Italy Day 8 - Taormina Day 2 (Wed., 9/11/13)

It will come as no surprise that we started the day having a little breakfast in the hotel's dining room. As we've been here for a day, we realize that we are not actually in Taormina, which perches on the mountain top; our hotel is in Giradini-Naxos, on the beach below.

After breakfast we took a walk to the beach and around the bay. We shopped in the boutiques and shared a small cup of lemon ice. The lemon ice here is creamier than what I've had in the states (if I remember correctly) and is called lemon sorbet. It's very tasty and refreshing. It is very, very hot here and very, very humid--74% today. 

Out hotel room didn't have any air conditioning this morning, so Dennis asked at the front desk if they could do something about it. When we got back, it was too hot in the room so we got in the car and drove to Syracuse (pronounced Ser-a-cus-a). Dennis wanted to see how far it was to the airport in Catania (about an hour away) so we would be prepared to travel there tomorrow morning for our flight to Rome. Syracuse is below Catania, so we decided to keep on driving. Syracuse is a very, very old seaport city. The buildings are old and the streets are paved with foot-square bricks. Easier to walk on than the cobblestones of Rome, but kind of weird to drive on.

We stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant across from the bay. We had a Margarita pizza followed by another lemon ice. Interestingly, the pizza was served whole, not sliced. Apparently, these are considered personal pizzas, but are large enough to share. 

After lunch, we got in the car and drove back to the hotel. By the time we got back, the room's air conditioning was working again and it was ice cole--just the way I like it. We rested awhile then went out again for a little dessert. We found a great restaurant just down the block and ordered a traditional Sicilian cake, a chocolate mousse, and a lemon ice. We shared everything and felt very satisfied. While we were eating, a small band came in and played their music. We gave them some money and bought their CD. 

After dinner, we went in search of a book I had seen earlier about Sicily. We found it in a little souvenir shop a few doors down from the restaurant. We bought the book and some other souvenirs to bring home. Then we stopped in a very nice market and bought some provolone cheese, salame picante, and cracked olives. We'll have it for a snack tomorrow. We're leaving very early so we will have plenty of time at the airport. No doubt we will still have our free breakfast in the hotel like we have every other day. 

Italy Day 7 - Taormina Day 1 (Tues., 9/10/13)

Again we had breakfast at the hotel in Palermo before retrieving the car from the infamous garage and taking off for Taormina.  Goodbye, Palermo. 

We thought we would head toward Cefalu to see what the town is like and then double  back to the road to Taormina. We've been using our iphones as a gps system to guide us to our destinations. It works fairly well unless we pass through an area that doesn't have cell coverage. That has happened several times, but we always pick it up again with no problems.

We've taken a lot of photos during the trip, both with our iphones and with the regulation camera. I bought a new Canon SZ280 HS with WiFi just for this trip. It's a great camera. It has anti-shake software so I've even been able to take pictures in a moving car. It just latches on so when you depress the button all the way, it takes a steady shot. I think.

Unfortunately for the blog, I haven't had much time to figure out which photos to use and how to do it. Also, we don't always have internet in the room and when we do, it's not always reliable.

I have been using the Zagg keyboard with my ipad a lot. It's really great and I love the way it snaps back together like a clamshell, keeping both the keyboard and my ipad safe.

When we reached Cefalu, we knew we weren't going to stop. We drove through the town, but the streets were narrow and there was a LOT of traffic. It was too early for lunch anyway. We pressed on toward Cantania and Taormina. On the way, we stopped at a very big, very new Outlet Center called Sicilia, with over 100 top international brands offering up to 70% discount prices. There was Gucci, Armani, Ferrari, Guess, and a bunch of stores I never heard of. We walked the enter mall, downstairs and upstairs. It was very hot and humid. The outlet center is located pretty much in the center of eastern Sicily. We bought a few things, had a gelato at the Lindt candy store and took a little rest. The gelato was the best we'd had yet. Sorry, Betty, it was better than the one we had in San Vito Lo Capo.

