Treasures of Italy ~ June 2012 ~ funster ~ IV tour

I made it to Rome (from London) with a brief stop in Frankfurt which I would avoid if I could.....horrible horrible airport. The achievement was making it to the hotel alive - I'd almost forgotten how scary the driving is.

which marks the start of the tour in sweltering Rome....37 today with high humidity and a gloriously clear blue sky. I did a pre-arranged cooking class which was fabulous.

At 5.15pm we met our TD Rosario and took the bus to a restaurant opposite the Colosseum for our welcome dinner. Rosario is a very suave middle aged Italian man with a wealth of knowledge and good sense of fun. He gave us some commentary along the way and is a very interesting speaker.....this is going to be a good trip. It is a very diverse group of 30 with a few Australians (from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide), some Americans, and two Korean families (from Sydney). There are about 7 young people on this tour ranging from 8 years to 22. The light meal was huge with several shared platters of food followed by a couple more individual courses and desert....all authentic Italian food. That's the thing here - apart from a few fast food franchises like Subway, Macdonalds and Hard Rock cafe they don't have Thai, Indian or other ethnic foods - all restaurants here serve Italian food. I decided not to go on the optional illuminations tour because I was tired and because it doesn't get dark until the last half hour so buildings aren't really illuminated. Many are not happy with the substitute hotel & I am not impressed that I booked an extra night & had to move…..if I had been happy to move I could have booked elsewhere.

we did a tour of the Vatican and St Peters and it was fabulous. I wasn't going to bother but it was marvellous because we had an exceptional local guide and of course because the place itself is amazing.....the artwork and decor are magnificent. Unfortunately I had to leave my day pack on the bus (deemed too big although I saw others bigger inside) and the battery in my camera went flat just as we arrived at the Sistine Chapel. I suppose that was poetic justice because I would have taken a few photos even though it's strictly forbidden. Some people were blatantly clicking away using their flashes & the guards seemed more concerned about noise than photography. St Peter's was even better the second time....truly incredible. Following that we headed off to the Colosseum and had a brilliant commentary and I got some great photos despite the big crowds. The Colosseum is definitely my favourite. The beggars and people selling scarves, postcards, parasols and hats & the usual men dressed as gladiators were out in force....tacky. This afternoon's optional walking tour has been cancelled due to lack of interest so after a sweltering morning at the Colosseum and Vatican, I recharged my batteries with a brief siesta. Taking a map I hailed a taxi and headed off around 4pm to the Trevi Fountain. Others have complained about it being overcrowded but I really enjoy people watching and think the crowds add to the atmosphere.....would you believe some guy knelt down just near where I was standing and proposed to his girlfriend? It obviously took her by surprise and after the initial shock, she said yes and he gave her a ring (which didn’t fit) - what a moment! I wandered along browsing in shops, bought a gelato and a hat....made it to the Pantheon which is a 'must see' and quite extraordinary when you consider it was built almost 2000 years ago and has a huge concrete dome ceiling which still stands to this day and is still the largest unreinforced dome in the world. After that I went to Piazza Navona - another favourite of mine; also built in the first century AD it was originally a stadium but now has 3 very beautiful fountains with sculptures. The square is filled with artists and their displays and surrounded on all four sides with pavement cafes. I saw a bride and groom having their photos taken there and it would be hard to find a more beautiful setting in Rome. I couldn't find a taxi so wandered on a bit further through a couple of smaller piazzas to the river lined with a canopy of trees giving relief from the biting sun. I eventually made it back to the hotel stopping off at Hard Rock for a hearty salad.

we departed at 7.45am on our way to Capri via Pompeii. We drove through grubby Naples then went on a guided tour of the ruins which took about 90 minutes. Pompeii is really fascinating seeing the ancient city just as it looked when it was engulfed by ash during the 79AD eruption of Mt Vesuvius. The thing is it will inevitably happen all over again one day with even greater loss of life because Naples is so densely populated right around the base of the mountain.

