Andiamo Adventurer's: A 2014 Viva Italia Trip Report - Complete!

[sayhello]

I just can't imagine the Sistine Chapel with just your group! What an amazing thing. I'm really pretty jealous right about now!

Sayhello

 

[georgiagirl2]

I am loving your trip report! Thanks so much for all the details and pictures. We went on the May 26-June 3 trip this year, and I am reliving our trip through your posts. The private tour of the Vatican Museum was incredible, and a definite highlight of the trip for all of us! (A lot of our pics of the Sistine Chapel were blurry too. The clearest ones were actually on my iPhone!)


Cristina was our local guide in Rome too. We thought she was terrific and learned so much from her.


I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip!

 

[tufbuf]

I think the changes they made to the itinerary in regards to the Vatican is simply amazing! It's enough reason for me to want to do it all over again. I LOVE Italy and I could always go back there numerous times! We also had the pleasure of having a private tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel during our DCL Med cruise last year. Since our Rome day was on a Sunday, everything was closed but DCL made arrangements for the DCL and ABD people to visit the museum. It's a much better experience than when we first went there where it felt like we were in a can of sardines! They didn't allow photographs of the Sistine Chapel then but again, a wonderful experience of being in there with about 20 people.

Keep posting! It's a fun trip report!!

 

[mare1203]

Incredible! That must have been an amazing experience to have the Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms practically to yourself.

It definitely was. Gave the opportunity to just gawk without running into hoards of people!

I just can't imagine the Sistine Chapel with just your group! What an amazing thing. I'm really pretty jealous right about now!

Sayhello

It was pretty special. Although now I'm just spoiled

I am loving your trip report! Thanks so much for all the details and pictures. We went on the May 26-June 3 trip this year, and I am reliving our trip through your posts. The private tour of the Vatican Museum was incredible, and a definite highlight of the trip for all of us! (A lot of our pics of the Sistine Chapel were blurry too. The clearest ones were actually on my iPhone!)


Cristina was our local guide in Rome too. We thought she was terrific and learned so much from her.


I can't wait to read about the rest of your trip!

Thanks for reading along! We thought the whole trip was fantastic!

I think the changes they made to the itinerary in regards to the Vatican is simply amazing! It's enough reason for me to want to do it all over again. I LOVE Italy and I could always go back there numerous times! We also had the pleasure of having a private tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel during our DCL Med cruise last year. Since our Rome day was on a Sunday, everything was closed but DCL made arrangements for the DCL and ABD people to visit the museum. It's a much better experience than when we first went there where it felt like we were in a can of sardines! They didn't allow photographs of the Sistine Chapel then but again, a wonderful experience of being in there with about 20 people.

Keep posting! It's a fun trip report!!

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it. Those private tours are special; I don't think pictures can do it justice, but it was cool to be able to take them.

 

[mare1203]

Welcome back, adventurers! After a full evening of art and history there was only one thing to do...eat and try to make sense of what we just experienced! Andiamo.

Once we were done at the Vatican Museum they dropped us off at the hotel; this was around 8:00 p.m. We asked Marco for a recommendation and he said that a 15-minute walk from the hotel was the Trastevere area where we would find lots of restaurants and nightlife. He didn’t make any specific recommendations and I kind of wish he had, or would have offered to make a reservation because it was Saturday night. While we didn’t find it necessary to have reservations nearly anywhere, Saturday night did result in the most waiting we did our entire trip. No matter, because we ended up finding a nice restaurant on our own, but it took some time. The Trastevere neighborhood has been found by more tourists over the years, but still retains a more local feel than across the river. It has an artistic past and you can find lots of bohemian highlights around. This area also has a big student population. By the time we got there, though, we knew we should think about some food.

