Travel Journal – Italy and Switzerland, with a little France and Monaco on the Side

Travel Journal and Memories:

13 day bus tour – I decided to take a tour because I had never been to Italy, and a lot of the things I really wanted to see were in the city. I don't like to drive in the city, if I can avoid it. When I found this tour that also went to the Alps, I was really interested in trying that as well. I've always wanted to see the Alps, but I don't like to drive in the snow, so I thought taking a tour made even more sense, not knowing if I could be in the snow or not. It is nice to try different travel experiences!

Day 1 – Flight to Rome

There is a stop in Atlanta, and it will take 24 clock hours. I was surprised that the flight from Atlanta to Rome did not have individual monitors on the seat back. Sitting by the window, there was a corner of the screen blocked by the overhead compartment. I will do all in my power not to fly this airline or that type of plane for over a few hours. It was the longest trip ever!!

Day 2 – Rome

After arriving in Rome and going through customs, I finally was able to find my tour shuttle, not easy when you are so tired and stressed and don't know where you are going. I could find every other tour group on the planet!! Finally I had to ask one of the competitors. Imagine how friendly they were! Then we had to stand around some more, see no hurry to get to the hotel, since our rooms won't be ready until afternoon. Finally the bus took us to the hotel.

Rooms still not ready for a while, so I wandered around inside and finally found a quite little spot to rest. I'm so tired. The nice thing is, the weather is really nice.

We had a little introductory session with the tour director and our group. I learned a few names.

Some of us went to the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps. The Pantheon was built around 118 AD. A circular opening in the roof lets in the only light. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped to see Saint Peters at night. Beautiful!

Day 3 – Rome

A very early morning and several difficult hours of standing in line, took us to the Vatican and the restored Sistine Chapel. You have to walk through several corridors or galleries of art work and wonderfully painted ceilings on your way to the Chapel. No photo's allowed in the Chapel!

Not only is Michelangelo's painting of the chapel interesting, the story of the restorations is fascinating. A man invented a gel that would pull off the years of built up dirt and grime, and reveal the original ceiling, the paintings look like they have received a fresh coat of paint as well, but they haven't.

After leaving the chapel, we met up with the rest of the group to tour Saint Peters. I've visited a lot of churches in Europe, and this is one of the best! What stuck me most were the frescos. You could not tell that they were tile instead of paint. Photography and flash photography permitted here. The flash will not damage the tiles.

I was able to see another famous work by Michelangelo, the Pieta. Being a lover of sculpture, this was one of the day's highlights. Sadly, we did not have quite enough time to really absorb his piece. It is also completely encased in glass, to protect it, so hard to photograph.

The day ended with a trip back to the Spanish Steps, a walk to Trevi Fountain and dinner. Only 6 people (2 couples and longtime friends from North Carolina, and myself and our guide).

I love the Trevi Fountain. Not so much for what it means, but it is the most beautiful fountain I have ever seen, not only with great sculptures, but it also looks like rough stone carving. It is huge.

We ate at a traditional family style restaurant. They brought out platters of food and served us all. The food was great! An after dinner aperitif was Lemonchello, a lemon flavored liquor. Tart but good!

Day 4 – Off to Florence and a stay in Montecatini.

We are led on a guided walking tour through the streets of Florence to Piazza di San Giovanni, the East doors of the Baptistry are beautiful bronze relief panels. The Baptistry is separate from the church or Duomo, because the church believed that you could not enter the Duomo until you had been baptized. The Piazza del Duomo, a very beautiful church, unfortunately we did not have time to go inside. Next time I come here I will be sure to go inside.

We continued to the Piazza del Santa Croce. The architecture of Santa Croce and del Duomo are very interesting. I have never seen churches like this. I really like them.

I had time to walk over to see the second bridge that actually has shops built on it. The Ponte Vecchio. Lots of tourists and jewelry stores. The other one I had seen was in Landerneau, France and is called the Pont de Rohan.

