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Nancy and Doug Trips

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.  “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
Living in: British Columbia, Canada
  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day13

    Our trip in review

     May 18 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    For our 40th anniversary we decided to go to Rome, and while Doug had had a couple of quick visits, it was a city that we had always wanted to see. You can't see all of a country in one trip, nor even all of a city with all that Rome has to offer. We did see enough of Rome to hopefully strike a balance between depth and breadth and our own individual interests (Doug history and churches, Nancy food, people and fauna).

    It is amazing — such history all around and walking up the alley to our apartment and hearing an old man playing an accordion in the lane, it really feels like we have been in Rome. We have had gained good insight into the depth of history here, the tolerance of the people for change and tourists, and the enchantment of the surroundings where old is always new without destruction and this becomes a unique charm.    Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Day 12 Travels - Our Last Day

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our last day in Italy was certainly busy, departing the peace of the countryside above Sorrento on the 08:50 shuttle to catch 10:19 Campania Express train to Naples. This "tourist" train was less crowded, but priority seating was given to those who booked their tickets in advance on the web. Naples in 50 minutes.

    3.5 km walk in Naples and lunch. Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fwG82B2gkWOXVJVhCunJoDxwGuf7gbJG&usp=sharing

    Italo at 14:55 in to Roma at 14:05

    7 km walk starting and ending at our hotel. Live map:
    https://drive.google.com/open?id=1c2KQjqRkuO6fLa4fPt7_B9K2uX1tQX63&usp=sharing

    Total distance: 21,651 steps    Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Trevi Fountain

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Busy scene at both the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. A lot of people just sitting about, vendors trying to sell roses and some sort of laser light toy. Tried a selfie; decided it was a bit too crowded for us and moved on. Lovely carving, Nancy would like to see it during the day too. Is another trip to Roma in our future? Who knows but we made sure we each threw a coin in the fountain to be sure !Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Anniversary Dinner at Sofia

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Doug had booked this cute restaurant for our last night in Rome. Food and atmosphere was good - very intimate as compared with La Favorita in Sorrento - we shared a primi of cacio de pepe with zucchini blossoms and then had a great filet with asparagus and potatoes as we had been eating very little meat during our vacation - lots of pasta and cheese and tomatoes. Our table was very close to a couple from Oregon. They had organized a family trip for 17 in Tuscany, renting a villa along with a dinner hour cook - nine grandchildren - and now were on a couples trip before going home. Sounded like it all went quite well for them, that takes a lot of planning and coordination. Nancy still hoping to spend time with our kids in Tuscany, the last of her bucket list family trips that she had written down over 10 years ago (yes, we made it to all the other places on the list!) Maybe in 2021?Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    La Passegieta

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The Romans love their evening stroll. We took ours along Pz Barberini, Via Veneto, The Spanish Steps, Via Frattina, Via Del Corso.
    Via Del Corso connects from The Vittoriano to People's Plaza and while on it you can look one way and then the other to see the monument at one end and the obelisk at the other.Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Al Viminale Hill Inn and Hotel

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Very smooth trip for an hour at 250 km/h on the Italo train from Naples to Roma Termini. Nancy now feeling she knows her way around Rome and would like to hop the H bus back to Trastevere, home base. But tonight we are staying close by as will be taking the train to the airport tomorrow. Tonight we will spend in the central area of Rome. An old wrought iron lift brought us up the centre of a long series of marble staircases to reach Floor 1 (actually level 2 by N American definition) and into our small but cozy and modern suite. Served the purpose. There was a small insect on the pillow under the covers on Nancy's pillow but it appeared to have flown in and the bedding was fine (always worried in travel about the upswing in bed bugs, even in good establishments).Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Napoli lunch

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    On arrival in Naples Doug was feeling a bit unsettled and we did not feel like either taking the subway and doing the Rick Steves 1 hour walking tour or getting on the hop-on hop-off bus. Unfortunately we had misplaced the backup paper Napoli map just when we needed it, as one of the map apps was not functioning. So we just wandered and were quite happy with what we saw and where we came to try a Neapolitan pizza. This place has made wood fired pizzas since 1954. Friendly server. Unlike the Rome pizzas, one pizza is definitely enough for two and has a thick crust. Nancy wasn't too keen on hers - too much cheese even though it was of the "Buffalo variety". Waiter tried to convince us to also get fried pizza as an appy! We had tried at Villa Carolina and were not fans.Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day12

    Napoli

     May 17 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Wandered through crazy honk honk crowded Napoli where people live in the same crowded conditions that you see in the old immigrant area of NYC. Everyone hangs their laundry out. Clothes and shopping seems a very good deal - perhaps if we come back will arrive without clothes and buy things (maybe not; sounds exhausting!). But if one is in the mood and has space and has a need, this is a good place as long as you don't mind crowds!Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day11

    Dinner at Villa Carolina (again!)

     May 16 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We decided we'd try for the shuttle after the ship docked and made it - 13 minutes to get from Porto all the way up the stairs to the train station with time to spare. Emanuela put together a "board" - olives, some beans in dressing, focaccia (which was a bit hard on the teeth) and Nancy used the rest of the young pecorino cheese she had bought at the Mercato in Rome along with some fruit from the other day. Doug rounded things out with two beers and two glasses of red wne and took a snap of the sun going down on our last day. It was a bit chilly that night so we tucked into our warm room quickly after that. Nancy is still longing to do another walk through the countryside tomorrow which will be warmer but Doug and Emanuela both advise that the train can be unpredictable so we better move on first thing in the AM (boo hoo!).

    Distance:10,758 steps    Read more

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  • Nancy and Doug TripsItaly 2019
    Day11

    Giardini Poseidon Terme

     May 16 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    The Citera Beach south of Forio (end of Line 2) is very nice, resorts along it and then Poseidon at the end. It is quite large and a bit of a process getting organized - €10 deposit for bracelets, then need to rent towel (€4) and robe (€7) with a deposit for those (cash only for deposits). Quick salad and water in the self serve restaurant (€10,50, not a rip off) and then we went through the suggested route taking 2 hours to go from coolish pool, to a sauna in the rock grotto, plunge, and then increasing temperatures in the pools. Liked Arethrusa 36 C the best as it has a great view. The sauna was a feature — a cleft/cave in the mountainside that is a volcanic vent and the hot water runs under the benches and out beneath your feet.

    Gardens were lovely. Pathways quite safe, good handrails. Bring your own bottles of water with you if you go as there are no fountains around.

    Had to be certain to leave time for catching the bus but it was right on time for departure from just outside Poseidon. Pleasant ride back in time to look around Porto a bit and get on the ferry.

    A somewhat rushed but enjoyable day overall and now we know what Mediterranean islands look like. The Greek colour scheme is entering the environment as we saw more houses of white and bright blue trim on Ischia than anywhere else.    Read more

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