Just a Few Days to Go! Trip Report Now Included!

[Magix]

T-minus 4 days to my ABD "Italy - La Costa Bella" trip!! Can't wait!

Managed to badly sprain my ankle this past Sunday night. I went out to pull my car into the driveway and when I stepped off the curb, into the street, my shoe got stuck in a stupid little pothole in the street and my right ankle twisted under me and I was down on my knees in serious pain. I sat there in the street saying "Not right before my trip! Not right before my trip!" Had to go to the ER to make sure it wasn't broken. Thankfully, it's just a sprain and the ER docs promised me I'd be okay to go on my trip this Saturday.

The foot is still swollen and still painful, but I'm hobling around, keeping it elevated, taking large doses of Advil and icing it a few times a day. As long as I can manage to get around well enough to keep up with the walking tours in Italy, I'll be okay. I don't care about the bruises and even a little pain.

Whew! That was a close call! Wish me a speedy recovery, so I don't have this thing swollen and painful on the airplane!

Italy here I come... no matter what!!!!

 

[MJGirl]

First of all here is some for your ankle ... Hope it get's better quickly and doesn't put you out too much. Good news that it wasn't broken!!

Second ... Have a fantastic trip .... 50 days for me !!! Can't believe I'm going. It seems so long ago since I booked and it is actually almost here. I should be getting my goodie bag soon!

Mary Jane

 

[mary1025]

Have a wonderful time!! We are following closely behind with the Tuscany trip - we leave for Germany (for a quick visit with family before the tour) in 11 days. Can't wait for your trip report!

 

[Stepht5]

I can't wait to read your trip report!!!

I hope your ankle feels better QUICK and you have a great time!

 

[disneytraveler]

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[msec]

Have a fantastic trip!!! Hope your ankle is healing quickly!!

 

[awatt]

Pxie dust for your ankle to heal quickly! Enjoy your trip and please tell us all about it when you get back!

 

[Magix]

Finally started packing last night. Should finish up tonight (I hope). The ankle is coming along. I still can't quite bend it all the way, but walking is going a little bit better than it was a couple days ago and a good portion of the swelling is gone. Still some swelling right over the ankle, though. Lots of bruising now, too.

I wish I hadn't booked myself a window seat on my LA to NY flight, though. Seemed like a fun idea at the time, to be able to look out the window the whole way, but now I'd rather have room to stretch my foot out, if I need it. Oh well. I'll try to get an aisle for the NY to Italy flight.

2 days to go!!

 

[Magix]

Arrivederci, amice! I'm on my way!! Ciao, a presto!

 

[ronny1]

Magix, are you home yet? Can't wait for a trip report!

 

[Magix]

Home... jet lagged... overworked... very, very tired... report soon... had a great time!

 

[ronny1]

Can't wait to hear all about it, Magix!

 

[MJGirl]

Glad you had a good time Magix... Awaiting your trip report!

 

[Magix]

Okay, I don't see anywhere on the boards that I'm supposed to put ABD trip reports, so I'll put it here. I think this is going to take a number of posts (not sure how much I can fit into one post, so I'll break it up), so bear with me.

To start, a word of advice: think carefully, if you’re considering flying with Eurofly airlines to Italy. Once on board, they’re a terrific airline, with attentive staff and all the amenities (including seatback TVs), but waiting for your flights, or arriving late at your destination, may make you wish you’d gone with someone a bit more reliable.

So, we arrived 1 ½ hours later than planned in Rome, but our ABD guides were there to meet us and assist us with getting our luggage and load us into a taxi van that would take us to our hotel, the Boscolo Palace. The hotel is lovely, although opinions of the rooms varied, depending on the type of room each traveler was placed in. My friend and I got a room on the 5th floor, plenty large enough, with a big bathroom. We had a door that opened onto our patio, which stretched clear around the room (we were a corner unit). Our friends were in a room directly beneath us, which was much smaller with a smaller bathroom and had only a small window in each room with no balcony. The hotel is a 5 minute walk (if that) from the Hard Rock Café and there’s a terrific sidewalk café with delicious gelato just a few steps further down the hill.