We explored up and down the many cobblestone streets looking at restaurants and seeing if anywhere looked good. As the World Cup was in full swing there were lots of people out for both dinner and looking to watch some soccer. No one could make a decision about where to eat and we inquired at a few places that said they weren’t taking walk-ins, only reservations. Confession: There are times when we are totally indecisive and end up just wandering around debating on where to eat. This was one of those times. I will also own that sometimes I get weird about where to eat as well, not wanting to end up at a tourist trap. My dad finally inquired at a place called Taverna della Scala where they said they would take our name and it would be about a 30 minute wait. Not the best, but at least we were on a list. My sister took a seat across the way and we just hung out a bit. About 5 minutes later they called our name and showed us a table outside. Sweet!




We ordered a bottle of their house wine and perused the menu. We ended up ordering a couple of pasta dishes and a couple meat dishes to share.


First, we must have started with a salad, since we have a picture of one...


For our pasta, Kathy got the lasagna.


I got the black truffle ravioli. Black truffle was widely available while we were there and the star of many a menu (though expect a much higher price tag for these dishes...it’s worth a splurge at least once). I thought this was wonderful. The black truffle was center stage, but didn't overpower the dish.




We got two different types of beef for our secondi piato. One was a simple grilled beef steak and the other was a beef steak with balsamic vinegar. We thought both were very good. I enjoyed the flavor of the balsamic vinegar with the beef. The simple steak was well-seasoned and flavorful.

After dinner it was pretty late, so we just headed back to the hotel. This marked our final meal in Rome. The next morning it was off to Orvieto. It was quite the trip!​

 

[Cousin Orville]

That dinner looks awesome. Looks like you guys chose well.

 

[christannj]

Great trip report.... several of us reading your posts are on the same trip coming up in September so this is especially informative. For planning purposes, did you find that you paid cash or did you use your credit card for your meals on your own. If using euros can I ask an estimate of how much they cost to prepare for what we should have on hand when we go out. Can't wait to see the next installment. It has been great looking at the group shots as well to get a sense of what people are wearing on the tours etc.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Great trip report.... several of us reading your posts are on the same trip coming up in September so this is especially informative. For planning purposes, did you find that you paid cash or did you use your credit card for your meals on your own. If using euros can I ask an estimate of how much they cost to prepare for what we should have on hand when we go out. Can't wait to see the next installment. It has been great looking at the group shots as well to get a sense of what people are wearing on the tours etc.

We just returned from Venice. I typically pay for meals with CC, but you could just as easily pay in Euros. Whatever you're comfortable with. Meal prices range just as much in Italy as they do here, so it really depends where you go. We found an amazing take out pasta restaurant in Venice. We also ate at more somewhat fine dining restaurants. Before a trip, I'll look up restaurants near the hotel on trip advisor and lots of times they have website links with menus and prices. For pre days, sometimes I'll find a restaurant I really want to try, so I'll email for reservations.

 

[mare1203]

Okay adventurer's, it's finally time to leave Rome and explore the Italian countryside. Our first stop is Orvieto and let me tell you, it is a stop we'll never forget! Let's get to it!


Little did Troy know that this was a foreshadowing of things to come


On Sunday morning we got up and made our way to breakfast in Rome for the final time. We were not leaving until 9:00 a.m., but had to have our bags outside the door at 8:00 a.m., so it didn’t much matter. This morning we got on our new luxury coach for the ride into Tuscany. When we got on they were piping in Italian music. I myself enjoyed hearing the haunting, but beautiful Love Theme from the Godfather. As we left Rome we heard Arrivederci Roma, and we all shed a fake tear.

And then it was onward to Orvieto and Tuscany! Although we all enjoyed our time in Rome I think everyone was ready to be heading out of the city to begin our Tuscan holiday. They gave us a little information about the town, which has a renaissance feel to it and has been inhabited since the Etruscan times. It is best known for its ceramics and, somewhat oddly for Italy, its white wines. Troy and Marco gave us some information about where to shop in Orvieto.




It took about 45 minutes to arrive in Orvieto. To get to the main town we took the funicular, which was very busy. We didn’t have to wait in line, but it was crowded with people. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, so this wasn’t entirely surprising.


Troy and Marco told us that it was about a 20 minute walk from the funicular stop to the duomo and center of town.




