Dick King's JOURNAL of the "Italian Escapade"
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written by Dick King of Murphys, California
Sunday, June 17…Day 1, and Monday, June 18…Day 2: Rome

We made our respective overnight flights. Most of us arrived in Rome’s Fiumicino Airport where we were met by an Insight representative just outside customs. We claimed our bags and followed her to a waiting area. After a while a red-haired young man strode up and introduced himself as Craig Sunney, our tour manager. He led us across the street to our coach where we met Franco, our driver.

As we entered Rome Craig warned us about pickpockets and described our itinerary. It was hard to pay attention, for we were curious about the passing scenery. We had various first impressions of city: the graffiti on the buildings and walls, the frantic movement of small-sized cars racing through the narrow streets, and the swarms of motorbikes buzzing like hornets among them. There was even an accident! Craig pointed out some points of interest. There seemed to be a lot of orange and red flags and banners hanging about. He explained that Rome had just won the Italian Soccer Championships so the town was celebrating.

Arriving at the Hotel Atlantico in the middle of town, we crowded into the lobby and met the rest of our group, totaling 48 in all. We were tired and uncomfortable from our plane ride as well as from the warm, humid weather, so most of us dragged off to our rooms for a shower and a nap before leaving for dinner.

After gathering in the lobby, we boarded the coach as a thunderstorm gathered overhead. Craig pointed out fountains and significant buildings as Franco guided the coach smoothly through the traffic. The thunderstorm broke and we dashed into a local restaurant to enjoy our welcome drink, hear an overview of the tour, and learn Craig’s protocols. Then, after a glass or two of wine and introductions, we found ourselves socializing with others and beginning the task of remembering all their names!

It was at this gathering that Craig described how we could see and do more if we were willing to get up early to avoid the hordes of other tour groups at the sites we planned to visit. We decided to give up sleep if it meant a quality experience. This set a pattern of travel that eventually came to "jell" us as a group.

Our dinner was at a huge restaurant where we were served "local specialties" (our first Craig-ism) and heard various operatic solos. Many of us were starved, since we weren't used to the Italian custom of eating dinner between 7:30 and 8:00. The breadsticks didn’t last long, and the wine sure made an impression! Kevin and John were the stars that evening, as the lady soprano found them willing participants as she flirted with the men.

Tuesday, June 19…Day 3: Rome

Last night the soccer celebrations kept many of us awake. Our wake-up calls dragged us out of bed to the realization that today we would visit the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters. Breakfast looked pretty good, and it was hard not to indulge on pastries. We had a lot to learn!

Our arrival at the Sistine proved Craig’s point because we were just about the first group there. He gave us each a little radio with an earplug, called a "Whisper" that our tour guide used to communicate with us during this tour. These were really helpful, since other groups and their guides surrounded us and it would have been hard to hear our guide over their voices. We also had our first experience of following a guide’s unique flag mounted on a kind of radio antenna.

We finally entered the Vatican Museums full of numerous artifacts. We went through rooms full of old Roman and Etruscan statues, medieval tapestries, paintings, furniture, religious objects, and many ancient treasures collected by the popes for many hundreds of years. Our guide was fantastic, providing just enough information, interesting trivia, and humor to keep us all attentive.

We finally entered the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling had been recently cleaned. Like so much of the art and architecture we would see on our tour, it was massive, expressive, and detailed. Each of us came away with our own profound impressions. Those of us with small binoculars could appreciate the facial expressions and gestures of the characters, which enhanced the emotional impact of the work.

We wound down into St. Peter’s, admired the doors, and viewed the Pieta. Again, the impact of these artifacts was incredible. How could artisans living hundreds of years ago, using simple tools, create these huge masterpieces of art and architecture?

We met Craig, who named our meeting place and a time. After exploring around St. Peters Square we gathered and headed for the bus. One lady, who will remain anonymous, in our group failed to show, so we went with the guide while Craig looked for her. We went over the Tiber River to the Roman Coliseum and the Forum. As we walked from the bus a couple of street vendors got into a fight over their "turf" and one sent the other sprawling into our group. Escaping this scene, we headed into the ruins and the Coliseum. Again, the ancient city and the massive scale of its buildings were overwhelming.

Back at the hotel we rested before joining Craig for one of the optional excursions in the city. Those who didn’t sign up for this tour did something different, but we all had the experience of dealing with another incredible Roman thunderstorm, and the continued celebrations of the soccer fans!

