentary glass of limoncello to help us digest our meals. I love that custom!

Back in the room, we rested up. Sue reading and me blogging until our eyes grew heavy. Tomorrow we go to visit the ruins of Pompeii..

Posted in Italy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – A beautiful day in Sorrento

Posted on June 2, 2016 by herktrav

Day 15 – Sorrento, Italy

Yesterday’s travels brought today’s serenity…

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the hotel. You know it’s going to be good when they have a self-serve mimosa bar. The breakfast lounge is located on the top floor of the hotel with beautiful views over the bay. With Mount Vesuvius in the distance, I felt compelled to pile things up on my plate. Subliminal messaging going on.

This was definitely not the standard quickie breakfast that most of the hotels have had. This buffet had eggs and bacon, quiche, cereals, breads, meats, cheese, pastries, cakes, juice, champagne, teas and coffees. Everything seemed to be baked or made fresh this morning. So that was the delightful scent we were getting. Anyways, breakfast was good.

Tomorrow morning we have to meet our tour group near city center, so we walked over to make sure we knew where we were going. It gave us a chance to see many of the sites around town, plus pass by lots of shops and restaurants. The early morning walk should only take us about fifteen minutes, so that’ll allow me to sleep in for a few minutes longer.

As we were walking around, everywhere you could see the sea was mobbed. Selfie-sticks are everywhere and squeezing in between those people to take pictures can be a real challenge. One must definitely be prepared to move in when there is an opening.

We passed by a lemon grove that we plan to go back to Sunday. In the meantime, we shall do our best to sample as many different limoncello’s as possible. Strictly for comparison sake!

There were a few drops of rain that fell, so we ducked into a couple different little passageways. Lots of shops and vendors selling everything a tourist could want – and then some!

As soon as the clouds passed by, the sun returned and the day was beautiful. It’s not really hot here like it is in Miami, Mexico or Buffalo. Our temperatures have been in the low 70’s with low humidity. Perfect for walking around.

With the sun shining, we decided to walk over to the Marina Grande area. This area is considered separate from Sorrento, but is located right next to the old town. There is a portal that is called the Old Greek Portal that leads down to the marina area.

1.1464891315.marina-grande---greek-portal

Through the portal, you find this wonderful seaside village. Little shops, restaurants, boat docks and a small beach encircle the cove. Really nice and pretty rustic.

We decided to have a late lunch there instead of waiting for a big dinner later in the evening. One of the best restaurants in Sorrento (I know, I said it was outside) is located here – Ristorante Bagni Il Delfino. They have an extended dining area that goes right out on to their pier. They have a wonderful menu, lots of fresh fish choices and some great house specialties. Add to that, an extensive wine list and you had two happy tourists.

I try not to be overly touristy by taking food pictures, but I had to today. We both started with a caprese salad that was very good and then Sue had a fresh grilled branzini fish, while I had their special gnocchi with shrimp and fresh tomatoes. We also had a bottle of Rose’ wine that was made with Aglianico grapes. Needless to say, we both really enjoyed our meals very much. Molto buono!!

The waiter was like a surgeon deboning Sue’s fish. We applauded and he was a little embarrassed but also pleased that we acknowledged his precision. Fun! We were both pleasantly full, so we skipped dessert and headed back to the hotel.

We made sure we were good for tomorrow’s excursion around the coast of Amalfi and Saturday’s excursion to Pompeii before relaxing a bit.

For a nightcap, we went up to the lounge and had a drink while watching the sun set over the bay. To add to the romance, there was a wedding going on at the hotel next to ours and we could hear the band playing as we enjoyed our drinks. I didn’t hear any accordion solos, but the sax guy was pretty darn good.

Back to the room, updated the blog and we’ll be hitting the pillows early so we can get up in the morning. Another great day!

Posted in Italy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Travel to Sorrento

Posted on June 1, 2016 by herktrav

Day 14 – Sorrento, Italy

Today will be a long travel day. We have three trains to catch to get to Sorrento.

We grabbed a quick breakfast in the hotel and then headed over to the train station. While the Hotel Astor wasn’t glamorous, it sure served its purpose. We only had to cross the street to get to the train station. Just a little whine – hauling the suitcases up and down the stairs is such a pain.

