Jeffrey Johnson 7/12/21 Jeffrey Johnson 7/12/21

Arrivederci Italia…

Buongiorno! Our alarm rang at 7 am this morning tempted to hit the snooze button but it wouldn't be any easier in 5 mins. The reality is we are leaving Italy today, sad but true. We dressed for the pending travel day and finished packing up. The luggage is full and heavy… hopefully no issues at the airport.

Next we headed down stairs to fill our hunger on a delicious power meal before our water taxis due to arrived at 9:30 to pick us up from the dock outside. Breakfast over we headed up stairs to collect our bags. Noticed out the window our taxi had arrived early.

*Our water taxis has arrived at Cima Rosa dock early…so excited for this transfer to the airport*

So convenient to walk out on the dock hand our luggage to the captain and hop on board.

Now all we have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy ride. I think this is truly the best way to arrive at an airport. What do you think?

*The most relaxing taxi ride to the airport ever!*

*Notice how shiny even the top is..of the boat not the captain…*

We’ve been so looking forward to this experience of riding one of these beautiful boats to the airport. It’s not cheap but well worth the convenience especially with our burdens of luggage. Taking the water taxis to the airport cost one hundred twenty euro. It’s about a 20 to 30 min ride.

*We have arrived! Look at all the water taxi docks at the airport*

A little treck later we arrived at the terminal. We booked through Delta, however this flight was with their partner airline Air France. Spotting the Air France airline counter we headed over to check into our flight from VCE to ORD in Paris. The monitor showed the flight to be on time all was going as planned so far. Until we reached the ticket counter…

The lady helping us to check in, asked for our passports to look up our reservation. Soon she told us there was a problem with our reservation, she said wasn’t able to fix it and that we needed to go call Delta Airlines. This was all very strange and confusing being we had all the information needed on our app but the seat assignment and boarding pass. She said we had no seat on this flight and our reservation only showed assigned seats from ORD to ATL and ATL to GTR. So we headed off for a quiet spot in the terminal to try to call Delta.

As expected we couldn't get through to them with a 1800 number in Italy and the international number didn't work for us either. Bummer…Time is ticking by are we going to make the flight? The anxiety level was starting to creep up alittle, then alot. I decided to go back to the ticket counter to pleading with them to help us figure what was wrong with the reservation. This time I was met with a more helpful personnel the same lady but she was now ready to look into what could be done. Great I wonder what changed! She contacted her manager to help her figure out what to do. Mandy was waiting with the luggage aways off, still unsure how this was going to turn out, getting hopeful I messaged her to come to the ticket counter. After awhile I was told the problem with the reservation was that someone had taken our seats…? They did have some seats available in the back of the plane would we like to take them? Yes! With a big sigh of relief we headed off to the security line and on to the gate. Soon the boarding call came. At the boarding gate we were told one of our carryon bags was just to heavy and we would need to check it in all the way through to GTR. Finally on board and settled in, the flight departed on time at 12:15 bound for Paris.

It was good flight and the scenery outside wasn’t bad either!

Two hours later we landed in Paris ORD safe and sound.

We needed go through passport control. Impressed with this airport seemed very clean and tidy. We passed through a nice shopping area on the way to Gate E44. Here Delta had a couple tables set up to check our passports and Covid test results. We also had to filled our some other paperwork. All good we are cleared to fly!

Close by our gate we notice a vendor selling Laduree Macarons. No way we could pass this opportunity up to have a taste of Paris to take with us on our flight.

We bought a chic box of six macarons pistachio, coffee, lemon, chocolate, orange blossom, and a maple flavored. Of course we had to try as many as possible! They are the best…and helped bring back memories of the few days we spent in France in 2019.

Our flight from ORD to ATL departed a bit late due the luggage loader's transmission giving out…Lol. Twenty to thirty minutes later we were finally on our way. Oh well just makes our connection a bit tighter in ATL. All settled into our comfortable seats, soon after take off our first meal was served. Mandy had the Ravioli entree and Jeff had the Roasted Chicken entree both were good.

This flight lasted around 9 hrs and was uneventful like a flight should be. Always good to land safely back in the USA.

We breezed through the Border Control Customs area. This was the first time using our Global Entry. Wow it saved us some valuable time. We possibly couldn't have made our connecting flight if we would have had to wait in the line going through customs. As with any international flight arriving into the USA we had to collect are checked luggage at the baggage claim area then recheck it into Delta to continue on its journey to Columbus, MS. Time was speeding by as we waited for the luggage to arrive on the conveyor belt. After the luggage was claimed and rechecked in we headed for the TSA security line. This was a very slow moving line plus we happen to choosen the slowest line of all the lines… (Lol it doesn't help when the flight is leaving earlier than expected, it’s the last flight of the day, and Delta Airlines had already determined we wouldn't make our connection and emailed us saying they were looking into rebooking us on another flight.) Amazing not even a special TSA Precheck line in this security check point. TSA Precheck is really quick and helpful in most domestic security lines. It is also an added bonus of having Global Entry. We eventually made it through the check point. One humorous thing was the wooden rolling pin we had in the bottom of the our carry on luggage. It didn’t raise any alarm until this security line. Guess it looked just too suspicious until the agent dug in and pulled it out. “Oh a rolling pin" he said. Finally free to go we had about 15 mins to get from terminal F to D44 which happens to be at the very end of concourse D. We caught the plane train to terminal D and then we ran to Gate 44! We beat the odds… all is well that ends well. Now for the short 45 min flight from ATL to GTR to complete our long journey back to Mississippi.

We landed around 9:00 pm Mississippi time which is an eight hour time change difference from Italy Time. We have found out jet lag seems to be much worst when traveling west back to the USA then traveling east. I wonder if it’s the opposite when traveling from USA to example Japan…does someone know? We had left VCE airport at 12:15 arriving at GTR airport around 16 hours later.

Arriving back at our home, we unpacked to see if our checked luggage goodies made it safely home. Yay all good!

*The goodies made it home safe and sound*

Memories made, what a holiday, what a journey, now what? Well sleep seems to be the first on the agenda…then we are thinking of going down memory lane abit and posting about our 2019 journey to western Europe, including the itinerary, sites we seen and foods we ate. Our trip started in England, spend a few days in France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands during the spring tulip season. Maybe we will post some tips and tricks about travel that we have learnt through trial and error. Who knows what the future holds, one thing is for sure the call to a new adventure will begin to stir again inside and we'll begin reseaching, savings the pennies and dimes for a anticipated destination. You are welcome to check in from time to time..!

Jeffrey Johnson 7/11/21 Jeffrey Johnson 7/11/21

Venezia

Good morning from Venezia! Blessed with another lovely day! Enjoyed our relaxing breakfast by a open kitchen window.

Curiously observing the morning canal traffic. Everything being transported by boat gives a new perspective to take in.

*Boats, boats…always amazing to see the many different type of boats. Boats for every need.*

Giada came to Cima Rosa at ten. We were so looking forward to seeing the markets and all the fresh food! A start to our tour was the Fish Market. The fish market is a daily occurrence. A place where the restaurant chefs and home cooks will go each morning to pick up the seafood they will need for the daily specials, so fresh!

*One of the many tables of fresh sea food from the Adriatic Sea…*

*Cuttlefish…found out what it looked like uncooked.*

*This is how to protect pedestrians from the sword fish…just a chunk of styrofoam.*

A Venician diet consists of a lot of seafood. After taking in the fishy smells we moved on to the produce area of the market. Buying us a bag of delicious looking cherries to eat in between our other eats!