A few of us went into the Galleria dell' Accademia to see another famous Michelangelo sculpture, David (1504), and 17 feet tall. I could have stayed there all day! The craftsmanship, the detail, everything had me in awe. Did you know that someone once tried to destroy the statue? It was "glued" back together, but you can see cracks where it happened. This is sad

We also spent time looking at the "Four Prisoners". It was never decided if Michelangelo finished these sculptures because he was pulled away to paint the Sistine Chapel, or he felt that the Prisoners "were struggling to free themselves from the stones" that held them and he was finished. It really resonated with me when our guide talked about how Michelangelo felt his subjects emerged from the stone.

I have felt that when I was carving, and let the wood or stone dictate what's next, what to do and what feels right. The last few pieces I created happened exactly that way! It is an amazing experience!

We left too soon, to go and meet the rest of the tour group and the bus. But when we got there, no one was there. We waited, and waited, and waited. After a while I asked the guide for some Italian lessons on the correct pronunciations of this, like do you say grah-tsee or grah-tsee-uh, the latter is correct and the formal pronounciation. Please is pronounced pair-fah-vor-eh. My high school Spanish and the little French I know definately helped. I think we probably ended up standing there for an hour! We weren't happy about that. It also caused us to be later arriving at our hotel, which was not in Florence, and it was dark by the time we got there.

Florence was a city I would most like to come back to on my own to spend a few days. Or rent a house in the area for a week!

Day 5 – Off to Pisa, Portofino, Genoa and a stay in Arenzano.

I am very excited to see Pisa this morning. The tower is a marvel, and it is so surprising that it has not toppled. Sometimes it amazes me to think that I am actually seeing some of the things I have heard about for so many years.

The sky opens as we arrive, and the water pours down as we get off the bus and transfer to this little train...but we all get on the wrong one, and have to get off and go out in the rain and get on a different one. See, from here on out, buses are rarely allowed in some of the cities we visit, or are restricted to certain times. We found that out this morning when we had to be on the bus and away from our hotel by 7:30. Also, if a tour bus is allowed in a city, you may have to stop and buy a special permit first! This is one of the factors that can contribute to what seems like an expensive excursion!!

Anyway, even with rain gear, umbrellas and the like, we all have gotten a little wet. But, luckily for us, the rain stops as fast as it starts. We run the gauntlet of souvenir shops, spend a Euro to use the restroom, and then we enter the Campo dei Miracoli, the Field of Miracles which is surrounded by walls and there we see the Baptistry, Duomo and the Leaning Tower. Again and again I'm awed by architecture.

These three buildings are beautiful! When you look at the Leaning Tower, it is surprising that it did not topple over. I know that its foundation has been reinforced, so that it won't fall over, but still, it is pretty amazing.

Our departure from Pisa created a disturbance, as one passenger was left behind. The bus driver stopped, and her daughter jumped off to find her, and get her back on the bus. Being on time is very important on a tour!

We leave here for Portofino. It is announced that we will have the option to go to Monte Carlo, Monaco; not the Cinque Terra, as listed in the brochure for the tour. Well, here again, we find out that, what is in the brochure isn't always the whole story.

I'm pretty disappointed, because I really wanted to see the Cinque Terra, and we were supposed to see it from the water. There is nothing I can do, it is out of our way, and quite a back track says the director. He says he has been told to offer Monte Carlo instead. Well, I have two choices, be disappointed, or take this opportunity. I voiced my thoughts to the director about what is said in the brochure. I choose opportunity, and sign up.

On our way we see the quarry for Carrera marble. This is the marble used for David and many other sculptures and buildings. It is a very beautiful white marble. It has been taken from these hills for centuries.

Here is the struggle for me some times. I'm a sculptor, I use wood and stone. As we drive along, there are all these businesses that sell pieces of marble, and I want some so bad. Even a piece the size of a deck of cards, or so, would make me happy. Then I look up and see the quarry. The "mountain" is scarred. It is beautiful and ugly at the same time.

