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Living in: Barrie, Canada Read more Barrie, Canada
  • TravelerItaly
    Day 30

    Rome-4

    October 11, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Capuchin Crypt was the booked tour of the day. I slept in today and thought everyone took off on me cause the apartment was quiet. Just Ron and Miriam were in the kitchen. Word is Linda is starting to not feel well, but I am starting to feel better. We had a nice walk to this museum as it was another beautiful day. Traffic is busy, but not trying to kill us. This tour at the Capuchin Crypt is audio-guided. It starts with a long history of the Capuchin fryers part of the Franciscan order. This was a little too much before we got to the crypt, and I have to say it was a different tour than what we are accustomed to. We come across the crypts, and these 6 rooms are decorated from the bones of 3000 Capuchins into flower formations, chandeliers, walls, or skeletons just lying there. I was not sure how I felt about this. It's morbid. I have never seen flowers made from the scapulas of men, chandeliers from spinal bones, or walls built of skulls. We all walked out with an attitude of what did we just witnessed. It was time for a coffee but too early to have lunch. Waiters will try to drag you into their restaurants by welcoming you and offering good food. Today we came across a very rude waiter. He became rude when we told him we only wanted coffee. "What do you want" then walking away. Once we got our coffee he ignored us. The sad thing is that we were charged 3.5 euros per person just to sit at the table with only coffee so it became expensive. We left in a hurry. The afternoon was spent touring Rome. Miriam and I visited the Trevi Fountain which was crazy busy and threw our coin over our left shoulder for good luck. We did not want to go any further on the wish list. We then headed over to the Pantheon. The lineup was long but fast-moving. Miriam bought a scarf and the sellers wanted her to buy more. I just would not make eye contact. The Pantheon is a builder masterpiece. It is beautiful inside. On the way over we passed a gelato shop and I think it was one that Dad told me about as being good. So we made our way there before going home and it was good. Dinner was spent in the Trevester area of Rome. We all that that it was a foodie area but it was not. Our cab ride took longer than we thought and did not drop us off where we were to meet the others. We heard kids singing Hallalullua a wonderful sound. Dinner was okay that night. I walked back to our Airbnb with Bernie, Nicole, and Jane, seeing some nighttime scenery. The Trevi Fountain was not as lit up as i thought it would be but still busy. The night is warm and thecwalk knocked me out for a great sleep.Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 28

    Rome 2

    October 9, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    Ok so today I am still not feeling the greatest and I am popping pills and taking oil of oregano which is not as bad as I thought it would be. We have an early start for the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St Peter's Basilica, the Pope's Burials, and Square. It was a tour I looked forward to. I enjoyed the art more and was more aware of it this time around. Our guide was good and very passionate about his job. He helped Miriam get water from a vending machine. He told her that she put the money in the wrong slot, and the two chatted back and forth giving all of us, with our earpieces a chuckle, cause he was condescending to her. Linda also got reprimanded for not following directions, when she followed him and he turned saying "What are you doing here, I told you to stay over there, go back." Imagine Linda getting in trouble at the Vatican. We stopped for lunch. I ordered a Caesar salad and it came back with lettuce, corn, carrots, olives, tomato, and chicken, with no dressing. I questioned it and I was wrong. We went back to the apartment. I had to take a nap. All but Miriam and I took off to tour Rome. Miriam woke me to go for dinner and we met up with the rest at a restaurant down the street. Oh, what a great Thanksgiving meal. We had lots of robust wine, lots of laughs, great food, and beautiful music. Our waiter was awesome and entertaining. He treated us very well but I am sure it came at us with a cost. I am so grateful for this trip and the sights and experiences I have had. Great friendships! Miriam and I did a walk around the block and had gelato. It was a great end to a wonderful day until... Remember the oil of oregano, I guess I was having a placebo. It turned out that Linda gave me shampoo. No wonder I was cleaned out today as I have had a couple of doses. We laughed hysterically. Well, I had the real stuff and OMG that stuff is terrible. Good night.Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 27–33

    Roman Holiday- 1

    October 8, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We left our accommodations before 0730 a.m. this morning. The scene was different from last night, but the litter was worse. No pride was seen in this city, but they do have passion for their hometowns. We left Napoli train station at 1050 a.m. I am dying today with fatigue and thirst. I could barely stay awake, and I am afraid I am coming down with something. The day is beautiful and hot. Apparently, at home, the weather is cold and rainy. We arrived at our accommodations by metro, which is just around the corner from the Spanish Steps. The first stop beside our door was gelato. Refreshing on a warm day. We settle in our rooms, and I nap for a solid hour and a half. Dead I was. I showered, which made me feel somewhat better. We had dinner from across the street. Spaghetti with marinara sauce take-out for 4.50 euros. We also had tiramisui from Pompeii. The best in Rome. I am not big on it, but it was good and not soggy. Tonight, we ventured out on a golf cart tour. Our guide was, from Sweden, and not bad to look at. He took us to places that are not popular tourist attractions, like the little version of the Colosseum, Maximus Circus. Driving can still be wild but more respectful than in Naples. We ended the night with a walk to the Spanish Steps for exercise. I am waiting to call the kids as soon as they get to Andrea's as it is Thanksgiving at home. We had a great day to start.Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 26–27

