RS Heart of Italy - August - Cinque Terre

Good news. Double check your itinerary. I am on this same tour in Sept and something didn’t seem right about your concern. I double checked and you do not check out of your hotel on the day you have “off” in the Cinqoe Terre. You move onto Florence the next day.

I have faced the challenge of wanting to swim as a solo traveler. I ended up joining a snorkel tour for safety to have swim buddies. If you are just wading, probably not a problem as a solo.

Yes, Carol is correct. You transfer to Florence on Day 7. You'll head to the train early so you can go pick up the bus which usually has to park in Levanto. Day 6 is completely free...depending on how dinner is scheduled.

At most of your hotels you'll leave the key at the desk so you can also leave your valuables in your room. (And I was told by a RS guide one time that he never worried about leaving stuff in the room of a RS hotel. Apparently the hotels like RS tour groups and want their business and know they'd be cut if things go missing out of the rooms) I'd get a waterproof neck wallet for your phone and maybe a few Euro. I don't have one so no recommendation on a brand that is actually waterproof.

By this time in your trip you may have sussed out who has similar interests and would want to join you on the beach!

One of my favorite places is Cantina di Miky which is right on the sand. I have not been there in years but it looks like it made it thru the pandemic although I don't see a menu. Hint....do not have a Bellini for lunch and expect not to take a nap afterwards, hahaha!!

HOI was my first Rick tour...it got me hooked!

@Carol now retired and @Pam - You are correct! Thank you for pointing it out. That is a huge relief because I can leave my valuables in the room. This is my first RS tour and my first solo tour internationally and I know it is going to be perfect! I will be the American with the biggest, happiest smile walking through the airport in Pensacola, Florida and boarding the plane, etc. People will probably stay a distance away because I will look wild eyed with excitement. Can you tell I'm over the pandemic? Thanks again! Oh, and thanks Pam for Cantina di Miky. It is on my list. :)

@Carol now retired - did you reserve the snorkel tour before the trip or did you wait until the roster was available to see if anyone else was interested in joining you? Also, if you were happy with the snorkel excursion and remember the name of the group, please pass it along.

One of my favorite places is Cantina di Miky which is right on the
sand. I have not been there in years

As usual, Pam is spot on! Although it has been some years for us as well, this was a wonderful farm-to-table (and sea-to-table) restaurant that has not only made it through the pandemic but survived the devastating flood of 2011 as well. Of special interest are the owners: Christine Mitchell-De Fina and Manuel De Fina, he of the local De Fina restaurant family (dad is owner and chef at Ristorante Miky), and she, an expat from New Jersey with an MA in Food Studies and Culture from New York University.

She had an interesting blog about her initial expat experience that I used to follow but she's probably had too many irons in the fire to keep it up...and has acclimated nicely by now anyway. It's still "up" though, and still worth a read, especially her firsthand entries and photos about the flood (See the Oct. 2011 entries).

http://lifeinliguria.blogspot.com

Anyway, we were delighted to have met both of them, and just as delighted to have enjoyed the fruits of their labors! I believe that they don't publish a menu as it changes quite often.

https://www.cantinadimiky.it
https://www.facebook.com/lacantinadimiky

"and she, an expat from New Jersey"

My first visit was in 2013 with my brother and SIL while we were on the HOI. She seated us and we all cracked up because the NJ accent was SO unexpected, lol!!

Food was delicious and yes, they had some vegan things as well. The thing I loved was that fried chickpea batter. No redeeming nutritional value but very delicious, lol!

Anita...I always think as I am boarding the plane to Europe that my smile is a little too wide and I'm just a little too excited. This tour is perfect for a first taste of Italy and a first taste of RS tours. I hope you are going to be able to go to Rome a day or two ahead. This tour is short but busy. You will have a wonderful time!

Hi. I did the Village Italy tour. We stayed in Levanto, and during our vacation from our vacation day, I discovered there were like-minded fellow tour members and our guide who headed to the beach. So despite being a solo traveler, I had companions on the beach. We paid for chairs, and I seem to recall an umbrella being present. There were always others available to watch stuff if a few of us ventured into the water. I took a wrist wallet with me that would fit a card, some coins, and a key. I don't recall if I took or left the key at the hotel. I seem to recall a rocky sea floor, so head's up if you have tender feet and want to have shoes to tough it out on the rocks.

This memory comes back to me all the time - it was seriously a vacation from my vacation.

@Kathy - Thank you for the information and links. Definitely will try to plan a meal there.

@Pam - Because of life and everyday things it feels so great to be excited about this trip. I'm already thinking about my next RS tour because I can't imagine I won't fall in love with this type of travel. I am arriving in Rome around noon the day before our 3 pm group meeting. I figured I could rest a little (I still need to do a little jet lag research, lol) and maybe have a small dinner close to the hotel. I will then have all day the next day until the group meeting.

@Debbie - your vacation from your vacation sounds amazing.

Anita, that’s a good plan. IF you nap, I recommend setting an alarm and not sleeping more than 1.5-2 hours, then go outside and walk around.

Which hotel are you in? We might be able to make some suggestions for walking around and getting some sun in your face. That helps me with jet lag!

The only information I have is dharma style hotel in Rome with a phone number, not a street address. I guess we will receive more specifics first of July.

Anita, have you googled that phrase: Dharma Style Hotel in Rome? Only 1 comes up with that exact phrase although Dharma seems to be a hotel group. You might be able to compare the phone number. There is a map re location on their website.

I have. The address is coming up 122 via Torino but it says luxury hotel and so I’m not 100% certain it’s the right hotel. It’s also pretty far away from everything we are going to do the afternoon/evening after our group meeting and the next day.

Oh, that is interesting. There is one on Via Viminale right near the opera. It looks like it is near the Hotel Sonya which was where my HOI stayed years ago. The location of the Dharma looks almost like the hotel I booked for us ahead of the tour as Sonya was full. I’ll look tomorrow on my laptop if I can remember the name. 🙄

Did you book your extra night there?

I did book an extra night via the email address that RS provided with the name and number. They were very nice and confirmed it was same hotel and said I could pay upon arrival. It was a general email similar to booking@darhmastylehotel.it. All seems legit and I just assumed when we get our roster and list of all hotels on July 8 we will be provided addresses.

Well, after some sleuthing in old email folders, the hotel I stayed in pre-trip was Hotel Selene at Via del Viminale, 8, 00184 Roma RM, Italy. Following links from googlemaps, this is indeed a Dharma Styles hotel now. Rick likes this neighborhood and has a number of his tours stay at various locations in the area so this may be your hotel.

If it is, it was very nice, had lovely AC back in 2013 and the rooms were large compared to the usual size of a European hotel room. At that time the reception desk was up a flight or two of stairs (very normal for these old buildings!).

Back then the guy on the reception desk recommended La Gallina Bianca for dinner which is a pizza/pasta place just a short walk away. I remember it so clearly....they were really busy and doing a huge pizza carry-out trade to the local police. At least 3 different sets of police came in to pick up stacks of boxes of to-go orders. Don't know if it is still good but do ask for recommendations at reception!

Thank you. That is awesome. I love how everyone has very specific wonderful memories. Can’t wait!