La Dolce Vita in Italy: a trip report from 24 years ago

Nona finally reached the hotel around 5 pm, and after she settled in, we headed out to see the town. I have been to Rome before, but this was my friend’s first visit, so I figured we’d hit all the main tourist attractions right away. Our first stop was the Coliseum, which we got to via the Metro. Once there, we found out the inside was closed, and there were huge crowds, along with police and lights set up all over the place.

I asked around, trying to find out what was going on, and learned that the Pope does the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday night. He starts with Mass at St. Peter’s, then leads a procession over to the Coliseum. The Pope stays at the last Station (on the hill above the Coliseum), and is eventually joined by the other members of the procession who go through all the other stations set up at the Coliseum. I would have loved to stay to watch, but the crowds were getting very heavy, and we were both very tired. Neither of us felt like standing around and waiting 2-3 hours for the ceremony, so we took off for the Forum, which was still as impressive as I remembered.

Our next stop was the Campo de Fiori. On the way, we passed by the Largo Argentina ruins and stopped to say hello to the cats. When my brother was here last year, he and his wife met Sylvia, a woman who helps take care of all the cats sheltered in these ruins. They’ve sent her money since then, and he asked me to say hello for them. Unfortunately, she wasn’t around. So we did a little window-shopping, and gravitated towards the Lush shop near the square. This is a British shop filled with wonderfully smelly bath products that are all natural. I’ve ordered from their website before, but have never been to the shop, so I was very excited to see it. Of course, all the products and instructions were in Italian, so it was hard to know what each one was.

We found a little restaurant (Trattoria er Grottino) on the Campo that had outdoor tables, so we plopped ourselves down to graze a little. The food was good and filling – nothing fancy, but it hit the spot after a long day. I had pasta carbonara and insalata mista; Nona had fettuccini in some kind of sauce, and prosciutto with melon that was extremely yummy. We also shared a big bottle of mineral water and a bottle of the red house wine, then each had espresso for “afters”. Our bill was around L67,000, which included a L4000 coperta.

We sat, ate, talked and watched the view for a long time, then wandered over to Piazza Navona, where we walked around and bought a few cheap souvenirs. After a while, though, our bodies started giving out, so around 11 pm, we found a #64 bus to take us back to Termini. It was extremely crowded, and we must have missed our stop, because we wound up making the rounds again on the bus. On the second trip, the bus went to the San Pietro station and parked, turning off the engine. We were the only ones on the bus at this point, so I started to panic. The bus driver assured me, however, that he was indeed going back to Termini, and basically told me to sit down and shut up. We finally left the station for Termini, passing Largo Argentina for the fourth time that day, and made it back to our hotel by midnight.

Saturday, April 14

Both of us slept in till after 9, waking up to rain, thunder and lightning. We ate a quick breakfast of a stale roll, orange juice and cappuccino, packed up and headed out the door with umbrellas and rain jackets. On the way to Termini, we stopped up the street at the Laundromat to check our email. The price was very reasonable – only L4000 for 30 minutes. While we were there, we checked on the rioting and curfews in Cincinnati. CNN and BBC World News had both mentioned it, but we wanted to check out local news sites as well.

After reaching Termini, we bought our rail tickets to Firenze (using one of the convenient machines) for L42,500, and were soon on our way to Florence. As the train got farther away from Rome, the weather got better – and by the time we reached Firenze Santa Maria Novella Stazione, the sun was shining again and the rain was gone. The weather was beautifully crisp, cool and sunny. We picked up a map at the TIC in the square outside the station, and headed over towards our accommodations on Borgo Pinti.

I managed to get us lost a few times, but we finally made it to the B&B at #31, rang the bell and were admitted upstairs. I was taken aback for a minute when I saw the five flights of stone steps (she did warn us!), but gamely headed on up. The place was beautiful with stone stairs, and decorated with a black wrought iron railing. The building was labeled a palazzo, and dates back to the 1600’s. Once we reached the top, Paola Fazzini, the owner, met us with a friendly greeting and showed us to our room.

