Trip Report

My alarm was set for 3:20 AM, but I was up and busy by 2 AM. Traveling with my neighbor on a Globus tour with air included from Houston IAH via Newark EWR to Rome FCO. We each purchased our own tickets from San Antonio SAT to IAH. I made sure that the record locators were “linked” on United, and that we would have no problems checking our bags to our final destination. In fact, I verified that several times including the day before departure. (This has worked many times before.) No such luck! The ticket counter agent said her computer was not showing the linking to the international flight, and that we would each have to pay $30 for our bag to be checked to FCO! (Refund request in process!)

Tip #1: Linking record locators doesn’t always work.

Tip #2: Of course make sure your ticket is in the exact name as on your passport, but if you purchase an additional ticket, make sure it is in the exact same name! My friend’s ticket to IAH was with a middle initial (as on her credit card), rather than her full middle name as on her passport. Because of the difference, the ticket counter agent said my friend would need to retrieve her bag in IAH, go back to the ticket counter to recheck it and go back through security! (as well as paying the $30 to get it there in the first place!) That was ridiculous! We had about 2 hours between flights, but with time needed to deplane and then get to the next gate and boarding, that would leave only an hour for my friend to get the bag, recheck and go through security. I was very concerned and told the ticket counter agent. She did something in the computer and made it work! My friend paid the $30 and we were good!

Tip #3: I realized that TSA might have an issue with the name difference on the boarding pass and the passport….but they didn’t!

Tip #4: Always make sure you pick up all your items from the TSA area….a woman walked out to our gate (the last gate, of course), then realized she was missing her purse! Fortunately she found it back at the TSA.

At IAH our next arrival gate was E20, the farthest from baggage claim, so it is good that we did not need to claim and recheck that bag.

One of our flight attendants on the flight to EWR looked like a young Robert Redford or maybe Tab Hunter (remember him?) Tall, blond, tan, with dimples and a permanent (albeit somewhat “plastic’) smile.

EWR airport for my first time. More pleasant and relaxed than I expected. All flights on time or early. I had planned to sleep on the trans-Atlantic flight, but neither reading, meditation video, Bob Ross painting video or classical music seemed to make me sleepy. I was too excited!

We arrived in Rome about 40 minutes early to the most amazing sunrise that I have ever seen! Deep red on the bottom. Then horizontal layers of deep pink, orange and purples and blues. All stacked and ever-changing over a dense bed of cotton ball clouds. Everyone (those [un]fortunate awake ones) was taking pictures, even from across the plane to any available tiny open window shade. Normal turns and adjustments in the plane’s trajectory in preparation for landing presented constant opportunities for new perspective and another moment in time. Pictures could not do it justice.

There was no immigration form to complete on the plane prior to arrival, unlike my experiences visiting other countries. I had studied the online layout of the airport and had carefully read the instructions from Globus about the meeting point for ground transportation. I even found an online photo of the “COTAV” meeting point desk and the definition of the acronym: a cooperative of owners of travel agencies. It looks like a counter for a rental car company.

Nevertheless, it being my first time in FCO, there were 3 surprises: 1) after deplaning, you take a little train to the passport control and baggage area. I was hesitant about getting on the train, not knowing which direction I was supposed to go or where I was going, but there was no one to ask except the other passengers (as the train was loading I asked a lady who did not speak English!). I saw no airline or airport staff directing or available for information.

2) Passport control was easy and baggage followed, but I did not see any central monitor for plane/baggage location until after conveyer belt #7. All the conveyer belts were operating, so we stopped to read each individual monitor. Finally upon reaching the central monitor, we learned our bags were located on belt #8.

(By the way, I did receive a notice from Globus that our bags were on belt #8, but I didn’t have access to the notice until several hours later!)

3) The COTAV desk is outside the secure area. As I had read online prior to the trip, customs bag inspection is practically non-existent. You self-declare if you want your bag inspected. Nevertheless, I was hesitant to leave the secure area before finding my meeting place. I asked someone in uniform, who told me to go out, turn right and the COTAV was across from the bar! Haha! We found it without a problem and checked in for our Globus transportation. We learned later that someone supposedly had been standing near the conveyer belt #8, holding a “Globus” sign, but we never saw them.