As we were walking up we all noticed the very colorful banners and flags up everywhere. Finally, one of the adventurers asked what the banners and flags were about and we were informed that it was a feast day and the town is not usually so colorfully decorated. Apparently, there was also to be a parade later in the day.


The closer to town we got the busier the streets became, with lots of locals and others out and about. At one corner Troy asked about the parade and was told we were ahead of it, so we kept on going. Once we arrived at the Duomo Troy and Marco told us that we had until 12:00 to explore and shop, however, if we got back by 11:45 they would buy us gelato (incentive!).




All the adventurers began to disperse, but we were quickly foiled by the arrival of the parade. The streets are not wide anywhere in Italy, so with the people lining the streets and the parade there wasn’t a way to slip by. We decided to watch the parade (I mean, how long could it be, right?).








The parade had some really cool costumes and regalia from the Renaissance.






Luckily, it didn’t last but about 20 minutes and we were able to do some exploring.

We looked about town for a while and stopped in a number of shops. I really enjoyed stopping into the food stores and seeing what specialities they sold. In Orvieto there was a lot of black truffle (yuuum), olive oil, honey, and wine. The wine was super cheap and supposed to be good quality. There were a lot of very cute little shops all around. I won’t say I felt out of place shopping, but it seemed like we were the only people there shopping that day. Even after the parade there were lots of people milling about and crowding the streets. It almost seemed as though there was going to be more going on than the parade.




We made a couple of purchases and then went back up the hill for some gelato. I thought this gelato spot was pretty yummy. I got pistachio and blueberry, I think. Pistachio is a popular gelato flavor and one of my favorites. Everyone congregated on the steps of the Duomo. We all finished our gelato and began to wonder when we were headed out. It seemed like everyone was there, but alas, they weren’t! Turns out, we were waiting for a final member of our group that hadn’t yet made it. We lost Chris! The guides spoke to the rest of the family to see where he might be or what to do. Of course, his cell phone wasn’t on and his watch wasn’t on the right time (we all had a chuckle about this).

Aaaand, that's where I'm ending it for today! Stay tuned to see what happens next...will we find Chris? ​

 

[sayhello]

A parade! How often do you get to see a pretty parade like that? Cool.

(I have to admit, I'm not *too* worried about the "did you find Chris?" mystery. The Adventure Guides *will* find him, I'm sure, but there will be a great story attached. -- this same thing happened to us in Delphi, only his name was Rich. )

Staying tuned...

Sayhello

 

[mare1203]

Who's ready to find Chris?! Andiamo!



We waited for a bit as the guides discussed what to do next. It was decided that Marco would stay at the top of the hill while Troy would take the rest of us back down the hill to the funicular and bus and then they would connect to decide what the plan of attack would be. One of the other adventurers stayed back with Marco as well (they had met on a previous adventure, kept in touch, and ultimately decided to do the Italy trip together, so they were good friends). Thus, the rest of us began our trek down the hill. As we made it to the main street we were stopped...by the parade!





Wait, we thought the parade had ended?! Apparently, we had just seen the first part of the parade and the much longer section was making its way through town. We knew we would have to find a different path. Now, how to get across the street?!?

Troy talked to a security cop and we were told to hustle across in a slight parade break (some of us were lucky to make it across!) and we wound our way through side streets to the funicular. This experience really bonded the group as we laughed about the crazy long parade and discussed that it can’t be every day an adventure group loses an adult! The family of the missing adventurer took it in stride and added to the joking; we found it quite entertaining, if not a little nerve wracking (the guides...not so much). We finally made it down to the street across from the funicular, and...wait, is that the parade again?!?




That’s right, we ran right smack dab into the beginning of the parade! How long is this thing? How far do those guys walk? No wonder they are so solemn looking. These were a few of the comments being made throughout this interaction. Luckily the beginning of the parade was the short section and it gave Troy a chance to connect with Marco and Nick, who had not yet located Chris. So, we went down the funicular, took a bathroom break and boarded the bus.