Wednesday, June 20…Day 4: Montecatini Terme

Up early, breakfasted, and headed into the countryside for tonight’s stay at Montecatini Terme. Today we began our game of "musical chairs" around the coach. Craig told us about himself and why he contracted with local guides for our city tours. After a brief language lesson we made a stop at the first of the Autogrills we would encounter. Then we continued towards our visits at Siena, the Tuscany region, and Pisa.

Siena was the largest of the many hill towns that loomed over the rural Tuscany valleys. We thought that some of Rome’s streets were narrow! Initially it seemed like we’d be able to walk through these narrow streets without competing with Vespas and trucks, but we soon found ourselves pressed against the tall buildings as the traffic scraped by. Suddenly we stepped out onto the piazza full of tourists and locals. We were left to explore and shop, but most of us went up to the cathedral at the top of the hill.

We continued through the Tuscany region, which sure reminded the Californians of home. We learned about Chianti wine, its history in the area, and where the best little towns were to visit. These roads were narrow and busy, but the traffic was mostly local people.

We headed towards Pisa, where Craig arranged a unique transportation event. We boarded a little blue train and drove to the city gates. The tower at Pisa still leaned significantly despite efforts to straighten it a little. The church and baptistery were also significant. The weather was hot and muggy, but it was nice to enjoy the cool grass that surrounded the buildings.

We drooped, so we looked forward to the pool at Montecatini Terme. We swam, rested, and strolled around the nearby park until dinner.

Thursday, June 21…Day 5: Montecatini Terme

Another early start to get a jump on the crowds in Florence. It was bumper to bumper all the way into town…we were glad that we weren’t driving. Good old Franco! We drove in as far as we could, then walked quickly to the entrance of the Academia, where David was on display. We met our tour guide, who was excellent. We stopped at a few of Michelangelo’s "Prisoners" statues, but it was hard to concentrate since David was right there at the end of the hall. Incredible! After viewing it from all sides it still was hard not to look back as we exited onto the street.

We went to the Duomo, stopping to appreciate old Roman and medieval buildings. The Duomo, however, was to Florence what David was to the Academia. At the Uffizzi, we laughed at the antics of the "living statue" people. We continued to the Church of the Holy Cross where Galileo and Michelangelo had their tombs. After leatherworking and goldsmithing demonstrations, we headed off on our own. It was here that one of our group had her purse picked. This would be the only pickpocket incident we would have on the entire trip.

Back at the hotel we had time to prepare for the next optional excursion to a hilltop restaurant overlooking Montecatini and the surrounding valley. The road switchbacked up the steep hills, though Franco took it in stride. What a view, and the courses flowed endlessly! This event was a true "bonding" affair. No one will forget the last bottle of wine being passed around the coach, and how we serenaded Franco as he drove us safely home.

Friday, June 22…Day 6: Baveno

After last night it was a pleasure to sleep in, since we only had to visit Milan before continuing on to Maggiore in the Lake District. We must have bonded better than we thought, because none of us really wanted to go to Milan. Little did we know…?

From Montecatini Terme the autostrata wound out of the mountains towards the coast, then turned north through the Carrera area, where the famous marbles were quarried. We turned east and we headed into the Apennines, where the hills became steep and forested. Then disaster struck! The coach lost power and Franco had to stop. Luckily the highway workers had closed a lane, so we didn’t stop in the middle of autostrata traffic. He couldn’t fix the problem there, but he did have enough power to get us to a pullout with a gas station.

We stood around in groups feeling glad that this wasn’t OUR problem. After an hour of tinkering Franco saved the day when he found a chunk of plastic stuck in the fuel filter. We were all so relieved that Craig played Bocelli and other operatic favorites as the coach purred higher into the mountains.

As we approached Milan, Craig enlightened us with one of his most interesting lectures: the Italian practice called "bellefigura", which means to live stylishly in appearance but not necessarily in substance. This explained how Fiats looked great but ran terrible (It brought to mind what the word "Fiat" means to their owners: Fix It Again, Tony). It also explained the stylish dressing of the Milanese that we would encounter.

What we did encounter was a small car plowing into our baggage doors as Franco made a left-hand turn in downtown Milan traffic.

