FUN-travel: Sorrento, Italy – Full Day 1

October 27, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Sorrento, Italy – Full Day 1 

Day 35 – Sunday, October 20 – Sorrento, Italy – Day 1 – full sun – high 75 – low 59

Capri, Italy 2013 6

Capri Port

What I LIKE

Sorrento, Italy 2013 4

Sorrento

  • 7:00 – wake up
  • 7:15 – machine cappuccino – so so
  • *9:40 – breakfast
  • 10:20 – begin Sorrento adventure
  • **10:45 – walk down to dock for boat to Capri
  • 11:15 – arrive
  • find ticket booth for boat to Blue Grotto
  • ***11:45 – boat reservation
  • 11:55 – takes off
  • +12:15 – arrives Blue Grotto
  • ++1:00 – transfer to smaller boat – only holds 4 + driver w/oars
  • wonderful – sings opera inside w/other guide/drivers
  • clearly enjoying his job!
  • 1:15 – head back to port
  • +++1:30 – arrive & thirsty
  • get funicular tickets – talk man into taking $12 US
  • 2:10 – beer break
  • 2:30 – short walk around town
  • 3:00 – funicular down
  • #3:15 – boat reservation back to Sorrento
  • 3:45 – arrive
  • walk back up to Sorrento town
  • 4:00 – late lunch/dinner @ Aurora Restaurant on Piazza Lauro – 2008 Sole di Sesta – sicily syrah $30 – caprese salad & diavola pizza – not the best – $53 Euro
Capri, Italy 2013 14

Blue Grotto Entrance

  • 5:15 – walk around shops
  • 7:00 – back to room for happy hour on balcony
  • more unbelievably beautiful twinkle on the bay!
  • not hungry – so another cheap food day
Capri, Italy 2013 17

Blue Grotto

 What I DON’T LIKE

  • *no fresh fruit – only canned
  • **costs $70 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • ***costs $27 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • +there’s a big back up of boats waiting
Capri, Italy 2013 25

Capri Town

  • ++park entrance fee for grotto is $25 Euro for 2 – only cash
  • +++out of cash – just blew through $122 Euro!
  • ATM in Capri @ top of hill – over 30 min walk & don’t have enough time
  • #not enough time in Capri – should have booked the 4:30 back
zCapri, Italy 2013 27

Capri City Center

FUN-fact – Unlike the other islands in the Gulf of Naples, Capri’s origin is not volcanic but sedimentary.
More FF – One of its first fans was the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who spent the last years of his life here.
Not so FF –And rumor has it he liked to be “entertained” by little boys in the blue grotto.

FUN-travel: San Marino to Sorrento, Italy

October 26, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: San Marino to Sorrento, Italy 

Day 34 – Saturday, October 19 – San Marino to Sorrento, Italy – overcast, foggy turns to full on sun – 60 to 70’s

San Marino, San Marino 2013 11

San Marino

  • 2:00 – road heads west into big mountains
  • colorful array of fall foliage
  • getting warmer as we go
  • *3:00 – gas stop @ service area (AKA car/truck stop)
  • 3:40 – pizza break @ next service area (this is not Pizza Hut)
  • really good! – 2 huge homemade pizzas only $7.90 Euro
  • +5:45 – coming into Napoli
  • it’s 75 degrees!
  • only 30 more miles to go
  • 7:00 – still in gridlock traffic
  • know we’re close to center of town
  • **pull over @ 1st acceptable hotel – Hotel Central
  • ask how much & to see room
  • lovely Elisabetta takes me to
  • ++4th floor w/balcony facing bay of Naples – quiet – (2 blocks from sea)
  • clean & no cucarachas – only $120 Euro
  • Chris starts whining (thinks internet should be free)
  • she throws it in @ no charge because we stay 3 nights
  • 7:15 – order 2 cold Perroni beers @ bar
  • unpack &  repack bag for much nicer weather to come
  • +++go back to bar for wine glasses for room
Sorrento, Italy 2013 1