It had been decided that we would bus to lunch and then when they found Chris they would all take a taxi to lunch. When we got on the bus Troy busted out a portable speaker and played “Happy” for the bus (partly for us, mostly for himself) and we had ourselves a bit of a bus dance party. Aaaaand, Marco called to say they found Chris! And were on their way down the funicular! Yay! I have to commend the guides once again for their calm during all this. I don't think anyone thought we wouldn't find him, but what with the long parade and huge crowds it was a high stress situation (they didn't actually find out about the celebration until that morning). They did a great job of keeping the group calm and happy, even though we could totally see the panic in their eyes. And they thought quickly on their feet; it was in a situation like this that we appreciated how hard these guys work and how they keep everything moving as best as possible. Thanks guys!

Chris got quite the welcome when he boarded the bus...first an applause for making it, and then some playful ribbing for getting lost. Turns out he got stuck by the parade and couldn’t get out of the store he was stuck inside. Luckily, he was laid back and took it all in stride. For a while anything the happened out of the ordinary was his fault, lol.
​

 

[mare1203]

Troy and a few of the other adventurers did some digging about the festival day we experienced while in Orvieto. It’s very interesting and quite the big deal, so I thought I would share it with you.



The Feast of Corpus Christi Orvieto:
This event takes place on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, or, the 9th Sunday after Easter. Tradition holds that nearly 700 years ago a priest plagued by doubts about the Catholic belief in Transubstantiation (the idea that Christ is actually present in the consecrated host and eucharistic wine). During a mass in Bolsena, as he was speaking the words of the Consecration blood began to seep from the consecrated Host and trickled over the altar. He became confused, stopped Mass, and asked to be taken to the Pope. Pope Urbano IV, who was living in Orvieto at the time believed the priest’s account and ordered the the vestments be brought to Orvieto. He then had the relics placed in the Cathedral, after much pomp and circumstance. The linen is still exhibited in the Cathedral of Orvieto. A year later, in 1264, Pope Urban IV instituted the feast of Corpus Christi. Catholics may choose, but are not required, to believe this particular miracle, as is true of many miracles throughout history. During the feast the Historical Parade meets up with the religious procession for the Historical and Religious Procession of Orvieto. What we saw as the guides released us was that encounter. On the 700th anniversary Pope Paul VI celebrated at the in the Cathedral of Orvieto. A fellow adventurer did some asking around and it turns out that the Feast was presided over by the 2nd highest ranking official at the Vatican while we were there. Pretty impressive! Now I definitely understand why no one was shopping. Once we learned the history it was quite cool to know we got to see that (and really just random luck).

Here are some pictures of the meeting point at the Duomo.











​

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

So did you actually get to go inside the Duomo or was that not possible because of the festivities?

Laurie

 

[mare1203]

So did you actually get to go inside the Duomo or was that not possible because of the festivities?

Laurie

We did not go inside the Duomo, but I'm not sure whether we actually couldn't or we just didn't.

 

[carpenta]

I have been inside the Duomo and it is a pretty plain church except for the naive fresco and the holy Eucharist. But you got a better treat in the parade IMO. We returned to Orvieto and my wife bought some wonderful pottery she had promised herself when we visited the first time. Loved Orvieto but love your trip report even more Mare1203. Thanks for your day by day account. I really enjoy it.

 

[mare1203]

Hello again adventurer's and thanks for your patience. It's getting to a busy time for me, so I might not be able to post as often. Not to worry, though, there's still lots to do and see. Andiamo!

With everyone paraded out and sufficiently hungry we were all happy to be headed to a nice relaxing lunch. It was about a 45-minute drive to our lunch at Relais Gli Ulivi.






This was an absolutely gorgeous setting and really allowed us to take in the sights. Even though we arrived late we were given about 2 ½ hours for lunch, which I found very nice.




We were seated outside at a variety of round tables and they brought the food out fairly quickly.