Our first full day of the trip was filled with a walking tour of the most historic sites of Rome. We began at the Coliseum, then walked over to the Forum (which I thought was a pretty neat area… that kind of place you imagine when you think of the Roman ruins). We then took our bus to St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for an hour-long photo stop and shopping. This was the first spot where I followed the local example and had a drink from a fountain. Not a soda fountain, mind you, a decorative fountain. The water in Italy is so pure that you can literally drink from the fountains and you’ll see many people doing so. I didn’t get sick, so I’d say to give it a try. When in Rome…

We then had lunch at Re Degli Amici restaurant, in the beautifully painted basement. They served up a variety of pizzas with toppings I never would have considered. The pizzas with egg wedges on them were easily the most unusual. Those who ate them reported that they were surprisingly tasty (personally, I hate eggs). We then walked, with our local guide providing plenty of information, to the Spanish Steps. This is one of those tourist stops that really doesn’t have any particular history, but has become famous for fairly obscure reasons. We then took a short walk over to the Trevi Fountain. Jam packed with people, but a lovely site. Throw one coin into the fountain to ensure you’ll return to Rome and a second to find your true love. We next made our way to the Pantheon, a church dating from 1 BC, then to the Piazza Navona. I really enjoyed the Piazza, possibly because ABD picked up the tab for each of us to enjoy a bit of gelato! The main fountain was under restoration, but the Piazza was still a relaxed, enjoyable locale. I gave a few Euros to a guitar player who was doing a marvelous job of playing a Pink Floyd tune. You never know what surprises you’ll find in Rome. We had the option to stay in the Piazza for shopping and make our way back to the hotel on foot or take the bus back. I opted for the bus, only because I’d badly sprained my ankle a week prior and didn’t want to push it any more than I already had that day. The evening was free, so my friends and I went over to the Hard Rock for dinner. I know, how awful of us… all of Rome to choose from and we went to the Hard Rock. I can’t say it was my choice, but I did enjoy it. We walked the extra couple steps for more gelato from the same place as the previous night (I recommend the “amareno” flavor).

 

[Magix]

Breakfasts at the hotel consisted of the typical European continental breakfast, with cereals, yogurts, fresh fruit, pastries, eggs and a variety of other items. Both orange juice and pineapple juice seem to be the standards in Italy. On day 3, we headed out of Rome by bus to make our journey to Sorrento, where we’d be staying the rest of the trip. We took the AutoStrada and made a stop at the Autogrill, Italy’s most common truck stop chain. Personally, I love truck stops, so this was an unexpected treat. The place is great! A good spot to shop for gifts, get some candy or snacks, grab a fresh coffee or soda. One pointer, which the ABD guides were sure to alert us to: when you use a public restroom in Italy, you are expected to provide a tip to the attendant, who will be stationed outside. Some sort of coin is expected (50 cents to 1 euro seemed to do it). This is, theoretically, to thank them for keeping the place clean, but it was sometimes difficult to justify. Still, it’s the standard, so be sure to keep some change in your pocket at all times.

Our next stop on the road was lunch, across the street from Pompei. This meal was so-so, although we did get to have gnocchi, which is one of my favorite Italian meals. By this point, I was hopelessly hooked on “Lemon Soda” to drink. I had it with literally every meal. Great sour lemon flavor, just the right amount of carbonation and even some pulp! Haven’t been able to find it online here in the States, so a future traveler may need to mail me a flat of it! After lunch, we walked to the Pompei site and had a guided tour. The place is far larger than I had ever expected and, although we saw an amazing amount of it, it wasn’t even a dent in the overall site. You will only see 2 of the body casts, located in the Spa area, which was a bit of a disappointment to me. I had hoped to see more of the casts, which seem to me like they would really bring the story and tragedy of the site to life. Still, we saw a great many of the buildings and the views of Vesuvius were stunning.

We next arrived in Sorrento and our stay at the more American-style Hilton. The place is very 70’s, so be ready for the oranges and browns that so encapsulate that era. The rooms were lovely. I believe everyone got a view room, with sliding doors that led onto balconies overlooking the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius and the hotel’s beautiful outdoor pool. Breakfast each morning was a massive continental buffet, with fresh crepes, omelets and waffles, fresh squeezed OJ and an amazing variety of cereals, fruit, pastries and other breakfast items. Sitting on the terrace, in the Italian sunshine, overlooking the Bay was like living the celebrity life. I just couldn’t get over how lucky I was to experience such delights.