*Wishing our small Mississippi home town had this market…*

*Notice the Zucchini flowers for sell…we told our guide we wanted to try the fried Zucchini flowers. She made it happen later in the tour. Zucchini filled with Mozzarella cheese.*

*We bought some cherries from this vendor*

Our tour continued on through the streets and over the Rialto Bridge. Gathering tid bits of information and history along the way. Finding ourselves at Fondaco dei Tedeschi ( a high end shopping mall ), we took the escalators to the top terrace for excellent views of the city.

*This overlook is in the corner of the Grand Canal*

*Beautiful view of the grand canal and all of its boat activity*

A waterfront along the harbor stroll Giada pointing the houses of long ago merchants, and the islands where Murano Glass is blown by the glass makers. Some Real Murano glass (not the fake glass, be careful ) makes a great Venician souvenir!

*The area cruise ships pass through so close to the main city*

This city is an amazing engineering accomplishment. The majority of all the buildings, streets, etc…are being held up by many, many wood post driven deep into the mud below. This is one of the reason the Venetian people loathe cruise ships docking at the their harbor. Their unique city and way of life is fragile and has been slowly sinking over time. These massive cruise ships move so much water their fear is this is only speeding up the decay below the city. The other side of this argument is the fact Venetians depend on the tourist money to survive. Maybe there can be compromise made somehow in the city's behalf? Time will tell.

Took in a view of the gondola workshop. Notice the Chalet looking houses in the picture. Interestingly the boat builders originated from the Dolomites.

*Walked passed this gondola repair and new gondola construction site.*

Stopped by a couple churches to take in the paintings and hear a little history. After the bright sunshine the dim interiors of the churches are refreshingly cool.

*Such narrow alleys…where Giada leads we’ll follow*

Last but not least, Giada took us to her favorite pizza place. We divided the cherries we had bought between us before saying our goodbyes. Some relaxing while enjoying a cold coke and yummy pizza ensued. (Well not quite as yummy as Naples pizza ;) !

Once again we were on our own. We headed out to find the spice store that Giada had told us about. Only to find it was closed but would be opening soon. In the meantime before it opened we enjoyed a cold coffee drink and found us a spot along the canal to enjoy it. Back at the spice store we bought some olive oil and a bottle of good Balsamic vinegar for the food we are dreaming of making back home.

*Local spice store. Here we bought olive oil and balsamic vinegar to take home. Had to wait for the doors to open*

Alas no credit card were accepted at this store only cash they said. Off we went to find the nearest ATM before we could make the purchase.

Jeff wanted to see the Bridge of Sighs and I was wanting to walk through a few of the Murano glass stores. We set off on a bridge hunt! Once again it took alot of walking! After a little confusion with Google maps again, we spotted the Bridge of Sighs. According to legend, the name comes from when condemned prisoners were taken to prison or to be executed. They would cross this bridge and could briefly catch a glimpse of the world outside through the windows on the bridge.

Along the way I was enjoy looking at all the pretty glass. Ended up buying a lovely Murano vase as a Venician keepsake.

It’s our last day in Italy...trying to soak up as much of Venezia as we can! It was finally time to head back to our home neighborhood and Cima Rosa to get ready for Dinner. We were thinking maybe we should try a different restaurant this time. Only after a walk around we came back to the same one we had enjoyed for the last two nights. Jeff enjoyed his pasta with shrimp and zucchini. I had sea brim. The whole fish on the plate. Of course we shared like always! It was all good down to the last bite!

*Our yummy go to spot to eat dinner here in Venezia*

Arrivederci Friends, for we leave domani (tommorow) back the USA…Back to reality…I’m sure our dogs and the other animals will be happy to see us. Thank you to those who helped with all the chores at home! A special Grazie! to all our new wonderful Italian friends who so graciously shared their Italia with us...Per Favore (please) come visit us in Mississippi, prego!! We are so grateful to have had this opportunity in life to broaden our horizons, taste, learn just alittle about this delicious cuisine and to see another beautiful country in God's creation. Italy is truly a very special place with such well preserved architecture and an amazing culture. Hopefully this will not be our last time to visit Italia… One more thing, if anyone has any questions or is planning a trip to Italy, we would like to hear from you. If we can be of any help to you just let us know. There is so much more we could share then what we have written in these blog post…

We are back at Cima Rosa looking forward to a good night sleep before the Big day of traveling home. Our alarm is set to ring at 7 am...Bonne Notte! Till tommorow…

Check back soon to read about an unusual way to arrive at the airport and our traveling day’s events…

*Last evening in Venezia…sad but so grateful for the opportunity to experience this city and beautiful Italia.*

Jeffrey Johnson 7/7/21 Jeffrey Johnson 7/7/21

Venice, Treviso

Venezia! Buongiorno! We woke up in our beautiful room in boutique Hotel Cima Rosa to the sound of many boats going by us in the grand canal outside our window!

*The busy Grand Canal outside our window*

Wow what an usual sight and sound in such unique city that revolves around canals and boats of all kinds.

After splashing cold water on our faces and getting ready for the days new adventures we headed down the stairway we were greeted by our kind hostess Brittany. She made and served us our yummy breakfast. Sitting at our table by the open window looking out over the grand canal, since we were sitting at the kitchen table,, visiting with Brittany as made us breakfast, was easy and so relaxing. She served us a delicious parfait, toast n jam, fried eggs, fried speck, caffe' doppio, and a cappuccino for Mandy.

So interesting visiting with Brittany. She grew up in the Ohio (USA). She came to Venezia at the age of 18 with a student visa. In the meantime of studying, she found her future husband a local Venetian. She has lived in Italia for 22 years, raising a family and is the owner of Hotel Cima Rosa. We learnt so much from Brittany during our conversations during breakfast. We talked about Italy, Venice and yes of course we had to talk about the USA to. Thank you Brittany you are great cook and hostess. Mandy and I throughly enjoyed our stay at you boutique hotel. Come visit us in Mississippi!

Our tour guide (Giada) met us at Cima Rosa at 9:15. Tour was booked through the With Locals App. Today's agenda: catch the regional train from Venezia to Giada's childhood home town of Treviso. Giada grew up in Treviso, studied in Venezia, and now calls Venezia home. After approximate 30 min train ride we arrived in Treviso.

Treviso is a cute town that is sometimes referred to as Little Venice because of it's many fresh water canals.

Giada told us the interesting history of Treviso. Including the World War II history showing us buildings that had been bombed by USA bombers and rebuilt.

*Ancient frescos on part of the building survived after being bombed in WWII.*

We stopped for a quick snack of Panzerotti. She ordered two panzerotti for us. One had sardines and mozzarella the other had mozzarella and ham. Very good! Even had some local vino rosso which is so typical here in Italia.

*Our guide buying mid morning snacks for us*

Delicious fried snack — *Delicious* *fried snack*

A highlight of the tour was visiting the restraunt where Tiramsu was created and having a delicious slice with an espresso shot and a glass of water. Before heading back to Venice we had to stop for Gelato! Thank you Giada for a great day and tour of your home town Treviso.

Are you looking for the best guide in Venezia or Treviso? Book with Giada. Here is her link:

https://www.withlocals.com/host/giadaf247628eaa

*The restraunt that claims to have first created Tiramsu*

We arrived back in Venice around 2:30 pm. Took a scenic walk from the train to Cima Rosa where we crashed for a much needed power nap. Afterwards we wandered the streets and canal bridges of our local neighborhood. Feeling refreshed we headed out in search of a Gondalier that would take us on a long awaited first gondola ride. Beings there were not many tourists in Venezia during our time in the city, it wasn't hard to find an idle Gondalier waiting to gives a us ride in his prised gondola. We wanted to take a gondola ride starting from a back canal near our hotel, which wasn’t a problem. The problem was deciding which Gondalier to ride with! They all wanted the business after such a slow year of lock downs during the plandemic.