We actually gasped with delight when we saw what we would be staying in. The room was extremely large with twelve-foot high ceilings, whitewashed walls, and hardwood floors. Two twin beds sat in the middle, and an antique desk with a bowl of potpourri graced the corner, along with two matching chairs and a wall filled with shelving and drawers. However, the best thing was the view!!! Huge French windows overlooked a large, lovely Italianette garden filled with paved stones, trees, and colorful displays of azaleas and geraniums, interspersed with clipped topiary hedges and tiled roofs. It was one of the loveliest views I’ve had while abroad.

Paola then showed us the two bathrooms we'd be sharing with the other guests -- one had a tub, and the other a shower. Both were spotlessly clean, quite large, and contained a blow drier and assorted other soaps and cleansers. She next took us to the kitchen, which was filled with gleaming white appliances (including a dishwasher and stove), set off by a terracotta-tiled floor. Various plants filled corners of the room, and a skylight brought the sunlight in. The refrigerator was stocked for the guests’ breakfast the next morning, containing eggs, cheeses, milk, yogurt and butter. The pantry contained various cereals, jams, bread, coffee, and tea and assorted other items. In addition, Paola had bought an enormous Easter cake for us to feast on over the holiday. One corner of the kitchen was devoted to guidebooks, maps and a choice of reading material left behind by other guests, plus a table with a phone for our use (although she asked that we leave L200 for local calls and L2000 for calls to cell phones).

The kitchen was available to all guests for their use. There are 4 rooms, and 2 bathrooms, and everyone shares the kitchen. All this for the incredible price of L150,000 for a double with breakfast food included. We couldn’t believe this place, and liked it so much we asked if we could stay there the whole week, rather than leaving on Monday. Paola told us we could stay until Thursday, which suited our purposes perfectly. This way we could still make day trips to places we wanted to see, and we didn’t have to worry about traveling around on buses with our luggage looking for a place to stay.

Now that I’ve rhapsodized over this place, I must point out (again) the five flights of stairs to climb. I didn’t really mind it, since I figured I was working off all those Italian meals, but it is a strain—especially that last flight! Second, Paola only accepts women as guests. She herself does not live on the premises, but comes by every day around 10:30 am to clean, and restock the fridge and pantry for breakfast the next day.

After Paolo left, we settled in and met some of the other guests. The first group was Melanie and Fiona. Melanie is from the Isle of Wight, and Fiona is from London. We chatted over coffee in the kitchen, and eventually met the rest of the group as they wandered in. Katinka and Karin are both from Hamburg, Germany; and Christine is from Chicago and visiting her son who is going to school in Florence. They were all very friendly.

After that, we headed out into town to eat a late lunch, using the map Paola had given us (much better than the TIC ones). It was still chilly, but the sun shone brightly on Florence as we made our way through the Easter crowds. We stopped at a little place near the Duomo, where we each got a sandwich and a glass of wine for about $4 each – the owner insisted we sit at a table and eat, and pooh-poohed the idea of a table charge.

Afterwards, we headed to Perche No for gelato – I ate a heavenly concoction of tartuffo chocolate and raspberry, and Nona had a meringue mixture. We licked our cones on the way to the Ponte Vecchio, and just strolled around sightseeing. Our first stop was a street called Lungarno Acciaiuoli, which runs along the Arno. There is a store there called Sacchi that specializes in silver. My sister-in-law had bought some pieces there, and recommended it so we decided to stop in. They had a beautiful array of silver jewelry and other items, and I treated myself to a gorgeous chunky silver and lapis lazuli ring. Nona, not to be outdone, bought a replica of a small silver sandal on a chain.

After that, we just meandered around for a while. The church of Orsanmichele looked inviting and we stopped to marvel at the beautiful 14th century work. It was in the process of restoration, but we were still able to see most of it, including the altar in the middle, with its striking Madonna and child painted by Bernardo Daddi. By now we were winding down, so decided to head back to our room for a brief respite. Nona opted for a nap, and I headed to the guidebooks in the kitchen to look for restaurants close by. I spent some time chatting with Fiona and Melanie while they fixed their dinner for that evening.

My first choice was closed over Easter, so we headed farther down Via Degli Alfani and came to Trattoria il Teatro. The menu posted outside was completely in Italian, so we trusted in luck and went in. Our luck held out because we had a wonderful meal. The server was extremely helpful, taking the time to explain the various dishes. Nona ordered a dish with some fish I’d never heard of mixed with tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic and I had a plate with pieces of scrumptious grilled chicken, pork and sausages that lay on a bed of grilled vegetables and potatoes. The potatoes alone were worth the price of the meal. We also shared a big bottle of mineral water and a bottle of Chianti.