Day 4 started with a walking tour of Sorrento, then we took our bus up to the La Galatea Agriturismo farm. There, we were treated to a demonstration of how to make buffalo mozzarella. We then had a tremendous lunch that included a plate of fresh cheese, which will spoil your taste buds forever. For those taking this trip, be sure to eat light, because you’ll next be treated to a pizza making class and you’ll want to have room to eat your creation. Many of my fellow Adventurers noted the pizza making as their favorite part of the trip. This was a great deal of fun and the pizzas tasted wonderful. There were a few inevitable Mickey-shaped pizzas in the group. We then got our first taste of limoncello. This is a highly-alcoholic (90 proof) local speciality, drunk as a digestive after meals. Be ready for it’s strong punch, but be sure to try it. It’s available for sale in the gift shop at the farm (and in virtually every shop on the streets).

 

[Magix]

We had the option of being dropped in Sorrento for more shopping or going back to the hotel for some down-time prior to that evening’s dinner. My friends and I opted for shopping, but it turned out that everyone got dropped in town, because we stumbled into the middle of the Giro d’Italia bicycle race and the streets were blocked. We bought some Giro souvenirs and stood along the street until the huge crowd of bicycles raced by, followed by their support vehicles. It was quick, but really quite exciting and an extra experience even our guides hadn’t counted on. Only my friend and I managed to shop the entire time until everyone else stopped in town to pick us up on the way to dinner. We dined at Zi’Ntonio restaurant, on a pier down below the cliffs of town. Plenty of seafood at most every meal from this point out. But, since I eat neither seafood nor beef, the guides were sure to have something arranged for me (and the few others like me), which was always something pleasing.

Day 5 was an early start, so we could catch a ferry to the Isle of Capri (pronounced “CAP-ri”, not “Cap-RI”). Thankfully, I hadn’t had breakfast, because an overnight rain storm had kicked up the seas enough to cause problems for some passengers. We initially sat at the front of the boat, but made a quick escape when we realized that everyone who was sick was coming up to that area. I think only one of our Adventurers got sick on the ride and that was only because she saw what someone else had left on the floor. Ewww. Everyone was feeling good again once ashore and after a bathroom stop and a Lemon Soda. We then took the Funicolare up the hill into Capri proper. We had a walking tour that took us to an overlook of Marina Piccola and the Faraglioni Rocks. Spectacularly beautiful! We then had the option of a walking tour to the other end of Marina Piccola, closer to the Rocks, or shopping. Since most of the Capri shopping looked amazingly like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, we opted for the walking. Upon returning, we had a few minutes to kill, so we had some gelato and a Lemon Soda (of course!). As a group, we took a short walk over to La Pina restaurant, where we dined amongst a grove of lemon trees and were graced with the presence of one of the local cats (call it with “Ecco, gatto,” instead of “Here, kitty” and it will respond). This was easily the biggest, most filling meal we had on the entire trip. Course after course and way too much for our American dining style. This is also the place where you’ll need to put on your bathing suit, under your clothes, if you plan to go swimming from the private boat later.

We headed back down the hill to Marina Grande, where we loaded onto a small boat for a private tour of the island. One or two travelers stayed behind, because they were not inclined toward boats and the trip over had been enough for them. The seas had calmed remarkably by then and we had the most terrific trip around half the island. We saw a variety of sea caves, high up in the limestone cliffs, which showed the level of the ancient sea long ago. We shot through the hole in the Faraglioni Rocks, then stopped nearby for swimming. I was the first one up and ready to dive in for this experience, since it was the moment I had most looked forward to on the itinerary. I dove into the water and was amazed by how warm it was, as well as how extremely salty! In total, 10 Adventurers took the plunge, including all 3 children on the trip and one of our guides. One of my friends jumped in last, after overcoming some hesitation and credited me with helping her learn to be spontaneous. I think she had a life moment there in the Mediterranean. We swam in the warm, amazingly blue waters for about 30 minutes. At one point, I looked over to my left and saw the Faraglioni Rocks and thought, “Look at me, I’m a rock star!” We were swimming in Marina Piccola, which we’d viewed from the cliffs above earlier that day. We headed back around the same part of the island we’d already seen (so we didn’t get anywhere near the Blue Grotto) and returned to Marina Grande. Thankfully, there was a small head on the boat, which we used for changing back into our dry clothes. Towels were provided by the Hilton and our guides gamely lugged them all over the island that day. The ferry back was much smoother and no one got sick. Dinner was on our own that night, so we joined a family of Adventurers and chose a restaurant suggested by our guides. I’ve forgotten the name, but it was a lovely greenhouse-style building with terrific food. A wedding party in the next room had a Vesuvius cake that erupted with sparklers, which was great fun to watch. We later went for a pint at an Irish pub and then headed back to the hotel for some sleep.