    Napoli

    October 7, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

    Today, we leave beautiful Anacapri/Capri island for Naples. I enjoyed the accommodations that we had. They provided us with some luxuries in our room, a comfy bed, and a wonderful breakfast on both days. They are also very helpful with direction. The taxi ride down the mountain was less stressful than the ride up. We still come in close contact with vehicles and the idiots that walk or run down the same side as the vehicles coming down, not knowing what would hit them. We are going back via a hydrofoil boat across the steel blue sea. The sea is calm for a ride, and it's open for a cool wind on a hot day. We arrive at Port and need to find a taxi to our accommodations. The driver narrates the drive with interesting facts about the area and drops us off two blocks from our accommodations. He proceeds to rip us off requesting 10 euros each for a two-mile, five-minute drive. The streets are busy with people all over, mixed with vehicles. We finally find our place in a shady area but the apartment is ok. Out we ventured for a drink and we had our first margarita pizza. We just stumbled on the underground city of Leonardo Maggioria and toured it on our own. It is a major attraction in Naples. We walk a short distance for gelato and the servers are rude. We all walk in search of something to do and we all have an uncomfortable feeling about Naples. We all just can't wait to get out of town. Finding wine is like finding a needle in a haystack. We find one bottle of DOCG Chianti for 11 euros and decide we will get one but beer is going to be the drink of the night. We received a recommendation from our waiter last evening, who is from here, for the best pizza in town. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele was the place, but on arrival, they were at number 29 and we were at 90. We went across the street and had a great pizza. The pizza is the size of a medium at home but the crust is thin with puffy edges and the toppings are simple and light. Since the walk to the pizzeria was like a scene out of The Italian Job, I wanted to videotape to show the kids how wild it was and how close they came to collecting an insurance claim. In my first scene, I forgot to push the record button. It's crazy. The kids ride their motorbikes back and forth down the street. It is so dangerous. We all agree Naples is not a tourist place where we are staying. I do feel at times not safe, it's dirty with litter and graffiti and we can't wait to get out of dodge cause this place is bat shit crazy!Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 24–26

    Capri

    October 5, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    All I can say is our accommodations are great in Anacapri but getting to it is an OMG I am going to die situation. After arriving by ferry you have two choices to make it to Anacapri. One is to walk it or you can take a bus. We chose the latter because we had no idea how long it would take. The bus is just a little bigger than a pickup van. We are so jammed-packed in the bus that it is no wonder why people die in bus accidents or tip them over and crush people. It's all about the money, no care about safety. We proceed up the hill in a winding fashion holding on for our dear life. With every twist and turn or the slam of the breaks I wack Jane with my stiff knapsack, pissing her off as she is already under stress from the ride. Nicole can only look one way and that is the water below the edge of the cliff. We stop for another bus to pass through with motorbikes sneaking in first. The bus scrapes by nicking the review mirror on our bus. We are a bunch of wack jobs getting off. Our accommodations are fabulous and give a tropical feel to our vacation. We go to a restaurant recommended by our host, she states they have very good lemon risotto. Of course, that is what I ordered, and was disappointed. It had very little shrimp in it and I did not taste lemon, but more like Kraft Dinner. We settled fairly early as everyone was tired. The next day was beautiful. Breakfast was self-serve and a big spread. After we headed to the chair lift not far from our place. That was the best 14 euros spent. It was a smooth ride up and the views were okay but coming down was spectacular. We spent about an hour and a half up at the top of the island. We were above the clouds, clouds moved in making the view not clear. Boats were specks in the water. The lift down was a total view of Anacapri and Capri. After Miriam and I walked and shopped. We walked around with Aperol spritz passing the police with no issues at all. I found a vending machine that sold many items including a vibrator. They sell everything here! We stopped for lunch with a bottle of wine and had a flirtatious waiter with a great sense of humor. The two of us stumbled back with me almost peeing my pants at the gate over something so trivial. The rest of the gang went and toured Capri meeting us back at the room for some afternoon wine that was locked in one of the bedrooms. Jane arranged dinner reservations at a swanky hotel. She was stressed about the cost but we have been well below our eating expenses. Drinks at sunset on the terrace and a wonderful gourmet meal with great bread, fish, and petitè for desserts. Our waiter again, was awesome and helpful and funny with some arrogants. We walked back through some dark walkway back to our space. Me I tooted back, trying to be quiet but failing miserably. It was like 25 days of buildup helping me along. Of course, I laughed, and Miriam too. We ended the evening with red wine and 60% chocolate. Yummy!!_Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 23–24