*The Gondalier and Gondola we chose to ride with*

*Our relaxing gondola ride in the beautiful small canals*

Having settled on a Gondalier he helped us aboard his boat named Claudia after his wife. Off we went gliding silently through beautiful back canals heading for the grand canal. A very relaxing experience I must say.

After passing under the Rialto Bridge we headed towards our starting point.

*Our gondola ride headed under the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal*

Godola ride cost is 80 euros before 7 pm or 100 euros after 7 pm. This price is for the whole gondola not per person. Is it worth it? Yes, I would say so. It is such a old tradition in Venice that it really is something to experience at least once while visiting Venice.

*One of the numerous gondola moring areas on grand canal. Tip: find one in the back canals less busy…*

An interesting note: To become a Gondalier is not easy and is usually handed down from generation to generation. The Gondalier is an very skilled oarsman that can maneuver his gondola with one oar from only one side of the boat. He is always in the standing position riding in the rear of the gondola.

*Notice how he stands on the rear of the with oar on only one side…*

Todays cost for a new gondola is roughly 40,000 to 50,000 euros. They are very streamlined well designed boats. The Gondalier get to choose the accessories and some colors like the seat fabric etc. The Godola hule is always black.

*A place where Gondolas are built or restored*

Once again we had dinner at the local Trattoria just down the street and around a couple corners lol…which became our favorite closeby restraunt.

This evenings I ordered the grilled cuttlefish served with polenta and salad (which ended up being a totally different kind of fish then I was expecting).

*Grilled Cuttlefish, polenta, and salad*

Mandy ordered the Lasagna and a Caprese salad.

*The tourist entree in Venice…it was very good Lasagna*

After dinner we headed back to our room to take a convient, on the go, Binax Now Covid test for our return trip back to USA on Friday.

This we did by live video online. The certified personal walking us through the testing process. Taking roughly twenty five minutes. It is very simple and straightforward. If a covid test is needed we recommend this method for anyone looking for simple testing that can be done in your home or on vacation anytime of day. (Best option is to avoid all covid testing but sometimes there is no other option…) Delta and other Airlines will accept these test. Good News! We were both negative and cleared for our flight back to the USA in approximately 40 hours. We where then sent digital Negative test results to the Navica app on our phones…

Tomorrow at 10:00 Giada we take us on a tour of Venice. Check back soon!

Now it’s time for a long overnight nap. Bonne Notte!

Jeffrey Johnson 7/7/21 Jeffrey Johnson 7/7/21

Salute Dolomites, Ciao Venezia

Today found us packing around bags once again in preparation to navigating Eeyore through the mountains from Alta Badia.

After enjoying more fantastic cow milk, fresh yogurt and other goodies for breakfast at our hotel (free breakfast another credit card perk). The bellman helped us with our luggage.Which happens to be quite heavy by now with shopping that has been done. All loaded up, Eeyore is ready and we are ready...let's go. With google maps guiding us to the Hertz office in Venezia, we started on our three hour journey through the mountains heading towards the plains and the sea. Trying to keep the eyes on the road and take in the scenery can be a real challenge.

*Stunning views! Hard to keep the eyes on the road at times…*

The drive was beautiful and a bit of an obstacle course at times by going through construction zones on these narrow mountain roads and then dodging random orange cones. It took us around 2 hours to drive out of the mountians into the flat plains, an hour later we were driving over the long bridge into the outskirts of Venice.

We waited at the Hertz office for 30 mins or so until they opened back up after their lunch break (which lasted from 12:00 to 14:30). Thankfully we had full coverage and we were able to walk away from our damaged vehicle without being charged any extra.

*Poor Eeyore…mirrors and buses don’t get along*

So long Eeyore...you've been great!

Our long awaited experience with the city of boats and canals had finally arrived. From the Hertz rental car drop off, we headed off with our bags in tow. In search of the nearest Vaporette stop that would take us to San Stae station, nearest station to our hotel. (Roller bags are sure nice until the stairs appear, just sayin..;)

We found the ferry boat dock bought our first Vaporette ticket and rolled our luggage on board what we thought was Line 2. Blissfully unaware we were on Line 1. As we were taking in the sites and sounds of this amazing city it became clear we were not going to stop at San Stae Station but rather we were being dropped off at the Rialto Station.

*Our arrival into Venice by vaporette. That is one of the many public ferries lines.*

Thankfully a kind gentleman noticed how confused we must've looked and made sure we caught the correct ferry Line 2.

From San Stae station it should be only a short walk to our hotel. Anyone familiar with trying to navigate a new city with narrow alleys and tall buildings, with the Walking directions on Google maps will understand how confusing it can be to actually know if we are to turn down this alley or go down the other alley.

After while we gave up and messaged our host telling Brittany we were lost, Lol! Brittany tells us we are nearly there. We just need to walk down the ally in front us to end, turn right, then walk down a shorter ally until we end up in front of two iron unmarked doors and she would meet us there.

Following her directions we had no trouble finding the two iron doors, just to realize we had all ready came to these doors once before only to have determined we were at the wrong place.

*The unmarked doors outside our boutique hotel.*

Soon the big iron doors swung open and Brittany welcomed us into the beautiful garden piazza of Hotel Cima Rosa. Our home for the next three nights.

*On the otherside of the iron doors we were greeted by this peaceful and beautiful garden piazza.*

After checking in and learning about about our surrounding neighborhood, where to eat, things to do, etc we headed upstairs to our amazing room overlooking the Grand Canal.

*One of the many boat sightings outside our bedroom window*

This is only five room boutique hotel and we happened to have the whole place to ourselves for the first two nights due to covid their booking being lower than normal.

*Our home base for the next three nights*

This hotel is ideally located right on the Grand Canal with its own dock for water taxis. Excellent local neighborhood close by, with great small restaurants and many canals, bridges, and alleys to get lost in while exploring this incredible city built over water.

*The neighborhood Piazza were the children play and the adults gather to chat. Nice selection of Trattorias in this area to eat at as well.*

This city is an amazing engineering accomplishment. The majority of all the buildings, streets, etc…are being held up by many, many wood post driven deep into the mud below. This is one of the reason the Venetian people loathe cruise ships docking at the their harbor. Their unique city and way of life is fragile. The city has been slowly sinking over time. These massive cruise ships move so much water their fear is this can only be speeding up the decay below the city. The other side of this argument is the fact Venetians tourist. Many depend on the tourist money to survive. Maybe there can be compromise made somehow in the city's behalf? Like arriving into Venice by other means besides the cruise ships? Time will tell.

After getting settled in our room and needing food, we decided to head out into our neighborhood to find the local Venetian afternoon snack called Cicchetti. Which is usually a piece of bread with many different toppings.

Venetian cuisine revolves around what the sea has to offer. Our Cicchetti this afternoon were mainly fish inspired toppings. A couple had vegetables and prosciutto. All were delicious.

*The place we had Cicchetti on the left. A bakery is on the right.*

Feeling energized again we began the 15 min walk to the the must see Rialto Bridge.

After taking in the views from the bridge we decided to walk alittle futher to see the San Marco Piazza. We had seen the pictures of this square filled with people but found it nearly empty.

