The ABCs of Greece & Italy! X, Y, and Z, and that Friends is THE END!!! :) See you in Asia and Australia, Join Me THERE!!

[disneyAndi14]

Ahh looks like a lovely first day.
I loved touring the Sistene chapel so amazing
The food was so delicious in Rome, loved it.
Venice is amazing, probably my favorite!

 

[pkondz]

Time for some hot cocoa with a splash of small batch whiskey and a wee nip of Contreau.

Whoa!

I got a book that I ordered that someone recommended for my trip called City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. @suse66 was that you? @KathyM2 ??

It was @Jules76126

All worked out now, but now it's time to start working out the transportation for NEXT year's trip/cruise.

Me too, and yeah, too much riding on taking a chance at not even getting there.

A comment so concise, you answered it twice.

Oops! Sorry, Frederick.

 

[pkondz]

Hush you; everyone has their priorities.

But, now, I am going to be forced to pony up the remaining balance (no small amount because Steve Jobs and Co. are gougers) so I can have the phone unlocked. No unlocky, no SIM cardy.

Did not know any of this. I'm not traveling to Europe any time soon, so not affecting me, but... future info.

I've heard they run about $40 or so.

Not bad. That will give you unlimited call/text? Maybe data?

This, My Friends, situates us nicely to begin our touring off with a bang by going straight to the Vatican and Sistene Chapel.

Whoa! You weren't kidding when you say start with a bang!

Stunning!

we'll waltz right into the Sistene Chapel like we're besties with the Pope.

after what I guesstimate will be about a 3-hour tour,

 

[Jules76126]

Sounds like you will have a whirlwind first day. My husband actually stayed in the Trastevere area of Rome one time and said the restaurants in that area are very good. And you should definitely be able to find outdoor seating. In a week long trip, we only ate inside once. It was o nice to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine in Italy and take in the surroundings. I liked Rome, but I loved Florence.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

This, My Friends, situates us nicely to begin our touring off with a bang by going straight to the Vatican and Sistene Chapel.

Definitely not wasting any time!

It gives us unlimited public transportation, including out to Ostia Antica a bit later, but EXCLUDES transport from the airport (savvy jerks), admission to many, but not all, museums, archelogical parks, and sites, but best of all, gives us skip the line privileges.

The Vatican FastPass sounds like it'll come in very handy. Hope it works!

I have heard from just about every source that the Sistene can be literally overrun with tourons and can be a frustrating cluster for everyone. The pass, along with the tips I've read about taking the RIGHTside door out of the chapel to the Basilica, should shave off a ton of time. Good thing too!

I've heard the lines there can be brutal. Hope you've figured out the key to the system!

At the base of Janiculum Hill (the English butchering of Belvedere Gianicolo) is a cool looking fountain call Fontana dell Acqua Paola.

Looks very pretty!

 

[vamassey1]

Lovely first day! So much to see. I can't wait to see your pictures. Please eat some wonderful Italian food for me.

 

[Steppesister]

Ahh looks like a lovely first day.
I loved touring the Sistene chapel so amazing
The food was so delicious in Rome, loved it.
Venice is amazing, probably my favorite!

Venice is coming... but quite a bit later in the trip.

 

[Steppesister]

It was @Jules76126

THANKS!!!

A comment so concise, you answered it twice.

And a reply so slublime, you made it rhyme.

Did not know any of this. I'm not traveling to Europe any time soon, so not affecting me, but... future info.

There ya go!

Not bad. That will give you unlimited call/text? Maybe data?

Yes, data far more important than call/text, and I think 40 gigs which they say is enough for a few weeks of navigation. Not that I'd mind being somewhat lost in Tuscany.

Whoa! You weren't kidding when you say start with a bang!

It's too expensive to diddle around. OH! By the way, I found out today, that not one, but 2 co-workers, one an RN, one a Doc, will be in Italy at the SAME TIME AS ME. (found out about the doc a couple of weeks ago). And not only that, one of the same little villages!!

I was counting on you to see that.

 

[Steppesister]

Sounds like you will have a whirlwind first day. My husband actually stayed in the Trastevere area of Rome one time and said the restaurants in that area are very good. And you should definitely be able to find outdoor seating. In a week long trip, we only ate inside once. It was o nice to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine in Italy and take in the surroundings. I liked Rome, but I loved Florence.

It'll be busy and I'll be counting on caffeine and adrenaline to get us throught the long day and jetlag.

I'm not sure I really want to settle on a FOR SURE place to eat in Trastavere or Campo di Fiori restaurant, but leave with a few options that look good and if we pass one, great. And yes, super looking forward to some mildly warm weather to sit outside and people watch in.

Florence coming up in a bit!!

 

[Steppesister]

Definitely not wasting any time!

Can't... too much $$$ invested!

The Vatican FastPass sounds like it'll come in very handy. Hope it works!

Me too!!!

I've heard the lines there can be brutal. Hope you've figured out the key to the system!

Yeah, I've heard they can be worse than.... <gasp>... Disney.

 

[Steppesister]

Lovely first day! So much to see. I can't wait to see your pictures. Please eat some wonderful Italian food for me.

SOOOO much to see! And hopefully, I will be able to get some good ones.

Oh, you KNOW I will!

 

[pkondz]

And a reply so slublime, you made it rhyme.

Yes, data far more important than call/text, and I think 40 gigs which they say is enough for a few weeks of navigation.

Ah!

Not that I'd mind being somewhat lost in Tuscany.

Liesa… lost in Italy. Never to be seen again. Except on occasion, scarfing down pasta.

It's too expensive to diddle around. OH! By the way, I found out today, that not one, but 2 co-workers, one an RN, one a Doc, will be in Italy at the SAME TIME AS ME. (found out about the doc a couple of weeks ago). And not only that, one of the same little villages!!

