The ABCs of Greece & Italy! X, Y, and Z, and that Friends is THE END!!! :) See you in Asia and Australia, Join Me THERE!!

Steppesister

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Once Upon a Dream, There was Italy

(There is a Table of Contents Below for Easier Navigation- Post #5)

...the Tuscan Countryside, the history and art of Rome and Florence, the romance of Venice. Wine, gelato, and pizza. Rolling hills, flowered window boxes, bell towers, marble fountains… It calls to me. For years, my heart has dreamed of traveling to this ancient country full of mysteries to behold, people to meet, and adventures to collect.

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If you are here as a long-time reader and friend, BENTORNATO!! To those who are new friends just joining me on another Steppe Adventure, Grazie for being here and Benvenuto to you as well!! It’s been a tradition/style of mine for quite a while now to start my Trip Reports a few months or so before traveling in order to lay the groundwork, share my excitement and plans, and create a community of folks who share my passion for travel. I am thrilled to read your comments and stories as this trip unfolds; please don’t be shy to join in! Part of the joy of sharing a Trip Report is the friends you’ll make along the way!

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Let me introduce myself for those who are new to me:

My name is Liesa and I live in Oregon. While it’s green and pretty here, the weather sucks just enough for me to want to move soon. There are a hundred other reasons, but this isn’t a political forum. I am single with 5 amazing kids ranging from almost 18 to 29. Holy crap, that makes me feel old. All but 1 live within an hour, but I still feel like I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like. It’s one of the major reasons I am not ready to pack it out of the PNW. I also have 3 beautiful grandbabies that I can't get enough of. Obviously, I love to travel and get out and photograph whatever I come across, but especially Disney. In fact, this trip does indeed have at least 2 Disney-inspired portions. No, there is no Disney park in Italy, and no I’m not going to Paris. But trust me on this. Disney DOES come into play. I adore boardgames, fine dining, and listening to almost any type of music. I love Happy Hour with friends, love my job of being a Recovery Room Nurse, and a clean house. I love fresh sheets, fresh flowers, and fresh air. I love a good Regency Romance novel, dancing, and chocolate chips cookies right out of the oven. At some point I may finish up getting my private pilot’s license, but also have my eye on passing my peri-anesthesia nursing certificate, and am starting to think more seriously about getting my BSN to help me be more marketable when I pull the trigger on moving.


And now, let’s take a journey together to this land of immense beauty and rich culture!


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You might be asking how I could be even entertaining the thought of traveling to one of the hardest hit areas during this Covid outbreak. Well, because, Dear Reader, this trip is far older than the virus’ debut into the Human population. Let me take you back to a time when one of my longest-standing DISFriends (I’m looking at you Karilynn! @Malia78 ) asked me to join her on a cruise. In fact, she’s been trying to get me to buddy up with her on a cruise for years. I just didn’t have the interest in most of the itineraries to justify the cost. Until she proposed one that was to sail to Italy and the Greek Isles. I agreed and the more I researched, the more enamored and excited I became. I mapped out walking tours, studied the ports and tours, and learned Greek. I found that only one word was necessary (Ouzo) so stopped after that. Naturally, I tacked on an extra 10 days after the cruise to explore Italy on my own after the 9 nights of sailing.


Then people got sick. A lot of people. And there was much that was unknown, so the world shut down, but most notably Italy.


Trouble is, who could have predicted a worldwide Pandemic that would change the world as we know it for an indeterminate amount of time? Who would have guessed that cheap airfares and thousands of dollars already invested in such a lavish dream-come-true vacation was riding on a microscopic piece of rNA that was poised to take out humanity? After much deliberation I’m sure on the part of our cruise planners, they made the painful decision to cancel our group’s participation. As far as I know that particular sailing on RCL is still going, but our group of 250 will not be on it. At this point, two things happened: 1) I decided, since my airfares, both, are non-refundable and one non-changeable, I would simply move forward with my plans to go to Italy, and 2) Our tour group re-scheduled the cruise changing from RCL to Celebrity for NEXT September. So, in short, a year from September, Kari and I will be sailing to Greece with 2 added ports to Turkey on a cruise that is 2 nights longer with 2 extra ports. But this is not a Trip Report about a cruise; it is one of a massive 3-week whirlwind trip to many areas and cities in Italy amidst the chaos and uncertainty that is our place in time right now. The bonus is that you will also get 2 TRs- one of Italy and one next year of the Greek Isles and Turkey. Huzzah!!