*An empty San Marco Piazza and the Tower we went up*

*San Marco Piazza and the Tower. An option for a great view of the city.*

It's a beautiful Piazza surrounded by restraunts and shops. We noticed the Tower in San Marco square was open and basically no waiting time. Since we were here we decided to go up and take a look around the city at sunset. Cost us ten euro each.

*A view from the Tower we went up in San Marco Piazza*

*Another view from the Tower in San Marco Piazza*

Now the for the 25min treck back to our hotel neighborhood to find a place to eat dinner. The feet say it has been a long enough day and the stomach is begging for food. We stopped at a Trattoria conviently just down the street from our hotel.

*The yummy Trattoria just down the street from our hotel*

*Pasta with shrimp, zucchini and tomatoes…so good*

We were so impressed with the food and price. This became the place we would eat at three times while in Venice.

It’s been a long but good day. We have seen so much from the mountains to the water city of Venice. Looking forward to meeting our guide Giada tomorrow morning at 9:15. She is going to take us to explore her home town Treviso. But first we need to take in the peaceful sleepy view from the dock.

*The dock outside Cima Rosa where we would catch a water taxis ride to the airport in a few days…*

*A evening view of the main street of Venice*

Jeffrey Johnson 6/26/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/26/21

Dolomites Mountains

Good Morning from the mountainous region Alta Badia of Italy with its Austria influence!

(Pictures do not do justice to the terrain and landscape!)

*To the mountains or the beach…? Hard decision sometimes but this area is spectacular*

Starting off the day with a hearty breakfast to fuel are days adventures! Jeff had himself a large glass of fresh milk. The dairy products are so good here coming from a local dairy right here on the slopes. We caught sight (and heard the cow bells) of cattle grazing as we rode the gondola up the mountain.

*Those cows can make some delicious milk!*

Wanting to hike around a bit and not have quite the climb we had on our hike in Cinque Terre area we decided on the easier option. We rode the gondola up the mountain to a plateau where the hiking was a lot easier.

Enjoyed seeing all the new spring mountain flowers (The honey bees were busy at work.), fresh green grass and sunshine.

Stopping a time or two just to relax lay back in the grass and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding mountians. Sometimes we took shortcuts by mountain chalets dodging the slushy areas still wet from snow melt. It was a beautiful sunny day! We were told two weeks ago there had still been enough snow to do some skiing!

*No words nor pictures can do justice…so majastic*

Stopping by the most scenic restaurant we got us a bite for lunch. The hot chocolate was tops! I had a dumpling dish and Jeff chose a pasta with pesto.

*The most scenic restaurant high up in the Dolomites*

*Dumplings, hot chocolate and pasta with pesto and a espresso*

Not feeling extremely energetic we went just a bit further on a trail to get a view of all the mountains surrounding us before hiking back to the gondola for the ride back down the mountain.

Back down, we walked down to the creek for a bit, explored the town a bit more, and stopped for a late afternoon snack of yummy homemade icecream.

Spent the evening up at our room. Did a bit more laundry and hung it on the balcony to dry. Jeff enjoyed a bit more sunshine out on the balcony ;). I was feeling the sunburn from the intense sunshine this morning and didn’t feel like I needed Any more sun at the moment ;). Instead sat inside on the couch and and did a little blogging.

I know Jeff is missing his dogs at home when he stands on the balcony and talks to the our neighbors dog down below or any dogs we pass on streets, Lol. We enjoyed watching this dog and his antics as he kept a close eye on the free range chickens.

Settled in for the evening, set the fire place ablaze and called supper up to our room for a relaxing evening before calling it a day…

*So relaxing and peaceful…drift away to sweet dreams*

Jeffrey Johnson 6/24/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/24/21

Leaving Tuscany, Destination Dolomites

On the road again, Going places we’ve never been…!

One last breakfast outside in the Lupaia garden, enjoying the morning sunshine. Our wagon load of luggage wheeled back out to the car in the wicker wagon. After a few “see you laters” or “Arrivederci” and we were once again on the road…

Destination Dolomites! The longest part of our journey was down the Auto Strata. Going through long tunnels through the mountains.

Amazing how many we went through! Take a ticket when you enter the highway and insert the ticket when leaving the Auto Strata. Which then caculates how much you owe. Beings we were foreigners and did not have a pass it was a bit pricey. Around thirty seven Euros from Tuscany to where we exited the highway to begin our ascent up into the mountains. Speed limit was mostly 130 kilometers, changing often. Maybe we didn’t see the police because they are there in camera form. Checking the speed and a picture of the license plate if needed for a ticket by mail! ( hopefully we won’t receive any tickets by mail in the coming months…)

Once we exited the Auto Strata we were in for a real ride in the mountians. Switchbacks, tight roads, and at times no guardrails. Great roads for mountain motor bikes. We saw quite a few of them. While Jeff was shifting gears in our manual Fiat 500, I found myself on the edge of the seat and gripping the armrest a lot of the time! Just not used to it all the height and sheer drop offs.

At one point a camper van and our car met on a curve. The wrong place at the wrong time. Beings we had nowhere else to go, it was our mirror that had to go, Oops. The rest of the trip our car had a Eeyore sort of look to it. With the mirror just dangling as we drove along.

Thank goodness for full coverage on the car!

Finally…we arrived safely at Alta Badia where we would be spending our next two nights. (Thinking we would blog and enjoy the mountain views. Only to realize we enjoyed the mountains more then getting the blogging done!)

Once again we were upgraded to a lovely suite! (Thanks to credit card perks!) Our very own woodburning fireplace in our room. So cozy!

A new place calls for exploring and adventure. Right? After standing on the balcony and taking in the mountains, the stream, and the free range chickens running around. We decided we needed to head outside for some fresh air and a walk beside the stream. Of course I had to find a place to get a feel of the water as well. So very cold!

The decision was to order food to our room. Once again our plans changed! We were told we needed to see the sun set on the mountains. Dinner was spent outside enjoying the the sunset. Watching the rugged mountians turn red with the last rays of sunshine. Feeling the chills of the mountian air after the warmth of the sun has left. We headed up to our room for the warmth of the fire place!

Bonne Notte…”GoodNight”

Jeffrey Johnson 6/18/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/18/21

Siena, Montepelciano! Bellisimmo

Another enjoyable breakfast under the morning sunshine.

Siena set as our first destination, we hit the road again. Jeff has really been looking forward to seeing where Palio is held. An age-old horse race that has been taking place for centuries in the piazza.

*The central piazza…the place where Palio is held each summer*

Parking a ways away we trekked up into town to the central piazza.

Ended up touring a small museum as well. ( Mainly for a stop at the restrooms ;) )

Back out of town and headed for lunch. La Toraia, where we were recommended to go for bistecca. A steak the Italian way! Off the highway and down a gravel road. Passing the farm where they were raising these giant white cows on the way. Well we were talked out of ordering the giant bistecca to a smaller version. There would have been no way we would have been able to devour a whole giant one!

Stopping at Montepulciano on our way back to Lupia.

We found a lot of lovely stores here. A copper store (Bottega del Rame) with handmade copper cookware.

A leather store with great uniquely crafted goods. A store by the name of Cugusi where we picked up se pecorino cheese. A lot more lovely places, too many to list. After exploring the town a bit we stopped for some espresso and dessert at a Cafe. We were lucky enough to find a seat on their balcony to enjoy our goodies and the view as well!

Back at our home-base Lupia we took a little snooze before deciding what we were going to do for supper. We made the right choice by driving to a small town nearby (Montifolcino).