The good news is that there are numerous (free) clean restrooms all along the route from gates to baggage. (Note that a male cleaning attendant came in the ladies room, and I saw a female cleaning attendant enter the men’s restroom a few days later at another location.)

Globus had set transfer departures for 8 AM, 9:30 AM etc. Although we arrived early at 7:20, it was 8:10 by the time we checked in at the COTAV desk. However, there were so many Globus passengers ready in the airport, that they had a special bus (“coach”) departing at 8:30! In no time we were on our way!!

1) The trees! So interesting: they look like sculptured, manicured, tall pines. I learned later they are “umbrella pines.”

3) A labyrinth of streets. Even for Miss Logical: me, know-where-I-am, know-where-I-am-going, it would be very easy to get lost or lose someone in this city! I’m so glad I don’t have to drive!

Upon arrival at the hotel, our tour directors met us for an impromptu meeting in the lobby, even though a meeting was not scheduled until 5PM. We each received luggage tags for portage throughout the tour. (bags are delivered to our rooms and picked up from our rooms on departure days). Our group is 43 people, another has 36 or so, and a third group is in another hotel. Our tour director is Salvatore. We received maps and suggestions for activities during this first open day, before check-in time and the official meeting and dinner later in the evening.

Five women quickly organized to take a taxi to the coliseum and we jumped in the van with them. We were met by a man selling “skip the line” inside tours, so we decided to make the most of our time, and WOW! The inside is amazing! You never realize how huge it is, until you stand in the middle! Our guide was great, but after the first part of the tour (one hour and 40 minutes), five of us decided to skip the tour of the grounds and surrounding monuments to return to the hotel.

Tip #5: We made sure that both the five of us returning and the two remaining on the tour had the phone number for the taxi. We decided to ask a police officer where we could find a taxi, and were directed to a nearby corner taxi stand. When I told the driver the name of our hotel and the street name, she was not familiar with it (or not recognizing my pronunciation!). Fortunately, another woman in our group had picked up the business card of the hotel, and handed it to the taxi driver. That saved us! Later I realized that I could have looked at the Globus app for all the details, but the business card was a quick, no-tech easy solution.

Although check-in time was officially 2 PM, we were able to get into our room when we returned just before 1 PM. Our luggage was already in our rooms! Time to take a shower! Surprisingly, I initiated the discussion about returning early from the coliseum, and I still feel very energetic even after the long travel. However, I am so glad we did return to have some time to refresh (I took a 30 minute nap) before we meet in the lobby at 4:45 PM for our dinner and meeting. The two women that remained at the coliseum etc. did not return to the hotel until 4 PM!

A short coach ride then a short walk and we arrived at Mangrova Ristorante for our welcome dinner and meeting. Multiple courses including breadsticks, prosciutto, tomato, second course: delicious rigatoni with mushrooms and peas in a light cream sauce maybe with little bits of beef or pork, third course of “lasagna” that was more like smushed macaroni and cheese (I should have skipped that—not knowing there was a Fourth course: sliced turkey with baby potatoes and a garden salad. Very good, but by this time overkill! Nevertheless, by the time of the dinner I was hungry and had not eaten all day since the airplane’s yogurt upon early arrival! Of course, no one would miss the light berry gelato! Bottles of white and red wine and water were brought to each table and soft drinks were offered. Two musicians intermittently entered and sang for us. Nice touch. We returned to the hotel about 8:10 PM.

Early morning rise and meet at breakfast 6:45AM. Board coach at 7:15! Many of us were crowded on the tiny 7^th floor restaurant lobby (really a landing!) prior to 6:45. The restaurant did not open until the announced 6:45, which was a special time for the two Globus groups, so there were almost 80 people trying to eat breakfast quickly in a small place! It was a buffet, but there was only one station for each type of food: one coffee station, one egg station, etc. It was a “polite rush” and very nice that Globus had arranged a full “American” breakfast each day, rather than a traditional Italian breakfast of only bread and coffee.

Monday we visited the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basilica and Square “Colosseum” exterior, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum and surrounding monuments, other sightseeing as we drove.