We got another lesson in Italian behavior as Franco and the other lady driver yelled and gestured at each other (Oh dear, I hope the children didn’t see this!). The Aussies among us announced that we’d had a "bingle" while Craig sprang into action and became the event photographer. After the police moved us out of traffic we left Franco to deal with his bingle while Craig got us onto the metro to the cathedral square.

Milan’s cathedral, the Galleria mall, and La Scala opera house were indeed incredible, but as Craig had promised the Milanese were dressed beautifully. Oh, those shoes! Franco looked a little glum as we boarded the coach to Lugano in the Lake District. Not even another round of Bocelli cheered him up.

The coach dropped us in Lugano, on the Swiss side. Lugano is the center of Italy’s silk industry, but our shoppers had their eyes on Swiss army knives and leather. Our new cappuccino addicts also needed this stop to sip and enjoy Lake Lugano. Many tunnels later we arrived at the HUGE Hotel Grand Dino on the shores of Lake Maggiore. So luxurious! After dinner some of us took in the promenade and the local "flea market with a circus".

Saturday, June 23…Day 7: Baveno

Our boat left early for Isola Bella and our tour of the Baromeo mansion. The mansion and its gardens were fantasy-like and hugely historical (Napoleon slept here). After our tour we motored to Stresa for lunch and shopping. The exchange rate got better: $1.00 = L 2200. Back at the Dino many of us relaxed by the pool complex. This was a much-need R and R day!

Sunday, June 24…Day 8: Venice

Alexandra’s tooth came out this morning as we left for Venice. Craig explained how expensive this area is and the differences in local culture, business, and language in various parts of Italy.

The police stopped us outside of Verona for speeding, but after checking the coach’s tachometer they let us go. We went see Juliet’s balcony and the Roman arena. There were lots of Sunday cyclists and cycling clubs riding in the countryside. The Tour d’ Italia was in progress in the north.

We parked in Venice amid a swirl of coaches, trains, and cars, then walked along the canals and over bridges, trying not to stumble while we took everything in. The canals were full of busy boats of all sizes, colors, shapes, speeds, and designs. Tourists, vendors, and locals crowded the walks and bridges. Two of us fell at a bridge, but somehow we stayed together and reached the Hotel Continental. As we unpacked we were stunned as a heavy metal band erupted into amplified explosions in the little park next to the hotel. We learned there was a music festival happening in town, and we were supposed to enjoy heavy metal venue until 11:00 p.m. Such a deal! As Craig dealt with this development some of us walked around town to hear other music. Little bands were tucked away into odd corners and were quite good. Craig wanted to bribe our little tribe of metal-heads not to play, but then they simply stopped. No one seemed to know the reason, but who cared?

Our optional excursion left for a night-tour of the Grand Canal and St. Marks. What an incredible fantasyland of water, boats, buildings, and sky that only got better as dusk fell. In St. Marks we sat at the Quadi Café (the first cup of coffee in Europe was served here) and watched the various restaurant bands perform Italian favorites as we enjoyed a little champagne. A huge festival choir arrived and filled the square with beautiful voices. We cruised slowly home with Captain Katie at the helm.

Monday, June 25…Day 9: Venice

We boarded a launch that took us on a different route to St. Marks. It was pretty quiet there as we went to a glass-blowing demonstration. Afterwards, some of us chose an optional excursion of Venice and the Palace of the Doge while others explored on their own. The crowds grew and grew. Later we met for the gondola ride, which was great fun for those who fed their driver, but not so good if one had a driver who was grumpy.

Another optional excursion took us out to the island of Burano for a seafood dinner. We cruised the islands that comprised Venice, browsed shops selling lace, and enjoyed great food and socializing. An unexpected event was the "Parade of the CEO’s". Young rich CEO’s arrived for a medieval banquet in the piazza, entertained by a host of musicians, jugglers, and clowns.

 

 

Tuesday, June 26…Day 10: Assisi

We left Venice and headed for Assisi. After we stopped near Ravenna to see the St. Apollonius cathedral and its wonderful mosaics, we climbed into the Apennines with its forests, hillside farms, and quaint villages. The motorway suddenly detoured up a steep, narrow, windy mountain road. All the traffic, including huge trucks and buses, zigzagged through little villages. The views were spectacular.

Back on the motorway, we arrived in the newer part of Assisi that’s located on the plain. Even this far from a large city the sky was hazy. Craig described the story of St. Francis as we arrived at the basilica. After a quick tour we drove to the old medieval town on the hill, where St. Francis’s tomb and our hotel were located. We found our rooms overlooked the entire valley and the view was incredible!

