11 Search Results for "navona"

• Nuns in Piazza Navona

  • From: KittyMcCormick
  • Description:

    Taken in Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy. 2007

  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 80

• Night Scene in Piazza Navona

  • From: jaylemae
  • Description:

    On our last trip to Rome, we found ourselves exploring and strolling the Piazza Navona, Rome's finest squares.  It contains the masterpieces of Bernini (the Fountain of the Four Rivers and the Fountain of the Moor), Calderari (the Fountain of Neptune) and Borromini (the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone).  The square is lined with many artists, painters, restaurants and live entertainment.  Especially at night, the piazza becomes more vibrant and alive as locals and tourists hang out and enjoy dinner with friends.  

  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 216

• Piazza Navona

  • From: jkpacelli
  • Description:

    This was taken in a cathedral at Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy.

  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 281
  • Not yet rated

• Carabinieri in Piazza Navona

  • From: njk1951
  • Description:

    Carabinieri (Italian Military Police) on patrol in Rome's Piazza Navona.

  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 179
  • Not yet rated

• 4 Rivers Fountain Piazza Navon

  • From: noreensfl
  • Description:
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 89
  • Not yet rated

• Tips on places and accommodati

  • From: BookHotelsinRome
  • Description:

    Rome has much to offer to all travellers, whether you're seeking archaeological wonders, amazing shopping deals, or a romantic adventure.

    Depending on your itinerary decide on the best area of Rome to book your accommodation. After all, you certainly don't want to be trekking around town all day and then have to travel for an hour to get back to the Hotel. We suggest you to stay in a Hotel in Rome City Centre

     

    To avoid disappointment be sure to book your hotel in Rome well in advance since they can be expensive and choices can be limited if you leave it to the last minute. (trust me)

     

    The Colosseum and Roman Forum are usually high on the itinerary list for travellers to Rome. The underground metro station and the Stazione Termini are located nearby making it easier to travel from other parts of the city. Book a Hotel near Termini Station can be convenient for those who wish to explore the area over  just a few days.

     

    Romantics should visit the Historic Centre of the city, which was once used for military exercises by ancient Romains. It features numerous winding medieval streets, piazzas, and fountains. The area also hosts many restaurants and bars. Piazza Navona and Campo dei' Fiori tend to be busy areas that are generally filled with tourists and locals and are worth a visit however other streets are more laid back with less activity. The charm of the area makes it a strong favourite among lovers of all ages. The ancient Via del Corso is often compared to London's Oxford Street and is a shopaholic's dream. From there up to the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna shoppers will find an eclectic, cosmopolitan atmosphere among the narrow streets, charming cafes, and exclusive boutiques. In the vicinity of the Spanish Steps you'll find the park of the Villa Borghese, Piazza del Popolo, Fontana di Trevi, and Via Margutta, which is a splendid artist's lane.

     

    If you want to stay away from the chaos of the city then we suggest some hotels in Rome's outskirts.

    If you seek accommodation with maximum comfort and style then we suggest a luxury hotel or if in search of savings we suggest a cheap hotels.

     

    We also have a list of hotels near airports for all those who make stopover in Rome and need a room without having to make the trip down town.

     

    If you are looking for a bed & breakfast you can stay in some lovely B&B's or a home away from home in an apartment located in the areas most characteristic of the capital.

     

    Certainly we can not forget all those who come to Rome to visit the Vatican City. We have the very best selection of accommodation near the Vatican City.

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 559

• Bonjourno! Our one week trip t

  • From: bettchia
  • Description:

    My boyfriend and I just came back from our one week trip to Italy (October 13-20) to Rome, Florence, and Venice and we would love to share our experiences.