We boarded the 3.30pm hydrofoil for the 45 minute ride across to Capri where we took open top taxis up the steep & winding road to Anacapri. The road is quite narrow and the drive is absolutely frightening - Rosario told us it is called the 'Aaah Mamma Mia' drive and if you let your fingers hang out the side of the taxi you will have a nice manicure. Picture the usual maniac drivers and throw in sheer cliff top roads with hairpin bends travelling at 80 kph while the driver answers his mobile phone and other maniacs speed straight for you from the opposite direction on what should be a single lane road!!!

Our hotel has been upgraded to the Capri Palace 5 star+ for the next 2 nights. Google it and you will see this place really has the wow factor - I can't believe our luck. We had an included meal of several courses at a local restaurant that had stunning views of the sun setting over the ocean. Insight have certainly upgraded their included meals and tonight's service (& food) was first class.

I decided against the trip to Capri on the last tour, due to very rough seas but this time was perfect and the place is spectacular.

we are spoilt; nothing will ever quite measure up to the luxury of the Capri Palace Hotel. The breakfast was excellent and the room and amenities out of this world. We had a late start at 9.30am for an optional scenic cruise around the island - the day was warm and the sea a deep deep blue. It was just gorgeous and we explored little grottos around the bottom of the rugged limestone cliffs. The tour guide also pointed out a few homes to the rich and famous....the place is positively idyllic. We spent about 2 hours on the water and that was more than enough time to get a nasty case of sunburn but it was oh so beautiful. Upon our return to the port there was a drama unfolding because for whatever reason, one of the big hydrofoil ferries had rammed one of the day trip ferries into the wharf causing quite a bit of damage to the back and front and it will be out of action for a while getting repairs done. The owner of the damaged boat was so upset & screamed abuse at the ferry captain. There were people standing around watching in horror as the hydrofoil was towed away - many of them had been moments away from stepping on board the ferry. No doubt the godfathers in Naples will sort out the appropriate 'justice'.

There are three levels in Capri; the port, above that is Capri town and above that is Anacapri. From the port we got taxis yesterday, but today we took the funicular from the port up to Capri town and walked to the gardens where there's a lookout with stunning views over the bay. We had a couple of hours for lunch and to explore Capri town before returning to Anacarpi on special minibuses built by Fiat especially for the steep winding roads of Capri. The rest of the afternoon was free time although we were given passes to take the chair lift to the top to see fabulous 360degree views. The place was a lot quieter once the day trippers (from Naples and Sorrento) and people from the cruise liners left for the day. I wandered around the narrow winding streets browsing in the boutiques, souvenir shops and art galleries. The local crafts are colourful ceramics, perfume making and handmade leather shoes & souvenirs are the usual fare plus anything to do with lemons which are enormous.

after another amazing breakfast we took the open top taxis down to the port to catch the ferry back to Naples where Angelo met us with the bus. We headed north on the motorway and spent most of the day driving to Florence with a couple of stops at Autogrills along the way. We skirted Rome then drove through Umbria and into Tuscany with its rolling hills and picturesque landscape. There are brown wheat crops almost ready for harvesting, fields of sunflowers and neat rows of grape vines, orchards and olive trees. Very pretty.

We arrived in Florence around 4.00pm which gave me a couple of hours to get to the Pont de Vecchio (bridge) to do some shopping before dinner at the hotel. I wanted to buy a gold chain but got the shock of my life to see how dramatically the price of gold has risen since we were here only 2 years ago. I'll probably never be back again so decided to get it anyway.....think of it as an investment!!! There is a long street of shops which crosses the river via the bridge and it is jam-packed with goldsmith shops with display windows crammed with jewellery. The funny thing is that the guy who owns the shop where I bought the chain, owns 11 shops on the bridge so if they don't have what you want, they will run and get it for you from another shop. There's also a couple of leather shops and beyond that is a square with markets which I'll visit tomorrow.

our morning in Florence started at the Academy of Fine Arts where we saw Michelangelo's statue of 'David' - my favourite piece of art in all the world; pure perfection. And also the beautiful 'Rape of the Sabine Woman'....google it and I'm sure you will agree it is amazing. Our TD is a sculptor and explained that every artist does a plaster sample before beginning work on a piece of marble but Michelangelo was the only one who never did; he believed that inside every block of marble is a sculpture wanting to get out and it is the artist’s job to release it from its prison.