Everyone started with some salad, gnocchi, and lasagna. It was kind of nice to get a lettuce salad as we hadn't really been eating too many greens as of late! The lasagna was more of a baked lasagna in a brick oven with a crispy top. I thought it was very good.


The main entree was chicken, sausage, and beef, all grilled with a plate of grilled vegetables as well. All the meats were cooked well, but my favorite was the sausage. Water and iced tea was included, but you could also purchase wine separately.

I really enjoyed this lunch because it was the first time we got a lot of time to get to know another family or two. The lunch wasn’t rushed, nor was it too hot. Plus, since we ate outside there wasn’t the same noise level you get at a restaurant.






The view from the orchard was incredible and quite pleasant. It reminded me of the vineyards of northern California with the rolling hills and green vineyards lining the countryside. Most of us took some time to explore the area.










They had a number of paths and lookouts you could walk down to take pictures and enjoy your wine.






The kids also had (and took) the time to change into their swimsuits and expend some energy in the pool.







About half an hour before we left they had one of the older cooks come out and show us how to make a traditional Italian dessert: Torta della nonna, or grandmother’s cake. It was about a 3 minute presentation and everything was pre-mixed except for the last few steps. Once she was done with her presentation we were, of course, able to indulge in the dessert. They also offered chocolate chip cookies for the kids or anyone else who wanted some. I thought both were good, but not memorable in any way. All in all, this was a great way to spend a few hours and enjoy the time with one another. From Relais Gli Ulivi it was about another 2 ½ hours to the Tuscan hotel. So, with that in mind, we boarded the bus and headed that way.​

 

[Cousin Orville]

Looks very relaxing! I'm glad to hear the weather wasn't too hot.

 

[mare1203]

Apparently I moved some pictures in photobucket and when I do that it loses the pictures from my original posts. I think I got all of them and everything is back up, but if not let me know and I'll try to fix it ASAP!

 

[mare1203]

With our bellies full and a comfortable coach we started out on our longest drive of the trip. This was the only time we had enough time to show a movie. Troy and Marco chose to show Monsters University for the drive, which was fun to come full circle since that was the movie we had seen when we revealed the trip.


I’m not sure most of us actually saw the movie as most of us ended up looking like this tired junior adventurer! Other than that, the drive was uneventful and we arrived at the Tuscan Hotel.


As we stepped off the bus we were met by the proprietor of the hotel, Max, who can only be described as a bundle of energy. We were greeted with ‘Welcome! Benvenuto Disney! We are so glad you’re here!’. It was one of the best greetings I’ve ever received at a hotel, that’s for sure.




We were led into a small courtyard with some super comfy looking furniture. This is my dad looking awkwardly relaxed, haha!










Quickly, they laid out a small feast. It was really well decorated. Along with some fruit salad, a caprese salad, and other small munchies they had some water and prosecco. I think everyone enjoyed the welcome, but we were all also ready to get in the room and relax a little before dinner, so no one really stuck around for very long. It did give the guides a chance to check everyone in and get keys without everyone getting too antsy.

Our room was quite large and I thought it well appointed. We had plenty of room to move about and the bathroom was nice. One thing to note about the rooms here is that they are not all alike. So, some families would get one style room and another would get something completely different. It did not seem to matter what size family you had, so I’m not sure how they put families in each room. Probably luck of the draw. That night dinner was separate for adults and junior adventurers.

At 7:00 we met in the lobby where the adults then parted ways with the junior adventurers. Since neither Kathy or I were junior adventurers I do not have much information about their night. I do know that they did an Italian soda tasting, played Italian lawn games, and watched a movie. I can tell you that they had a great time together. Anyone was invited to either option.


The adventure guides went with the juniors and left us in the capable hands of Max where we made our way to the restaurant for what we lovingly call ‘the fastest wine tasting ever’. Sorry for the blurry pic.




Of course, there were a few antics along the way! Once everyone was seated we began the tasting, which was presided over by Max.


On our table we found a small plate with tasting spoons and small tastes along with a list of the prices to ship wine across the pond. There was a 10-year balsamic, a piece of parmesan, a honey, a pepper jam, a honey mustard, and a white Nutella to go along with the wine.