 

[Magix]

Day 6, our last full day of the tour, started again with that lovely breakfast buffet and dining on the terrace. We boarded the bus, which took us along the narrow, winding coastal road to Positano. Those who have a fear of heights should sit on the left side of the bus for this one! We stopped at an overlook of Positano to change to two smaller buses, since the large one can’t fit into the city area. What a beautiful view! The city tucked into the cliffs and the sea sparkling like a million jewels. Breathtaking! The small buses dropped us at the start of the pedestrian-only area and we then had free time for shopping along the main walk. Plenty of lemon-flavored, lemon-scented, lemon-adorned items here, plus clothing and souvenirs. We stopped off at a bakery for a cannoli (couldn’t leave Italy without having cannoli!). It was dreamy, chocolate-lined and delicious. Paired great with a… you guessed it… Lemon Soda. Down at the beach, we carefully boarded a small boat (the sea swells were bucking hard up against the beach and there was no actual dock here) and headed off for a coastal tour to Amalfi. The views of the Amalfi coast, the homes, the fortresses and the cliffs were just unforgettable. This was probably my second most favorite part of the trip. Once we arrived at Amalfi, we walked to the center of town and had free time for lunch and shopping. A slice of pizza and yet another gelato (and Lemon Soda) fortified us for the uphill walk to the paper mill, which showed us the age-old methods of creating paper, for which Amalfi became famous. We had time after the tour for another gelato(!), eaten on the steps of the town’s gorgeous duomo. We boarded our bus, which had come to meet us and took a route through the hills back to Sorrento.

That night was our Farewell Dinner alongside the indoor pool of our hotel. Entertainment was provided by a local music and dance troupe who did the Tarantella and other local dances and included many of our Adventurers in the fun. We all said our goodbyes and many exchanged email addresses for photo sharing.

The next day, we got up a bit early (since our departure from the hotel wasn’t until 12 noon), had breakfast, did a little more souvenir shopping and had one last gelato for the road. Our group of 4 was the last to leave and we took a taxi van, along with our Adventure Guides, to the Napoli airport. Never, never fly out of Napoli – what a headache! For those traveling on this tour, add a day to your itinerary and take the train back to Rome for a flight out the next day. It will cost you less and will be a much simpler, more pleasant trip home.

Although there were things to change on this trip (and we provided feedback to our guides throughout), I think this is a terrific Adventure to a part of Italy that will stay in my heart forever. Early in the trip, we felt that we hadn’t had enough time in Rome, but by the end we thought they could have dumped out Rome altogether and given us more time on the coast! For those taking this tour, don’t worry much about learning Italian. I did learn a good bit, but everyone, everywhere spoke English. I mostly used my Italian phrases to impress and amaze my friends. Do be sure to take advantage of the swimming opportunity (which is subject to weather). Try the Lemon Soda, eat as much gelato as you can possibly stand and let yourself soak-in the Mediterranean lifestyle.

This is the second trip I’ve taken with ABD and I can’t wait to take another… maybe next year. Not sure if this report really captured the essence of the trip, but I hope it gave a general idea of the experience, without giving away every one of the surprises and special moments.

 

[ronny1]

Thank you Magix for your trip report. I was waiting anxiously for it! It sounded so wonderful. My Adventure does not include the coast but I am sure once I get a taste of Italy, I will be back, dragging my husband with me the next time. Thanks again!

 

[awatt]

I am SO enjoying your report! Thanks!

 

[lsutiger05]

Thank you so very much for writing your very detailed Trip Report. My husband and I were glued to the screen reading every last bit- we loved it and enjoyed it very much. I love lemons so much- so I'll be sure to have a Lemon Soda for you--and a ton of gelato-Mmmm!

Our ABD Rome and the Amalfi Coast trip is 6/16 thru 6/22. We are taking Eurofly on the way out too (very worried about that) and Eurofly on the way back. We are trying to (somehow) get to Rome after the ABD trip ends on 6/22 (any recommendations?) and we are scheduled to fly Eurofly out of Rome on 6/23 (the next day). We have a one hour layover, that's it, yikes in JFK before we have to board a plane to Orlando on Jetblue...hopefully we'll make our flight. Was customs awful--did it take forever? I've been tracking Eurofly and it's almost always late- yikes!

We are excited for our Trip- thank you for your Trip Report!