From there the local guide, Giovarna took us on a walking tour of the main part of town including the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiori which is a massive building and is covered in an elaborate facade of green, pink and white marble tiles and opposite that the Baptistry of St John with its striking sculpted gilded (bronze) doors which are known as the Gates of Paradise. She took us to the Piazza della Signoria and from there Rosario took over and led us to what he describes as one of the big tourist traps - the leather factory. I made a bee-line for the free toilettes and missed the demo but I did enjoy shopping around in the huge retail outlet and managed to find myself a nice Peruzzi handbag....what a stroke of luck eh?

In the afternoon I went on the optional to San Gimignano (san jim ig nyarno). It was very hot and the walk from the bus drop off very steep but it was worth every drop of sweat. Rosario was a true gentleman and gave me his hat. The Tuscan landscape is gorgeous and I just kept clicking away it is such a breathtaking sight. The town itself is one of those charming medieval hilltop fortifications and was built in the 3rd century BC. 14 of its remaining towers are still in tact and is the reason that it is commonly known as the Manhattan of Italy. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and was the location for the movie Tea with Mussolini which told the story of some English women held prisoner there during WWII and their struggle to save the frescos & artwork from being destroyed by the German soldiers. We spent a few hours there and stopped for a gelato at a very popular little shop where the owners have won the world titles from 2006 - 2009.....gosh I didn't even know those championships existed but I think I'd like to be on the judging panel.

We came back to the hotel to change for the optional Tuscan dinner which was better than the previous one I went to and included musical entertainment. It was a good night and there was lots of laughter & merriment on the bus coming home, probably something to do with the consumption of all the different wines. Our TD (a Sean Connery lookalike) and the driver Angelo (a big tough looking bald guy who is a real character & very sweet) even serenaded us with a couple of Dean Martin songs & they were actually quite good.

What a day (again)! The sightseeing on this tour has been outstanding and today was extra special. We headed to Cinque Terre, one of the places I was so looking forward to and I was definitely not disappointed - it was fabulous. It is a very rugged stretch of coastline situated on the Italian Riviera and is another UNESCO World Heritage site. The guide explained that the reason for the listing is that over the centuries the people have built extensive dry wall terraces right down to the cliffs....the sum of the length of all the terraces if put end to end would be the same length as the Great Wall of China. It is quite extraordinary.

The towns of Cinque Terre which translated means five lands, are not accessible by road so the day was a brilliantly planned excursion (albeit a logistical nightmare but not my problem thankfully) using various forms of transportation. We met a local guide (a really crazy lady named Falvia) at La Spezia and Angelo dropped us off at Porte Venere the first of the towns where Falvia took us down through the steep winding paths to the meeting place for the boat which took us to the resort town of Monterossa stopping off at two other quaint fishing towns along the way. It was very hot and walking between towns is not recommended during the middle part of the day. At Monterossa we were shown where the floods and mudslides cased havoc last October & had some landmarks pointed out before being given a few hours free time to explore and have lunch. Some of the group went swimming and the water looked really nice so I went for a paddle to cool off....it was one of those pebbly beaches but the water was crystal clear and very refreshing.

We caught the train from Monterossa to Santa Marghereta (another idyllic beach resort) and from there a local bus took us to Portofino which is described as the prettiest fishing village in Italy. It has become very popular with the rich and famous so now there are many high end boutiques opening up. But the harbour is very pretty with brightly painted houses along the shore. We had a break to browse around the cafes, boutiques and souvenir shops and admire the yachts moored there and the even more luxurious ones anchored offshore complete with slides and private pontoons, jet skis and other 'toys'.

We caught a ferry back to Santa Marghareta where we were all very pleased to see Angelo and our lovely air conditioned bus! He brought us to our hotel at Genoa birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

Genoa was a big city with nothing much of note to see so we set out reasonably early yesterday on the drive to Lake Maggoire. We drove past fields of grain crops but mostly rice is grown then we travelled up into the mountains. Our visibility was fairly poor as there was a heavy haze caused by the high humidity. The lake is a picturesque setting and there are a few inhabited islands. An optional was offered to Isola Bella which literally means beautiful island - it is the largest of the islands known for the elaborate palace and gardens. I chose not to go and instead relaxed in my room looking out over the lake. Aaaah the serenity; just like Bonny Doon!