In a period of about 20 minutes we tasted about 5 different wines: 1 white, 1 rose, and 3 reds. I am not sure this is because it always goes this way, or because we were late due to moving the schedule back after Orvieto.




Max told us about the different types of wines. He goes around to vineyards all over Tuscany to find good wines that he then stocks in his cellar. Max gave us a rundown of the different types of wines you will find in the region as well.

We started with a white wine. I am not a huge white wine fan, but my sister is. She thought it was pretty good. Our next wine was a rose. My family really enjoyed this wine and we actually bought some to take home. I am a fan of a good rose, and find it is a wine that doesn’t get as much love in the wine world. You can find some refreshing rose wines and this was a good one. From there we moved on to the reds, of which there were 3. I believe there were 2 chianti’s and 1 sangiovese blend. I like Chianti, but they generally run from dry to very dry, so you should be aware of that. Along with the wines we had the chance to try a few different tastes sold at the hotel. All of the tastings were good, but the pepper jam was different and my favorite. It wasn’t too spicy and had a bite at the end.




Once we were done with the ‘fastest wine tasting ever’ we had the opportunity to purchase some wine and local products. The cellar was also open for us to peruse the many wines they house at the hotel. I thought the hotel had a great cellar and I could have spent a lot of time in there. It’s open most of the day, so we were able to go back if we wanted later in the trip.


For dinner, we all went on the patio and took up 2 long tables. It was a leisurely dinner that allowed us to continue to talk and get to know one another. The hotel is home to one of the best rated restaurants in Tuscany and the patio offers a wonderful view. We were served basically family style and did not pick off a menu.


For the main course we had pork in a gravy, chicken, rosemary potatoes, and some greens. I thought the food was delicious. I could have eaten a whole plate of pork and potatoes. The potatoes were seriously some of the best I’ve had and I’m sure it was the simplest of recipes. Tuscany serves more of a farm-to-table homestyle fare where the specialty is meat and potatoes in addition to the pasta. Speaking of pasta, I do not have a picture, but we started with a ravioli and a roasted red pepper penne. We shared a couple bottles of Super Tuscan wine with a couple of families. This was my first time trying a Super Tuscan which is typically dry and full-bodied. I would recommend giving one of them a try if you get the chance.




Dessert was a chocolate ganache and panna cotta. The chocolate was very rich, so I did not eat much of it, but I know the chocolate lovers thought it was great. My sister doesn’t like nuts, so they brought her out a strawberry panna cotta that she really enjoyed. She said it was one of the best desserts ever, and ended up ordering it later in the trip again. It was light and creamy with a nice strawberry flavor. Panna cotta seemed to be somewhat of a specialty in this area.

Around the time dessert was served the junior adventurer’s came around to meet up with the adults and we started to disperse for the night. Most of us found our way to the pool area where we spent a while relaxing and talking with one another for the remainder of the evening.



The weather was gorgeous and the evening was beautiful, though, I’m not sure how the kids were swimming because I thought it was chilly (oh, to be 12 again!).


They had clearly bonded during the junior adventurer night and were singing the Lizzie McGuire movie anthem at the top of their lungs with Troy and Marco. I don’t think they had fun at all…

All in all, we had a pretty good first day in Tuscany. I think by the time the night ended we were all ready for our relaxing Tuscan pasta-making holiday the next morning.



As we left to go to our room we ran into Max, his wife, and his adorable little girl, Gabriela! She was super cute and has definitely inherited her daddy’s personality as she was babbling and making all kinds of happy noises in the lobby. It was neat to spend some time talking to them and you can tell Max just loves both the hotel and spending time with his family.​

 

[sayhello]

We had the same sort of thing with the resort in Santorini that you had in Tuscany. The rooms were all different configurations, and it seemed a bit random as to who got what. There were suites, town-house type rooms, and regular studio-type rooms. They were all large and very nice, but they really varied greatly.

Sayhello