A ($XX) Grand Tour of Europe - a great excuse for a day at DLP

Thanks for all the welcomes home. It is amazing how much you need to catch up on after a month away. The girls have been flung back into Term 2 at school and finally feel like we are getting back into the swing of things. Fell asleep last night, oops sorry. Shall start with a quick summary of the first day and will get going with other pictures over the week. Our DLP part didn't happen until Week 3, I can skip ahead if you like.

DAY ONE
Flew out of Brisbane just after lunch, no phones and it felt brilliant. It is amazing how I can flip into holiday mode as soon as the bags are checked in. We flew QF from Brisbane to Singapore to London to Rome with a three hour stopover in Singapore and 2 hours in London. Great time of the day to fly, we were all awake to Singapore and the girls were very tired before boarding the flight to London. They joked that they had always wanted to sleep on airport floor like on the Amazing Race. We managed bulkhead seats for this flight and we all slept at least 7 hours from Singapore to London. After an easy transfer from T3 to T5 at Heathrow it was onto Rome. We landed mid morning Rome time in pretty good shape considering. Had organised with our hotel to have a private car collect us from the airport. DD1 asked in the car if we would see Circus Maximus and a minute later we drove right past. TICK!!

DH and I have been to Rome before and absolutely love it, and it was so wonderful to be back. We seemed to notice the little things a lot more on our drive into the city. We were dropped at our hotel near the Spanish Steps. They have apartments just around the corner which we were using. The location was great, but a little small even for Europe. The extra bedding was a sofa bed which took up all the floor space in the sitting room and as they had kindly put a very thick comfy mattress on it we could not fold it up during the day, not that we would stay in for long. It was clean, safe and ticked all the boxes though but would not stay with teenagers. I think our two were the limit.

The street we were on had everything from patisseries, a pharmacy, markets, handbag and shoes shops and restaurants - oh and the electronic gadgets shop for travel adapters - Oops we grabbed the UK ones and forgot the European ones.

We headed out for lunch and we grabbed a range of pizza, canneloni and lasagne from a little fastfood place across the street. Cheap, convenient and average food but did the job of filling bellies so that we could go and explore.

Map at the ready we headed to the Spanish Steps towards the Trevi Fountain with a stop off at San Crispino for Gelati. Now DH is the map reader and we follow, I thought I was helping and after doing an extra walk around the block we go to San Crispino. Caramel Meringue gelati is just too good. We headed to the Trevi and the girls were starting to droop. We sat and watched the world go by for a little while before heading back to the room. DH crashed first (he had the least sleep on the flight), I left the girls with him sleeping to go and get something to munch as we weren't really hungry and found toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and with very little rocking we were all fast asleep in for our first night in Rome by 7.30pm.
 

Wow! Wish I could sleep for 7 hours on a flight and feel ok after. Well done :thumbsup2 :goodvibes
 
You've started! :cool1:


Don't you dare skip to DLP without filling us with everything in between...popcorn::
 
First morning we were all up early, had breakfast at the patisserie down the street. Croissants and coffee for 10 Euro for the four of us. It's Saturday and we have decided to head towards St Peters. We lazily walk our away across town past Augustus' Mausoleum, along the Tiber, past the Castel St Angelo to St Peters. It was just after 8 so we had a short line in. We walked around inside. The sheer size never ceases to amaze. DH and the girls headed to the top of the dome for great views of Rome, ( a little knee mishap before I left kept me at the bottom). The girls were a bit sad that I wasn't going up but I reassured them that I had been up and that I knew they would love it. Smiles all round once they were down and they understood why I didn't go. I really wanted to climb the tower of Pisa with them the following week and we did not want to break the leg on day one.

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St Peters

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Inside the Basilica


Next we went down to the crypts. It was very moving going past Pope John Paul II. He was very ill last time we were there. Could not believe the line to get in on our way out. It was right around the square, hard to believe that 2 hours ago we walked straight in.

After a bite to eat in the square we headed to Castel St Angelo, which was built as a Mausoleum of Hadrian. The girls loved finding all the nooks and cranny's. We stopped here for lunch and had chicken panini's and spaghetti pomodoro.

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Inside the Castel

Back to the streets. After a ride on a carousel just outside the castle we went in search of gelati. We found this in the Borghese Gardens. Here we hired two motorised two seater bikes and rode around the gardens for an hour. The gardens are just beautiful. It was lovely watching families picnicking in the park, playing soccer and relaxing. We found a beautiful lake with row boats. We noticed lots of turtles.