In short, I’m keeping my original flight into Rome on September 13 (arriving the 14th) and coming home on October 4th. It’s long enough to see a very great deal, but not nearly enough, of a country packed full of things to see and do. As a teen, I was privileged enough to get to go during a study-abroad European Tour and it was then I developed a passion for travel, classical art, architecture, and wine pizza. Traveling from place to place gave me a deep appreciation for the intense beauty of cathedral stained glass, movement in marble, and the sheer genius in ancient Roman architecture. To say the least, it was very formative for me.

As of early this week, it was going to be a solo trip with loads of time to wander and meander the back alleys and narrow cobble-stoned streets finding oodles of photo opps on my own terms. That was until I opened my big mouth and encouraged my youngest daughter to join me. Don’t get me wrong, I love her. I try to spend as much time with her as I can during a fragile time in our lives, and want to give her the best last years at home as I can, so naturally, I did my best to talk her into coming with me. Trouble is… she said yes.

So now, what was to be a solo trip, is now a mother-daughter trip. After spending the entire week last week at my parent’s home in Kentucky on a very much-needed vacation after working insane hours during Covid at my two jobs as a nurse, I was all set. I spent basically 10 hours a day for 7 solid days planning walking routes, booking planes, trains, and automobiles and finding AirBnbs and hotels. I read all I could about how to get from place to place. I came up with a 21-day itinerary, looked at prices for museums, e-mailed back and forth with Bed and Breakfast hosts. You name it, I planned it. Sometimes I swear I missed my calling as a Vacation Planner. Then again, if I had to do it as a job, I’d probably hate it.

So, now I had to go back and re-trace all of my steps, book (or at least try to) all of the same flights from beginning to end and everywhere in between, re-look up trains and book those, re-book my AirBnbs with an extra person, buy her a City Pass, etc….. but all of those details are coming as I delve into the trip with more specificity chapter by chapter. Meantime, while I may lose a bit of the carefree nature of this trip that I was looking forward to, I’m also grateful to have this chance to get to spend time with her one-on-one, have someone to help me navigate as I try to drive in a foreign country, and just generally share the excitement with as I travel along. By the way, our agreement is that she will pay for all of her transportation, souvenirs, and food, and I will take care of museums, extra costs for the AirBnb/hotels (nominal), and incidentals up to $500. She is going to ask her dad if he would be willing to help some, and my parents also offered to help a little as well. She has some money set aside for education, and we’ll be using that as, 1) she isn’t even remotely interested or ready for anything after high school right now, and 2) a trip such as I’ve put together is, in my book, about as educational as it gets.


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Now, you might be asking: “Is Italy even open yet?!” “Don’t you feel unsafe with Covid traveling?” “Is she nuts?!”


Here are a few answers as I know them. From every source I’ve read, a full 13% of Italy’s economy is from tourism. That’s a lot. They are begging people to come back and enjoy what it has to offer, so much in fact, that Sicily is offering free airfares just to go there. To bad that’s not on my itinerary. Ya win some, ya lose some. The news on the street is that many museums opened already in Mid-May including the Uffizi in Florence and on Monday a good many more, especially the popular sites such as the Colosseum, will open. That is good news for me. There continues to be a mandatory 14-day quarantine in place for anyone arriving from international origins except the EU, but with tourist sites opening I am banking on that mandate quickly disappearing after a phase of watching Covid numbers with European travelers who will be the first to be excused from the quarantine rules. Given there are 3 ½ months before travel, I can’t imagine that still being in place. I will however be careful to note any mandatory quarantines for my work as I return. That, my friends, may be the ultimate deal-breaker.

Do I feel unsafe? The answer is a resounding no. Some may call me cavalier. Others may deem me reckless. I feel I have enough information to know my risk both to myself and others, I know as a professional healthcare worker how to mitigate my liability and am very comfortable traveling. My health is my own responsibility to care for and coupled with both my own personal attention to prevention and those that are put into place by mandates of airlines, restaurants, hotels, etc… I feel no qualms whatsoever.

Am I nuts? Heh, that is not for me to judge. 😉

Now back to the Who… (no, I’m not a pinball wizard)

Literally 2 days after I got everything all booked for my daughter Anara, I got a text from Kari. Her flights ended up being non-refundable as well. “How are your September plans coming? I might be stuck with my airplane tickets.”

“Going great! Anara is coming. Wanna join?”

“It’s a possibility.”

After a phone conversation yesterday, she will start looking into how her flights might get refunded. If that’s not possible, she will start pricing things out as I have them planned and see if this trip would work for her. So, this may turn into a girls’ trip after all! That’s up in the air as of today, so stay tuned for more on the Who. (I recommend Behind Blue Eyes)

I think to keep clarity with things moving forward in this trip planning phase, I’ll keep things chronological which breaks from my usual TR style. Some of you are already saying, “Thank God!” You know who you are. But if there was one chapter for an entire day, the chapters would be pages long. There is just so much packed into each day that I’ll take it in chunks. Obviously, I don’t have any photos, so you’re stuck with the (much better) stock photos that the internet so graciously provides for me to pilfer for your viewing pleasure. Interspersed, I’ll share my planning successes, frustrations, insights, and tips. I sure hope that those who’ve been before will share your own insights to any obvious planning flub-ups as well.