     

    Rome:

     

    Day 1

     

    We arrived in Rome on Sunday October 14 in the early afternoon. From the airport you can buy an express ticket that takes you directly to Termini Train station for $11 euros. No one even checked our ticket on board (probably because it was a Sunday). Termini is only a 30 minute ride from the airport and our hotel was directly across (Hotel Corot-see my review). We decided to go to the Coliseum around 3:30pm and the public transportation is very convenient and you can take the B line directly to the Coliseum. The line was not too long as it was about to close within an hour and one ticket is good for both the Coliseum and for Palantine Hill until 1:30pm of the next day. After the Coliseum, we walked over to the Pantheon square and then walked over to Piazza Navona to eat dinner. I agree with all the other members who have written on this particular topic, please do yourself a favor and do not eat at any place that has a "Menu Tourista" or has English subtitles in the Menu. During our stay in Rome, we ate around all the touristy areas, Piazza Popolo, Pantheon, etc..and we were disappointed with the quality of the food (Italian food in the States tasted better than the food that we had there!). After dinner we headed over to the crowded Trevi Fountain which was crowded with tourist even at 11pm at night but it made it sort of festive. We finished the night off with some gelato at a local shop near our hotel next to the Termini station.

     

    Day 2

     

    Day 2 started off seemingly well for us as we headed over to the Palantine Hill, Circus Maximus, and the Forum ruins. Because we headed over there around 8am, we beat the crowd and it was very peaceful and a great way to see the sights. Unfortunately, as we were riding on the Metro to our next destination, we got pickpocketed! I urge everyone to be very careful! It happened in an instance! We were shoved into the metro and these teenage girls used this distraction to take my boyfriend wallet's which contained a lot of money! When we went to the American Express to pick up a temporary card, 3 other people in line told me that they were pickpocketed or had their purses stolen that morning as well, so be very very careful when you are there in Italy, I cannot stress that enough! Despite the stress and the loss of our money =( we tried to enjoy the rest of Rome. We walked to the Vatican (the line was extremely long and somehow we were lucky enough to be swept in with some of the other tourist, but go early or go late to the Vatican City since St Peter's basilica and the Vatican Museums are a must when you are in Rome. We strolled along the river passing Castel D' St. Angelo (closed on Mondays) followed by a coffee break at a sidewalk cafe at the Piazza Poppolo. There's high retail shopping near the Spanish Steps with Gucci, LV, Dior boutiques etc. but we got there when the stores were already closed. We ate dinner near the Pantheon at a cafe with lots of people which we thought would be a good indicator that the food would be good but it turns out that most of the diners were also fellow tourists and the food was not that great. We finished the night by walking over to the Spanish Steps (crowded at all hours of the day) and the Trevi Fountain and then taking a nice stroll back to Termini.

     

     

     

    Tips for Rome:

     

    *Watch out for your personal belongings! Use a money belt, keep your money stored in different places, keep your hand on your money/wallet at all times!

     

    *Visit the Coliseum/Palentine Hill early in the morning to avoid the crowds

     

    *Do not eat at the touristy spots! Do your research to find good restaurants, ask for recommendations, or wander away from the touristy restaurants to get good fare.

     

    *Note that the line for the Vatican Museums is probably long at all hours of the day.

     

     

     

    Florence:

     

    Day 3

     

    We took the train to Florence from Rome and it was a very enjoyable 1.5 hour ride with great views of the countryside. We arrived in Florence and immediately loved it. There was a feeling of tranquility as soon as we got there; drastically different from the crazy hustle/bustle of Rome. Our hotel, the La Fortezza (separate review) was only a 15 minute ride from the station and we loved our little hotel. After checking in and dropping off our things, we started to explore the city of Florence. It's a charming city and the people seemed friendlier than those in Rome. We pre-booked our tickets to the Uffizi gallery for $3 more (highly suggested) and bypassed the huge line. I enjoyed viewing all of the different works and my favorite was Botticelli's Spring. After the Uffizi gallery, we had snacks and rested at the Piazza de la Signoria before walking over to the Duomo and climbing up the 436 steps to get a wonderful bird's eye view of the city of Florence. After climbing down the Duomo we walked over to the Ponte Vecchio to catch the sunset over the bridge. For dinner, we ate at La Ghiribelini (recommended by fellow members) and we had our first delicious meal in Italy! We had pizza and two pastas and everything was great! The restaurant is away from the touristy sights but well worth the walk to.

