Bella Tuscany.

I’m finally here in Tuscany, and it’s just breathtakingly beautiful. My hotel is on top of a mountain looking out over the vineyards, and it’s serene and perfect. But getting here… not so much. My google directions got me about three minutes from the Hertz agency before I became completely lost.

The street signs tend to be stone plaques on the corner of buildings. While I can admire the artistic effect, it makes it really difficult while driving. I looped back around side streets and through the same roundabout several times, then made it onto the correct street. The next turn stumped me though. I finally saw a sign for Siena, so made a frantic turn – frantic only to me, because turn signals seem to be COMPLETELY optional for Italian drivers. So do lane markers, when they exist at all.

I followed signs for Siena, but somehow ended up on the autostrada toward Pisa. NOT where I was trying to be, but it got me out of Florence and let me figure out where I was on the map. Tuned out I was only about 15-20 km out of my way, which I easily made up by cutting back through a couple of smaller towns. It turned out to be a beautiful drive. Once I relaxed enough to let go of the damn steering wheel and BREATHE, this was my reward.

Roman Holiday - Day Two

Damn, I was sitting in a cafe in Greve yesterday, just about to hit the Publish button, when the power went out. So several posts today to catch up...


So Monday I went to the Vatican. Didn't see the Pope, but saw enough gorgeous art to leave me a little mind-boggled. No crazy New Zealand tour guide either. Instead, a really nice Ph.D. theolody student named Jill from North Carolina. She really knew her stuff. All of the guides carry around some sort of flag or scarf or something so their groups can find them. She had a Duke basketball pom-pom, so we could be the only group walking through the biggest Christian church in the world and cheering for the devils!

On the way back, I managed a quick trip to the Bocca della Verita - the mouth of truth. It was at the entrance to a pretty medival church, but on a really busy street and not very picturesque at all. So much for my Audrey Hepburn fantasies. Where is Gregory Peck when you need him?

I'm heading out of Rome in the morning. It's an amazing city, just because there is so much history here, but it's not a place I'd ever want to live. It's got kind of snooty vibe going on, kind of an LA-attitude, as in.. 'we are all beautiful people and so much cooler than you, so just admire us.' Some cities I've been to and felt immedately at home at. This wasn't one of them.

Roman Holiday. Day One.

After finding an Internet café this morning, I wandered over to the Pantheon, but morning Mass was still going on, so I headed a few blocks over and tossed my coins into the Trevi Fountain. It was gorgeous, but absolutely mobbed with tourists (OK, I’m one too, but still.) From there, it was a pretty walk south to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, then to the Colosseum.

On the way, I passed the Musei Capiotolini, which has a Renoir exhibit going on. Not quite the ancient Rome I had planned for the day, but I couldn’t resist.

Later, I hooked up with a tour at the Colosseum. The organizer thought I was Swedish (or maybe Dutch?), which has already happened to me twice, until I open my mouth and the southern drawl comes out!

We had two tour guides – one for the Colosseum, and one for the Palatine Hill. The first tour guide was good, but the second cracked me up, starting off by comparing guide #1 to an oompa-loompa. Short, orangey tan skin and bright white hair – right on target! Guide #2 was Dave, an art history student from New Zealand who could be the poster boy for Ritalin. But energy in a tour guide is a GOOD thing, and he kept us laughing through the climb up the hill to the archaeological site. Particularly amusing were his repeated, yet highly cheesy and ultimately unsuccessful efforts to pick up the really pretty Canadian girl in our group.

I’m actually going to take his tour tomorrow of Vatican City. The company lets you pre-register, and you don’t have to stand in the lines, which I have heard can be really long.

After the tour, back down the Palatine Hill, through the forum, then up the Capitoline Hill. By the end of that, it was about 4:00 and I was whipped. A lemon gelato on the way back to my hotel helped a bit. There are gelaterias here like there are Starbucks in DC – one on every block. I’ll take incredibly smooth and delicious ice cream over coffee any day, although the $5 per can of diet coke is making my caffeine addiction cringe.