After dinner, we ordered 2 desserts to share. One was an elegant and delectable crème caramel that literally melted in our mouths; the other was a white Bavarian-type cream covered with tiny luscious berries. Both were mouthwatering and indescribably delicious. Our bill for the entire evening came to L112,000 – a bargain at the price. Afterwards, we headed back to Borgo Pinti and collapsed.

Tomorrow, the Scoppia della Carre!

Sunday, April 15

We woke up early to another crisp, clear and sunny Easter morning. After showering and dressing, we headed to the kitchen for breakfast only to find Fiona ready to cut the Easter cake. I made some coffee in the French press, and we all dug in to the luscious cake. It’s almost like a bread, very dense and sweet and flavored with bits of orange rind, and is covered with a rich, crusty sugared topping. Soon the whole gang was gathered around the cake, munching away and chatting about our plans for the day.

Our plan was to head to the Duomo for the Scoppia della Carre ceremony, which happens every Easter morning. Paola told us the best place to watch it was the square right between the Duomo and the Baptistery. By the time we got there, a huge crowd had already formed, but I managed to work my way towards the middle (Nona hates crowds and opted to stay back). It was hard to see, but the procession slowly came towards the Duomo, then waited outside the doors. The “cart” was actually more of an ornate structure – it was roundish, with a dome, and looked very old. At 11 am, the priest saying Mass inside the cathedral releases a mechanical dove, which flies out into the square and ignites the fireworks attached to the cart. So for the next 15-20 minutes, fireworks went off, along with huge puffs of smoke and noisy explosions. It was slightly alarming at times, since the fireworks were practically on top of the huge crowd. At one point, an ambulance barreled its way through the swarm of people, barely stopping while people rushed to get out of its way.

Afterwards, we headed over to the Accademia. We had no reservations, but only had to wait in line for 20 minutes or so. We spent the time chatting with a group touring from Australia. The Accademia was as superb as I remembered it, and Nona was duly impressed with the David and the other pieces there. We continued on to the train station to check timetables for Assisi, since we were planning a day trip there. We didn’t see it listed on the Partenze board, but managed to find the times by using the ticket machines.

Next we tried to find the SITA bus schedules for Siena, but the terminal was completely shut down for the holiday. So we wandered down the streets, checking out the shops that were open (and I was surprised at how many were open on Easter Sunday). One stop we enjoyed was at a shop called Spinellis on Via del Conte. We found an interesting collection of old Firenze maps and prints, and an affordable assortment of lithographs. They also have unique postcards for sale, including some black and white prints of historical Florence.

Soon we headed back to the B&B, where we ate a snack of yogurt and blood oranges while figuring out our next move. This turned out to be a visit to the church of Santa Croce. I hadn’t seen it on my last trip, so Nona and I thoroughly enjoyed our excursion through the church, although I was appalled at the number of tourists who disregarded the “no camera” signs, and shot flash pictures of Michelangelo’s tomb.

Next stop was the Boboli Gardens, where we pooped out before reaching the very top. It looked like it might rain, so we grabbed some sandwiches and wine for dinner, then headed back to the B&B. As we sat in the kitchen, stuffing our faces, Katinka and Karin came in, followed by Christine, so we invited them to share our wine. One bottle led to another, and soon the five of us were gabbing away as if we’d known each other forever. We talked about every subject under the sun – from American to German politics, race relations, education, and Oprah. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard – especially when Katinka told about her experiences as a liberal Catholic German exchange student staying with a southern Baptist family in Mississippi. We finally headed off to bed around midnight.

Monday, April 16

Everybody slept in this morning. I was the first one up, and was eating breakfast, when Thatcher, Christine’s son who is studying in Florence, stopped in to pick up his mom. We chatted with him for a bit, and finally made it out around 10:30 -- our destination was San Mineato. To get there, we walked across the Arno on the Ponte Alle Grazie, then continued straight through to Via Di San Niccolo, where we turned left. We then turned right at Via San Mineato, and soon veered left up the staircase steps called Via San Salvator al Monte. The stairs are long, but there are landings along the way to rest, and the walk up is beautiful. At the top, Piazza Michelangelo is to the left, and San Mineato to the right. We walked around the Piazza for a bit, maneuvering past the tour buses, and looked at the gorgeous view of the city. The morning was beautiful, although clouds were gathering, and I didn’t think our good weather would last for long. For the moment, however, the sun shone on blooming wisteria and azaleas, and multi-colored petunias and pansies graced the beds on the terrace below.