We took a walking tour and began to understand the age and history of this town. It reminded us of Sienna, but it seemed less touristy. We also explored the church built over the tomb of St. Francis. This was a very inspirational place.

After a festive dinner at Hotel Subasio many of us went back on the streets to explore some more. Since our hotel was in the middle of town, all the tourists had left and only the locals remained. The views, the pleasant evening air, the intricate network of steep narrow cobblestone streets, and the little local shops invited us to walk. We kept meeting up with members of our group on little streetcorners.

 

Wednesday, June 27…Day 11: Sorrento

Some of us made another early-morning exploration before breakfast and departure for Capri. It was a long ride, so "Professor Sunney" enlightened us more about the cultural and language differences between regions, the best kinds of trips Insight offers, and how good a deal it was to take a guided tour like ours. Mostly we enjoyed his Italian sign-language demonstration.

Skirting Naples, we arrived at our hotel in Sorrento. Most of us joined the optional excursion to Positano, located on the Amalfi coast. We climbed through groves of lemons and oranges, enjoyed the views of Sorrento and the Bay of Naples, and then crossed the peninsula to the steep-sided drive south to Positano. What a vista of vertical coastline and emerald-green water from so high a vantagepoint! The narrow roads also gave us some memories. Above Positano, little mini-buses took us into the center of the fairy-tale village cascading in multi-colored hues to the emerald bay. Most shopped for lemonceto liqueur and other local goods while others swam. It seemed like everyone bought lemon-flavored ices.

Dinner that night was an optional seafood dinner excursion to a fisherman’s port. What a picturesque setting to enjoy those "local specialties" that were incredibly tasty. A local even played a keyboard. We were all in a party mood since the tour ended in two days.

Thursday, June 28…Day 12: Sorrento

We boarded a hydrofoil to Capri, where many of the group took the optional tour to the Blue Grotto and other parts of the island. We were there early so we all got to see quite a bit of the best parts of the island before the other tours arrived. The Blue Grotto was spectacular, and so were the funicular and the little roads clinging to the mountainside that took us to Anacapri. Some took the chairlift to the summit. We joined hundreds of tourists jostling for a place on the return boats that crowded the harbor. Back at the hotel we swam and relaxed before dinner.

After dinner we were treated to Chuck Parr’s PowerPoint presentation of Mr. Sunney’s Neighborhood. This compilation of over 400 digital images of the tour, set to music, was emotionally powerful. Somehow he had managed to capture the spirit of the people with whom we’d shared so much time. We were struck by the incredible amount of creative talent and time he had put into this project. One thing was sure, this group had bonded, Chuck had captured it, and it was going to be REALLY hard to say goodbye!

Friday, June 29…Day 13: Rome

This morning we left the Sousa family, who were connecting with their family further south. We’d miss all of them! Then we were off to visit Pompeii, then Montecassino, and finally to spend a last night in Rome. In Pompeii we had an excellent guide, which made our tour really worthwhile. There was a lot to appreciate about this extensive, bustling port town that was frozen in time by the eruption from Mt. Vesuvius. Significant artifacts we saw were the erotic mosaics, the plaster impressions of those who died, and the variety of roads, buildings, and shops.

Later we stopped at Montecassino, the mountaintop monastery that was a major battle site in WWII. It turned noon during the visit, which was observed with a series of loud mortar explosions that just gave us a taste of the battle.

We continued into Rome and checked back in to the Hotel Atlantico. Graham and his wife Susan left that afternoon, and it was hard to bid them farewell. Later we gathered for our final optional dinner excursion and illuminated tour into the city. At Craig’s favorite Rome restaurant we again enjoyed several courses of "local specialties" and some local entertainment before sharing some personal reflections about Craig and our time together. Then we boarded the bus for our final drive with Franco. We stopped at the Trevi fountain to toss our coins before continuing our nighttime tour.

At the hotel we all said goodbye since about half the group was leaving really early the next morning. We all promised to stay in touch via e-mail and Chuck’s upcoming web site. We had so many fond memories and adventures together, and the best part was that we all enjoyed each other as people.

Saturday, June 30…Day 14: Home

Half the group left very early, and the rest took a later shuttle. It was a quiet ride as we reflected on the sights, events, and people we’d encountered. At the airport things moved fast! We hugged and said quick goodbyes before dashing into the crowded terminal to find our flights.