From there we pressed on toward our hotel in Taormina, located about 32 miles north of Catania. Catania is a good sized city, too. We didn't stop there, but the beach community looked very attractive. When we finally arrived in Taormina, our iphone map took us to the back of the hotel on a tiny street which Dennis eventually had to back out of. We called and talked to Mohammed, who gave us directions to the front of the hotel. I think he and Dennis talked 3 times before we figured it our. Luckily, the hotel provides parking (at a price) because Taormina, like Palermo, Rome and all the other large cities in Italy, doesn't have much street parking available.

The room is very nice--and large. It can sleep four and has a small veranda where we can sit and relax in the evening. Not this evening, though. Our good friends from San Diego (Lakeside, actually) are in Taormina at the same time that we are. This is a coincidence that we discovered before we left on vacation, so we planned to meet and have dinner on our first night in Taormina. Then they will be going on the rest of their trip and we will have one day more in Taormina before flying back to New York on Thursday and to San Diego on Friday the 13th. Pretty lucky, huh?

Time for me to rest up before dinner. Dennis took off on a reconnaissance mission to check out the way to the restaurant where we are meeting Terry and Barbara. Mohammed said it was about a half-hour walk. Yikes! My feet are so sore, I can't face the prospect of more walking. Help me, Rhonda!

Back from Dinner

We had a wonderful dinner with Terry and Barbara. Turns out the restaurant is owned by Nini, who also is the owner of Terry and Barbara's bed and breakfast hotel. They have become fast friends; T & B have had dinner at Nini's restaurant every night for the last 3 nights, I believe. It was such a "hoot" as Barbara says that we all are in the same place in Sicily at the same time--for one night at least. Tomorrow they will be on their way for the rest of their trip while Dennis and I will be here for another day and night. It was good to spend time with them tonight. 

It's about 11 p.m. and I believe I will go to bed now.

Italy Day 6 - Palermo Day 2 (Mon., 9/9/13)

Today we had breakfast at the hotel and took a little walk a few blocks to the port. It was a short walk because I had put on the torture sneakers to give them another try. Big mistake. We went back to the hotel to change shoes and pick up our phones and maps. Then we picked up the car at the garage and set off on another adventure.

The day started out all right but soon turned to crap. We drove out to Trappeto because I insisted I wanted to see where my Grandmother on my father's side lived before she met her husband and emigrated to the United States. Trappeto is a small seaside village with the narrowest roads we'd ever seen. The iphone kept saying to turn down into the town, where we nearly got stuck maneuvering the car around curves on the tiny squished roads. Dennis lost his cool and so did I. I think the word, "divorce," was mentioned. We had no idea where my grandmother lived, specifically, but we got an image of the place anyway. It was a fine location, right by the water. We were happy to find our way out. Dennis did a great job, but I was still mad at him for most of the day.

After that fiasco, we drove on to Balestrate, where my grandfather on my father's side lived. It was just a short distance down the road and this time we only drove through the upper town and not down to the beach. Still mad, though.

I was ready to go back to the hotel or home if I could, but Dennis drove on to our third goal of the day, San Vito de Capo. I usually like to go to the end of things...like the end of Long Island or Maine or any other place that sticks out into the ocean. San Vito de Capo was such a place. This time the roads were really wide and easy to navigate, probably because it is a summer beach resort where families come to vacation and swim in the sea. We found a parking space (still at a premium here as it is everywhere in Italy) far from the Main Street, so we started walking again. 

On the Main Street we found restaurants and ice cream shops all up and down the street. I think we came at siesta time because many of the places were closed up. At the restaurant where we had lunch, Dennis asked where we could find a store to buy water to drink. The man who was perhaps the owner directed us to a grocery down the way but said it would be closed until 4 o'clock. I had been reading in "Stumbling through Italy" that stores open at 10 am until 1 p.m., then close for siesta until 4 pm. They they stay open until 8 or 9 in the evening. Seems it is true.

After spending some time in the town, we walked back to the car (Dennis saved me a couple of blocks of walking by retrieving the car and then picking me up.) We drove back to Palermo and, with me giving directions from my iphone and Dennis driving, we made it back to our hotel. What a trip driving in Palermo.

Dennis parked the car in the parking garage and I went to our room. Later he went out again and bought some bottles of water and goodies from the bakery. Somehow he was able to bring me a hot cup of cappuccino so I guess I forgive him for being mean to me.