    Sorrento

    October 4, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We are not going to see as much of Sorrento as we hoped. Today has been a long travel day of car, shuttle, tram, train, legs, and back on a train. The guys were so happy to dump the cars in Florence, especially Bernie, with a standard. Hills and roundabouts are a pain, and turns are a challenge. We had gelato at the train station before leaving Florence. The ride to Naples was smooth and comfortable, affording me the time to catch up on blogging our trip. It is a mountainous terrain, and the towns look all the same. The train traveled at speeds of 299km/ hr, and we had numerous tunnels along the way. Our first impression of Naples by the train station is dirty with litter, homelessness, and impatient drivers. We dropped bags off at a storage facility until we get back to Naples in four days. We are on our final leg of transportation to Sorrento, and the Campania Express is packed and noisy, needing an oil job. Reminds me of nails on a chalkboard, sending shivers through my body, and hurting my ears. The great thing about it is that it is air condition. We finally arrived around 6:45 p.m. A cab got us to our Airbnb, which our lady was waiting at the gates. Orientation was given, and we departed to look for food. Sorrento has a calypso feel, what I imagine Miami would be like. Its plaster buildings lit up in pastel colors surrounded by flourishing plants and palm trees. The streets are bustling with people out for dinner or shopping. We could not get into the restaurant that was recommended, but one was just down the street. It was expensive but we expect that in this area. The food I had was good, fish ravioli with seafood, and I loved the grilled vegetables of zucchini and eggplant. Who knew eggplant would become a favorite. An after dinner stroll was needed. The alleys have little shops of the three Ls- leather, linen, and lemons. It is muggy tonight, and on return, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the Terrace before bed. We did have a little bit of a scare when we noticed a glow on top of the mountain. We thought Vesuvius was glowing, but it wasn't even Vesuvius. Another mountain range had an orange glow coming from its peak, only to be made aware that it was the moon. Beautiful, just beautiful! Good night, Sorrento!Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 23

    Pompeii

    October 4, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We had a short visit to Sorrento and we all wished we had one more night to look around but that was not possible. Today we took the so-called express train to Pompeii and got royally ripped off on the tickets. The price was 105 euros and the return was less than 20 euros on a slow train. We did a bit of walking today. We had a quick lunch not far from the ruins. Our tour of Pompeii was excellent. Our tour guide Italo was hilarious and just added that as part of the tour. He gave some very interesting information about the ruins and its excavation. I only wished we could stay longer. I missed seeing the people they found in their death form but I would probably get more out of a documentary. It is funny how I stood by a church and overlooked Pompeii's ruins. You're looking at a big city that is below that level and also how far the sea has retreated from its port. A good 15-minute walk away. The area and land formation have changed in so many ways. I guess too that I will never complain about a hard bed again considering the people slept on rocks, and bricks, and had stone pillows. This was seen throughout the bordellos of the times. They also had fresco paintings on the walls to communicate sexual activities and who you wanted to have sex with, male, female, or young boy. Penis phallic symbols are all over the place. Pompeii is just a very interesting place. It was considerably hot today but thank god for a nice breeze every once in a while. Once the tour ended we proceeded to our next adventure, getting to the island of Capri and Anacapri. We picked up our bags at the storage locker and walked to the port. We caught the ferry for 1630 or so and it was not filled with many people going over. We arrived at Capri which was a hustle and bustle of tourists.Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 22–23