San Mineato was a short walk up the hill, and I was very excited to be here, since it’s one of my favorite churches. It’s a beautiful 12th century church, hardly ever crowded, and the view of Florence from here is incredible. I wanted to walk around the back and re-visit the cemetery, which is filled with graves and mausoleums that mimic palaces and cathedrals, but it had closed already for the day. However, I did notice that this time they actually have the cemetery entrance marked with a plaque (it’s to the left as you face the church before you get to the toilets). The plaque says in part, “Among hundreds of elaborate tombs in the neo-mediaeval style, the cemetery has the graves of many famous people such as Carlo Lorenzini (author of Pinocchio), Giovanni Papini, Vasco Pratolini, Pietro Annigoni and Giovanni Spadolini.” Of course, the only name I recognize is Pinocchio, but I was still impressed.

Walking back down, we took a slightly different route – this time traveling down Via del Monte alle Crochi, a winding road that takes you past some beautiful private villas. It was just starting to drizzle as we walked back, so we quickly picked up some bread, olives, pesto, and wine at the Grana Market near our B&B. That, combined with the array of cheeses in the fridge, made for a tasty late lunch. After lunch, Nona decided to nap, and I caught up with my journal. I also met some new arrivals to the B&B who were both from London. After our afternoon siesta, we went to check email at the Internet Train on Via Verde, which was open on Easter Monday, but the rain continued to come down, so we headed back and ate lunch leftovers for dinner – very tasty! We went to bed early, since we had to be up early to catch the train to Assisi.

Tuesday, April 17

By 7:30 am, we were up and on our way to the train station, and soon boarded the 8:10 train to Assisi. In hindsight, I wish we would have taken the 6:40 am train, since that one heads directly to Assisi without any changes. As it was, we wound up having to change trains in Terentola, and again in Perugia. It was a long trip, but we finally made it around 11:30 am. Along the way, the rain stopped and the sun came out! Once at the station, which is located about 5 km outside Assisi, we found the Tabacchi shop and bought a ticket for the shuttle bus. Luckily, one was leaving a few minutes later, so we took it all the way to Piazza Matiotta in Assisi. From there, we proceeded to head downhill, stopping every few hundred feet to gawk and admire. The town is absolutely fantastic – every single step reeks with charm. I took some photos, but was cursing myself for not buying a zoom lens. The very dust of this area is photogenic -- especially the views of the Umbrian countryside. By now, the day was beautiful, with the sun reigning over a bright blue sky, and silhouetted by white billowy clouds.

We stopped at all the sights, such as the Duomo, the Temple of Minerva, and so on. We picked up a map of the town at the TIC near the Piazza de Commune, but found it less than helpful (what IS it with these tourist maps???), so we relied on the one from my Rough Guide. I bought a few gifts along the way – a shop called Ferdinando Tontino at Via Portico, 31 had some unique examples of pottery and tiles that I liked very much. And what made it even more worthwhile was an exceptionally handsome Italian sales clerk – and as Nona pointed out, “If you’re going to fork over money, it might as well be to a good-looking man.” In fact, that’s one of the pleasures of Italy, in my experience. There’s something about those Italian men…

After a slice of pizza, we headed to the Basilica di San Francesco. Again, the views of the surrounding countryside were simply incredible – I wanted to move here on the spot. I think my next trip will be devoted to Umbria – and maybe Marche, which I’ve been reading about. On our way into the Basilica, I stopped at a table and had a Mass said for my brother-in-law, who is gravely ill.

We finally started to wind down, and headed downhill from the Basilica to catch our bus. We bought a return ticket in the square at the booth (don’t ask me why we didn’t just buy two tickets each when we first got them), and finally found ourselves headed back to Firenze. We managed to avoid any changes on this train trip, which made us happy.