Italy Day 5 - Rome Day 4/ Palermo Day 1 (Sun., 9/8/13)

On Sunday we had breakfast in the hotel then met our driver for the trip to the airport. Dennis had reserved a car even though everyone says driving in Palermo is hazardous to your health. We couldn't check in until 2 p.m., so we drove over to Trapani at the west tip of Sicily. We didn't look it up to see what Trapani has to offer tourists, so we missed the Museum of Salt and a few other sights. However, we did drive UP to Erice, an ancient stone castle that now houses quaint shops, bakeries and restaurants. If you look it up in Wikipedia, you'll find Erice has an ancient history and diverse culture. The road up to Erice was way scary. Poor Dennis--his first driving experience was twisty-turny narrow roads with a mountain on one side and steep cliffs on the other. We later found out that there is a tram from Trapani up to Erice. 

Erice was a fun and interesting place to visit. We did a little shopping and had lunch at the top. We also hit the bakery while we were at it. At one shop I asked the clerk about a jar of ficudinnia jam. Then we got into how it's pronounced. The previous is the spelling and pronunciation in Sicily. Figo da India is how they say it in mainland Italy. Dennis and I have a running argument about the way we say it and the way the girls in the shop said it. I say it's close enough. End of discussion.

We found out there is an easier road to take on the way down, so we took it. Whew! On the way home we drove through Valderice at the foothills of Erice. This was where my Uncle John grew up. We didn't know the address or location of his house, but we got a flavor of the place by driving through.

After that we drove back to Palermo and found our hotel, the Mercure Palermo Centro, the key being "Centro," right in the middle of everything. When we got there, I went in to see where the parking lot was for the hotel. Ha. They said it was closed for the night. What? They the clerk told us to find a parking space on the street for the night. Anywhere in the "blue lines." Dennis left me on the street and drove around looking for a parking space. Palermo parking is something else. We had to find a blue line space while everyone else in Palermo was parking every which way and wherever. Eventually, Dennis came rolling all our stuff by himself until I caught up with him. I still don't understand why he didn't leave the suitcases with me on the street or take me with him to help moving them to the hotel. Oh, well, it got done, but we were not happy. The parking lot reopened at 8 o'clock, so we Dennis went down (we're on the 7th floor) and moved the car to the parking lot. 

The car, by the way, is a Citroen Diesel. It has served very well so far, even though Dennis had to learn how to use a six-shift manual transmission.

Italy Day 4 - Rome Day 3 (Sat., 9/7/13)

We ate breakfast at the hotel again, then walked over to the Collesium. Turns out it is only about 10 minutes away from the hotel. Uphill, of course. We walked around and took pictures on an unofficial self-guided tour. We bought some souvenirs in the gift shop for our people back home. 

Afterward we took the Metro to Termini to shop for shoes and walk around awhile. I bought some sneakers at the Footlocker so I could give my feet a break. Turned out, however, the shoes were not good for my feet. I got hot spots that burned my toes. Woe. I wished I had brought my own sneakers from home. They are very good for my feet and never "bite." A word about that, too. Before taking this trip I researched what to wear in Italy. All the blogs I saw said, "Don't wear sneakers; don't wear Levi's." And what am I seeing all over the place? Sneakers and Levi's. Not only on Ugly Americans, but they are selling them in the Stores, too! So much for looking good.

Because my shoes didn't hurt yet, we took the Metro over to the Spanish Steps.I took pictures of Dennis as he ran up the steps to the very top!

Then we walked over to Via del Corso, the major shopping district in the center of Rome. Then we walked back by the ruins near the Colosseum and had lunch at a very nice restaurant. We walked back to the hotel (we thought we were lost, but Dennis found a way back that happened to go right by the gelato shop. We bought some and took it down to the fountain to eat it sitting on the steps. There is always a crowd there.

We went back to the hotel to rest for another foray later in the evening. That night we searched for another dessert place, but ended up going back to the same place as the night before. We ate outside again and struck up a conversation with a mature (like us)  gentleman sitting next to us. Turns out he was previously CEO of Shell Oil and had some interesting stories to tell. We visited for quite a while and then said our goodbyes and went to the hotel for our last night there.

