Splendour June 19-26 Part II

Rome -we arrived in Civitavecchia. This is also not a very pretty port. However, since I love Italy so much, nothing about that country can disappoint me. I arranged for Rome on Your Own complete with bus and tour guide. The trip Rome took 1-1/2 hours in traffic. Giuseppi was a great help and gave lots of information. One good thing about taking On Your Own is that the bus guide will give lots of good tips and yet you can do your own thing when you get there and not join the groups of cattle (that is how I feel about organized ship tours). The men in Rome are gorgeous! When I arrived the Pope was having an audience outside St. Peter’s which closed the Cathedral while he was outside, so I had already planned to get to the East Side of Rome to start my own walking itinerary. I took the subway (very easy with a station 4 blocks from the Vatican). My first stop was to go to the church of S. M. della Vittoria to see Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa. This was worth the planning and walking. I left the church and somehow found my way out of Piazza Barberini towards the Spanish Steps. Since I had been to Rome before and saw the Ancient City, I decided to concentrate my walk around the northern part of Rome with a few highlights I chose ahead of time. Spanish Steps are always a pretty part of the city and a nice place to sit for a moment and people watch and catch your breath. I continued on to the Trevi Fountain for the obligatory coin the fountain to assure my return to Rome. 1 coin for a return, 2 coins to find your true love and 3 coins to divorce the spouse you have (this is a legend). I continued on to the Pantheon where I caught a glimpse of Brad Pitt who was filming Oceans 12. This may sound like a good thing, however, all it did was tie up the area and I had to walk very far around the block to get into the Pantheon, which is truly astounding. When I left the Pantheon, everyone was waiting for Brad and I got caught up in the crowd when someone next to me clicked her camera and said, “I got a picture of him!” So I looked and saw a short glimpse as he walked into his hotel (The Pantheon Hotel). I decided not to wait for him to come out and shoot the scene but left to continue my walk.

I saw many unexpected sights and could have taken a million pictures, but refrained and took a few. The pictures are in my mind. Anyway, there are gorgeous men, gardens, statues, fountains, people, shops, crazy drivers, wonderful shoes and clothes, interesting accents, outdoor cafes and art/architecture. I continued to the Vatican City where the Pope and his followers had cleared the square and went into the Cathedral, which is always breathtaking, and a highlight of any trip to Rome. I stood in awe at Michaelangelo’s Pieta for the 2nd time and walked around with my head looking up. The spirituality of the atmosphere is very captivating. I skipped the museum and Sistine Chapel as I had seen it before and time was ticking away. I bought a few trinkets including some rosary beads made out of roses with the scent of roses for people back home and some other artsy stuff and waited for the bus.

*One note, Euros are extremely easy to use and the exchange is easy to figure. One Euro is approximately $1.20US. It is important to bring your credit card and debit card as banks have ATMs, which are very easy to use (you need a PIN#). Some small shops (eateries) do not take credit cards, so make sure you have some Euros on hand for that purpose. I ran out of them and had to skip my last refreshment stop. It is easy to run out of cash!

Naples – The highlight of the trip. I again wisely decided not to take the organized ship tours. For E550 we got an air-conditioned limo that fit 8. I used http://www.sorrentolimo.com. Gennaro was at the pier at 8 as promised with my name on a sign. We immediately liked him and got into the van for a wonderful tour of the Amalfi Coast, Positano, Ravello (lunch overlooking the Amalfi Coast), Sorrento, ending in Pompeii. Gennaro was entertaining, spoke good English, was funny and warm. All 6 other women thanked me many times for arranging this tour, as they were completely tired of walking with the ship tours (and separate Singles Tours). We saw Sophia Loren’s house. We saw hotels that we would love to stay at – one five star called Hotel Santa Caterina (stay there if you go and can afford it). Lunch was at Salvatore Restauranti in Ravello – breathtaking view, delicious food, relaxed, happy, etc. Need I say that I would most certainly return to this area without hesitation for more time?

Note, everyone I met either spoke English or was very patient with my terrible Italian. If I tried to destroy their beautiful language with an effort to communicate, they spoke back to me in Italian (not because they didn’t speak English, but I think they felt I needed the practice). The Italians are warm, friendly, helpful and words I cannot describe. I love them and their country. But, as one woman on my plane said to me when I told her I love Italy, “Everyone Loves Italy.”

Note, driving in Italy is insane. There are billions of little motorbikes which can be driven by 16-year olds without a license nor helmet and everyone else in Italy including businessmen and daredevils. The white lines in the road are just “decorations” and the red traffic lights or stop signs are just “suggestions.” If you must cross a street, walk with confidence and the cars and motor bikes will stop even if they don’t look like they will. If you hesitate, you are in big trouble and will never cross!

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Moondawgie, we had Gennaro too! Wasn't he a wonderful gentleman?! I felt like he was part of our family...very good driver too! Can't wait to read more!!!!

Just making this easier to find........Isabel