     

    Day 4

     

    Early reservations to the Accadamia got us up and out of the hotel at 8:00am. Michelangelo's David is magnificent. How could a statute be so universally appealing? I thought the same thing until I saw it, there's no other way to explain it, you just have to see it in person to truly grasp the beauty, other people's pictures are not going to cut it. After the Accadamia we walked over to the Medici Chapels and to the Mercaceria where the indoor market sold meats, cheeses, and fresh fruits and vegetables. We then sauntered past the San Lorenzo marketplace with its leather goods and cashmere pashminas. We crossed the Ponte Vecchio to Oltrano and spent all afternoon at the Boboli Gardens and museums. The place is huge! We spent hours just looking at the exhibits, walking through the garden, and taking a much needed nap on the grass and near the fountains. To catch the sunset, we walked over to the Piazza Michelangelo and climbed up the hill to see a wonderful night view of Florence. After making our way back across the Ponte Vecchio, we had dinner at Leo's in St. Croce which was also another lovely authentic Italian meal. We attempted to go to the famous Harry's Bar but when we got there it was quiet and there was no jazz music (maybe they only play it on certain days?) so we walked along the river and stopped by a bar to get some late night dessert and expresso before going home.

     

    Tips for Florence:

     

    *Reserve your tickets in advance for the Uffizi and Accadamia! You pay $3 more for each ticket but it's worth it not to have to wait in line when you are there! David is a must see!

     

    *The view from Piazza Michelangelo is really nice but it is a bit further away from the main touristy spots

     

    *Florence is a great city just to walk around, make sure you spend time just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere.

     

    *Climbing up the Duomo was fun and well worth it for those without any health conditions (parts of the stairs are really narrow and dark and could make someone really dizzy or sick)

     

     

     

    Day 5 Venice

     

    The ride from Florence to Venice is a bit longer-almost 3 hours and not as comfortable as our ride from Rome to Florence. The Venice train station is more hectic than Florence but our service lady at the tourist office was extremely affable and gave us some well needed information. We hopped onto the 51 Vaporetto to get to our hotel, Sant Elena (see my separate review) which we loved! I was a bit apprehensive because it was raining when we got to Venice but luckily the rain subsided within a couple of hours. The rain made the Venetian night look beautiful as the air was crisp and fewer people were out and about because of the rain. We headed out to St. Mark's Square and strolled down all the little alley ways looking at shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, for dinner we decided to eat at the Piccolo Martini, a little restaurant that seemed crowded and not on the main road but again we were really disappointed with the food! After dinner, we spent the evening crossing bridges and watching gondola riders before heading over to listen to the dueling orchestras in St. Mark's square (very fun!). We had dessert at one of the restaurants and enjoyed the music for the rest of the night before heading back to our hotel.

     

    Day 6

     

    Our hotel receptionist told us that it would be cloudy but when we woke up, we could not have asked for a more perfect day. The sun splendidly greeted and basked us in its warm light. The weather was so nice we strolled along the river from Sant Elena to St. Mark's square stopping by to admire the parks, bridges, boats, and homes along the way. Once we got to St. Mark's square, we went window shopping at some of the high end boutiques because we didn't get to do that in the other two cities. We then headed our way up the Campanile tower to get a view of the Venice from atop. It was $6 euros and we thought climbing the Duomo in Florence was more worth it but you're there so why not do both? We also went inside St. Mark's Basilica but after seeing all the different churches, we were a bit "churched" out. In St. Mark's Square, there are tons of pigeons and they are so friendly and perch right up on your arm or your head if you just stand there. My boyfriend got a kick out of that. For lunch, we ate at the Osteria da Maria for $30 where we got some very tasty vegetables and fresh made ravioli. We took a ride on the 1 vaparetto up and down the Grand Canal. Since we got the 36 hour pass, we were able to get on and off the vaparetto and explore the different areas from Ca D'oro to the Accadamia (yes they have one too). Getting lost in the little streets of Venice was kind of fun and so was walking up the streets of local shops, bakeries, mask and glass stores. We didn't know that the gondola rides end around 9:00pm and we had originally planned to take it after dinner but once we found out, we ran back to St. Mark's from our hotel. Luckily, we found one gondolier but he charged us $100 euros (he claimed that it was the night time surchage but since it was our last night there, we had no choice. The ride was nice, it was peaceful and our gondolier rode just close enough to another gondola that we got free musical accompaniment! Sadly, our ride was abruptly cut short because we felt some drops of rain and he said it was going to start raining. I think our ride was only about 25 minutes instead of the 40. That was the only bummer about the gondola ride. I would recommend going at sunset, I think that would be the most peaceful and romantic time to see the Venetian canals. If we get a chance to go to Venice again, we might do that :). Our last dinner in Venice was at the Osteria Da Franz located in Giardini. It was the nicest restaraunt that we ate at and the food and service were both outstanding. We spent about $120 euros there but could have easily spent more. After dinner, we took one last stroll to St. Mark's Square to get one last gelato since it was going to be our last night in Venice. We had to catch the night vaporetta at 3:00am so we didn't have much sleep, but luckily we got to the airport with the public transportation and without a hitch!