We had a 45 minute hotel break before the optional afternoon tour, which included Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, Navona Square, and lots of beautiful churches. I won’t identify all of the photos: you’ll have to go there yourself! We saw much more than the list on the tour, and so much information was provided by our fantastic local guide, Cinzea! There was a little protest group and police had blocked several streets. Cinzea knew all the back streets / shortcuts / alternatives, kept us all safe, and we saw even more! Suffice it to say that I can’t imagine ever trying to see Rome without an experienced local guide. There is an endless number of things to see and details you never learned before. It is not the Hollywood movie version. Also, it is not a grid of easily-navigable streets. It is dense, often one-way, and easy to get lost even with a good map and sense of direction. A GPS would probably take the fun out of the adventure! Plus, a guide knows the best places for gelato and clean restrooms!

Tip # 6 Make the best use of your time and money with an experienced local guide! Ours was fabulous!

Back at the hotel, I had pre-determined to stay in, eat my oats and go to bed early! Others went out for great pizza around the corner.

Up for not-as-rushed breakfast (blood orange juice is wonderful!) and boarded for Assisi! Beautiful countryside; learned about the fast regional trains and the more traditional slower, local trains.

Assisi is charming! “One” street wanders up and down steep hills, with a few tributaries. Mostly one-way. I wanted to climb the long steep roadway to the church of St. Chiara (Clare), but no one wanted to go that far. I had 55 minutes left after visiting the Shrine of St. Francis, before boarding the coach. On and on…about at my personal time limit to start back at 12:15 PM—when I reached the church, almost at the summit. Unfortuately, the doors were locked, but I took pictures! Now at 12:10, I needed to quickly go down the steep hill.

“You can’t get lost,” our tour director had said. But even with a good sense of direction, I ended up at the upper part of St. Francis’ Shrine, rather than the main intersection below. It took a few seconds to recognize where I was and which church this was, then I hurriedly retraced my steps UP, knowing I must have missed a little cut-off, on the left as I had gone downhill.

I saw a man working on sidewalk concrete repair, so I asked in Italian, parli inglese? “no”….so in my novice Italian and Tex/Mex I managed to ask about my missing turn to get to the “autobus.” He directed me to go back to the Shrine of St. Francis and return on a previous route that the group had taken earlier. I hurried and made it back without a problem, but it was an adventure and exciting to need to use some (albeit) poor language skills.

We continued into Florence and stayed at the lovely, quaint Hotel Cellai, built in an 1881 palace. Unique rooms, library, “honesty bar,” roof top terrace, bathtubs (!), inviting salon and dining areas…all conveniently in the middle of old Florence!

The optional dinner in Florence was a delight. 40 of the 43 people in our group chose to go, and it appeared that a majority in the other 2 groups attended also. We first stopped at a scenic outlook across the Arno river with “David # 3” and great city views. The coach travelled southwest through nice estates, up a steep, winding road, to the hillside country villa of I Tre Pini, the 3 Pines. I’m glad I wasn’t sitting in the front of the coach, because we had to stop several times as on-coming traffic and our large coach “do-si-do” maneuvered around sharp corners. Many fellow passengers were cringing with excitement. Francesco our driver is not only handsome, but an extremely fantastic driver! Communque, Anyway, I Tre Pini greeted each guest with it’s famous blue champagne. (Prosecco, blue curacao, and peach, I’m told). Great! A buffet of anti-pasto was presented along with wine, strawberry prosecco, and a light (melon or pear?) prosecco at each table. Next we had a very good spinach ravioli with a light cream sauce, then ragatoni with a light tomato sauce. Then the grand entrance: Lights dimmed, music and waiters carrying big trays of prime rib! Dramatic entrance! It was carved and served with little crispy potato cubes. For dessert we had shots of lemoncello (!) and a slice of tira misu…and more prosecco for the table, of course! Delicioso!

Then back to the Hotel Cellai (“Chill-A”). Some went to the honesty bar, some to a bar down the street, some to their rooms and some to the roof top terrace for conversation and to finish our “leftovers” corked partial bottles from the ristorante! My room was on the same floor as the roof top terrace, so of course, I was persuaded to join others there! The terrace was wonderful with cozy seating and thermostatic-controlled outdoor heaters.

Breakfast at the Cellai was more elegant and relaxed (especially because the other 2 tour groups were staying at another property). The little dining room opened early at 7 AM just for us. We learned that this hotel is not normally used by Globus, but the others were full with the other 2 tour groups. We were the lucky ones, as this property is rated higher.