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Turtles in the Borghese Gardens

It was by now 3.30ish so we headed back to the room for a little rest.
Went to dinner at a restaurant across the street. DH had lamb cutlets with fried vegetables, DD1 had a roast lamb, me a carbonara and DD2 Spag Bog. Very nice.

Bed at 8.30.

DAY TWO

Up early again and back to the same place for breakfast. A trend we noticed over the course of the trip was that the girls did not mind the moving around but they did really like to have some consistency in each place. After being very religious yesterday it was time to discover ancient Rome. We began walking past the Pantheon on our way to the Colosseum. On the way DD2 started noticing the obelisks which got us all distracted for half an hour finding the other obelisks in the area. There are 13 in Rome. We walked past Largo Argentina, Isola Tiburna and Circus Maximus to the Colosseo. DD1 had read a great series of books set in Ancient Rome and was very keen to see Circus Maximus, she was beside herself to walk the length of it.

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Circus Maximus

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The Colosseo

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Palantine Hill

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Palantine Hill

The girls were a little upset that they could not go underneath, you can but we don't think they would have coped with a three hour tour to get there. Then we went to the Palantine and the Forum. All three without a break got a bit much for the kids. Should have had lunch before heading to the Forum.

We had lunch on top of the Vittorio Emmanuele Monument in Rome. The food was average but the view over the Forum was magnificent. DH had fish salad, ham and cheese panini, DD2 a chicken panini and DD1 who we should name Miss Change Adverse was still warming up to different food. She ended up eating mine and some watermelon. We walked back towards the Spanish Steps browsing in shops and grabbing a gelati.

We stopped at our local shop and bought some potato chips, beer and iced tea and went to the roof garden to relax and catch up on journals.

Went to a great little pizza shop downstairs for dinner called Fiore. Great pizza, great staff and great atmosphere. Much better and cheaper than last night.
 
My husband and I love the Amalfi Coast but we just didn't have time for a few days here so in compromise we decided to visit Pompeii for the day from Rome. The fast trains go between Rome and Naples in an hour and then it is only another half hour by local train right to the gates of Pompeii.

We are still waking early at this point and at 5am DH and I decide we can make a train before 8. So with the troops assembled we left the apartment just before 7 and DH insisted we could walk to Termini in 15 minutes. The streets were empty and we were shared the Spanish Steps with just one other couple. Setting a cracking pace I looked longingly at cabs but just kept plodding along. Made it to Termini in time to purchase our tickets to Naples. Our plan was to have breakfast at the station but we decided to grab something on board instead.

We booked tickets in second class. For short trips in Italy I find 2nd class perfectly fine. Grabbed drinks and pastries on board again for around 10 Euro for the four of us. Naples station seemed a lot newer this visit. Followed the signs for the Circumvesuviana train for Pompeii and down to the platform to wait. Huge improvement on these trains as well. Only caught one old train all day. The girls enjoyed following the stations on the signs on board. Our DD1 had studied Pompeii at school and could not believe how close Vesuvius is.

Hopped off at Pompeii Scavi and headed into the old town of Pompeii. Now it was cultural week in Italy which was very exciting for us as nearly all the Government attractions were free of charge. Very nice. So I sprung for audio guides which DD2 loved. We head towards the Villa of Mysteries. It is quite a walk heading out the old town gate to Ercolano. We were hoping it was worth the trek, and of course it was. The technology that was in place in Roman times is truly amazing.

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We walked back into the town past the Necropolis. We wandered the streets and town houses and shops. Then the crowds descended.

DH then suggested that we go to Sorrento for lunch to our favourite restaurant. :worship:

No, we just came for Pompeii

We are only 30 minutes away

Really...

Why not?

Kids do you want to go to Sorrento?

Sure!
:dance3:

So instead of heading straight back to Rome, I am dancing on the inside returning to one of my favourite places. I had hoped, but thought I would be pushing my luck so for him to suggest it :love:

A little background: Last time in Italy alone my DH and I stayed in Sorrento for three nights and we ate at this place for lunch and dinner each day. It is a small family owned Pizzeria that does wood fired pizza and other traditional food. The hot chocolate I describe as a liquid O. Yes, that good.

Off the train in Sorrento and on autopilot and the one the place is still there, and the same waiters are there too!

Pizza for the husband and I, it is so good and gnocchi for the girls. A bottle of wine for me and beer for DH. Peach iced tea for the girls. It was as good as I remembered! Yeah, thought it might of been built up a little, but no.

After our meals we ordered hot chocolate all round.

