Florence on $85 a Day – A Room with a View

The view from the desk where I'm typing.

The last time I visited Tuscany, I was fortunate enough to stay at a cousin's villa a mile or so outside the ancient hilltop town Colle di Val d'Elsa. The guest house with three upstairs bedrooms, each with its own balcony providing sweeping views of the countryside, was surrounded by vineyards for the villa's signature wine production. The only noise my cousins and I ever heard was the soothing sound of the men calling to each other as they moved through the vineyards in the early morning; our isolation allowed plenty of time to enjoy the views over the pastures and to ponder the rationale for the towers of San Gimignano off in the distance.*

The five of us were quite content to stay on the grounds most of the time, especially because every time we ventured anywhere we promptly got lost, but we did go several times to Florence. The drive that was supposed to be 45 minutes stretched to two hours every time because we found new ways to get lost each trip. Getting lost was made more bearable by telling ourselves that we were seeing different areas of Tuscany, but, still, getting lost was always a frustration, and we were always relieved to return to our peaceful paradise where we could sit on the terrace at night watching the stars and hearing only the very occasional rustle of a wild boar in the distant woods.

David and I are not staying in the country on this trip to Florence.

Florence on $85 a day – Uffizi Museum

I can get lost in a hotel bathroom, but David has GPS built into his DNA. He was determined to lead us to the Uffizi Gallery, no matter what. And there was plenty of “what” to get in the way.

Our apartment fronts on a little piazza with two open-air dining areas and a flower stall where folks sit along the perimeter benches or stand in knots to discuss the day's events. We thought they'd go home when midnight rolled around, but all night we heard shouting, breaking glass, cursing and the occasional police car careening through a side street.

When we set off the next morning, we saw carabinieri on the corner of our piazza, and hundreds of people clogging the street with their red flags and banners. It seemed to be a loosely organized parade of some sort, but David, not to be deterred, pushed on. We came upon the Santa Croce Church and there was no denying that something big was happening. The entire piazza was packed with people. We snapped some photos but kept walking. We had an appointment at the Uffizi, and we'd come a long way to see the world-famous art collection.

Entrance to Uffizi

We finally learned what was going on when we got to the museum. Italy's unions had organized the biggest all-day work stoppage in twenty years, and Florence hosted the most protesters of all. There would be no live TV broadcasts, no newspapers, no train, bus, taxi, or airplane traffic for the next eight hours.

No wonder the officials let us in the museum early. The usual number of tourists was absent because only foot-traffic had been able to navigate the streets. David and I were grateful we'd traveled by bus, train, and taxi on Thursday. If we'd tried to leave just one day later, we'd still be in Rome.

View from Uffizi Window

We were, I confess, feeling a bit smug about it all and congratulating ourselves on our timing as we wandered the halls of the great museum. We were not allowed to take photos, but the art left an indelible image in our minds.

Just as we were about to see the Rubens, the guard told us to get out. The museum was closing because of the strike.

Rome on $85 a Day - Our Apartment

view from apartment window

In just a few hours David and I will catch the fast train for Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance.  But, as much as we're anticipating our week there,  we will be sad to leave Rome.

Our apartment here in Monteverde, just a twenty-minute tram ride from the city center, has been a refuge from the crowds that practically knock you off the sidewalk downtown. 

It's probably the largest place we'll have on this trip because we've practically rattled around in the three bedrooms, two baths, and generous living/dining/kitchen area.  There was one glitch as we didn't get English BBC on the TV until yesterday, but otherwise we felt as though we were living in luxury.

La Ristoreria di Frontoni

We have loved the neighborhood too.  One of our greatest pleasures has been either sitting in the little outdoor area of our favorite restaurant across the street or getting take-out for a dinner in our own dining room.  And I'll confess, I am truly addicted to the lasagna--it's a good thing we're leaving before it gets out of control. 

Don't even get me started on Tony's where our daily 2 euro cup of gelato has been ample reward for fighting the tourist crowds in Rome.

And in the market, where we regularly buy groceries, the deli man has gotten to know us and offers a special taste treat every time we stop at his shop.

Ah, we will miss it all....but Tony, deli man, and Frontoni Restaurant, we will be back.  We will definitely be back!