13 Gobbi was the name of the restaurant. Homemade pasta (caccio e pepe) done in a wheel of Pecorino cheese.

Perfecto! Jeff was already wanting to come back for more before we even left!

Home to Lupia! Found out our air conditioner wasn't working in the room. We had questioned it the last two nights. Our solution was opening doors and widows and enjoying the country air for the night. Thankfully it has been cooling off at night.

Jeffrey Johnson 6/18/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/18/21

Small Hilltop Towns, Natural Hotspring, Tutti Bene!

Exploring Tuscany… A lovely breakfast in the courtyard served by Marco. Talked with a American couple a bit before we were served. Even breakfast is served in a laid back style.

Once finished we grabbed our travel backpack full of the goods we would need for the day, loaded up into our Blue Fiat and headed for Pienza!

Pienza, one of the many hilltop towns in Tuscany. Full of shops selling Pecorino cheese and yummy meats! Bought us a few kinds of meats to pack home with us. Wishfully thinking of how nice it would be to have quality stores like this back at home!

We set off in search of a market we knew was taking place in Pienza today. After much searching we found it. Not quite what I was expecting or maybe it was getting too late in the day. Maybe we will have better luck elsewhere?!

Feeling hungry we stopped for lunch at cute little restaurant. I had tomato soup with burrata on top and a salad with a bit too many brown pieces for my liking. Jeff had pasta with ground pork ragu. Finishing our meal by finding once again a gelato shop!

Hot Springs as our next destination. Stopping by the hilltop town of Montalcino for a few viewpoints, espresso, and water. (It's a hot day here in Italy.) Ready to roll again we set off in search of the hidden hot springs. Mostly used by locals the springs are not known to many tourists. The only fee is a parking fee for parking along the road. Finding the trail we went in search of a perfect spot.

Going downstream we found a private spot.

Still warm maybe not a hot as where most of the other people were. Beings there was no facilities a change in the woods was the best option we had. We'll sitting I a pool of warm sulfur water surrounded by nature is definitely a experience. No luxury spa just a waterfall massaging your back!

Ready for the trip back to Lupia, we started on the forty five minute drive back. Full of curves, narrow roads (some gravel roads) and lots of Tuscan scenery!

Not feeling like taking time for a long supper. (Myself dealing with a headache…) Deciding to order supper to our room and eat it on our patio table. Jeff chose a pasta dish and I had the Greek salad. ( cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and large chunks of fresh soft feta cheese) Different from any Greek salads I have ever tried. Really good.

Enjoyed watching the sunset before turning in for the night…

Jeffrey Johnson 6/14/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/14/21

Tuscany Hills Are Calling, Prego!

Another sunny day and breakfast outside in our hotels little courtyard.

We had wanted to get o good view of the city by going up one of the towers. It was closed. (Probably due to covid. Seems to be one of the strictest places on covid rules that we have been to so far. A few things we encountered on the stay here just didn’t make any sense.)

Renting a car in Italy. A new experience for us! Renting the car in Lucca made the transition of driving in a new country easier than starting out in a big city. A blue Fiat 500 luxury with clear windows and black wheels, manual and not atomatic. Not what Jeff was wanting! He was wanting a Minni Fiat 500.

*Our ugly blue fish bowl…but oh the memories this ride would make with us!*

Got to take what you can get when there are no other options!

The Italians enjoy taking there time eating and the trains may be delayed. One thing we have learned is their driving is the opposite. They really drive quite fast. Roads here in Italy tend to be a bit tighter with not as much room. Jeff driving a manual and trying to keep up with them… Well I am a copilot most of the time giving out directions, speed limits, please slow downs, and trying to remain relaxed while we keep up with the rest of the folks.

I am glad we got full coverage on our car! Are first bad encounter was a hail storm while going down the auto strata. Hard to see at times and the pounding hail on the car was quite loud! We survived.

*A rain and hailed storm shortly after driving off the rental lot…kinda humorous after we were through it*

Stopping at the roadside quickstop we enjoyed a salad and a coke for lunch.

*A nice lite lunch in one of the amazing Quickstops along the AutoStrata highway….and yes an espresso to*

The last of our journey was curvy country roads and the last few kilometers was gravel. Arriving to the cutest country, boutique hotel Lupaia in the heart of Tuscany countryside.

A great country villa making us feel at home quickly.

*Lupaia…the most charming, prestine Tuscan Villa…Mandy’s favorite!*

We enjoyed our evening and dinner. A good dinner that took time.

*The old stable makes a great dining room!*

We were amazed at how many Americans were here. One couple ( from Florida) had seen us in Manarola and we both ended up the same place in Tuscany! Another couple was from Nashville, TN. Also a friendly respectful French couple with the cutest little boy.

It’s always interesting the hear the different languages in Europe. At Lupaia we heard French, German, Italian, the different English accents, British, American ans I think some Australian as well. A diverse group but impressive how we are all so alike. We all have our own ideas and ways of doing things. However we can earn so much from each other if we have an open mind to new ideas, food etc…!

*The heated pool works great even when it’s raining and cool…*

*A view of the hilltop town Montepulciano…we had a great view of this old majestic hilltop from our room. In the coming days we would visit this town…it’s beautiful!*

Cheers to all hope you have a happy day!

Let us know you thoughts, questions or suggestions.

Email: Contact@dustyduffel.com

Jeffrey Johnson 6/14/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/14/21

Ciao Manarola, Buongiorno Lucca

Our last morning in Cinque Terre…

Packing up and eating up a few leftovers out of the fridge was a start to our morning. A beautiful day! Deciding to enjoy the gorgeous weather we set off to hike the trail from Manarola to Corniglia. Stopping at a caffe for a coffee and pastry before we hit the trail.

The most amazing hike I have ever been on! Climbing steps that we thought would go on forever! Past Vinyards, Olive groves, Gardens, and a few homes. Passing through a tiny mountain village in-between. Mountians on one side and ocean below. Stunning!

*The hike begins…incredible views straight ahead.*

*Living on the edge…trial between beautiful hillside vineyards*

*High mountain town we walked through between Manarola and Corniglia*

*Through the foliage we see our destination…*

*Corniglia…the legs want to be there already!*

Reaching Corniglia after our three hour hike we found a place to get some fresh squeezed orange juice and a frozen lemonade.

Refreshing! Now the four hundred some steps down to the train station to catch the train back to Manarola. Got a quick lunch of foccacci from Cambusa once again. One final climb back up to our little home here to fetch all our luggage. Much easier taking it down to the train station them all the work it took to get it up to our apartment!

Lucca Bound! Or maybe after a bit. Trains can be delayed quite frequently here in Italy. We had to transfer to a different train part way through the journey. Got a old train this time no AC. Had the widows down and it was still hot! (note: Italy in June can be a little warm. Packing cloths that breath well will make it more bearable.)

Arriving in Lucca we taxied to our hotel inside the walled city. After checking in we headed back out into the streets. Knowing we would get more tired if we sat down and relaxed! Finding Pastry shop Taddeucci we sat down with some espresso and Buccellato (A anise and raisin sweet bread a local treat here in lucca). Enjoying the view of the piazza as we ate.

*Un Caffe, Un Cappuccino di Piazza…Lucca*

The hike in the morning must of left us with a appetite! We hunted down a Quaint little chocolate shop for a few chocolates to try. Finding another pastry shop Jeff found something else to try! Beings it was to early for supper and the local place we wanted to try opened at seven thirty we decided to go for gelato. Glad we did! Found a window seat to enjoy it. Pear chantilly and cloves, salted pistachio, and coconut were the flavors we tried. So good!!

