Really home now and contemplating unpacking. Should be easy as everything goes in the laundry.

Tried a cappucino at the illy stand in JFK and it was not. quite. right. The milk was right - more creamy than airy foam - but the coffee was all wrong. The Italians have patented great coffee (this coming from a non-coffee drinker).

I have to say that the travel agent put together a fab trip. The itinerary was brutal, but it was so, so worth the lack of sleep. (the motto: "I'll sleep when I'm dead." was uttered several times a day) Some of the "Ancients" (a coterie of little old ladies) complained with every step and got on my first and last nerve by about the 3rd or 4th day. I was glad when they left (they didn't go to Rome). One of the oldest "Ancients" (81) never complained. That girl rocked the entire trip with her granddaughter, including the 100+ steps into the Uffizi. I damn near passed out. [Image Can Not Be Found] The first set of stairs was easy, but when I turned the 2nd and 3rd corners to discover more steps, it was all I could do not to weep. Yes, there was an elevator but we didn't want to wait for it. Our bad.

The Vatican Museum and St Peter's Basilica was outrageously over the top with art. That's when the Lutherns in the pack (me included) chanted, "Good on you, Martin Luther. Good on you." After all, we are the original rebels. [Image Can Not Be Found]

Rome is crazy. I meant to take pictures of the parking... and I use that term loosely as they practically close streets with the haphazard night parking. No wonder nearly everyone rides a scooter. And the thing about Italians being crazy drivers. True story. Every time you step off the curb, you take your life into your hands.

We only had one narrowly-averted international incident which I've taken to calling The Night of the Separate Checks. (I should state at the start that separate checks in a group of people is a pet peeve of mine. Just split the check by the number of people and it all shakes out in the wash. If not this meal, then the next.) So, ten of us decided to eat at a resturant in the piazza where the Pantheon (tomb of first king of Italy and an amazing architectural dome) is located. We're all chatting and joking with the waiter. We order drinks. He brings our drinks and we prepare to order. The husband of the travel agent says that these are all separate checks. The waiter turned to stone, but did state that he'd do it. But you could tell that he wasn't happy and proceeded to ignore us for the rest of the night. My friends, knowing of my pet peeve, waited for me to jump across the table to throttle the husband when he made this statement. The waiter then had to go back to everyone and relist the drink orders based on how the group of people wanted their checks (my friends and I were one check; travel agent + husband another, etc) We get our food. Eat. Laugh and make merry. Then the check comes. Total of 264,50 Euros (overpriced and the food wasn't that great) The waiter says that the owner refuses to allow him to write up separate checks. The travel agent's husband argues. The travel agent argues. Soon, everyone at the table is arguing. The travel agent attempts to figure out what everyone had by candlelight - it's after 9pm and the text on the check is very light. I'm about to lose my mind and I'm getting angry. Someone needs to stop the madness. I pay the entire check with my Amex and tell everyone to pay me once I can look at the check and divy it up. (We'll have lots of time to do so on the bus to Capri in the morning.) Sidebar: Our local guide(s) has been telling us since the start of the trip that unlike the US, you're not expected to tip unless the service is extraordinary. And then it's only 5%. After all, the waiter, doorman, maid is doing their job. They do not expect a tip. Apprentely, this waiter expected a tip. He even said something to the effect of "In America, they tip!" I so wanted to shout back that he wasn't in America. I didn't give him any tip because he ignored us once the whole "separate checks" issue came up and he did say that he would split them. If, in fact, the owner wasn't going to allow him to split it up he should have mentioned it during the course of the meal even though I abhor the idea of separate checks. The entire restaurant was staring at us as we left and the waiter followed yelling & cursing in Italian.

That story made the rounds the next morning for the people who skipped the Pantheon. When someone asked the next night what we were doing for dinner, I made a point of saying that I knew what I wouldn't be doing - eating with a group!

That was truly the only blemish and it ended without involving the carabineri and/or jail time![Image Can Not Be Found]

First day back at work…

ugh.

If it weren't for the fact this job keeps me in $$ for games… well, we won't go there. [Image Can Not Be Found]

*edit - know anyone going to Rome in the near future? I bought a gorgeous umbrella while there; however, the open/close mechanism got jammed up in my suitcase and now it won't open. I'd like to replace it. Cannot find it online (I seem to recall the sales woman telling me it was part of the new spring line). I'd pay handsomely... okay, not handsomely but I would reimburse said person for time/trouble/shipping.

So, what's the flying time between NYC and Instanbul?

Just askin'.

I'd suggest meeting for those 3 hours spent in SFO, but you'd have to come out of the "secure" area. No one willingly does that! [Image Can Not Be Found]

Agent who put together the Italy trip is doing 12 days in Turkey in October. It looks fab, but reading the itinerary it's even more brutal than Italy. It's certainly nice to consider it.

Are vaccinations required for Turkey?

That's very similar to her trip only in the reverse order. A couple of places on the Lonely Planet tour are excluded but other places are in its place:

1. Istanbul - Old City (including Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Grand Bazaar
2. Instanbul - Topkapi Palace, Spice Market and Bosphorus River boat ride
3. Ephesus
4. Didyma, Miletus & Priene
5. Pamukkale, Aphrodisia & Hierapolis
6. Pamukkale and Antalya
7. Kekova, Simena, Myra, St Nicholas
8. Perge, Aspendos, Manavgat Waterfalls
9. Antalya to Konya
10. Cappadocia
11. Cappadocia to Istanbul

Yeah, we had a couple of really early days in Italy (Rome to Naples for Capri & Pompei comes to mind) in order to get everything done. I have to say that the high speed train from Florence to Rome was fun! We should have those here in the States. Greay way to travel (I think we were in a "good" class as we got free snacks & drinks)

I'm contemplating the trip (it's expensive, but it includes at least two meals per day and the hotels aren't fleabags) - I've seen Istanbul virtually while playing Byzantine. I have to keep the game to real world travel going!

More Italian adventures and finally some seriously touristy pictures!

I couldn't remember the entire story so I had to look it up [Image Can Not Be Found]

I think I"ll link that to the blog.