today we headed for a highlight lunch at Verona. What a surprise - it is a big city with much evidence of Roman occupation including extensive sections of the ancient wall & the Roman Arena which is famous for large scale opera productions - the marble seats remain in tact. We walked through the old part of town and of course went to see Juliette's balcony. What a hoax - of course Romeo and Juliette are fictional characters. Yet people flock there and love-struck teenage girls leave graffiti messages everywhere pleading with Juliette to help them find their true love. Couples attach padlocks on the gates as a symbol of their eternal love for one another and others plant chewing gum in the shape of hearts. You can pay 4 euro to go on the balcony and have your photo taken. It is a tourist hot spot where you really have to push to get into the courtyard whilst at the same time being on the lookout for pickpockets. We browsed the markets and had lunch which was truly delicious and a relief to get into the air-conditioning.....it's been about 36 today & very humid.

After lunch we headed for Venice and arrived here about 3.00pm. We’re staying in the very elegant Hotel Excelsior right on the beach on the island of Lido. This is where all the celebs stay during the annual film festival at Palazzo del Cinema a few doors away. We drove from the ferry and for a few miles there were rows and rows of cabanas on the beach and closer to the water are thousands of beach umbrellas.....no-one brings their own; they are all for hire (at a ridiculous cost). The sun worshippers were shoulder to shoulder and Rosario reckons the life guard has to blow a whistle and everyone turns over at once!

Venice is so different without the rain that marred our experience 2 years ago. We took a vehicular ferry and it was quite majestic standing at the front of the top deck as we slowly glided through the widest canal, getting a close-up view of the massive cruise liners in port and passing all the city landmarks.

The optional tour of Venice was truly magical. The group was taken in 3 water taxis across to the main part of the city and up the Grand Canal, going under the famous Rialto Bridge meanwhile Rosario gave us a running commentary via the transmitters we were all issued with at the beginning of the tour. I am constantly astounded at his depth of knowledge and the entertaining manner in which he presents it. He then took us on an adventure trail on foot showing us a few hidden treasures and some well known landmarks. We finished in St Mark's Square and aaaah mamma mia - it looked stunning all lit up. We sat in an open-air cafe in the square and listened to beautiful music provided by a pianist on a grand piano, a cellist, a brilliant violinist and an accordionist. It was a balmy night and we stayed there for over an hour sipping champagne and peach juice soaking up the magic that is Venice by night....then another water taxi back to the hotel.

this morning we had breakfast in the beachfront restaurant at the Excelsior then went by launch over to the mainland for a visit to the new Murano glass factory where we watched the glass blowing demo then got ushered into the showroom to view the beautiful items for sale. I bought statement piece for the lounge but of course am having it shipped home. It is a very unusual elephant with its trunk up (good fung shui). I really had no intention of buying anything but loved it as soon as I saw it & just couldn't resist! From there we headed back to the main promenade where we were taken for a very pleasant gondola ride through the canals and were serenaded by a rather good singer accompanied by an accordionist....it was very relaxing gliding along imagining life in Venice in its heyday... Afterwards we had a couple of hours of free time to wander around the streets on our own.

At 12.30 we boarded another launch to Burano for an optional in the quaint fishing village with its tiny canals very brightly painted houses. It was like stepping back in time where the pace is much slower and the streets not as packed with people. We had a fabulous lunch of several courses, then free time to explore (& shop). As luck would have it I found a nice Burano lace set of doilies for my dressing table - exactly what I needed. My word this has been an extremely successful shopping trip for someone who said she wouldn't be wasting time shopping!! Although I certainly don't consider it time wasted Big Grin

Our evening celebration dinner was spoilt by the heat. The hotel did not use air conditioning in the lobby and public areas and it was so hot in the restaurant that everyone was feeling heat stressed and it was downright unpleasant. Pity.

the departure from Venice was an interesting exercise by water taxi (to the train station) which thankfully I was able to share with a Korean family from Sydney - it would have cost me 80 euro on my own and that is what it should have cost for all 4 of us but the driver demanded 95 euro when we reached the station Confused

Everything is so expensive in Venice due to transporting it in by water but the place is a gem. 

The trip was better than all my hopes, dreams and expectations and I think has one of the best itineraries for Italy. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.