     

     

     

    Tips for Venice:

     

    *Ride the vaporetto on the Grand Canal during sunset towards and against Lido, it's beautiful.

     

    *Take a sunset gondola ride

     

    *Catch the dueling orchestras in St. Mark's

     

    *walk along the boardwalk towards Sant Elena

     

    *stroll up and down all the little shops

     

     

     

    Overall tips:

     

    I would dress in layers

     

    T otally wear comfy shoes

     

    A lways keep your money and belongings close to you

     

    L learn to love gelato and cappucino-we had that everyday

     

    Y es, have a blast!

     

     

     

    Ciao Ciao

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 1162

• Rediscovering Rome

  • From: antfern
  • Description:

    Rome, September 12-18, 2008

    After four earlier trips to Rome, we decided to use the opportunity of a Mediterranean cruise that departed and returned from and to Civitavecchia, to stay in Rome after the cruise for about six days.  For the purpose of this journal, we will arrange our experiences around five topics: Churches, Plazas, Fountains, Ruins, Outside Rome.  At the end of this writing I will offer you some points about lodging, transportation and security.

    Churches:  Don’t miss St. Peter Basilica in the Vatican City.  As you walk through Bernini’s colonnade you will be leaving Italy and entering in another country: The Vatican.  Normally everyone enters the great basilica and takes a couple of pictures in the Plaza.  However, I would recommend two other things to do here: 1. Climb the 320 steps to the top of the cupola for the best views of the Gardens of the Vatican and the whole city of Rome.  Once you reach the top you are in the highest point of the city. 2. You may visit the Scavii (Excavations under the main altar of St. Peter).  This will require that you made a reservation; it can be done by e-mail.  St. Peter’s Basilica web site offers information about these two areas as well as other points of interest in St. Peter: http://saintpeterbasilica.org

    The list of churches in Rome could be like a telephone directory of a small city.  It is impossible to mention all of them here.  Keep in mind that there is a dress code requirement for entering them and you must preclude from taking pictures while a religious ceremony is taking place.  Also they are quite dark and provide you a cool refuge from the Roman heat as well as a place to sit down and relax for a while.  Catholics have a saying that whenever you enter a church for the first time and you do a prayer you can ask for a favor….Your wish list in Rome could be quite lengthy. 

    Plazas: Rome give the impression of grow and live around plazas.  As you walk around you will not be able to avoid them: regular shaped or without any designs, small or big, old or new, crowded or strangely deserted.  The list here, like the churches, is large.  Almost every church has a plaza in front, or around it somewhere.  I would mention only about a dozen of them: Piazza de Spagna, San Pietro, Venezia, Navona, del Popolo, della Boca della Verita, del Quirinale, della Repubblica, di Santa Maria in Trastevere, del Campidoglio, dell’Esquilino, and Campo de Fiore.

    In the plazas you could find a place to eat or drink a cappuccino.  I would recommend to look for a gelateria (ice cream shop) mainly in Piazza Navona.  Also most of the plazas aside from one or more churches you will find also one or more fountains.  To sit around a fountain is one of the Romans preferred outings in the middle of the afternoon or early evenings.  Don’t forget the saying: “If in Rome do like the Romans”   

    Fountains: The fountains of Rome have been the subject of classical musical pieces or well known-movies.  Many of the fountains you will find in Rome were like public works constructed by the Popes for the benefit of the various sectors of the city. Likewise the list of plazas, I will offer only the names of few fountains that should be in any visitors' lists:  Starting, probably with the most worldwide famous fountain: The Fontana de Trevi.  This fountain together with the Triton Fountain in Barberini Square are the subject of two of the symphonic poems of Respighi, Fontane di Rome.