Once back in Florence, we headed over to Antico Noe on Volta di San Piero, which was very near the B&B. We shared a Bruschetta alla Pomodoro that melted in my mouth. The tomatoes were bursting with flavor and complimented the seasoned bread perfectly. We also had a wonderful gnocchi al pesto, salad, and wine. The total was L72,000. We took pity on two young American students who wanted to eat and had no reservations (neither did we, but we got the last table), so we invited them to share ours. They were studying in Paris and were in Florence on holiday.

And of course, the wine took its toll, and we were soon back home sleeping peacefully in an alcohol-induced haze…

Wednesday, April 18

Once again, I breakfasted on muesli and coffee. This morning, we are off to Siena via the SITA bus. Round trip tickets were L22,000, and we bought them just in time to board the 9:10 am Rapido Express bus to Siena. Once again, the weather was crisp and sunny. Mostly I just gazed out the window at the picturesque countryside as the bus moved along, although it got exciting at one point when the bus driver, obviously suffering from an excess of testosterone, played chicken with another car. We arrived in one piece, however, and were soon on our way to the Campo. I had been here before on my last trip, but Nona was gazing around in admiration. It truly is a scenic town. We wandered around for the next few hours, snapping pictures here and there, and visiting the sights.

We ate lunch at Antica Osteria da Divo, which I read about in Time Out: Florence and Tuscany. It's located at Via Franciosa, 29. Not only is the food wonderful and the service impeccable, but you sit in atmospheric splendor – deep in huge vaults or rooms carved out of old stone. It feels like you're in the middle of an archeological dig.

The tables are covered with linen and silver, and the servers gave us glasses of champagne and bruschetta for starters, and delectable pastries to go with the espresso we ordered after lunch. All of these were complimentary (and we checked the bill to make sure). I also had a salmon and dill mouse over tender green beans for an antipasto (delicious!), then ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms in a cream sauce and topped with black truffles (which made me want to lick my plate). The dishes were beautifully presented on fine china, and served with wonderful crusty Italian bread. Our bill for one antipasto, one salad, two pasta entrees, two bottles of mineral water and two espressos came to L72,000.

After lunch, we explored Siena some more, then headed back to the Piazza de Gramsci to catch the bus back to Florence. We still had plenty of time, so we decided to go shopping! I come from a large family, and everyone’s birthday is coming up, so what better place to buy gifts than in Italy? I even brought an empty bag to carry them back in. One of our first stops was the "Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella," and is located at Via della Scala, 16 n. The products here have been around since the 13th century when Dominican monks concocted herbs and potions for their infirmary. Around the 16th century, they started selling them to the public. During the 1800s, the Italian Government took it over, and passed it on to the Stefani family, who has owned and managed it ever since then.

The potpourri (they sell only one kind) is the best smelling stuff I've ever put my nose to. It's made from herbs and flowers from the hills of Firenze, and is incredibly potent. The bag I bought, which is in a plastic bag and wrapped in another plastic bag, is scenting my whole bedroom now. The women at the shop told me it lasts a whole year with proper care. They have wonderful toilet waters and soaps with fragrances like Verbena, Pomegranate, Lavender, and Orange Blossom.

They also sell many antique preparations for the skin and body, and a scent called "Water of the Queen" which was devised and produced for Catherine of Medici. The building is in an early 17th century palazzo, with huge rooms and frescoed ceilings. One room is devoted to herbology, and the others to perfume and body products. It's located near the station, but is difficult to find since the only clue is the street number and the historical plaque located right outside. I bought sinfully smelling Verbena toilet water in a beautiful bottle for around L80,000, a bag of their potpourri, and several bars of Verbena latte soap.

We hit a few more places, then stopped to buy a lovely piece of hand-painted tile from a woman in a shop on Borgo Pinti. The outside of the shop is decorated with beautiful hand-painted tiles of Florence scenes, and the inside is filled with ceramic pieces that she has made and painted. Many of them show pictures that tell a story, and all are hand-painted by Perla. When I talked to her, she told me that she is doing this because her father did it, and his father before him. Her brother was carrying on the family tradition, but he died at a young age, and so she inherited the shop. She was so sweet and pleasant that I left with more than just a souvenir—I had the memory of a delightful encounter with a charming woman.

