My trip to Italy began with a trip. A few days before I left, I tripped over an acorn, and managed to painfully bruise a large part of my body. There were no broken bones, so I was fortunate. I thought it very ironic, since I really like acorns. I even have a small collection of acorn related items. I have always thought of them as my lucky talismans.
I have been planning this vacation for several months, and felt more prepared for it than any of my previous travels. I was wrong. When we left, I was still limping on my bad knee. My friend had just recovered from Covid, and still had a terrible cough and sinus issues. We were a pair.
On the way to the airport, my suitcase almost fell out of the back of the pick-up which hadn't latched properly. A driver in the next lane spotted it, and we got it just in time. I also realized I had forgotten my raincoat.
Our flight was pretty uneventful, in one of the most uncomfortable planes I have been in. There was very little room to move. I'm not sure why seats are so different, but they are.
Once we got to Rome, we had a little miscommunication with our driver and found ourselves stranded at the airport. Yes, there really is a language barrier. Finally, things were sorted out, and we made it to our hotel, after the most harrowing hour long ride I have ever experienced in my life. Traffic in Rome is something I never would have believed if I hadn't seen it myself. One man threatened our elderly driver, and demanded he pull over. After lots of shouting and hand gestures, the issue resolved itself.
Our hotel was beautiful. As were all three places we stayed. Everyone at the hotels and restaurants was very gracious and kind. I found that most of the other people were very abrupt. Even when answering questions, I never seemed to get the answers I was needing.
Everything is only "5 minutes away" . So many people told me to "just turn left and then turn left again, and there it is." That is so not true. We had small private tours in each city. These were quite expensive compared to the regular tours, but so much better. Long lines are everywhere for every place that you go. And when I say long, I mean one to two hour waits.
The highlight of the tour for me was to see Pompeii. I have wanted to see it for as long as I can remember. We took the train to Naples, and were met by our driver and guide. There were just the two of us and it was an all day tour. Pompeii in the morning, then a "light lunch" (4 courses and delicious), and a driving tour through Naples. I was surprised by all the graffiti. It is everywhere in Naples.
Pompeii is huge. We only got to see a part, because it would take much more than a morning. My only disappointment is that we didn't get to go to the museum of artifacts. We had 5 minutes in the book shop, and I bought the smallest, most lightweight book. There were so many, and it pained me not to be able to browse. Every building I saw on this trip was empty. I am so used to my trips to England with lovely cottages and manors, and cozy homes and shops. This was nothing at all like that. I guess big cities are not my thing! The guides always held up pictures of what the ruins used to look like. And we saw a lot of ruins, throughout the tour. And we walked by the outsides of many buildings. I want to see furniture! And the ways that people lived.
The Colosseum is spectacular. So is the Archway. And I really loved seeing the Roman Forum and especially the place where the Vestal Virgins lived. I am anxious to study these areas and learn more about them.
I liked Florence much better. Calmer and more beautiful. And we were able to find a small leather shop. I bought a very nice purse as a memento of my trip. It rained a lot while we were there. I missed my raincoat and bought a plastic bag poncho. I was still pretty wet most of the time, and was sharing Kris's cold by then. Ah-choo!!! We had a great tour in the rain, and went inside the Academie. There we saw the statue of David, and some beautiful paintings.
We had four train rides through Italy. The first one was Rome to Naples and then back again on the same day. And then another to Florence and to Venice with our luggage. By our last trip we were feeling like pros. The trains are very nice and much more roomy than the airplanes. The train stations are very crowded with 15 to 25 trains at each one. Everyone is looking for their train number. There is no place to sit. I read somewhere that it is easy to spot an American because we are always looking for a wall to lean on. That is true for me. I am not used to standing for long periods of time. The track number is announced ten minutes before the train leaves, so everyone rushes to the gate to the tracks. Coach numbers were written on the tickets. Ours was always toward the end. The train doors close one minute before the train leaves, so there is no time to dawdle. As I mentioned, I was feeling pretty good about it by the last train. Unfortunately, we were on Coach 9, the very last one, and there was no Coach 9. An employee sent us to Coach 7 with just minutes to spare. And then when the train was already starting, a man said I was in his seat. The lady next to me told me not to move, and he glared at me. The employee came along again and moved us to the end row. My luggage stayed in the middle though, and the nice lady said she would keep an eye on it. All ended well and we got off the train in Venice, luggage and all. Our driver met us and a water taxi took us right to our hotel.
Venice is a magical city. There are no cars and even no bicycles. There are 450 bridges over the canals. The streets are confusing because there are so many crooked alley ways. We walked and walked and climbed many, many stairs. We window shopped because every designer I ever heard of, has a shop in Venice. I don't think there are any regular stores.
Every meal we had was wonderful. The restaurants were all very formal, with real linens and nice china. And all the food is reasonably priced. The restaurants mostly closed after lunch and didn't open again until about 7:30 pm. By that time we were often too tired to go out again. I never thought I would go to bed hungry in Italy!!!
Much of the time, I felt that I was in a dream scene from an old Hollywood musical. Everything I wanted to see was so close, but I couldn't seem to get there. It would just be on the other side of the city, or only a left turn away, or we couldn't find it. That was disappointing. I missed seeing a famous perfume store, a book store, and a yarn store. All were quite well known, but impossible for us.
All in all, it was an unforgettable trip. And I was never so happy to be home after a vacation. And, of course there was a flight delay in Chicago. I know I would have enjoyed it much more if I hadn't been in a lot of pain. And I was not prepared for the walking, even though I thought I would be. Any pictures I have of myself are still on my friend's camera. And I look pretty bedraggled most of the time. By the end of the trip, I was feeling that I was much too old to ever travel again. But, now, after a few days, I am starting to revive. And from now on, I am not so sure that acorns are my good luck charm.
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