As much as I don't like to see the scar, I want a piece of the marble, well, a couple actually. In fact, I want to come to this area on my own, so I can get some marble, and see Pisa and Florence at my leisure.

We continue on to the coast, the Mare Ligure, a bay in the Mediterranean Sea, and are rushed to catch a ferry to Portofino. Portofino is an exclusive resort town in Italy.

The harbor is full of yachts. The buildings are colorful, beautiful! I walk around the marina taking pictures and searching for a great place for lunch.

I found a menu with something I like, tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella and 4 kinds of bread. They bring bottled water, whatever, and I have a nice glass of wine. It is very good, a little expensive, but this is a resort, after all. I am floored by the 30 Euro bill! They charged 9 Euro for the water they brought, I refused that, I never drank it. But what really got me was the 6,50 Euro cover charge for sitting down at a table! Really! I had to pay that, my own fault really. I seem to remember hearing that sometimes you are charged for sitting at a table. Lesson learned!

Wow, today has been a day of lessons!

On our ferry ride back to the bus, we see a water spout off in the distance. This is fascinating and scary at the same time. Only the tourists are getting excited about it, and I hear they are quite common here, and not considered dangerous. However, I think I'd get away pretty quick if one was closer!

Fascinated by weather phenomena, I'm taking photos like crazy!! This is really pretty cool. We are safe yet here is this funnel cloud stirring up the sea, and life is going on like normal around us.

Before we reach the dock the water spout is gone. So off we go back onto the bus and Genoa.

I think the wine has made me sleepy. As we arrive on the outskirts of Genoa, I fall asleep. The bus makes no stops, so I do not awake until we have left. Oh well.

We drive through Arenzano, which is a nice looking little village, and head up the hill to our hotel. Our rooms are huge, with modern furnishings, and a view of the Mediterranean!

After wandering around the hotel, getting our bags and unpacking for a 2 night stay, it is time for dinner. A storm has rolled in and it is pouring! There is thunder and lighting! It made for an interesting dinner. At one point water came pouring in around the windows of the dining area!

When I returned to my room, I wanted to open the drapes and watch the storm. There was a small area by the window where the flow was several inches lower than the rest of the room. When I stepped down to the window, I stepped in a huge puddle of water. During dinner the rain had started pouring in, and was continuing. I made sure the window was fully closed, and it was.

I went to the concierge to explain the problem. The woman was very impatient, and blamed me for leaving the window open, which I did not. I told her the window was closed, and I check to make sure it was, but water was still coming in. She was very unpleasant and made it clear that she thought it was my fault. Finally I got her to give me some towels to soak up the water.

Day 6 - Monte Carlo, Monaco

Each day of the tour presented an opportunity to meet more of my fellow travelers. Every day I have tried to spend part of the day getting to know someone new. Today I rode the bus to and from Monaco with another woman traveling by herself. She is from Cape Town, South Africa. This was her first trip out of the country by herself. I congratulated her for being a solo traveler, too.

We had clear blue sky and a very comfortable day of travel. Monaco is more French than Italian, so I was looking forward to that.

Monte Carlo, Monaco is modern and posh. Not really my kind of place. We went up by the Grimaldi Castle, and arrived just in time to watch the changing of the guards. We were given a little time to wander around in the older part of town. This was an area I enjoyed, with all the little shops. Very definitely a tourist spot, though.

The bus then took us down to the Casino and dropped us off for a while. The architecture, though modern, is nice. We arrived behind the casino and I walked around and there was a garden and several fountains on the north side in front of the entrance. I wandered up through the garden and fountains. The scenery was beautiful, and I ignored the modern construction all around me, enjoying the lush green gardens.

I stopped for a gelato. Wow! That was delicious!