    Nippazzano Winery

    October 3, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Today, we left our wonderful villa in Tuscany. We had a great, final day yesterday and will miss our lovely view more than we know. The only thing I won't miss is the bug bites that I was the only one to receive or the buzzing in my ear in the dark. We took the winding back roads of Chianti to go to Greeves, then to Nippazzano. Up and down, sharp turns, making me feel like I never wanted this wonderland ride again. That nauseous feeling did not sit well. We arrived at Nippazzano by 1:30 p.m. but couldn't check in till 3. Off we all went in search of food. To be honest, I am not feeling hungry, but we don't know when we will receive our next meal. We stopped at il Quartino, a burger gourmet. Lunch was only good because we hadn't had a burger or fries in a month. Bernie had ribs that just didn't have flavor, but they were meaty. The white wine we had was refreshing, only because it was cold. We are currently waiting for our tour of Nippazzano Winery. We started our tour, and Ron was like a kid in a candy store. He was at his favorite everyday wine, winery. The tour was the same as the others, but this time, we saw them harvesting and starting the process. The tasting was on a whole other level, and remember how we didn't know when our next meal was coming. It has come too soon. We had three different wines, two reds and a white to taste from their different wineries. The snack plate was a mixture of meat and cheeses, petite canapés, bread, and olive oils. Our accommodations are a renovated olive oil mill. Rustic yet having modern touches. I have my own room with a canopy bed,my own bathroom, a view for miles, and the little touches that my life can't afford. I am soaking these moments in and lavishing them as long as I can. The evening was spent soaking in the pool, drinking Nippazzano wine, lemoncello spritzs, and capturing our last Tuscan sunset over the mountain terrain. It was on fire, unlike us. Sleep was awesome and deep. I awoke from the knock at the door before the alarm. Have to admit I want to stay in bed. After getting dressed, I walked into the main living area to two women, cooking us breakfast. I take it in as this is my normal, what was promised to me so many times. Instead, I earned this as part of my hard work to travel here. I really don't want this to end. We all enjoyed our breakfast to its fullest. I say Nippazzano winery has spoiled us and treated us like kings and queens, money well spent. Now we have an adventure to get to Sorrento.Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    Day 21

    San Gimignano

    October 2, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Nicole, Bernie, Ron, and I did an uneventful trip to San Gimignano this morning. Another medieval town is known for its many towers. We found parking fairly easily. Walking up to the town center, the roads are steep and full of shopping stores for tourists. We had coffee and a light breakfast of croissants. We watched while people lined up down half the center for the world-champion gelato from so many years ago, thinking they still were. We decided to go to the world's best ice cream store, which had a shorter line and did not disappoint. OMG, it was so good and creamy. We paid to go into the town museum. It has renesaunts artwork from the year 1200-1400. We did climb the tallest tower, the one with 168 stairs. The stairs are the ones that give me knock-knock-knees. See-through, which made me look forward and hold the side of the walls as if they would save me. All I could think of was what if an earthquake hit right now, where would I go? The view again is rewarding on top of the bell tower. We arrived home hungry and thirsty only to find Miriam, Linda, and Jane in the throws of afternoon drinking and pool time. It did not take long to get caught up. The best part was that Jane was finally relaxed and showed her hilarious " feeling good" side. She insisted that today was truth day and boy was I told! Linda told me that Miriam was more compassionate than I was. Imagine that! I did not take it personally because I knew my sista had a compassionate side. We cleaned up and went for dinner at a place not too far from the house. The place was gorgeous and the night was perfect for an outdoor dinner. Again, beef Florentine was on the menu, and we all pigged out on the delicious food. Jane continued to be in rare form for our enjoyment asking if her dessert was a " normal size" (another one of Jane saying, like what's normal size) causing Nicole to laugh, going to the brink of peeing her pants. Then she broke her wine glass with me offering her the glue to fix it, in which she struggled. She did go to apologize and did not have to do this evening's dishes. We, girls, tied one on today and had the best laughs ever, leaving a row of wine bottles in our path. Goodnight everyone!!Read more

  • TravelerItaly
    1
    Day 20

    Balloon Ride

    October 1, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    This morning, I did a bucket list item that I have wanted to do since the late 80s with the International Balloon Festival in Barrie. I was always fascinated by all the balloons that floated through the city or past the windows at work looking so majestically. Bernie, Miriam, and I left the villa at 5:20 a.m. on an open highway for our liftoff destination somewhere close to Florence. The weather was awesome, cool but clear. We are the first to arrive, and the field is dark. We see a truck pass by with a basket, and we follow it. We watch them set up, which takes quite a while. It's an intriguing process. Surprisingly, as excited as I am, I am calm. The moment of my trip, which I was so excited about, was finally going to lift off. There are about seventeen people in the basket with the pilot, Ollie, in the center with the propane tanks. I have a spot overlooking the basket. We have a lift-off after a few housekeeping rules of safety. The rope is released, and slowly, with the wind, we rise. I have realized my fear of heights has gone out of the basket. Ollie slowly brings us up to different heights, not to freak anybody out, but at this point, the only place you have to go is sitting on the floor of the basket cause the alternative is worse, you would think. The view of the mountains, valleys, and Florence in the distance is spectacular. The valleys have fog patches that make a photographer dream. The air is not cold, and the winds are light. Everyone enjoyed the hour-long ride. We landed safely with only one bump, ten feet from the start of lines of grape vines. We have a celebratory breakfast of prosecco, juice, and croissants. We had an awesome time the three of us, and glad we fought our fears.Read more

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