Nona went shoe shopping, so we arranged to meet a little later at the Internet Train on Via Del Oriuolo. After checking email, we headed over to Antico Noe, our restaurant from the previous evening, after learning that they run a sandwich shop next to the restaurant that has the best sandwiches in Florence. And they were right—my sandwich was mouth-wateringly delicious and huge! It consisted of lean roast pork loin with mozzarella cheese and pickled eggplant on a hard crusty loaf. The sandwiches are made to order, and very moderately priced at L5,000.

We also stopped at the Paperback Exchange, which is a boon to Americans in search of reading material. It’s on the corner of Via Fiesolana and Via de Pilastri. I picked up a used American paperback for L12,000. Expensive by American standards, but cheap when you’re in Italy and dying for something to read on the plane back. Then finally back to the B&B and our last night in Florence.

Thursday, April 19

We had packed the previous day, so we didn’t have much to do this morning. We ate a quick breakfast, paid for our stay, and said goodbye to Paola and the other guests. About 10 am, we headed out with our backpacks to the train station. On the way, I stopped by the Studio Art Centre International (SACI) on Via San Antonio, which is where my daughter had attended school the previous semester. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming, and were thrilled that I stopped by. They took us on a tour of the school, showing off all the facilities and studio workshops, and letting me see some of Katie’s work, which the school had bought and put on display. I was then taken to meet the director, who was both gracious and charming, and who gave me a work apron with the school’s logo on it.

Finally we got to the train station, where we bought our tickets to Roma, this time paying the L54,000 for the Eurostar train, which cut our travel time by 30 minutes. The ride was uneventful, and we were soon at Termini Stazione in Rome. We did not have a hotel for the night, so we went to the hotel reservation counter in the TIC. We didn’t have to wait long till we were at the front of the line. The woman at the counter informed us she didn’t have anything under 200,000 lira, which was fine with us. So she booked us a room for L200,000 at the Hotel Cambridge on Via Palestro, about a 5-minute walk from Termini. The hotel was fine—a little bigger than our last one, and with a more extensive breakfast.

Once we were settled in, we headed over to Termini to pick up the #40 bus to St. Peters. It let us out around the corner from the square, so it was an easy walk to the Basilica. The cathedral was as moving as I remembered it from my previous visit, and Nona couldn’t believe how immense it was. After touring the inside, we went below and visited the Popes’ tombs. We didn’t have a lot of time, and we still had to throw our coins in the Trevi Fountain, so we left then and walked over to the Piazza Navona to see the Pantheon.

We had a brief meal at a pizzeria on the Campo de Fiori, and then made our way to the Trevi Fountain. Again, Nona was impressed with the size of it. The fountain was crowded, but not as bad as I thought it would be. We took pictures of each other throwing our Italian coins in, then sat for a while in the cool evening breeze and listened to the chatter around us. After a bit, we got up and walked to a nearby bus stop to catch the bus back to Termini. We stopped at the station to buy our tickets for the Leonardo Express so we wouldn’t waste time in the morning, then headed back to the hotel and to bed.

Friday, April 20

The next morning, we woke up to a steady rain outside our window. We got dressed and packed relatively quickly, and headed upstairs for breakfast, which consisted of cappuccino, rolls, brioche and croissants and orange juice. It was filling and tasty. All too soon, it was time to leave for the airport. Unfortunately, I had forgotten my umbrella someplace, but I managed to pull my hood up on my windbreaker and get to the station relatively dry.

Once at the airport, we had to split up, since Nona was flying Air France, and I was using my buddy pass on Delta. Soon, I was back in business class, making my way home. Nona didn’t have the same luck as I did, and wound up getting stuck overnight in Paris. I should mention that she had a very bad experience with Air France; stating that the staff was curt and unfriendly on both the trip there and the return trip, and unsympathetic to the stranded travelers’ plight. Evidently, she and the other passengers were given incorrect information about the shuttle to the hotel, and it took them almost an hour to figure it out on their own.

After reaching the Hotel Ibis, which is where the airlines put them up, they were served a buffet dinner that was, in Nona’s words, “…the worst meal I’ve ever eaten in my life.” It consisted of badly roasted chicken, mushy vegetables, and hard potatoes. The only good thing was the free wine, which she and the other passengers partook of plentifully. Nevertheless, she finally made it home to her cat’s delight. My own cats were happy to see me as well, although they were a little disgusted that I was gone so long.

And in closing, I have to say that one of the joys of traveling is finally being home again, and snuggling up in your own bed. After all, as Dorothy Gale said, “There’s no place like home.”