Coming up: The best way to get there is to fly
 
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Ciao
I am here and can't wait to read along on your planned journey and your eventual journey. Looks like you have lots planned.
 
Ciao
I am here and can't wait to read along on your planned journey and your eventual journey. Looks like you have lots planned.

Hi Judy!! It's so great to have you here joining in!! I do have a TON planned. Probably far too much to be honest, but knowing before you go gives you options and I'd rather not be looking for options once there.
 
Excited to be here to follow along!!

“Going great! Anara is coming. Wanna join?”

“It’s a possibility.”

This is SO exciting!!! It really seems like an amazing trip. Also, because so many are leery of travel, you may have much lower crowds at popular sites in Italy. Looking forward to living vicariously!
 


TABLE OF CONTENTS


A is for Arriving with Air Travel

B is for: Best Get Going!

C is for: Can We Really See All of This?!

D is for: DANG! This May Actually Happen This Time!

E is for: Exploring Olympia!

F is for: Feasting with New Friends!

G is for: Going Up, Going Down, Going Back Up, Going Back Down…. Good Times in Santorini!

H is for: Have Fish, Will Eat!

I is for: Incredible Ruins Impeccably Restored

J is for: Just a Few Rugs After Lunch Just in Time!

K is for Kitty Kats and Killer Seas

L is for: Little Venice, Lunch, and Landscapes

M is for: Metopes of Marble and More- Athens

N is for: Nice Coastal Drive to Even Nicer Views - Athens, Pt. 2

O is for: Out and About on Crete and a Little Too Much OPA!!!!

O is for: OPA!!- Pt. 2

P is for: Practically Perfect Ending to Greece

Q is for: Quad to Quint in Venice

R is for: Roaming Near Rialto

S is for Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

T is for: Truly Pastalicious!

U is for: Uffizi!

V is for: Very Lost, Very Found, and Very Delicious!

W is for: What a Body!!! What a Meal!!

X is for: NON-Xoanon

Y is for: You’re Walking Too Fast Young One

Z is for: Zealous in the Kitchen!

A is for: Along the Adriatic Seacoast

B is for: Brick by Brick and Bounty of the Sea

C is for: Carriage Across the Countryside- Puglia to Naples

D is for: Divine Spaces with a Disappointing Dinner

E is for: Escape to Earth-Swallowed Treasures


F is for: Further into Pompeii Followed by Fantastic Food

G is for: Gorgeous Grotto (not the Blue Grotto!)

H is for: Heck of a Day! (The Amalfi Coast)

I is for: Inter-City Railway to Rome

J is for: Join Me in the Vatican Museum (Part 1)

K is for: Killin’ More Time In Rome

L is for: Large Monuments and the Lavanderia!

M is for: Making the Most of a Minute in Rome

N is for: Neighborhoods, Non-Conformist Museums, and Nifty Noshables

O is for: Onward to Tuscany!


P is for Pienza and Beyond!

Q is for: The Quiescence of San Gimignano

R is for: River Underground Right This Way (Pistoia Underground Tour)

S is for: Sumptuous Landscapes, Serene Shelters, and a Simpleton

T is for: The Oak of the Witches and Touring a Villa

U is for: Underwater and Designs by Ugo


V is for: Vacation Continues in Bologna

W is for: What a Body!!

X is for: eXhausting Walk for an eXquisite View

Y is for: Yes, We’re Back in Venice

Z is for: Ze END!
 
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Excited to be here to follow along!!



This is SO exciting!!! It really seems like an amazing trip. Also, because so many are leery of travel, you may have much lower crowds at popular sites in Italy. Looking forward to living vicariously!
And I"m so glad you're here Kathy!! :welcome: I am just not sure. I'd imagine EU travelers will be back but since it's September combined with Covid, you may be right. I am hoping for some elbow room.
 


For years, my heart has dreamed of traveling to this ancient country
Glad you're getting this opportunity to fulfill a years long dream. :)
If you are here as a long-time reader and friend, BENTORNATO!!
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Oh... Bentornato.
I thought you said Bent Tornado.