I was able to duck into the casino and use the restroom. They wanted me to check my backpack to enter, and I did not want to give up my cameras, so I was fortunate enough to see another couple from the tour who offered to watch my bag.

Talk about luxurious! The toilet seat rotates through a sanitizer after you flush! I have never seen anything like this.

While wandering around by the casino, I ran into another couple, turns out the director had left them behind at the castle!! Oh my! Well, it also turns out they came back late, but he counted about 3 times and still missed them....no one else noticed either, though. Never a dull moment on this trip.

We stopped at a perfume factory for a tour. Since I am so allergic to scented products, I waited in the bus. So did several others.

Day 7 - Chamonix and Geneva

Today we are up early for a bus ride through the Italian, French and Swiss Alps on our way to Geneva.

The scenery today is beautiful as we drive into snow covered mountains. The road is better than I imagined, an Autoroute. I would be able to drive this as long as there wasn't snow, it would be so easy. We drove through the 8 km long Mont Blanc tunnel, which was kind of weird.

We stopped in Chamonix, France for lunch. I loved it! A typical Alpine village surrounded by snow capped peaks. I had visions of the days when I used to watch Jean-Claude Killy skiing in Chamonix on TV.

Trivia: Chamonix-Mont Blanc is the sight of the first Winter Olympics in 1924.

I found a summer "bobsled" run, but did not have time to try it out. I'd like to do that on one of these summer tracks sometime. Maybe I'll make my way back here for a day or two.

Too soon we are back on the bus for Geneva. The scenery is wonderful, and I'm enjoying seeing a new area of France.

When we arrive in Geneva, we get to take a short drive on the Southern shores of Lac Leman or Lake Geneva. We drive by the Jet d'Eau, Europe's tallest fountain shooting water to 460 feet! There is a small sailing regatta on the lake to watch as well, but we have no time to stop. We must get to our hotel so that we can take the cable car excursion up to Mont Saleve

Our hotel is near the airport, so we drive back around the lake and into town. I know already I want to come back here. Every lamp post seems to have a different museum banner hung on it, and I like the pictures I see. Plus, there is so much to see, and we will only be here for the night.

We get lost trying to find our hotel and end up at the wrong one. Then the usual entrance is blocked because the hotel is attached to a mall and a stadium is next door. There is a concert tonight. After an additional hour or so, we finally are able to get into our rooms.

The rooms are the nicest yet! Very modern. You have to insert you key card in a slot by the door to get power, heating and air conditioning. I love it!

Within minutes we have to meet up to catch the bus to the cable car. I'm starting to get pretty nervous, and it doesn't help that I am really hungry. I don't like heights at all! But I'm not going to miss this or the one in Zermatt. People I'd met on the trip so far, knew I was nervous, so they encouraged me.

My biggest problem with heights is that my eyes don't focus fast enough, and I can get vertigo. So I tried finding a spot to focus on, in this case the Jet d'Eau as we rode up the side of the cliff. It wasn't too bad, though my hands hurt from gripping the railing in the cable car. It was nice to have done it, and I don't regret it, but I was scared.

The view is great! You can see all of Geneva, the whole lake and mountains, unfortunately it is cloudy and dusk, so not great for photography, but it is fun to watch the lights come on.

We took the bus to a restaurant on the East side of the mountain and had a great dinner, the best of the trip and the wine was fantastic, a 2007 Paris gold medal for a 2006 Cote du Rhone, Les Sommets. We took the bus back to our hotel, whew.

Soft bed, duvets, I like it!

Day 8 - Geneva to Zermatt

Today we drove into Geneva to the Parc des Bastions. I was captivated by the tree lined path and the colors. The Parc has a monument to the four leaders of the Reformation.

From there, we moved North around Lac Leman. Glimpses of the lake and the Alps made for beautiful scenery.

We stopped in Montreux and were able to take some pictures of Chateau de Chillon on the Eastern banks of Lac Leman. This part of Switzerland is more French than German.