*Tip: If the Gelato is covered its the fresh, real deal …no preservatives*

Our walking took up to the walking/bike trail on top of the walls of Lucca a four kilometer trail. A very large wall around the city. Made me think of the Walls of Jericho. Could they have been so wide as well?

Supper time was finally arriving! Deciding between two local restaurants was a hard decision to make! Went with trattoria by the name of “La Bottega di Anna e Leo”. A good hearty supper. I went with the zuppa (a local soup) and salad. Jeff went with a traditional Lucca pasta (Tordelli Lucchesi).

*The place locals go to eat…it was amazing*

*The best pasta with meat ragu…the soup was very hearty as well!*

Full and tired we headed to our hotel for some much needed rest! Bonne Notte…zzzzz!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/12/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/12/21

Manarola, Santa Margherita, Portofino!

A day by the sea is a day well spent! Agree?

Starting off the day with a walk down to Aristide for breakfast once again.

We enjoyed the morning by not doing a whole lot just enjoying the town, the people, and our own little apartment. At noon we picked up some Focaccia from Cumbusa. A quick lunch costing little. After filling our water bottle at a nearby faucet we settled on a park bench to eat our lunch before heading to the train station.

Beings it was a bit drippy at the time in Manarola. We decided to train towards a bit more sunshine. Portofino as our destination. We took the train to Santa Margarita. From there we taxied to Portofino. Picture perfect little town! Hiked up to the church and Castelo Brown for some good spots to overlook the town. We ended up in the cemetery at one point. Can prove to be quite interesting as well!

*Unusual cemetery…but we noticed the same in Cinque Terre area as well*

Heading down we took the path that led to the marina.

Scenes from the Marina… A large yaht that had just arrived from London. A fisherman was gutting a fish on the wharf while a duck and seagull waited nearby to get fed thier little bit from the cleaning. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around. Big yahts and little fishing boats, Portifino a place where rich and everyday people mingle…

*A view from the castle overlooking Portofino*

Retracing our journey we headed back to Manarola.

*Portofino, Santa Margarita train station*

Stopping by Davide's restaurant Il Porticciolo we got supper before we headed back to our room. The mussels were the best I have ever had!

Full and happy we headed back up to our amazing AirBnB apartment to watch a gorgeous sunset over the Mediterranean Sea…

*Quiet evening streets of Manarola…notice the boats in the street*

*The last evening in Manarola….a bit sad hope to return someday…it’s a special place in this diverse world.*

Tomorrow we go on an unforgettable hike between Manarola, Corniglia and then catch the train to Lucca….check back soon!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/9/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/9/21

Bellisimmo Manarola & Cinque Terre!

Have you ever found a destination that stole part of your heart…?

Benvenuto! (Welcome) to Manarola the quaint Mountain Seaside Village in Cinque Terre part of the Liguria region.

We began morning by heading down to breakfast. You are either climbing up or down here in Manarola. Not much level terrain walk upon! Da Airstide is where we were recommended to go. We enjoyed our breakfast and watching the people coming and going.

Before heading back to our room with a view we did a little widow shopping. Stopped at a small market for salami, oranges, and olives.

Back at our room we did a bit of blogging ;) finally! Laundry has been on the to do list as well. I was greatful they had just installed a washer just before we arrived. No dryer! Be like a local and hang your clothes out the window. It’s what they do here. I am thinking I must be pretty spoiled with my big washer and dryer!

Heated up our leftover pesto pasta and had our goodies from the market for a little lunch.

Fueled up once again we got ready to go on our next adventure! A boat ride with Dario. Down to the little marina we went where he was waiting for us.

Dario took us by boat to each of the Cinque Terre towns for some good views by water and point out some other facts along the way. Pointing out some caves he swam in as a boy gave us a little incite of his life growing up in a seaside village.

*Riomaggiore one of the five towns in the Cinque Terre area*

*Corniglia the only town without a port*

*Monterosso the largest and easiest to move around without much elevation change.*

Jeff really enjoyed jumping off the boat and having a refreshing swim in the sea!

*Areas like these make great swimming spots*

Seems a bit salter the the gulf coast of the US. You can tell there is salt on your skin after drying off from a dip in the sea.

So Thankful the rain stayed mostly behind the mountains and we were able to enjoy our ride!

Our next jaunt consisted of hiking down to a quiet place by the sea to have a swim. Jumping off the rocks and right into cool, clear, salty ocean water is a experience to be remembered! Beings the water was a bit choppy we didn’t stay in for long. Enjoying the warm rocks in the sunshine instead.

On the way back from our swim we headed back up through town instead of hiking around by trail. We happened upon the guys lowering one of their little boats into the bay. Quite interesting. The ones they aren't using are parked along the street. They have to be rolled down and lowered into the bay when needed.

For supper it was Billy’s once again. I have a feeling it may be one of the better places to eat here. I cleaned up while Jeff went to pick up our supper. Enjoying the friendly bunch as he waited. Dario happened to walk by. Told Jeff he was doing the right thing by ordering to go. Beings he knew we had a room with a great view. Our supper consisted of grilled Sea Bass, pasta with a spicy tomato sauce, bread, and a chocolate cake with lots of almonds.

We seemed to have a good appetite after a day of Sea and Sun. Wide open windows, the sea breeze blowing in, a good supper, and a good view. A Perfect end to a fun day!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/8/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/8/21

Firenze, Pisa, Manarola

Good Morning from Firenze! Shopped around this morning a bit. Looks like Florence is a great place to buy leather goods. Real leather produced here. You just have to bargain a bit. Everyone wants to sell you leather from their shop! Linens and Leathers it is what dreams are made of. Florence is a great place to shop!

Gilli Caffe, established two hundred and seventy years ago. A charming caffe with lots of Character. We found a quiet corner with our caffe’ and sandwiches. Relaxing! I tried a Shakerato for a different version of a coffee drink. Jeff went with un caffe one shot of espesso. Snagged some Gelato on the way back to the hotel from a would be haunt of ours if we lived in Florence.(One flavor we tried was raisin cream. We weren’t sure what we were eating first!

Back at our Hotel we commenced to pack our bags once again. The challenge is real! Trying to fit more in then what we came with. Taxi ride to the train station and we were on our way. Someday maybe someday we will be back! With all the tourists I image! We are totally enjoying it with no crowds!

Bound for Cinque Terre! How Exiting!

On the way we decided to get off at Pisa for a little adventure. Guess what for? Took a taxi to see the Tower of Pisa! Our taxi driver was kind enough to drop us off for five minutes to check it out. Loaded back up and we were headed back to the train station. Amazing to see the Leaning Tower in real life and not in picture books. Puts a whole new image in your mind when you think about it.

Arrived in Manarola around six in the evening. Met our our Air B&B Host Erica (Erica is a US girl from Florida. She has been in Italy seven years with her Italian, Davide.)

Wow! What a workout pulling and lugging your luggage up the hill and steps isn’t for the faint of heart! The view from our room is totally worth all the effort it took to get up here! The sea, the village, and the view of the terraces on the hillside make for a spectacular view! If you need a place to stay this would be a great option for you. It’s Lovely!

A few steps down the street is a trattoria.“Billy’s” is the name. Supper consisted of a local fish sampler platter and fresh pesto pasta (Homade pasta and homade Pesto the best!) from“Billy's”.