We are walking everywhere today, because the tour coach cannot maneuver around very well in the little streets of our sights, and everything is so close to the hotel! On the tour: the Academia of Fine Arts with David!, Giotto’s Bell Tower, The Baptistry’s Gates of Paradise bronze doors, Signoria Square, lunch in Santa Croce Square, a demonstration of gold jewelry design and leather design, and time to shop! The optional tour included the Uffizi gallery and of course, more time to explore and shop!

Our demo of gold jewelry design included fascinating concepts of expanding rings that become bracelets, gold “cloth” little neck scarfs and gold faceted so intricately that you would swear it was covered with diamonds!

Beautiful jewelry sold by the ounce. Latest designs are delicate gold with color butterflies for earrings and broach (they look like real little butterflies!). Then we had a leather demonstration/explanation and caveats of imitation sold with sprays “new car smell.”

Next was our light lunch across the piazza at La Trattoria, based on the pics on the wall and the location—a very historic place. Bread, barley soup, dessert bread, and vino!

Then on to the Uffizi! Again, with a great local guide to explain so much of the art and history.

Afterwards, some went back to climb the Duomo(!) or the bell tower and all of us were on our own to shop etc. Several of us went back to St. Croce to see Micheangelo’s tomb. (8 euro entrance fee) Then my neighbor and I went back to shop a bit more at the gold and leather place. Now it was 3:30 PM and sunset was about 5:15. I was concerned about the increasing rain, time and distance, since we now had to complete all the walking segments from the morning to get back to the hotel. According to Google maps, a distance of only 1 mile walking, but I was concerned that it was too far for my friend. She agreed and opted for a taxi ride, which with one-way streets cost a total of 9.9 euros…but straight to our hotel front door!

Now my friend had time to rest, and I went out to find “street food.” We had been told that Italians eat late and that restaurants don’t open until about 7 PM, but I forgot that. It was only about 5:45 PM and after several blocks and several “not-for-me” places, I found a little “mom and pop” corner café with phyllo dough pizza or veggie pockets, and bought a couple to take back to the hotel for my tired friend and myself….plus I made a stop at the honesty bar on my way to my room!

Luggage out in the hall at 6:45 AM. Breakfast and off to Pisa this morning. Beautiful countryside, snowflakes (!), the cute little shuttle train to Pisa and the infamous photos, then on to Venice!!

I assumed we would stop on the main coast, but our coach crossed the train bridge to the port area of Venice. We said good-bye to our wonderful driver, Francesco, and boarded the large water taxi to the ferrovia (train) dock. From there we walked to our hotel, just across the grand canal, while our luggage came on a cargo barge, the “titanic #2!” I had permission to walk ahead of the group, since I knew our destination. Our rooms and keys were ready, as were all on this Globus trip.

Venice is a fun place to walk! “Venice is love at first sight.” Clean city. Our tour leader advised us of 2 important directions: look for signs on the walls of either 1) Rialto or 2) Ferrovia. Then we would always be able to find our way back to the hotel, just across the canal from the ferrovia. Since rain was expected all day Friday, the optional gondola ride was moved forward to Thursday afternoon. We had a quick “refresh” in the hotel before meeting back in the lobby to walk down to the next piazza and board the gondolas. Charming!

The optional dinner Thursday was wonderful. Again, a little sightseeing before, multi-course with ample vino (my friend and I kept one opened bottle corked for future use!). Three antipasto platters included an octopus paste and onion-wrapped sardines. Vegetables were risotto and penne pasta with eggplant. The entre was a choice of chicken cacciatore or cod Mediterranean. Dessert was a flan-type. After dinner we walked to the St. Mark’s Square and the wharf area to see the lights at night. I was so excited to see the famous four horses (albeit replicas) up in the basilica! I expected that they were replicas, but I learned later that the real bronze horses (stolen from Constantinople in 1204 AD and later stolen by Napoleon and taken to France) were in the museum!! At the water front we boarded the large water taxi and went back to the hotel.