A couple of notes: This was my shortest trip overseas, I believe—only 8 nights. It was also during a time when the dollar was very strong, and therefore, the cost of everything was very low in Lira. I'm not sure what the prices would convert to now, but it really was a very cheap and very quick trip. I put a lot of the prices in, as I think I probably posted this on the AOL travel message board, which I was a member of.

I enjoyed reading this a lot while waiting for a flight at Atlanta airport.

I traveled until I had children but then not again until they were much older. So this was an era I never experienced. I never went for example to a cafe for the internet. We traveled in 1980s and always stayed in places without private baths. But, at the time, that was an upgrade from hostels many of our generation was staying in. I remember going to the tourist bureau and finding a place to stay that way. The Internet has done away with all that and hard to imagine traveling today without reservations.

Mardee, this was a fun read! It's so interesting to see what changes (paper maps!) and what remains the same (delicious Italian food!).

Cell phones are a game-changer for travel, aren't they? Although I still confess to loving a good paper map.

Now I'm off to check the Santa Maria Novella website....

Beth, it definitely was a different time. It would hard to travel like that now, although not impossible. I prefer more security these days, though, :-)

Deb, I love that potpourri! In fact, I just bought some on my recent trip to London as they have several shops there. Here is the US site - I'm not sure if that one still works in the report. https://us.smnovella.com/

Oh my gosh I LOVE that you found this and decided to share it here with all of us! I was there exactly a month before you: a Spring Break trip my sophomore year in college (Rome, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri ... it was a mad dash of trip that I remember so fondly!). The internet cafes brought me right back ... I still remember eagerly going and checking my email from my then brand-new boyfriend (now partner of 24 years!).

I'm in - that was wonderful! So great to remember those Lira with so many zeroes! Great memories.

I was in Bologna and Milano 30 years before (ok, 29). Great memories.

Not a great way to start a holiday with a headache....

Well, if you will decide to start on Friday the 13!!

Mardee - I haven't even read it yet, but our first trip to Europe was to Italy in 1999. I can't WAIT to read your report!

Hannah, oh my gosh, those internet cafes. And that's so funny that you were checking for emails from your then-boyfriend, now-husband!

Nigel, those were a lot of zeroes, weren't they, lol! And ha, ha, I didn't even remember it being Friday the 13 until I posted this. Yikes, what was I thinking? :-)

Janet, weren't those years great for travel? That's so cool that your first trip was just a couple of years before. It was so different then!

Oh my gosh, Mardee!
Thanks for sharing your trip from 24 years ago, it brought back so many memories!

My mom and I took our very first mother-daughter trip that same year.
We almost cancelled our trip because it was planned for late September/early October (after 911…)
It was a 2 week whirlwind type of trip which started in Madrid and ended in Rome.
No high speed train from Madrid to Barcelona
and the journey took 8 hours!
My mom had wanted to take the night train from Barcelona to Italy, and fortunately she agreed to stop along the way in Girona, Avignon, and Nice, but only for an overnight, what was I thinking!

We didn’t have any advance reservations for train (tickets), accommodations, or popular sites either, crazy to think doing that now!

We had traveler checks and at times had to wait in a long queue at the bank in order to exchange them to the country’s currency
(Pesetas, French Francs, and Liras!)

I also recall buying a phone card in Italy and using the public pay phones that were all over Florence and Rome.

Do you think that B&B is still in Florence, sounds amazing!

Thanks for the memories!

I totally enjoyed reading your trip report. I was in Sweden and northern Germany in June/July that year, and it brought back all those memories of no reservations and using a phone card to call home. My receipt from a Lübeck hotel simply had my first name on it.
Simpler times, for sure.
Oh.... and the reference to Italian men is spot-on. Right now there are some great looking Italian tennis players to watch. :)

Priscilla, I know - it is crazy to think about how we had no reservations or bookings. Although I did book the B&B in Florence ahead of the trip. I'm trying to remember where I found it, but it really was amazing! If I could find it again, I would definitely go back. I loved that place, but I doubt if the same owner is there.

Wishin, isn't it fun to have those memories of long ago trips gone by? Ha ha, that's funny about your hotel receipt. And yes, oh those Italian men!