Italy Day 3 - Rome Day 2 (Fri., 9/6/13)

We started the day with the hotel's continental breakfast. Afterward, we met the tour bus and were transported to meet our day's guide, an Italian woman holding a flower-topped stick. She said we should always find our way back to the flower. It turned out this was a walking tour (more walking!). We first walked to the Opera House building where we had views of the Italian Government buildings. We saw where the Prime Minister's office was and where the Legislature convenes. Then we walked to the Fontana di Trevi where you are supposed to throw a coin in the fountain so you will be sure to return to Rome. (Remember the movie, 3 Coins in a Fountain?) Like that. We only had Euros, so first Dennis threw a coin, then I threw mine in for Betty.

After that, we walked to the Pantheon, which is a replica of the Parthenon in Greece. Then we walked through the Piazza Navone on the way to the Ponte Umberto I, a walking bridge over the Tiber River that winds through Rome. On the other side of the bridge is the  Piazza del Tribunali, the palace of justice or the Supreme Court. Turning left, we walked past the walking bridge that was in the Angels and Demons movie, sequel to the Da Vinci Code. The bridge, called Pointe Sant' Angelo, is across from the Castel Sant' Angelo, built as the tomb for Emperor Hadrian, but now used as a museum. Emperor Hadrian built Hadrian's Wall across Great Britain in 122 AD. Shows you how far was Rome's reach in those days. From there, we walked over the threshold (a line) that separates Rome from Vatican City. We walked around the right edge of St. Peter's Square and into St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo spent much of his long life working on the Dome, which was not yet finished at his death. We didn't see the Sistine Chapel however, which was another 15-20 minute walk. That pretty much ended the tour and the tread on my feet.

We caught a taxi back to the hotel for a much deserved rest. Did I mention it was HOT?

While I rested, Dennis walked to Termini (the train station) to find me someplace to buy shoes and do some shopping. When he got back, we went to lunch at "Wanted," a nice Italian restaurant. We were seated at an open window, which gave us a nice breeze. After lunch we walked up the hill for gelato. We walked back down and ate our gelato on the steps around a fountain where people seem to gather. Then we went back to the hotel for awhile. Later in the evening we went out again for some dessert at a nice outdoor restaurant a few blocks away. 

We walked back to our hotel for the rest of the night.

Italy-Day 2 / Rome Day 1 (Thurs., 9/5/13)

We left San Diego Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, and arrived in Rome this morning (Thurs., Sept. 5) at 7:30 a.m. The Alitalia flight from New York was a half hour early. Our travel agency (Gate 1) had a man there to meet us and drive us to the hotel. That made it very nice and easy. There was a lot of traffic on the roads, but we arrived safely at the Grand Hotel Palatino in the heart of Rome.

Our room wouldn't be ready until 2 o'clock, so we had a lot of time to kill. We checked our luggage and set off walking around the town. Although the morning was relatively cool when we arrived, it was quickly heating up. We walked to the Colosseum and around the town to various other ruins and museums. We walked for about 4 hours until I couldn't walk anymore. My feet were in severe pain, my back started to hurt and my legs were getting wobbly. Too much!!!

We stopped for some gelato once and tried to get out of the sun by taking the shadier sides of the streets. This is exactly what I was afraid of. No sleep on the plane and no taking it easy on jet lag day. I was getting very stressed and we went back to the hotel. Our room was ready, so we went up and I took a shower to get rid of all the sweat and grime of the city. Then Dennis and I both crashed, me more than him. Eventually, he went out again "researching restaurants" for tonight.

While I rested in the hotel room, Dennis went out to research a place to eat dinner that wouldn't require much walking. He did a great job, finding a nice outdoor restaurant in back of the hotel. We had two kinds of pizza-Margherita and one with only tomato sauch and spices. We found out that the Margherita pizza was named after the Queen Consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy. The tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil are supposed to represent the flag of Italy. Anyway, both pizzas were good.

After dinner we walked up the hill to a little bakery and ate some sweets. We walked a little more and then went back to the hotel for the night. Thus endith the first day in Rome.