IMG_0344

While waiting for our train we met a very nice couple – Paul & Sue from Portland. It was pleasant to chat and they told us that music students from SUNY – Genesseo had performed concerts in Perugia over the weekend and were well received. Small world.

When the train finally rolled in, we boarded and headed off to Rome. The train passed through many of the towns that we had visited or planned to visit as it made it’s way south. The trip was about three hours and was actually comfortable. We had a little girl  and her mother sitting next to us, and she was adorable.

The Roma train station is quite large. Once we left the train, we had to move to a new platform that was a ways away. Italians are maniacs on the road, but walk like it’s a parade when you want them to go fast. We made it to the track crossing area to find that our train was delayed by 15 minutes. We headed over to our platform and waited for the train to arrive.

This leg is on the Freccarossi, which is that fast train from Rome to Naples. It had started its journey in Venice this morning, so only being a few minutes late wasn’t bad. When we did start out, we picked up speed quickly and before you know it the sign said we were at 294 kph or about 180 mph. The hour and ten minutes went by quickly and we found ourselves pulling into the Napoli Centrale train station.

Here’s where the fun started. You have to go down to the old railroad station, which is only a short walk, buy a ticket and then cram into this small railroad platform with lots of other people. No seats, when the doors open just move and push your way in. We couldn’t get on the first train, but did manage to squeeze on to the second one.

Each station that we came to, more people tried to squeeze on and nobody was getting off. It was like Weird Al Yankovic’s “Another One Rides the Bus”.

So squashed in like sardines, we rode on for a little over an hour until we reached Sorrento. Along the way, besides the smell of BO from armpits reaching for the handles and a couple people that really should consider using the shower in their house, my wallet was pick-pocketed.

While you’d think I would be cursing up a storm, I’m not. That’s because they picked my decoy wallet. It’s an old wallet that had a 10 Rupee bill left over from our India trip, plus a note in a couple languages calling the person a loser and telling them to get a job! My real wallet was in my front zipped pocket and was safe. I really wish I could have seen the person’s face when they opened the wallet. Oh well.

After being squashed for over an hour, neither one of us wanted to walk to our hotel dragging our bags, so we grabbed a taxi. Our driver was kind of a middle-aged Italian hippie fashionista woman who was great. She made sure we understood that she couldn’t drop us off right in front of the hotel because the streets were too narrow before we set off.

On the way to the hotel, she pointed out lots of places and things for us to see and do while in Sorrento. It felt like a sight-seeing tour in the Mystery Machine. She dropped us off, pointed the way and just as promised about 50 meters away –  The Hotel Regina.

1.1464798757.sorrento---our-hotel

The hotel is lovely. The location is even better than I expected. After checking in and getting the low down from the front staff, they showed us to our room. The room name is the ‘Positano’ room and as soon as you enter you look out over the bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. I know it’s been a long time, but as Sue said, “If that thing goes off we’ll have one hell of a night light!”.

1.1464891315.sorrento---good-morning

View across the Bay of Naples to Mt Vesuvius from our room

The room isn’t gigantic, but there’s plenty of room, a comfortable bed, a balcony with chairs to watch the sea and it’s spotlessly clean. Bravisimo! And they left us a complimentary bottle of wine – Double bravisimo!

We washed up and relaxed for a little while before heading out for dinner. We found a small place called “Sacro & Profano” that was nearby and had a wonderful meal. Prices are just a little higher here, but the food was delicious.

IMG_0389

While we were enjoying our meal, an accordionist walked by and started playing tunes that I knew the words to – not good! For a minute I forgot we weren’t a duet and sang along. Such fun. Definitely worth a small tip and a big smile. When we finished, our waiter brought us a glass of limoncello that was “from him”. Great way to end the evening.

We strolled back to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep. All that sitting made me tired!

Posted in Italy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Perugia for a day

Posted on May 31, 2016 by herktrav

Day 13 – Perugia, Italy

So this morning we leave Todi and head to Perugia. We really loved Todi and we were sad to leave, but the adventure continues.

After a final breakfast, we packed up and checked out. The woman at the counter went and retrieved our car for us. Yes, I’m a wuss, but I don’t think I would have found my way back to the hotel. As we loaded up the car to go, “Uncle George” stopped by and gave us hugs and handshakes before we left.