Sorrento

  • checked TripAdvisor & we got a very good rate!
  • Comfort Inn 3 star next door actually has high TA ratings

    zSan Marino, San Marino 2013 13

    San Marino

  • 9:00 – shower perked me up
  • 9:15 – sitting on balcony drinking nice bottle of wine from Mauro
  • could be best twinkle ever seen!
  • like dazzling, shimmering jewels dancing in the distance!
  • see fireworks too!
  • full moon coming up
  • not really hungry so munch on Kirkland almonds I brought
  • cheapest food day ever!

What I DON’T LIKE

  • * hungry & food choices don’t look that good
  • + looking for internet café to book room for Sorrento & can’t find one
  • **have to get out of this car!
  • tolls cost $31.50 Euro to get here
  • 6:00 – traffic comes to a grinding halt on the narrow, twisty, winding road to Sorrento6:30 – still not there yet
  • & really tired of being in car so long
  • ++parking is $15 Euro per day extra & they charge $15 Euro for internet (3 days)
  • slightly obstructed view – 3rd story roof next door & several TV antennas
  • only have plastic cups in room
  • +++told Maitre‘d won’t let us have them, so take pina colada glasses to room
Sorrento, Italy 2013 3

Sorrento

WATCH (What Are The Chances) – Chris parks car @ Hotel Central & sees internet café across the street!

FUN-fact – New addendum to my travel motto: It’s 5:00 somewhere, and I want to be somewhere by 5:00!
More FF – Sorrento is magnificently situated on the top of a rock plateau which drops sheer to the sea below and is rich in citrus fruits, gardens and vegetation.

 

FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 3

October 25, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 3 

Day 33 – Friday, October 18 – Rimini, Italy – Day 3 – full on sun – high 60’s

1379298_744951768865289_1755983930_n

What I LIKE

Rimini, Italy 2013 31

Me, Alfredo & Marianna

  • *7:30 – wake up
  • one more run through of speech
  • 10:20 – breakfast
  • 10:35 – pick up to go to convention center
  • 11:00 – arrive
  • filled w/hundreds of booths & thousands of attendees
  • pick up pamphlets/books for Campania (where we’re going next)
  • **11:30 – meet w/interpreter
  • go over program info
  • 12:15 – quick lunch
  • 1:15 – go to meeting room
  • computer & LCD works!
  • ***2:10 – program begins
  • 4:45 – finish
  • Chile has hosted wine & snack party!
  • 6:30 – drive back to hotel
  • 7:30 – party hosted by TeamWork @ duoMo
  • beautiful display of food & drinks
  • lots of good conversation
  • Viviana & Sabrina (mother & daughter) saw me in 1998
  • meet Mauro’s lovely wife Laura
zRimini, Italy 2013 41

Sabrina & Viviana

  • 9:30 – tired & ready to pack up for tomorrow
  • 11:00 – exhausted & ready for  night night

What I DON’T LIKE

Rimini, Italy 2013 42

Pierpaolo & Monica

  • *so sleepy – don’t want to get out of bed
  • **meeting room being used – have to go to press room
  • ***thought interpreter would be like last time – attendees wear headsets for Italian – if not, you listen in English – interpreter in another room – this time interpreter stood next to me and translated – difficult as I had to keep stopping – never got my momentum

FUN-fact – I was in Rimini for the TTG Incontri convention. It is the biggest travel and tourism show in Italy with vendors from all over the world.

Rimini, Italy 2013 29

FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 2

October 25, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 2 

Day 32 – Thursday, October 17 – Rimini, Italy – Day 2 – full on sun – cool morning turns to warmer – 62 – bellisima!