Practicalities -

We found this gem of an apartment on VRBO.com.  number #282276

Rome on $85 a Day – Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel



St. Peter's Basilica from Vatican Museum

 A tremendous amount of information exists about the smallest country in the world where 829 people live in .17 square miles, so there's no point repeating what you can learn in any guidebook or Internet site. What I will tell you are three tips that are not so widely available.


Can you see why this is the Goddess of Fertility?

 The most important advice is to get your tickets ahead of time from the Vatican Museum site. (Other ticket services exist, but they charge a hefty commission so there's little point in dealing with anyone but the Vatican itself.) David and I were at the Vatican on one of the slowest days of the week, Tuesday, (The other day is Thursday.) but the lines were long and the crowds claustrophobic-inducing. If you order tickets in advance, however, you avoid the lines altogether, and whip right into the museum in just minutes instead of hours. We paid 31 euros each for a guided tour, which I highly recommend as you learn quite a bit about the art collection from the docent, but you can buy a ticket for 19 euros per person to explore independently if you prefer.

Rome on $85 a Day – Ingenious Italians

David and I have enjoyed our penthouse apartment where the expansive windows make eating a meal a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. And I know it will be with a sigh that we'll leave the neighborhood where the daily market has contributed to our culinary delight (along with Tony's across the street for the best gelato in Rome), but it is a cupboard in the kitchen that we'll miss most of all.

The cupboard over the kitchen sink consists of two shelves of racks with grates underneath. Although we have a dishwasher, we've had more fun washing the dishes by hand because the ingenious Italians have so simplified the process. We can wash a dish, put it up to dry, and put it away -- all at the same time. The water from the drying dishes falls back into the sink; the dishes don't have to be touched with a cloth; and they're cleaned, dried, and put away all in one move!

Aerial photo of Monte Testaccio

As clever as this modern-day invention is, the Italians have been practicing ingenuity all along. They were among the first recyclers, or, perhaps it's more accurate to say, re-purposers because they built a mountain out of a rubbish heap. This is how Monte Testaccio came about.

Rome on $85 a Day – Rome's Free Drink Service

There may be so many people in town this weekend for the beatification of Pope John Paul II that the cruise ships refuse to dock, hotels have no vacancies, and the police seem to be stationed on every corner, but, for those who brave the crowds, the Eternal City guarantees that they will have one thing in abundance. No one who comes to Rome will ever go thirsty.

This is the only city in the world with some two thousand drinking fountains erected solely for the public. These humble fountains, simple cast iron structures, are known locally as nasoni (big noses), but they offer a liquid treat that is always free and always available.

Practicalities – The water from these underground wells is deliciously cold and perfectly safe to drink. When you see one of these oddly shaped fountains and the water is running, don't hesitate to fill your water bottle.

Rome on $85 a Day - Labor Day

Even the cruise ships won't dock in Rome today.  Not only is it Labor Day all over Europe, but it is also the day of beatification for Pope John Paul II and the crowds are expected to be formidable.

We've seen the signs everywhere.  Literally.  In the market yesterday, Pope John Paul appeared to be winging his way to heaven in this poster mounted between the bread shop and the meat market. 

A framed portrait in plastic of the Pope was available for 3 euros from this huckster yesterday near the Colosseum.

And, if you had any lingering doubt that something big might be going to happen, even your public transportation ticket reminded you that a major milestone in the Catholic Church is being reached on May 1.

If you, too, wonder exactly what beatification means to Catholics, here's the definition from Wikipedia that helped David and I understand its significance.

Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακάριος, makarios and Latin facere, make) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name (intercession of saints). Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process. A person who is beatified is given the title "Blessed."  --Wikipedia

David and I think it's probably a good day to explore the Jewish Ghetto.

Rome on $85 a Day – The Colosseum

This lush passageway belies the brutality that occurred in the Colosseum arena beyond where gladiators fought for their lives. Many of the gladiators were slaves who were trying to earn their freedom. If a slave survived for three to five years, depending on his contract, he earned his freedom and had a guaranteed job thereafter training gladiator recruits.

David and I were privileged to be one of the first to see this staging area where the gladiators waited to be called to the arena, and the animals were housed that did battle with unlucky convicts. Our guide told us that the ancient Romans were quite efficient in the way they dealt with criminals as there were neither debates over the death penalty nor huge sums of money expended feeding and housing prisoners. In ancient Rome, if a prisoner was convicted, he quickly faced his destiny with a lion in the arena. I suppose this provided entertainment for the crowds, an efficient dispatch of justice, and a meal for the lion--an efficeint, if brutal, system.