Todi is a very nice little town. Perfect for some light sight-seeing and close to many other towns. The people in town were all friendly, but the star attraction were the people at the Hotel Fonte Cesia. They made our stay so pleasant that it was like staying with family. Ok, maybe not my family, but you get the picture.

So off we went to drop off the car and do a little sightseeing in Perugia. The ride over to Perugia was not too bad. The Italians are still crazy drivers, very aggressive and very impatient. This morning, traffic wasn’t too heavy so the ride wasn’t too bad.

We stopped just outside of Perugia to fill up the gas tank. It was 30 Euro to fill the tank for the time we had the car. Not too bad considering the amount of driving that we did.

We actually found our way to the train station fairly easily and just made it to the Maggiore counter before they broke for lunch. Dropping off the car was such a relief. The driving was the most stressful part of the trip. Now, someone else will cart our butts around!

Our hotel was located right across the street from the train station. Easy to scoot over, though they have an underground passage to cross the busy street that required carrying the heavy bags up and down stairs again. It’s a good thing it’s not bowling season.

1.1464712335.perugia---train-station

Perugia Train Station

The Hotel Astor is a nice little hotel. Kind of like a Novotel or Comfort Inn back in the states. Not fancy, but clean and convenient. After we checked in, we relaxed for a little while then went out to explore Perugia.

Perugia is the capital of Umbria, so it’s a little bigger and a little more crowded then some of the other towns. They do have a mini metro, which is a small version of a subway system that runs from the outskirts up to the historical center of town, that we took advantage of. Older buildings, lots of little shops and restaurants, some old churches and a town hall made up the historical center.

1.1464712335.3-perugia

We wandered around, peeped inside a few places, then found a place to eat an early dinner or late lunch in the main piazza. The restaurant Il Bacia was our choice today. Started out with our glass of prosecco, then a caprese salad and a calzone for Sue and a pizza for me. Both were delicious! While we were eating it started to rain, but we were snug and dry under the restaurant’s umbrellas. By the time we finished the rain stopped. How’s that for timing?

We took the mini metro back down to the train station and then headed back to the hotel to relax – Sue reading, me playing games on my Ipad. One of us dozed off before writing the daily blog, but it was some needed rest after the stress of driving.

Tomorrow we are off to Sorrento.

Posted in Italy, Umbria | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Enjoying Todi

Posted on May 30, 2016 by herktrav

Day 12 – Todi, Italy

Before going to sleep last night, we decided that we would stay in Todi for the day. The rain had kept us from walking around more of the town and we really wanted to see a bit more. The flexibility of planning as you go wins again. As for Orvieto – next time!

Went down for breakfast this morning and the house was empty. Our server told us that everyone comes for the weekends and then they go home. I guess our timing was even better than I thought it would be. No worries, she brought Sue’s tea water and my cappuccino and then the buffet was all ours.

Afterwards, we grabbed the camera and off we went to explore. It is really great that around the perimeter roads they have nice sidewalks to walk on. It makes it a little safer and a lot easier on your legs. In the historical center, the streets are narrow and we find ourselves ducking into nooks and crannies as the cars go by.

We walked all the way down to the ring road and then went to the church of Santa Maria della Colsolazione. It has a Roman feel to it with it’s dome and inner niches for the statues of the Saints – including St Thomas.  Again, simple and nice.

We then followed the road along the old wall which led back towards the older part of the city. The upward angled streets make for a good workout. Umbria is the one place where if your parents said they had to walk uphill both to and from school they weren’t kidding.

Passed through an area that had a few newer homes with people tending to their daily chores. Everyone just goes about their day here, you will always get a smile and a buon giorno from the people.

As we continued up, we decided that it was gelato time. Two scoops each. Caffe and pistachio for Sue, banana and chocolate hazelnut for me. Now that’s the way to take the edge off.

Stopped at a small store to get a couple bottles of water. 1.5 liter bottles of water were .9 Euros each, then upstairs to relax on the terrace for the last time. We will definitely miss this hotel, but so far we are 3 for 3. Tomorrow’s hotel by the train station is just a transitional hotel, so we’re not expecting luxury.