After breakfast we started with a walk past the ferrovia to board a large water taxi. We circumnavigated the northern half of the island. I’m sure it was beautiful, but we couldn’t see a thing, because of the rain and fog! We debarked at the northeast end near the Doge’s Palace and walked along the wharf and old hiring docks (also slave-trade). We toured the Doge’s Palace: Amazing! They trimmed everything in 24K gold! Notice the 3 dimensional effect on the marble staircase landings. Also notice some of the clocks are marked with zodiac symbols. The palace was home to the Doge as well as the center for justice and court system. We also crossed the “Bridge of Sighs,” where prisoners may cross for the last time, and toured the prison. Next we toured the Basilica of St. Mark’s, originally an exclusive church only for the Doge and his family. All the “decorations” inside are mosaic! I think the guide said it was 9,000 square meters of mosaics.

Then we went around the corner for a demonstration of glass blowing and glass art…and shopping, of course. Afterwards, many of us went to the “best pizza in Venice,” according to our local guide, at Roso Pomo Doro, just outside the glass place.

Later I went with several friends back to the basilica of St. Mark’s to go to the museum (8 euro). I really wanted to see the real bronze horses! I did not know that Venice had retrieved the horses and had spent many years having them restored. The museum is located up a very steep marble staircase to the choir loft/mezzanine. No pictures are allowed, but you can walk out to the front terrace and take pictures with the replicas and the piazza below.

Now, to navigate ourselves back to the hotel—just the two of us. Follow the signs to the Rialto, si, then to the ferrovia! Of course, we had to stop and take pictures at the Rialto and do a little shopping along the way. It was about 3:30 PM when we arrived at the hotel.

The group met at 5 PM in the lobby for a short walk across the canal to Ai Scalzi for dinner. Again, a wonderful multi-course dinner, preceded with vino or soft drink and bread. This time the vino came in individual-size carafes instead of multiple bottles on the table. I told the others that the previous restaurants must have alerted this restaurant that we were big drinkers! The restaurant was limiting the vino by serving only one individual carafe! Included in the antipasto were very large turnips that looked like a little octopus.

Most of the group had very early Saturday departures, so they started going back to the hotel. I stayed and visited with the remaining group members. We bought gelato next door.

It was nice to sleep a little later and meeting one couple for breakfast at 9AM to discuss plans for the day. That same couple will join us on our water taxi to the airport on Sunday. (I had pre-purchased water taxi transfers to the airport, but I cancelled and coordinated with our tour director to go with others in our group.) For Saturday activities our tour director suggested either 1) water taxi to Murano and/or Burano, 2) ferrovia to Verona or 3) ferrovia to Padua. My friend and I had decided long ago that we wanted to go to Murano and Burano, and the couple said they would just walk around Venice. We got a later start than expected, because it took a while to do the on-line check-in for our flights (24 hours in advance for seat assignments). Fortunately, our hotel front desk sold water taxi passes, and we used our Visas to purchase them (20 euro for a 24 hour pass). Since Thursday I was “rationing” my remaining euros, because I had to pay 70 euros cash for the airport transfer for the two of us (same price as the cancelled, pre-paid one, but now we would be with another couple from our group).

We crossed the bridge and immediately entered the boarding area through the pass-gate turnstile. Then we read the digital sign that our boat #4.2 to Murano could not leave from the Grand Canal docks because of the high tide.

I ducked under (limbo/yoga) the pass-gate to return to the information/ticket station (which we had skipped because we already had our pass), to ask for directions. The ticket lady said to walk “a short distance,” cross a bridge and board a different #4.2 for Murano. My friend was still in the boarding area, but I realized (duh) that she did not need to do the limbo to get out…just swipe the pass again and the pass-gate will open! Well, we walked a short distance, then a little farther, then we returned to the information station to ask again. This time I got a different person who told me it was a “10 minute walk,” but when I had her show me on my map, it was all the way across the city! I explained that my friend would have difficulty walking that far (and it would certainly take more than 10 minutes!), so she directed me to water taxi #1 and go half way down the Grand Canal to Ca’ D’Oro and then walk “5 minutes.” It was a nice walk across sections we had not seen before. We eventually reached the northern shore and waited just a few minutes for the next #4.2 at the Fondamenta Nove dock. The 4.2 runs every 10 minutes continuously!

You can see the beautiful Cemetery Island without even leaving Venice. Murano is just beyond it, and like Venice, is a cluster of tiny islands with canals. There are 4 water taxi stops in Murano, and we chose the last: Faro. That enabled us to see more of Murano from the water taxi, and Faro was the dock from which we could continue to Burano as well.