Our guide pointed out a canal where water from the Tiber River entered the arena,. Here, if the stage were flooded, marine battles could be enacted.

The keystone arches, as well, of course, as the rest of the structure, were a masterpiece of engineering. The entire structure was completed in eight years, but the gouging of the walls to extract iron ore severely weakened the structure.; Today it looks pockmarked, and, part of that weakened area did indeed collapse when an earthquake shook the walls.

The Underground area of the Colosseum and the third tier of seating in the arena have only been opened to the public this year, so this tour is truly a treat. Not only did we walk the paths that the gladiators trod thousands of years ago, but we were also admitted to the very highest tier of seats with amazing views of the city. From this vantage point, we could see the Forum, Constantine Arch, and the Palatine Hill.

The Palatine Hill was the most important one of the seven hills of Rome. According to Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus were born in a cave on the hill and raised by a she-wolf until adopted by peasants. The twins rose to power by killing the opposition, even battling each other for leadership. Victorious Romulus gave his name to this Eternal City, and Palatine is etymologically related to the word “palace.”

Practicalities -

You can bypass the two-hour lines completely if you order your tickets in advance from Tickitaly.com.   We paid 55 euros, $78, for two.  By the way, a tour (about 1 1/2 hours) is the only way to see the underground and third tier as these areas are quite securely locked and only the guide has a key.

Rome on $85 a Day - Food

It required three airports, fifteen hours of flying, and an entire day of sleeplessness (Can anyone sleep on a plane?), but the rewards have been worth the sacrifices. Instead of losing weight, as David and I usually do when we walk for miles each day, we will probably gain a few pounds on this trip.

We sleep-walked through our tour of the apartment and collapsed on the bed as soon as Morgan, our landlord, left. But later that night we discovered the little restaurant across the street with the best lasagna either of us has ever eaten, and this morning we prowled the aisles of the market that is literally our next-door neighbor.

In Rome, pizza is sold by the inch!

The market owners plied us with samples although it didn't take much persuasion for us to snap up a quarter-kilo of this and a few slices of that. Back at the apartment, I don't think we said a word to each other except to moan in pleasure at the next morsel of food to sample. We discovered the food of the gods in Paris, but Rome is giving that city a challenge.

Our gift wrapped dinner!

Everything we need is just steps or a block or two from our apartment. At the grocery, we picked up essentials like dish detergent, yogurt, and paper towels; the best gelato in town is across the street at Tony's; and tonight's take-out lasagna was up the street a half block the other direction. The two cookies we bought for dessert were wrapped like a gift; when we tasted them we understood why!

Our first full day in Rome ended with our watching the sun set over the rooftops from our penthouse living room. This room is surrounded by eight-feet high windows on three sides so we literally have a bird's eye view of the city.

David just informed me that it's time for gelato, and I don't need to be told twice.

Italy, Spain and (maybe) Morocco for $85 a Day*

Our suitcases are lined up near the front hallway like pack horses all in a row. And pack horses they will have to be since they're carrying all we need for five weeks. 

On some blog or another, someone quoted travel guru Rick Steves who supposedly said that traveling with more than a carry-on bag meant that you were packing your fear.

If that's true, then David and I must be terrified.

We've each got the largest suitcase American Airlines allows plus a smaller carry-on satchel. (But I'll bet Rick Steves doesn't use special shampoo only available at Sally's Beauty Supply.) Still, I've pared down my usual overload, so I'm relatively pleased with the bags I'm taking. Even if I am checking a suitcase, at least I'm relatively sure it will be below the weight limitation.

Although I  do have a few lingering concerns about slinging that bag up on the scale tomorrow, I have no worries about our pet sitters, whom we met for the first time this afternoon. (See the blog article, Free Pet Sitting.)  This wonderful couple from Phoenix are as delightful as we thought they'd be. David and I have no doubt they will conscientiously care for our pets and our house. They've actually given us the greatest gift of all--peace of mind for the next five weeks!

So, I hope you're ready to go too. Don't worry about your luggage but do remember to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow's going to be a very busy day.

*These calculations are based on this exchange rate: 1.0 Eur = 1.42 USD