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After a magical lunch with my favourite people we wandered the streets of Sorrento. The girls loved it and had lots of fun walking along the clifftops and popping into the little side streets full of shops.

DH and I could not keep the smiles of our faces.

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We caught the 5pm train back to Naples to get the 6.30pm train back to Rome. A cab back to the hotel. We were all very full still from lunch so grabbed some gelati for dinner before hitting the sack. Another perfect Italian day.
 
Had a slower start this morning. Went to visit the Ara Pacis Museum near the TIber celebrating the start of Augustus' reign. We then walked to Piazza Navona where we had brunch. We all had eggs of one variety or another. DD2 ordered a hot chocolate, now addicted after yesterday.

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We watched painters, protests and school groups. Quite an entertaining brunch indeed. We had only walked past the Pantheon the other day so this time we went in. Last time DH and I were here it was full of scaffolding and you could not see the whole dome. It was wonderful to walk in and see it all.

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Next to Giolotti for more gelati. This time with whipped cream on top. Took us about half an hour to eat and clean up from these. Went for a little shop at Zara then back to the Trevi Fountain to toss in our coins to ensure a return visit.

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Our plan for the afternoon was to go back to the gardens to hire row boats but the icecream was catching up with DD2 and she chose to lie down for awhile. DH decided to start on the packing and DD1 and I decided to raise the challenge and go shopping.:laughing:

A fun afternoon with her, she loved looking at shoes and accessory shops. They grow up so fast. It was great to spend some one on one time with her.

We headed back to the apartment and DD2 was ready to stay in, so I went back to the great Pizza shop downstairs who made everything we would have ordered downstairs to takeaway and even let us borrow plates and cutlery. When I returned these I grabbed gelati for all but DD2, know she wasn't 100% when she turns down gelati.

Time to turn in and get ready for the new adventures to Tuscany tomorrow...
 
Loving your trip report so far. I am in awe at your confidence to be catching local trains, etc. This is something that would have me in a spin about catching the wrong train, missing the last one back, etc. Did you do alot of research on this sort of thing before going, or is it that you have been to Italy before and are just very confident travellers?

We are not confident travellers so much planning must go into each step for me to feel comfortable doing things like this :lmao:.

The photos are just amazing, what a beautiful country it is.

How many days did you spend in Italy?
 
Loving your trip report so far. I am in awe at your confidence to be catching local trains, etc. This is something that would have me in a spin about catching the wrong train, missing the last one back, etc. Did you do alot of research on this sort of thing before going, or is it that you have been to Italy before and are just very confident travellers?

We are not confident travellers so much planning must go into each step for me to feel comfortable doing things like this :lmao:.

The photos are just amazing, what a beautiful country it is.

How many days did you spend in Italy?

Trains come a lot more frequently in Italy than in Oz. We had been before which made it easier but we did do the same thing last time. I am an overplanner, there is plan a, plan b, plan c and probably a fuzzy plan d. I would just take one train trip at a time, gather all the times from websites and make a list of which stations I should be going through. :surfweb: You can always turn around and go back to where you came from. The main tips are to:
* validate your tickets in the yellow boxes at the top of each platform.
* learn the Italian names of cities you are going to
Naples/Napoli
Rome/Roma
Florence/Firenze
Venice/Venezia

I try to keep as independent as I can when I am travelling, and you see so much on the train, it is comfortable, clean with toilets handy.

I am glad you are enjoying coming along on the trip. We had 2 weeks in Italy before heading off to Germany, France and England or another 2 weeks. Tonight we shall go to Tuscany where sorry San Francisco (I relost my heart). Oh and I should acknowledge DH for most of the photos.
 
Well the plans a, b, c and fuzzy d are perfect for me. So long as it is something I can plan as much as possible beforehand then I know i can do that.

I like the idea of seeing more by travelling by train etc but sometimes I get nervous about that kind of thing and think it would be easier and safer to do a bus tour but you really don't get to wander and relax like you do by going to places under your own steam.

As you know I am reading your whole TR with interest and will start taking notes :rotfl:.

Keep em coming!
 
Great day in Roma and Pompeii. I'm curious about the hot chocolate.....did you come across anywhere that made a (European style) thick hot chocolate?
 
Great day in Roma and Pompeii. I'm curious about the hot chocolate.....did you come across anywhere that made a (European style) thick hot chocolate?

The one in Sorrento is a thick hot cacao. The spoon stands up in it. It is just scrummy. I actually have a photo of it in my kitchen just to remind me and sigh at....
 














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