So close.
I am thrilled to read your comments and stories as this trip unfolds; please don’t be shy to join in!
Well, as you may (or may not) recall, I typically don't comment much on PTRs.
My name is Liesa and I live in Oregon.
:wave:
Disney DOES come into play.
Curious to see how that will happen.
You might be asking how I could be even entertaining the thought of traveling to one of the hardest hit areas during this Covid outbreak.
Thought's crossed my mind. :scratchin
learned Greek. I found that only one word was necessary (Ouzo)
:laughing:
a year from September, Kari and I will be sailing to Greece with 2 added ports to Turkey on a cruise that is 2 nights longer with 2 extra ports.
Nice! Glad you still get to do your cruise, albeit a bit later. My Alaskan cruise is permanently off.
The bonus is that you will also get 2 TRs- one of Italy and one next year of the Greek Isles and Turkey. Huzzah!!
Yay!
I developed a passion for travel, classical art, architecture, and wine pizza.
:laughing:
So now, what was to be a solo trip, is now a mother-daughter trip.
Thinking you're not too broken up about that.
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Two pretty ladies. :)
Now, you might be asking: “Is Italy even open yet?!” “Don’t you feel unsafe with Covid traveling?” “Is she nuts?!”
:rolleyes1
Given there are 3 ½ months before travel, I can’t imagine that still being in place. I will however be careful to note any mandatory quarantines for my work as I return. That, my friends, may be the ultimate deal-breaker.
So... what happens in 3 months if the mandatory quarantine is still in effect?
 
Hopping aboard. My mom has a European cruise planned for September and hasn’t canceled yet. Hoping you get to go on this adventure and looking forward to reading about it.
 
Glad you're getting this opportunity to fulfill a years long dream. :)

:goodvibes
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Oh... Bentornato.
I thought you said Bent Tornado.

:laughing: That is wicked looking!

Curious to see how that will happen.

I thought of another way there is a Disney connection too!
Thought's crossed my mind. :scratchin

I know... silly me.

Nice! Glad you still get to do your cruise, albeit a bit later. My Alaskan cruise is permanently off.

Permanently? Why? Are they not going to cruise there anymore? Or is that just a personal decision to not do it?

Thinking you're not too broken up about that.

I honestly was fine either way.
So... what happens in 3 months if the mandatory quarantine is still in effect?
I will likely have to cancel everything, eat the airfare and move on. Try to postpone. Trying not to think about it.
 
I'm here! Just marking my territory. Er, I mean, bookmarking. Will be back later.
Hey, Mark! Glad you're here!! So happy you've made it. I thought about putting this in the DISDad's area like yours is, but that seemed weird, so here it is. If the Mods need to move it, I guess they will. :)
 
Hopping aboard. My mom has a European cruise planned for September and hasn’t canceled yet. Hoping you get to go on this adventure and looking forward to reading about it.
HI There!! :welcome: I'm so happy you're here joining in!! I sure hope your mom gets to go and enjoy that! How fun! What are here ports?
 
The cruise is from Paris to Normandy. She also has a Beatles on in England that was in July. She rescheduled that for same time next year.
 
Joining in! I’m excited to hear about all your plans!
We did a Mediterranean cruise in 2007 and I loved it. We went to Istanbul, Greece, Italy, France and Spain, we started in Venice.
We went in September and the weather was so beautiful.
Italy is beautiful and so much old world charm.
 
:laughing: That is wicked looking!
Surreal, isn't it???
I thought of another way there is a Disney connection too!
Oh! popcorn::
Permanently? Why? Are they not going to cruise there anymore? Or is that just a personal decision to not do it?
No. Mom's just getting too old. She has recently had some health issues that have made her decide to not go anymore.
I still have my 50% credit, so might... might still go. But I don't know. Maybe if someone wanted to go with me, it'd make it an easier decision, but... :confused3
Maybe I'll go when you and Kari do your cruise. Then we can compare cruise TRs.
I will likely have to cancel everything, eat the airfare and move on. Try to postpone. Trying not to think about it.
Oy! That would be harsh. Fingers crossed for you.
 
Hello. I am normally a lurker on threads, but I had to join in as Italy is amazing. I actually was able to visit both Italy and Greece. I did a Masters degree in London a few years ago and took advantage of the travel opportunities. My husband and I back when we were dating spent a week in Italy visiting Venice, Florence, and Rome. It was our first real trip together and Italy was amazing - the food, wine, and culture. We both were doing Masters in History so Italy was up our alley. I hope it is cooler for you as it was so hot when we were there in July. One thing I recommend before you go if you have time is to read the City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. He highlights some interesting Venice landmarks including a church that I cannot wait to check out whenever we get back there. Like you, our next trip we want to do for much longer and do some driving around as you can really get a feel for the country that way.
 
The cruise is from Paris to Normandy. She also has a Beatles on in England that was in July. She rescheduled that for same time next year.
OH nice!! That would be so lovely! Both sound pretty fun, in fact. Next year sounds like a much safter bet than THIS July!
 
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