    We should mention also the three fountains in Piazza Navona: Four Rivers, the Moor and Neptune. There are beautiful and worth mentioning fountains in Piazza del Popolo and Nicosia.  There are numerous fountains in many of the plazas that are worth the visit and to enjoy their cool environment.

    One of my favorites is the small fountain at Santa Maria Cosmedin in the Forum Boarium, see picture of the fountain as well as the Temple of Hercules in the back.

    Ruins and Monuments:  Aside from churches, plazas and fountains the other ever present element of Rome are its ruins and classical monuments.  From the countless Egyptian obelysks to the classic roman buildings and monuments, your selection is overwhelming. They are everywhere!  The most famous probably is the Colisseum, followed by the Roman Forum.  I would recommend that you buy a combined ticket of admission covering these two points of interest plus the Palatine.  The Palatine is a place that most turists pass or simple ignore. 

    I strongly recommend that your itinerary includes these three attractions.  This time we tried to visit the Domus Aurea, the old ruins of Nero's palace next to the Colisseum, but unfortunately it was was closed that day.  Also among the recommended ruins you should visit are the Forum Imperiali and the Forum Boarium.  There is a beautiful old Roman monument well preserved in a modern museum: Ara Pacis Augustana.  Is an altar built by the Senate and People of Rome (SPQR) to conmemorate the peaceful era of Emperor Cesar Augusto.

    Outside Rome: Rome is a place that must be visited by everyone… but also visitors of Rome should adventure outside the City and go to places such as Tivoli, Amalfi Coast, or even Florence and Assissi.  

    The pictured attached is from Positano, the jewel of the Costiera Amalfitana.  To drive the Amalfi Coast that runs south of Sorrento, until the area around Salerno, will take a full day.  But it may be shortened by returning a short while after visiting Amalfi turning toward Naples through the interior highway and thus avoiding the slow traffic of the coastal winding road.

    ---

     Practical Guidelines: 

     Let me end with some general guidelines: During this last trip we avoided the museums due to the long lines and by the fact that we have visited the major ones during earlier visits.  However, the Vatican Museums should be a priority for everyone visiting Rome.  

    Lodging: In our first visit to Rome in 1975, we stayed at D’Inghilterra, great location but we couldn’t afford it now.  We have stayed in far out places and in the middle of the city.  During our last trip we stayed at the Alimandi Tunisi about two blocks from the Vatican Museums.  This was a great experience and we highly recommend it.  However, the most important thing we would recommend about a hotel or pension in Rome is to find one that is close to a Metro station, this will provide you with the necessary mobility in this magnificent city. 

    Transportation: As we were planning to stay for six days we purchased at the Metro station a Carta Integrata Settimanale for Euro 16.  This allowed us free access to the Metro and all city trams and buses for our complete stay.  One of our best purchases ever!  We recommend that you obtain this pass as well as a Roma Metro-Bus map for Euro 6, in any newsstand as a companion guide to the pass.  That’s all you need to move around besides your own two feet wearing the most comfortable shoes you may have.  Try to stay away from flip flops or high heels.  The streets and pavement in Rome are quite uneven without considering the ancient cobbled streets and water running from a myriad of fountains around the city.

    Security: In Rome, like any other large city, you may run the risk of being pick pocked if the basic security steps are not observed.  Never carry valuables in your back pockets, carry your bags closely held next to your body, leave what you don’t need in a safe deposit in your hotel, carry copies of your passport, never put a bag in the floor or in an empty chair while you dine (regardless of the type of restaurant).  Avoid strangers that approach you with a map or a book or any article trying to show or ask you something.  Stay always alert.  We never have had a problem in Rome regarding our security!

    Accept the fact that you are going to be surrounded by hundred of thousand people living and visiting Rome at the same time that you are there.  If you don’t like people in your pictures of buildings, plazas, parks, etc. you need patience and creativeness.

    Enjoy the food and don't be afraid to drink water from any of the running fountains in Rome.  The water is fresh and safe, unless there is a post indicating that it is not good for drinking.

    Also, be prepared for the fact that Rome is not a  cheap place to visit.

    ---

    Each of the pictures appearing on this journal is individually explained in detail under the "My Photos" section. As an alternative you may click the photos appearing here for expanded information.