The actual factories were closed, since it was Saturday afternoon. Although the water taxi seemed full, I think most of the people were locals, because we seemed to be the only shoppers! We spent an hour in the first big factory store, just to the left as we debarked. We spent another hour or so walking and shopping a little, but it was getting colder and raining. The ride to Burano was 40 minutes each way, and we were not sure how long we would have to wait for the water taxi to return to Venice. We also anticipated having to walk that “short distance” back across Venice. Sunset was at 5:30 and it was now 3:30 PM. We needed 2 more hours and 10 more degrees of warmth. We decided to visit Burano on Utube instead!

I asked the water taxi dock attendant about the arrival of # 4.2 and if it could go back to ferrovia dock (regarding the tide situation). He said if we took #3, it was a more direct route to ferrovia! Hooray! We avoided the long walk back across Venice, bought a sandwich to go at Ai Scalzi, and were back in our hotel by dark. I was so tired that I was almost falling asleep while sitting on the lobby couch eating my sandwich.

Nevertheless, my friend wanted 3 more beaded necklaces from one of the shops we visited Friday afternoon. I offered to get them, thinking it would take a total of 30 minutes. As fast as I walked, it took 45 minutes. Then I was really tired and went to bed by 9 PM.

Up early to get ready to leave: private water taxi to the airport at 7AM. We understood that the driver would come into the lobby for us, so the four of us waited a bit inside. I’m glad I asked the front desk: no, you go out to meet the boat! Fast and smooth ride across the lagoon to a very nice airport. There is easy access from the boat docks to a series of indoor moving sidewalks into the airport ticket counter area.

Arrival in Frankfurt was fine, except that I had stuffed my coat in my checked bag, and we deplaned onto a stairway and had to cross the tarmac to a bus. Shiver! As I had read online, we did not need to go through any immigration or customs process, since we were arriving from another Schengen country. There was a passport check by the airlines before we entered our gate. Frankfurt was also a nice airport.

I knew that our bags were checked only to Houston IAH, and we also needed our boarding passes from IAH to SAT. Immigration was probably easier than ever before, and customs was just waiving almost everyone through without checking. After customs, there was a special United counter conveniently located next to where all the other passengers were dropping their bags back for their next flight. My friend went first and was told that she had to pay $30 (again!) for the checked bag to SAT. I again stated our case about the linked record locators, and that we had obviously just come from an international flight / customs. The ticket agent said that my friend’s economy fare did not allow that, and that she would have to pay. Her boarding pass also said “no carry-on.” At least she did not have a problem with the name on the ticket. Now my turn….I was expecting the same thing and had my credit card in my hand. Whether the ticket agent and I were too busy talking, he forgot, or because my fare was different…regardless, he did not charge me the $30! Amazing!? I toted my friend’s carry-on for the next flight.

There was a flight to SAT leaving soon, but I purposely had booked a later flight, just in case we were delayed on earlier flights or in customs. So, we had a couple of hours to wait in IAH, but good to be back in Texas! By 10:30 PM approximately we were back in SAT! Home sweet home!

Grappa is a liquor made from the skin of the grapes. Venicians put it in their coffee!

The emergency health care is free. Routine health care is charged on a graduated scale based on ability to pay. There are sometimes long waits for surgery or other serious treatment. Hospitals often have shortage of basics, like toilet paper. Patients often bring their own sheets, to make sure they have clean sheets! Instead of bringing flowers to someone in the hospital, bring a roll of toilet paper. You can seek medical services outside the public system, but you bear the full cost.

I brought 300 euro and spent all (including 70 for the airport water taxi for 2). I also spent about 187 euros on Visa. Most of my expenditures were jewelry (167 euros).

Traffic signal: the green is for go faster; the red is stop if you want; the yellow is for decoration.

Motor cycle conversion cars: very interesting and allow for a younger driver (age 14)

The cultures and dialects in different parts of Italy are very distinct. Dialects are so strong that one cannot understand another.

Day care (child care) is very expensive. Unless the mother (parent) has a very well-paying job, the mother stays home until the child is school age.

1.2% population growth. Of the 19 children in Salvatore’s son’s class, 11 are the only child in the family.