Before the sunset we took a quick hike up the mountain to enjoy the sunsets views. We can’t hardly believe we are here. We totally are engulfed in the rugged beauty of it all!

… and now we sleep for tomorrow we will wake to a new day with new adventures…

Jeffrey Johnson 6/7/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/7/21

Firenze

“Everything about Florence seems to be colored with a mild violet, like a diluted wine.” Henry James

After a great night rest but still feeling a bit sore from the numerous kilometers walked the last several days, we checked out the the beautiful hotel we had called home base for the previous three nights. Hailed a taxi for the 10 min ride to the train station. Once again travel was a wonderful relaxing experience, always impressed with how efficient and prompt train transportation is in Europe. Roughly 1 hour and 30 minute train ride from Roma to Firenze. We arrived at 12:05. Our hotel sent a driver to meet us and chauffeured us to the nights lodging. We were upgraded to gorgeous room with a perfect view of the must see Ponte Vecchio bridge. A sixty five room hotel on the bank of the Arno River in middle of Florence, we were told that only fifteen rooms had guest. Just a example of the light amount tourists we are experiencing in cities and popular sights we have been at so far in Italia. They were so glad to see a US passport!

We skipped lunch and headed out to meet our tour guide in Firenze booked through “With Locals” an app. It is a great option if you want a local to show you around a city or destination. It will be only your party and the local giving you the tour. No worries about big tour groups. Its very personal and a great experience.

Book a tour of the Highlights and Hidden Gems of Florence with Zeynep Arzu. Check out this Withlocals profile https://www.withlocals.com/host/zeynep-arzugcd8ecd120

Our guide for the Highlights and Hidden Gems of Florence tour was Zeynep Arzu. We were her first tour for twenty twenty one! She wanted to celebrate with us! A great tour full of enthusiasm for her town of Florence. A town overflowing with culture, history and beautiful personality.

*Guido Aretino created music notes, see the tablet in his hand. He was from Firenze.*

*The man that discovered America and mapped the east coast. He was from Firenze.*

Part way through we stopped for a afternoon snack at the cutest little shop. They served an amazing antipasti tray. So Delicious, really liked the salami with fennel. Good food is even better with the shop owners that make a person feel so at home and welcome! (Prego)

Zeynep also gave us a tutorial on Gelato! There are three different versions. Artificial, semi artifical and the real deal. The artificial has more chemicals in it to keep it from melting and is piled high all pretty looking. Next is the half way good version. It would’t look quite as fancy more level in the trays. The real deal is all inclosed in canisters to preserve it and to keep the right temperature. Quite a a interesting guide to go by. We know what we are looking for now! Zeynep took us to a small place the locals went to and we had a taste of her version of the real gelato!

After our very interesting tour of Florence we headed back to hotel to clean up a bit before heading to dinner. Dinner was enjoyable had soe hilarious moments due the neighbors at the nearby table…Afterwards we took a short walk around town before headed to our room for a relaxing time on our balcony listening to Italian night life carry across the water and trying to catch on the blog which we falling way behind on…Buone Notte!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/5/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/5/21

Napoli

It all begins with an idea.

Horizons Broaden With Travel and Food!

It’s always refreshing to see and learn how others do things better.

Buongiorno! Come Sta? Bene, Grazie!

Our day started about 7:30 am. After a nice breakfast we took a taxi for an easy ride to the train station Roma Termini which took around 10 minutes and cost around 9.40 euro plus a small tip. Train travel so enjoyable! It must be one of the most relaxing ways to travel especially in Europe. They do train travel very well, a streamlined experience. We heard train travel can be a bit delayed in Italia at times, so far, no problems.

Our day trip from Roma departed at 10:00 am after gazing out the window at the beautiful countryside (impressed with the hay agriculture here) we arrived at Napoli main train staion Napoli Centrale at 11:16 am. Gennaro was patiently waiting for us. So good to see his familiar face after spending the previous day with him in Roma he truly is like a good friend of ours now!

Reserve a Napoli Food Tour with Gennaro! https://www.withlocals.com/it/host/gerrib57d4e6718/

We hopped in his car and wow were we in for a totally different experience…Napoli is a fast paced, chaotic city, quite diverse. Lots of traffic cars, trucks, vespas, scooters, pedestrians all trying to use the same roads and intersections. So glad Gennaro was driving in his home city he is a pro driver especially when parallel parking, he can squeeze his vehicle into the Smallest spaces with just inches to spare (or less!). (Tip: If renting a car in Italia, smaller the better will make your life easier.)

*Gennaro's parking skills…the best and he knows it lol!*

Why was Napoli on our list of places to visit in Italia? Considering Napoli is the birthplace of Pizza it seemed like good enough reason to visit, plus there is Espresso!

*Dark, rich, density alittle thicker than Roma*

Our first stop was for quick taste of the local Napoli doughnut, small and cookie like. Imagine a combination of butter, almonds and pepper…it really worked together well. Delicious! We picked it up at “Leopoldo" and enjoyed it on the go. This was just a small part too the food tour, we will tell you more about the food later in this blog post.

Gennaro then navigated his car to a couple excellent high scenic spots overlooking the city of Napoli and the Bay of Napoli. What spectacular view! From these spots we could easily see the Island of Capri, Mt Vesuvius and the city of Pompeii off in the distance.

Napoli, Bay of Napoli and Mt Vesuvius in the distance…

*Island of Capri! “Imagine the face of a Lady who is reclining with her hair flowing behind her”…Gennaro description and it fits very well.*

Too bad we wouldn't be visiting these popular destinations this trip maybe some other time? We the drove down to the edge of the sea, the most clear beautiful water!

From the sea, we drove into the old city center to continue the main portion of the food tour that we had traveled to Napoli to experience. We managed to get the car parked once again and headed out on foot.

First up was the long awaited taste of the original Margherita Pizza. Perfecto! Bravo! So Delicious. As Gennaro pointed out true Napoli style is to fold the pizza in a wallet shape for easy eating on the go. See picture.

The Margherita is very simple, fresh Tomato sauce and super fresh Mozzarella cheese with optional fresh Basil. Gennaro told us sereval times there is Only One True Pizza, Napoli Margherita. Even Rome pizza is different.

Fresh Buffalo Mozzerella and Tomatoes. Unique to this region. Really good! ( Each Region has its own particular cheeses, meats, pasta, sauces, and wines that they make locally. Different food everywhere you go, not just the same Italian dish over and over again!)

*The shop were the Mozzarella came from.*

Our next stop the fish market (Pescheria Azzurra). Gennaro pointed out the different fish and named them. He ordered us a paper cone of fried seafood (shrimp, salmon, calamari, anchovies and a fried dough ball with seaweed). Just eat the shrimp shell it’s not bad we were told as I got my hands all dirty trying to get the shell off.

Napolitan Ragu a Sunday lunch tradition in Napoli. The mommas start cooking the meat sauce on Saturday. Beefy slow cooked tomato sauce over scialatelli pasta and topped with fresh Parmigiano. “Il Ragu Come Piace A Me”

Gelato once again! Gennaro realized that I really like it and took us to another Gelato place! Lemone Gelato for me and for Jeff's sweet it was a Neapolitan Rum Baba. ( a sponge cake soaked in a rum syrup) Quite good reminded me of the rum flavoring I use at home to make a rum butter sauce.

Then the Espresso of course! It is know here not to drink water after a espresso. Let the coffee taste linger…

Gennaro took us back to the train station. We said our good byes. ( Told Gennaro to come to Mississippi to visit! He has been to California, New York, and Florida. On business that is. He is a designer for Bridal Wear. A business that has been in the family for three generations. He was impressed that I sewed my own clothes.)