     

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 881

• Beautiful Carved Marble Founta

  • From: mikenewark
  • Description:
    a beautiful carved marble fountain in the Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy, May 2004
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 440

• Girls Getaway to Rome, Italy

  • From: catg79
  • Description:

    I came home from work on the afternoon of June 3, 2008, to find my live-in boyfriend of a year and a half standing in the kitchen, awaiting my arrival through the door.  I walked in, smiled as usual and told him that I was happy to be home.  He then offered the biggest blow I had come across in my adult life as he told me that he was moving out and had already packed up his belongings.  I thought that my world had ended on the spot--he was the one--but after a few days of going through the motions of thinking "what could I have done wrong," I decided to do something for myself.  I called up one of my friends and told her I needed a trip away, and fast.  We booked a trip to Rome, Italy the following week, and were set to go for Labor Day.  As the weeks passed, 4 more women joined in for our getaway, all needing the same reassurance of themselves as I did. 

    We arrived in Rome on the morning of September 2, 2008...Hurricane Gustav was nearing our homes as we evacuated, yet we didn't seem to be bothered by it; it should have been a sign.  The first of our many "gris gris" (what us Cajun people refer to as a small curse) happened upon our arrival at the airport, when my suitcase, as well as that of one of the other women, did not arrive.  We made do, hopped on a couple shuttle busses and made our way to the historical center of town where we found our apartment.  Although the description stated it was air conditioned, we found that "air conditioned" in Italy meant a unit in the living room that pumps out lukewarm air.  Again, we made do, as we were just happy to be away from the hustle and bustle of the US.  Almost immediately the gris gris struck again with one of the women in our group finding herself with a sudden onset of strep throat.  Needless to say, she missed the first day of touring.  The rest of us, stricken with jet lag, managed to pull ourselves together for the start of our adventure.  I had carefully planned our itinerary to include "free" activities on the first day, as we were planning on purchasing a Roma card the following day for our tours.  So, day one included a stop to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona area, as well as getting our bearings along the rather confusing and winding streets of the historical area.  We ended the night with a very pleasant alfresco dinner in the Campo di Fiori.  Day 2 began a little late, and started with a confusing purchase of our Roma cards.  We then headed out to the Colosseum and were thrilled to see what the purchase of a Roma card could do--we skipped the entrance line and walked right in!  That in and of itself was well worth the 20 euro purchase for the card.  After touring the Colosseum, we walked across the street to the Roman Forum.  We found ourselves exhausted from both the heat and lingering jet lag and decided to call it an afternoon.  However, me being sans luggage, had to make my daily purchase of clothing for that night and the next day.  We ended the night with dinner in Trastevere followed by meeting up with my new Roman friend, Francesco at a bar around the corner from the restaurant.  After a few drinks, I felt brave enough to allow Francesco to take me on a tour of Rome on his Vespa....it was wonderful!  I somehow managed to locate the rest of my party after taking a cab ride back to the Campo di Fiori; at this point it was 2am, and my girlfriends came strolling through the piazza as though they had been planning to meet me there all along.  We laughed at the night and then followed our non-English speaking friends they had picked up along the way to a bar/night club a few blocks away.  There we spotted two mid-twenties men sitting in a Lotus parked outside the night club.  After attempting to speak with them, and them letting us check out their car, we made our way to the roped off doors of the night club.  We were greeted by a bouncer who promptly told us "no, capacity," and would not let us enter....Our Lotus-driving knights in shining armor came to our rescue as they said something we could not quite make out to the bouncer, who then allowed us all in and escorted us to the VIP section of the bar.  We danced, drank expensive champagne and had a great night of fun for a bunch of women pushing 30! When 5am rolled around, we decided it was time to head home, but not before stopping in the Piazza Navona for a laughable dip in the fountain. 

    It goes without fail that the next morning came and went, as we laid in our beds.  Finally, at about lunch time, we managed to gather our composure and head out for the quickest meal we could get---McDonald's.  Again, the gris gris struck as we got up to leave our seats at McDonald's and realized that one of our purses was missing.  We searched high and low, but the purse was no where to be found.  The police were kind to inform us of the "Gypsy Kids" who are known for their clever theivery.  Clever it was--not one of us saw anything suspicious as someone stole the purse literally from underneath her nose.  After cancelling credit cards, we decided to try for a small bit of touring for the day.  We headed to St. Peter in Chains church and observed the chains that supposedly held St. Peter before he was to be murdered.  From there, we made our way to the Metro station where once again, the nasty gris gris struck again...one of the women in our group (who did not care to ride on the Metro) was too slow on getting on the train and the doors closed on her just as she slowly approached the car.  Not having paid attention to where we were headed, she instead went back upstairs into the enormous Termini train station and looked for help.  It should be noted that I was holding her cellular phone and money in my purse.  After 2 hours, we finally located her, panicked and wanting to hop on the first plane back to New Orleans.  That incident put an abrupt end to our day....