We stopped in Scion for lunch. It is Sunday, so pretty quiet, but this is a nice little village with a mix of old and new. I had a nice stroll trying to find the best view of the church on the hill.

We are really getting into the Swiss Alps now, I'm excited to see the Matterhorn, and hoping for clear weather. We have to stop in Tasch and de-bus and take these vans up to the train station and then electric cars to our hotel. It was an interesting and bumpy ride.

And then we are in Zermatt. I thought that Chamonix was an Alpine village, but there is nothing quite like this!!!! Our hotel is a chalet, sadly singles were at the back, and couples and families got the balcony and the view of the Matterhorn. C'est la vie. But the rooms are nice.

I am in awe of Mother Nature and these mountains. There is time for a little wandering before dinner. I'm off for some views of the Matterhorn! I find clouds billowing off the east side of the mountain and only a partial view, but it is fantastic, and Zermatt is so picturesque!

Day 9 - Zermatt and Matterhorn

This morning dawns clear and cold, freezing actually. There is ice on the sidewalk. We are up early and off for one of the scariest adventures I've ever taken. We will be taking 3, yes 3 cable cars up the mountain to a viewpoint at 12,736 feet.

(Well, actually, I remember now, I have been to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado at 14,000 feet and that was a scary drive both up and down.)

I'm pretty scared, but I've hooked up for the trip with the 4 South African's I've met, and they help get me through it. I actually surprised myself, after the first bit, which was really bad, and started to enjoy it. The scenery was stunning!

The cable cars got larger each time, too. The last one holds about 100 people and had skiers and snow boarders on it.

Wow! All I can say really.

It was pretty cold. The thermometer I had in my kit, did not show as cold as it was, and the bright sunlight off the snow was crazy. And there was lots of snow around.

Coming down, I just made the decision to stand in the front of the car and absorb the view. I don't think I'll ever be right here again, so it is now or never. There were only a few of us coming back, so I could stand and sit in front. Zermatt was pretty small from the top, and it was fun to watch it grow closer and closer. I think I at least partially conquered my fear of heights with this adventure. In the long run, I enjoyed it! And thank my friends from South Africa who went up and back with me!

It had started warming up and was a beautiful clear day. So some of the layers came off and I ate lunch at the hotel. I had goulash, or what I would call stew, that was delicious!

A few of us met to go shopping. When we got separated at one of the shops, a women going to Paris after the tour and I stopped for a beverage and looked at a map of Paris. I suggested some interesting things to do for her day there. The others found us and we made plans for dinner together later. More shopping and wandering followed. I found a couple of rocks to buy.

We had a nice dinner later at the hotel. We'd wandered around Zermatt, but just couldn't find the right thing. The hotel food was great though, again. My friends told me about South Africa and I learned a few words.

Day 10 - Stressa and Venice

The morning provided beautiful views of the Matterhorn again! How lucky we were to have such great weather for our trip here.

We had to take the electric cars to the vans to the bus in Tasch. One of the bumps was really hard on me, and jarred my back into a flare up. But on we go. Up and over Simplon Pass and important route between Switzerland and Italy.

We come down out of the Alps and into Italy and the shores of Lake Maggiore and stop in Stressa for lunch. This is a resort town with many hotels along the road and a park along the waterfront. No "beaches". I had a nice walk in the park along the shore. Behind the hotels there is a nice village to explore and interesting shops. I found a rock shop, we'll what can I say, I seem to find them wherever I go, and bought myself a stone.

Then we continued our long drive to Venice.

Upon arrival in Venice, those of us going on the gondola ride were dropped off, while the rest of the group went on to the hotel outside of Venice on the mainland.

Originally, I was not going to take this "romantic" gondola ride, being single and all, but I decided that it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I'm so glad I went. With six of us to a gondola, it was hardly what I'd call "romantic", even with the gentlemen serenading our group from one of the boats. There is nothing like the view experienced from the gondola however! I would recommend it.