Really! Will you guys plan to meet up?

 

[Steppesister]

Liesa… lost in Italy. Never to be seen again. Except on occasion, scarfing down pasta.

And she never returned, no she never returned... Her fate is stil unheard. She may ride forever, in the streets of Boston she's the gal that never returned....

Really! Will you guys plan to meet up?

I doubt it. We are both there 3 weeks but only one overlaps with each other party. They already have their agenda set as do we.

 

[pkondz]

And she never returned, no she never returned... Her fate is stil unheard. She may ride forever, in the streets of Boston she's the gal that never returned....

No idea what this references.

I doubt it. We are both there 3 weeks but only one overlaps with each other party. They already have their agenda set as do we.

Had a feeling you’d say that.

 

[Steppesister]

No idea what this references.

Had a feeling you’d say that.

 

[pkondz]

Nope! Never heard that before in my life.

 

[irene_dsc]

And did you know that in Boston, the card for paying for the MTA is called a Charlie Card, in honor of the song? (I still have mine, from a 2015 trip to Boston)

 

[Steppesister]

Day 2- All Roads Lead to Rome- Pt. 1​

Hopefully we'll all have gotten a good night's sleep, but we all know how that goes. New bed, crappy pillow, new noises, excitement of travel.... 50-50 on whether or not that'll happen. Regardless, places to go, things to do!! Rise and shine Toots! In order to get to where we're headed, the Colosseum, by 10:30 when it opens, we'll have to hit the road by 7:00. That should give us time to not only GET to each spot, but have a little time to see each one.

With my brand new travel purse all packed up, it's time for a cup of famous Italian Espresso. There are a million "Caffe" places along the way, so it shouldn't be a problem to fuel up. And while it won't be French Pastries, Italian pastries beat American pastries, and I imagine that'll be the breakfast of choice every day. Who am I to complain?

​

Heading south, over the Ponte Vittorio Emanuel II (one of the many bridges that crosses the Tiber) we'll stop to check if there is still a nightclub/bar/dance barge on the river where Audrey smashes a guitar over a Secret Service guy's head. Okay, okay, it was just a movie set, BUT, we WILL be able to look back over the bridge and see the same Castel Sant'Angelo that was so prominent in that scene from Roman Holiday. Maybe I'll try for a few B&W shots of this!

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A 15-minute walk should put us at Rome's quirky little ancient archeological site turned urban cat sanctuary called Largo di Torre Argentina. Smackgob in the middle of the city, with cars and hubbub buzzing all around it, sits this cool park that is FREE. Boy howdy! A FREE attraction in all its rarity.

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Continuing on, the plan is to stop at Le Domus Romane di Pallazzo Vallentini. Basicallly, it's an archeological site that highlights how ancient wealthy Romans lived. Taken from Fodor's:

"All too often in Italy, archaeological sites are presented with little context, and it’s difficult for untrained eyes to really understand what they’re seeing. Not so at Palazzo Valentini, possibly Rome’s best-presented ancient site. Visitors descend underneath a Renaissance palazzo and peer through a glass floor into the remains of several upscale Roman homes. With innovative use of 3D projections, the walls, ceilings, floors, and fountains of these once-grand houses spring to life, offering a captivating look at lifestyles of the ancient rich and possibly famous. A scale model shows the surrounding area (adjacent to Trajan’s Column) as it looked around the time of its completion (A.D. 113) "

At 13.50 Euro, not too bad. I imagine the highlight for me personally will be the mosaic floors:

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Continuing on with our archeological tour of Rome, we'll head to Trajan's Market and Column which are just a few steps away. Apparently, there is a "secret" walkway that puts you right alongside the ruins and gets you as close as you'd get with the paid ticket, but is FREE! Free is good. Free with chocolate is better.

This is considered to be one of the very first "shopping malls" and at least one of the best preserved. Apparently, it was also used for civil servants office space as well. I wonder if they stood around the water fountain and talked smack about their boss Trajan. I wonder if they got caught and were fed to the lions at our next stop? (Yes, the Colosseum WAS still in use during his reign.)

Check this out!

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If we're still able to go at all, and yes, I AM starting to worry about this a bit...., we'll find our way to the Colossuem at its opening time of 10:30. (Reduced hours right now due to Covid.) I did buy a Rome City Pass for each of us to the tune of $150 pp which includes entry and audio tours of the Rome Trifecta: The Forum, The Colosseum, and Palatine Hill. I imagine a 3-hour tour oughtta suffice.

​

There is already probably far too much crammed into this day, but trudge on we must. To the depths of despair.... as we imagine ourselves in the deplorable situation of a few rather important characters in history who found themselves in the dankest of prisons: The Mamertine Prison to be exact. Oh, the things St. Peter must have contemplated within these dank and cold walls.

​

The prison is at the north end of the Palatine Hill area, so that’ll be the last bit of the area before we head to lunch in Campo di Fiori. Still looking at places with high recommendations, but don’t want to lock us in to a specific one. All my research tells us to get off the main roads and find an unassuming place without a menu board outside. Wish us luck…

I'd say after such a full morning, and a possible carb overload, we'll be well-deserved of a siesta. Bus #23 will take us "home" for a nap and a re-charge before heading back out for more sights. But not too long... Rome is a big place!!

 

[Steppesister]

Nope! Never heard that before in my life.

Love the Kingston Trio!!

 

[Steppesister]

And did you know that in Boston, the card for paying for the MTA is called a Charlie Card, in honor of the song? (I still have mine, from a 2015 trip to Boston)

I had NO idea!! That is actually a cool little hat tip!