    The next morning began early, with a train ride out to Florence for our bike tour of Tuscany.  (Mind you, we still had not received our luggage and were continuing to buy clothes and shoes daily.)  Upon arriving in Florence, we walked straight to the small museum holding the statue of David, observed David, and headed toward the Ponte Vecchio.  Along the way, we passed the breathtaking Duomo--one of the most ornate cathedrals I have seen in all of my travels to Europe.  Not having time for a tour, we continued toward the river to meet our bike tour group.  We met our guides--2 Scottish gentlemen and an American woman (Keith, Andy and Mary)--and were then all loaded onto shuttle busses for our ride to reach our bikes.  Our tour began at a 13th century castle surrounded by vineyards, which not surprisingly produced several varieties of wine and olive oil.  After sampling and purchasing the castle's finest, we were paired up with our bikes and began our tour.  Roughly 20 seconds into the biking, one of the women in our group (the same whose purse was stolen) ran smack into a wall and sprained her wrist as she attempted to stop herself.  She bravely continued on, but nervously hung toward the back of the group.  We pedaled our way through rolling hills of vineyards, stopping periodically along the way for pictures.  At lunch time, we came upon a tratoria where we were served with a typial Italian lunch complete with dessert and wine.  And yes, wine does mix well with biking! We continued on our way until we were very near the castle, and some of the brave souls--including one brave lady from our group--took the stomach churning ride uphill toward the castle....the rest of us hopped in the shuttle busses and made our way back uphill in style.  At that point the bike tour was over and we headed back to Florence and the train station.  It should be noted that while in Florence, Alitalia Airlines finally called stating that our luggage had arrived and they would be delivering it to our apartment----typically, as we would be in Florence the entire day and would not be there to receive it.  So, upon our arrival back in Rome, me and the other unfortunate woman whose luggage had been missing since day 1, made our way out to Leonardo daVinci airport to retrieve our luggage.  After an hour and a half of travel time, my compadre crying at the ordeal, searching through a room of luggage for our own and then hauling our luggage down the cobblestone streets of Rome to our apartment, we were greeted at our apartment door by the rest of our crew, who were sitting outside sipping wine from cappucino cups (the only ones available in the apartment). We joined them for wine and somehow managed at midnight to locate a hotdog stand not far from the Campo di Fiori.  After hot dogs and a nice long day, we called it a night. 

    Our final day in Rome consisted of visiting every place we had not previously seen, including Vatican City--where we were initially suckered into entering the Vatican with a tour guide.  After two and a half hours with the tour guide, and still barely progressing into the Vatican museum, we broke free of the tour group and continued on our own.  We spent time admiring the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel and then headed to St. Peter's to view the most spectacular church that Catholicism can afford.  Having spent the majority of the day at the Vatican, we walked across the street to Old Bridge Gelaterie and picked up some of the best gelato in town.  That was followed by souvenir shopping, our last dinner in Rome, and a late-night stop at the Trevi Fountain. 

    The gris gris struck yet again on our way home.  You see, while we were away and Hurricane Gustav tortured our homes, one woman in particular was still left without electricity.  This same woman found that upon our arrival into the US, her luggage had not arrived with her.  This ended up being more complicated of a process than usual, as we were in New York, having to recheck our luggage after going through customs, and she had no luggage to follow her back to New Orleans (where she was then going to hop on a plane to meet up with her family in Houston, TX).  Long story short, her luggage came 2 weeks later. 

    We learned a lot about ourselves and others on this trip, and I grew as a person and realized that life is too short to put off that vacation of a lifetime for "next year" or "when I get married."  Fact is, you don't know if that will ever happen.  Carpe diem!

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• Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy

  • From: catg79
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    One of the many buildings surrounding the Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy
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