I stuck to “my” neighborhood in the Piazza Navona for dinner again tonight. It’s touristy, which makes it a little bit easier to sit by yourself. They put me at a table next to two women from Germany who were about my age, and we chatted a bit. No free limoncello tonight though! Walked home to the sound of a street performer singing La Vie en Rose in Italian. A little bizarre, but pretty…

Rome ... at last

I'm sitting here in an Internet cafe in Rome, but every time I try to upload pictures, explorer crashes. So hopefully I will be able to add pictures later today from somewhere else. But I'm in Rome, the weather outside is georgeous, and I'm about to start some serious sightseeing.

Yesterday was a really LONG day. I finally arrived yesterday afternoon. The train from the airport into downtown Rome was not air conditioned, and it was HOT. Had some mutual complaining and a nice chat with a couple from Chicago and a guy from Brazil.

My hotel is charming (and wouldn't a picture be great at this point) and very near the Piazza Navona. I had dinner there last night and wandered around. But after nearly 24 hours awake, two glasses of wine and a free limoncello from the very nice bartender, I wasn't really noticing much. I crashed early, and didn't move until breakfast arrived at my room at 8am.

More soon!

Lotions and Potions

I'm here in Rome. Here is what I couldn't find Internet access to post yesterday...

Packing was definitely a challenge. I’ve never thought of myself as a particularly high-maintenance person…

Yet the evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Still, ,I’ve managed to get everything (even a few changes of clothes) into one suitcase, one carry-on, and a big honking “handbag.”
Because Delta just has to make life difficult for people trying to actually use their frequent flyer miles, I have the mother of all layovers in New York today. But since spending 11 hours wandering the halls of JFK airport just isn’t my style, I opted for a side trip into Manhattan for the day.

To get this vacation off to a luxurious start, treated my toes to a little pampering, since I’m sure I’ll be hoofing it a lot. Or at least that is the excuse. I just happen to LOVE pedicures.
Still haven’t figured out the justification yet for telling my hairstylist to just do something DIFFERENT yesterday, because I’m BORED with my hair. It’s not like I haven’t had the same haircut and color for a decade or anything… Oh… um… I guess I have.

Anyway, that little bit of impetuousness has resulted in my going to Italy with red hair. Since I don’t possess the ability to aim the camera without looking in the general direction of my head and come out with anything that doesn’t look like I’m being tortured, Y’all will have to wait for that picture.

But back to today, and my wanderings around the big apple. Unfortunately, lunch plans were thrown for a loop, when my friend Laura got stuck at her office. So I wandered around and tried to avoid shopping for a while, just enjoying the beautiful day, then headed back to the airport, where I’m about to board.

Next up, Rome…

This time next week...

I'll be wandering around Rome, which is the first stop, followed by Tuscany, then winding up with a few days on the beach in Cinque Terre.



Here is my hotel in Tuscany...



And here is Monterosso al Mare, the town where I am staying in Cinque Terre.

I'm studying up on the Italian phrases I'm absolutely going to have to know...

• Do you take credit cards? Prendete la carta di credito?
• May I see a wine list? Posso vedere la carta dei vini?
• Excuse me, but where the hell am I? Mi scusi. Mi sono persa. Come si arriva a ____? (OK, that one is much more polite.)
• I'm sorry, but I am allergic to shellfish. Scusi, sono allergico a molluschi.
• Do those shoes come in a size 41? Cerco una taglia quaranta uno?

That should just about cover it!

Ciao Bambino!

Before I get down to the serious (or not so serious) business of blogging my vacation, let's start off with the totally unrelated latest photo of my adorable nephew, Christopher. As usual, he's laughing his head off. This kid has the world's BEST laugh -- the least little thing sends him into peals of complete, hyena-level delight. You can't help but laugh along with him.