We briefly walked through Piazza San Marco and then caught a water taxi back to the bus.

The excursion to Burano as cancelled because only 5 people signed up, but the other 4 came and asked if I wanted to go anyway on our own, and I jumped at the chance.

Dinner tonight was the worst of the tour.

Back in my room, I found my map of Venice. It should where to catch the water bus to Burano. It looked pretty easy to do. I was excited about that!

Day 11 - Venice and Burano

After breakfast we hopped back on the bus for Venice. There is quite a long bridge that takes you to the bus drop off. No more cars after that. You either go on foot or by water.

We went back through Piazza San Marco and to a glass blowing factory. Some of us got left behind when we went to the restroom, so missed most of the demonstration, but this was more about getting you to shop. There was gallery after gallery within the building, filled with shelves displaying their glassware. There were some beautiful pieces.

Now, this was where one of the best days of the tour begins! The 5 of us, 2 friends, and a mother and daughter all from Australia, and I, wound our way through the streets of Venice to the water bus. We bought 12 hour tickets for 13 Euro, which allowed us a ride anywhere the buses went in the area, land or sea!

We didn't have to wait too long, and were able to get on the bus and find seats for the 45 minute ride to Burano. We road past the cemetery, which is a little island of its own. The weather was great, the sea fairly calm and a nice breeze blowing in the window. It was great! Fun to be a small group on our own.

Burano was wonderful. Very colorful and quieter than Venice. There were canals here too, but it was much cleaner and a lot less touristy. Burano is known for its brightly painted houses and lace making.

Many of the houses looked like they'd just been painted, the colors were so bright. We took our time wandering around the island and stopped to enjoy a nice pizza lunch.

When we had seen enough here, we headed for Venice and a little shopping!!!

Everyone got a chance to pick up a few things. I found a sweatshirt I liked and got a little metal saxophone and case (1/10th size).

Then we caught another water bus, to the land bus stop and found our bus back to the hotel. It all worked out and it was great! We missed dinner with the rest of the group, but when we found out it was the same restaurant as last night, we didn't care. We had a big lunch, anyway.

Day 12 - Orvieto and Rome

The last tour day, and it will be a long one, 7-8 hours on the bus.

Our lunch stop was a roadside rest area with shop and gas. They had a Burger King?! Not my choice of a stop.

Orvieto, Umbria, as a nice stop. This is a quaint little hill town. We rode a little funicular up to the village and wandered the streets. There is still a wall around the city, built on a plateau. There is a beautiful Duomo in the main square.

We are late getting into Rome and this is complicated by our driver and director being lost. We are caught crossing the city in rush hour traffic. Finally the director hires a cab driver to lead us to the hotel. We arrive 2 hours later!

The group breaks up pretty rapidly after that, a lot of people are done with the tour leaders. We are all tired and hungry and it has been a long day on the bus.

Earlier I had made plans to have dinner with the friends from South Africa, and we were all starving! We luckily found a pizza place nearby, and had a great dinner, together. It turned out to be a fine farewell.

Members of the tour were leaving at different times for different destinations, so who knew if or when I'd seen any of them again.

Day 13 - Leaving Rome for Home

An early bus ride gets us to the airport at 7. There are just a few of us and we say goodbye.

My first flight to Atlanta has a couple from South Carolina that I spent time with on the tour, so we had a little breakfast at the airport together.

Goodbye Italy, Switzerland and France.

As a final note, although there were some problems with our director and our driver on occasion, I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish on this trip, except seeing the Cinque Terra. I got used to the scheduling and "herding" and just went with the group flow. I sunk into the group vibe, and met a lot of great people, saw some great sights and experienced some once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

Prepare yourself for this type of travel if you've never done it. Know that you are one of up to 50 depending on the tour, or more if a cruise, and be able to let the little stuff go. You will see and experience wonderful things and meet some great people.