So our last dinner was at Le Cisterne Pizzeria, another of the hotel’s restaurants. Same staff, same menu, same prices, just a little more casual. Tonight we shared the best calzone we have ever eaten and also a dish of fettuccini with cinghiale (wild boar) ragu. The food was awesome, the wine was delicious and the service was like being at an Italian family’s home.

Leaving was sad, as they have been so nice to us. In my best Italian I told Francesco that we were leaving tomorrow and that we loved eating with them. Sue got kisses from Francesco and Uncle George, I got handshakes and hugs and we left feeling like we had been visiting family. Now that’s a travel experience.

In case you’re wondering, Uncle George was the pizza chef who looked like my Uncle George Riscili in Niagara Falls. He had the same smile, the same playful demeanor and a cool little way about himself that made us feel like family.

Back to the room to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we are heading back to Perugia to drop off the car and transition to the southern phase of the trip.

All in all, Umbria was even better then we anticipated. If you asked us what the best part was, we’d say the people. All the towns were wonderful, but the people were the best part. We never felt like outsiders, we truly felt like we belonged.

Posted in Italy, Umbria | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Italy 2016 – Toddling around Todi

Posted on May 29, 2016 by herktrav

Day 11 – Todi, Italy

The weatherman was only partially correct. We didn’t get any of the thunderstorms that swept through, but we did get rain and then off and on drizzle for the early part of the day. Waited out the weather in the room and when the sun came back, we headed out.

We are close to the Piazza del Popolo, which is a main square here in the old part of the city. At one end of the piazza is the Cathedrale of Todi and at the other end is the Palazzo dei Popolo. Most of the buildings here date back to the early 1500’s, though there have been renovations since that time.

We stopped at a small vista and, as we are quite high up on the hill, the views are beautiful. You feel like you can touch the clouds as they go by.

1.1464540318.todi---sue-at-the-view

When we reached the piazza, there were people preparing street art similar to what we had seen in Gubbio. The pictures, created with flowers and grass, were beautiful. Unfortunately, it was a little breezy so they were struggling to keep things in place.

The celebration was the festival of Corpus Christi. After a mass in the church, the priests, the congregation and a band marched through the streets of the town. It was very nice to see the community spirit. We were able to watch from our terrace as they went by.

Ok, but we’re not time travelers, so the march was later in the afternoon.

Back to the earlier time, we went into the Duomo and walked around. It is another church that is not overly ornate, just a simple house of prayer. The highlight that people talk about is the rear wall with it’s stained glass rose window and painting. Really beautiful colors! We lit candles in memory of our families and then headed back out into the piazza.

The breeze was still causing stress for the designers and their flowers, especially since the earlier rain had put them behind schedule to start with.

Our stroll continued and we came upon the Tempio di San Fortunato. Looked nice, but the stairs up had Sue wishing there was an escalator .

1.1464540318.todi---tempo

Just a little winded after walking up, the good news is on the way out we get to go down.

1.1464540318.1-todi---tempo

Stepped inside, and right after I snapped the above picture, we turned a corner and saw the “No Photos” sign, so that will probably add a red mark on judgement day.

We continued down the road and came across another vista with gorgeous views. They have them strategically located all around the city. This particular one also had a small memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in New York on 9/11.

After weaving our way back to the hotel, it was prosecco time. Sue did the ordering and we ended up with a bottle of water and one glass of prosecco. Since the woman would have had to chase all the way back to the restaurant area, I ended up with a Coke while Sue enjoyed her prosecco. Moral of this story is: listen intently when the rookie does the ordering or drink a soda.

1.1464540318.todi---prosecco-time

Luckily, our server at dinner knew we would both want a glass of prosecco. He was the same person that we had the night before and he was funny. We ended up sharing a pizza and a pasta dish, had dessert, a bottle of water and a bottle of wine for about the price of a bottle of wine back home. At the end of the meal, I paid and said ‘a domani’ or ‘see you tomorrow’ to the server.

He beamed and introduced himself as Francesco, we introduced ourselves – Tommaso and Susanna and he was shaking our hand with the biggest smile. That’s when Sue said she wanted to stay here…

Back upstairs to relax and get a good night’s sleep. We also have to decide what we’ll be doing tomorrow. Tomorrow is the holiday back home, so Happy Memorial Day everyone.

Posted in Italy, Umbria | Tagged , , | Leave a comment