What I LIKE

Rimini, Italy 2013 13

Pinecone Foutain

  •  8:00 – more real cappuccino
  • spend time going over program info for tomorrow
  • take short walk to
  • take photos of Pinecone fountain & Piazza Cavour (no local vendors today, only Wednesday & Saturday)
  • 2:30 – lunch @ La Mi Mama (another Mattia recommendation) caprese salad – home made tagliatelle w/ancient ragu sauce (like Bolognese) – VG $20 Euro
Rimini, Italy 2013 17

Mauro, Cecilia, Toni, Nicola, me & Chris

  • room R & R
  • 8:30 – dinner w/Mauro, Cecilia, Toni & Nicola (from TeamWork who sponsored my speech) @ local fish restaurant – located in oldest building in Rimini – served family style – lots of dishes keep coming – have no idea what I’m eating – octopus, fish & scampi is all I recognize (& some of its raw)
  • early night – only 11:30!

    Rimini, Italy 2013 16

    Dinner

What I DON’T LIKE

WATCH (What Are The Chances) – nothing I can think of!

FUN-fact – Rimini was founded by the Romans in 268 BC and today is a seaside resort town with nine miles of sandy beaches. (This time of year it’s nice for us because it’s not filled with tourists)
More FF – This is the hometown of famous film director Frederico Fellini.

FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 1

October 22, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Rimini, Italy – Full Day 1 

Day 31 – Wednesday, October 16 – Rimini, Italy – Full Day 1 – light rain turns to sun, breezy – low 6o’s

What I LIKE

  • *8:00 – wake up

    Rimini, Italy 2013 2

    Augustus Arch

  • real cappuccino, not push button
  • UMR – usual morning routine
  • sun comes out
  • 11:00 – begin stroll to sites
  • 1st stop – Augustus Arch – grand stone gateway to walled city still standing
  • 2nd stop – Montanara gate – rock arch is all that’s left
  • 11:40 – headed to Sismondo Castle – totally blocked by swap meet/farmers market vendors selling – shoes, clothes, purses, etc – meat, fruit, veggies, etc
  • row upon row circling the entire castle on two levels
  • 12:20 – cross Tiberius bridge – continue wandering walk
  • discover lovely neighborhood of colorful houses – most w/personalized murals & plaques on facade
  • 1:20 – arrive sea shore
  • 1:30 – arrive Grand Hotel – really grand & beautiful w/gardens surrounding
  • walk back to old town along boulevard of mansions
  • **2:00 – Teatini Restaurant for lunch
  • 3rd stop – Pinecone Fountain in Piazza Cavour! – more swap meet people
Rimini, Italy 2013 3

Tiberius Bridge

  • 2:15 – lunch – Osteria della Piazzetta – grilled zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms – pasta w/clams & tagliatelle w/meat sauce & peas – food just so so – $18 Euro Vivian 2010 San Valentino sangiovese, syrah, montepulciano  blend really good – $55 Euro
  • nap

Rimini, Italy 2013 7

  • 8:30 – meet Pierpoalo, Monica, Marianna & Alfredo for dinner – locals fish restaurant using ancient recipes – 6 courses served family style – pasta w/seafood, steamed baby clams, calamari, mixed green salad w/sardines, pasta & white bean soup, gambas (huge shrimp)

    Rimini, Italy 2013 14

    Castle

  • ***12:30 – arrive back @hotel
  • 2:15 – night night

What I DON’T LIKE

  • *it’s sprinkling – tired of all the rain
  • **it’s not open
  • ***wide awake
  • unisex bathrooms – no toilet seats & pee all over the floor – disgusting!

FUN-fact – Pierpaolo saw me speak in 1995 in Palm Beach. He connected me with the planners of the Italian Hotel/Motel show and I spoke for them 1996 & 1997 in Rimini.
More FF – There are no Starbuck’s in Italy.
More FF – On a recent trip to Vienna his 16 year-old daughter wanted a Starbuck’s travel cup/bottle. How’s that for the power of branding!

« Previous PageNext Page »