Mardee, this was a fun read. It brought back memories of my 1999 solo trip to Italy, internet cafes, shared bathrooms, phone cards and all. It was a time without Smartphones and Instagram. I think most of the weight in my suitcase back then was paper: maps, guidebooks, lots of notes ...

Thanks for sharing!

Jean, thanks! I agree about the weight of paper! I still remember the days of lugging 6-7 paperbacks with me, hoping they would last the trip. And yes, guidebooks and paper and planning out my trip in a notebook. In some ways, I think it made the places easier to remember. Now, I just click a link and it's in there. I wonder how much of my brain I'm wasting. :-)

Mardee, a great trip report.

I had to smile, because I was in Rome exactly four years after you at the exact same time. It's incredible how time flies.

ahhh the paper. I had put it out of my mind. Back in the day I travelled reasonably light - one aluminum framed full sized backpack with places to tie my boots on and all sorts - but the only paper I remember carrying was two guidebooks including the one from Harvard (I forget the name, something like Go Travel or somesuch) which about a million pages of very thin paper but good for a door stop, and a guide to Youth Eurailpass which is how I travelled and often slept (go from where I was about 3 hours, get a train back (took planning) sleeping on the compartment drop down seats and hoping neither staff, police or fellow travellers disturbed me, and ready to go around breakfast time. Only times that didn't work was when the backpack didn't fit the lockers (Vienna and Paris). Also passport, xerox of passport, a loose leaf address book, and stationary to write home. Still, my backpack was full (hence tying on the boots) and HEAVY.

Thanks for the memories

Before we managed to get our internet set up in our apartment in 2005, we went to internet cafes! But that was by the euro time.

I want to go to that smell good place in Florence!

Such a fun trip!

UPDATE: I found the B&B! I had the address—Borgo Pinti, 31, so was able to google it and found that it is now listed with several booking places. Here's the one from Hotel (dot) com: https://www.hotels.com/ho3359288064/angelica-house/ It was weird looking at the photos. It's definitely the same place—I remember the hallway and the kitchen especially. I'm sure it's not the same atmosphere, though. The best part about it was sharing it with those other women and laughing and talking over wine and food. And Paola, the owner, was so wonderful! I wonder if she still owns it. It has an elevator now! :-)

Mignon, that's so funny that you were there exactly 5 years later! How cool!

Nigel, they were Let's Go guidebooks and I loved them! I owned the Let's Go: Europe guidebook and used it religiously with Rick Steves books. I looked it up just now and evidently they are thinking of bringing it back to life in a different form. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/10/25/lets-go-returns-four-years/ And those memories are really neat—thanks for sharing!

Katherine, ha ha! Those cafes came in handy! I was yelled at by the proprietor of an Istanbul internet cafe back in 2007 because I had uploaded too many photos, lol!

Ohh, internet cafes. They came and went for a tiny pocket in time, seemingly out of nowhere, didn't they? 2007 was probably the tail end of that era. I remember that year stopping every couple of days in a different city to check email and (gasp) MySpace.

There's the Paperback Exchange in Florence ;-)

Mary, I think they're mostly gone now, but they were here for probably 15-20 years, I would imagine. I know I used them in the mid to late 90's and then again Turkey in 2007. I think after that, most places had internet. I traveled to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic in 2010 and had a little Netbook that I was able to use in my hotel.

And yes, the Paperback Exchange! That's where I went—it's been around for a long time!

man, now I want to go find that bar that we used the internet in!

I needed the internet in Venice about 20 years ago. I remember finding a little place in an alley between Piazza S Marco and the American Express office near S Moise. Don't remember exactly. What I do remember was having to register by presenting my actual passport and waiting for the clerk to verify me. Deep Joy. And was it SLOW.

And was it SLOW.

Hahaha!!! Oh, Nigel, those were the days of dial-up! Remember that dial-up sound? https://youtu.be/gsNaR6FRuO0?si=VbvPn-ddZgGInVwa

Fun read. I can't believe how much we depend on technology now. Out of curiosity I went through my laptop looking for photos of where we travelled in 2001, and discovered I had no digital photos. That means I was still using a film camera, so I had to dig out photo albums. It turns out we were in Disney World with our 5 and 3 year old kids. At the time I couldn't imagine a better trip, and Italy, or any part of Europe wasn't even on a bucket list yet.