Took the train back to Roma. Back to our hotel to clean up a bit.Wondered the streets abit observing the difference between Rome and Napoli. Found a bite to eat. The place we were recommended was all booked and it was around ten. Had to search for something else that struck our fancy! After eating we walked to the Trevi Fountain after dark to take in the view. Totally worth it. Sometimes you have to put forth the effort and go even if you are weary! The chance may never come again…

Sorry for the delayed blogging we are falling behind hopefully ours days will soon allow us with more time to catch up….Arrivederci! Buone Notte!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/4/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/4/21

Roamin Roma

Our day start off with a delicious breakfast in this beautiful, relaxing garden piazza…omelet, porridge, pastry basket, toasted bread and jam, expresso, English breakfast tea.

Met our tour guide for the day Gennaro at bottom of the Spanish Steps. We had the best time with him, such a knowledgeable gentleman willing to please every step of the day.

Our Tour started at the original Piazza Del Pololo and the old main gate to the city, built before Christ.

Next we hopped in his car for ride closer to the area we would see during the first part of the day. Here is a list of some of the places we visited.

Colosseum
Circus Maxis (Site of the mighty chariot races. Having listened to the book Ben Hur, this was fascinating)
Palatino Hill ( A hilltop building site in old Rome where the empires and politicians would have lived in their Palaces. The book called “Emporer: The Gates of Rome” by Conn Ingulden , will bring this area to life)
Roman Forum ( the heart of the main Roman city, political buildings, temples, etc)
Piazza Navona including Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi (site for games…Track and Field etc back in the day…)
Piazza Campo de'Fiori (market place till 4:00 pm )
Pantheon ( impressive built in sun clock with the hole in the middle of the dome)

Trevi Fountain (Beautiful)

*Circus Maxis…the site of the mighty chariot races*

Meanwhile the touring was taking time. It was getting mid afternoon. Gennaro, Jeff, and I were getting a bit hungry and a bit heated from the sun. Food sounded great! Gennaro mixed in a bit of a food tour as we finished the historic tour. Here is a list of the foods we tried…

Trapizzino (Roman Style Pizza Pocket) I had Eggplant Parmigana for a filling and Jeff had the Pollo alla cacciatora Bianco. (From “Trapizzino"
Suppli' (seasoned rice balls with different add-ins dipped in egg and breadcrumbs then deapfried)(From “Trapizzonio" as well)
Focaccia (Roman style Pizza) Flat bread with toppings. We had olive oil and tomato sauce for a topping also tried the margarita. Which is only cheese and sauce. Napoli is the only place to get Authentic Pizza! (From bakery “Roscioli")
Gelato (Italiano, It can not be called Icecream. My favorite is lemone. Tangy and refreshing. No milk or eggs in the ingredient list. (More about Gelato coming in the Florence blog!) (From “Venchi")
Tarimisu Classico- Jeff’s favorite nothing beats eating the real deal in Italy!
Espresso! Umm… I Think there will be a few shot pulled once we get home to try to get it corecto! ;) Stood at the bar and downed our expresso and had a nice chat. A typical Italian standard to stand and down a expresso. You pay more if you were to take a seat at a table. Now we can compare Rome expresso with Napoli expresso!

Book a tour with Gennaro! https://www.withlocals.com/it/host/gerrib57d4e6718/

In the evening after the tour we visited a beautiful park and gardens Villa Borghese. (Which should be named the Parco di Amore, lol.) We enjoyed sitting on a park bench near one of the main paths and watching the locals for a time.( Street Gym, little kids having roller blade lessons, boys doing stunts on thier bikes ect.) It was entertaining! Basically no one in the park was wearing there masks. At least not over their nose and mouth. Nice to see Freedom!

Jeffrey Johnson 6/3/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/3/21

Roma

Buongiorno! Good Morning from Roma! Finally! We met our driver after he had to wait two hours on us at the airport. What a mess getting through all the paper work and testing!

Our driver pointed out some highlights enroute to our Hotel. He was telling us today is Republic day in Italy. Italians take the day off. More locals in the street. Will see what tommorow holds. Maybe less people.

Upon arrival at our Hotel we headed to the roof top terrace restaurant for a bite to eat. Great views, Great food! How often are we allowed to say that on this trip? Jeff had Ravioli Carbanaro. I chose the Terrazzo salad ( tuna, artichokes, avocados, marinated tomatoes, and greens) with fresh olive oil and basalmic vinegar (So sweet no comparison to what I use at home.) for a dressing. A complimentary bread basket with oil for dipping as well. Finished it off with a complementary side of fresh cherries, minni canolli and puff pastry filled with cream filling. Headed back to our room for a good hot shower and a well deserved 3hr nap!

Feeling a bit more energy we headed out to the streets for a bit. Our hotel is at the top of the Spanish Steps. We took in the views from the top and headed down for some widow shopping and checking out the Restoranti along the back streets. (Always will find a little gem of a restaurant if you travel off the beaten path!)

Our dinner reservation was nearing. Back to the terrace for relaxing supper as the sun set, the lights twinkled, the Italian language flowed around us. Relaxing and beautiful!

Now for the food. Starting off with the bread basket and olive oil. We shared a Burrata and Tomato Salad. I had the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, Red Prawn Tartare.

Jeff had the Veal Milanese, sautéed Rice and Greens Beans.

Dessert and coffee followed… Tarimisu with a Coffee Granita and whipped cream. Complimentary bit of goodies to finish the goodness off!

Let’s call it a day! Arrivederci! (See you later)

Meeting our local guide Gennaro (it will be just us two and Gennaro) tommorow at ten thirty for a tour of Roma…Buona notte (GoodNight)

Jeffrey Johnson 6/1/21 Jeffrey Johnson 6/1/21

Travel Day

Our long awaited travel day to Italy has arrived. Starting at 6:40 am. Fueled up for the day on Oatmeal with Chocolate chips and Raspberries. Took care of the dogs and last minute chores etc..

After taking inventory of our packed bags and wondering Why we didnt have much room left, we loaded up in the awaiting vehicle. We enjoyed our private chauffeur to the airport, Thanks Mom!

Departed on time (12:11) from our local regional airport GTR nonstop to ATL.

Arrived in ATL on time preceeded to concourse E international terminal for the circus of paperwork, verifying our covid test we took in MS and then waiting in queue for a rapid Antigen test before we board. More waiting on the results…good news we were negative again! All clear to board at 5:15 pm.

Time to eat! We headed to the lounge for a bite to eat and relax… currently trying to learn how to blog…Lol… any tips are welcome!

On board Flight DL0062…Just enjoyed a beef tenderloin, potatoes, delicious salad, bread and Ben and Jerry icecream for desert. Now relaxing, reclining and catching up on details of the trip for the days ahead…excited and so grateful for this opportunity to go to this long awaited bucket list destination…Ciao!

Rise and Shine! The cabin lights came on 90 minutes before landing in Roma and breakfast was served. We were able to sleep alittle, the problem being we didnt get sleepy until 3 hrs before landing…Arrived into FCO airport about 20 minutes early. Enjoyed viewing the beautiful rolling countryside.

Next we had to navigate the circus of FCO airport, including the paperwork just to registered for our 3rd rapid antigen test in 72hrs timeframe… to be continued on the Roma post.

(For those who are wondering if vaccination is required to travel? No, we would not have taken this trip if we would have had to be vaccinated with the covid shot)