Honie Briggs

I don’t want to forget to mention some places we ate while we were in Rome. The first, cafe and wine bar, Ristorante Trinita De Monti located on the corner, near the obelisk atop the Spanish Steps. We ate there three times. LOVED it three times. Roberto, you’re my favorite!

Trinita de Monti Ristorante

Next was Harry’s Bar located across the street from the Hotel Marriott Grand Flora. The food, the atmosphere, the service – yeah, you know -INCREDIBLE.

Both the view and the breakfast served on the rooftop terrace at the Marriott were spectacular. Via Vittorio Veneto, the street where the Marriott is located is a great place from which walk to anywhere you wish to go. Be aware that if your room is on the street side of the hotel, you’re gonna hear some noise. Music for sure, the truck that comes along just before sunrise to collect every – single – empty – glass – bottle from Harry’s Bar and quite possibly some loud conversations like the one we heard around 4 a.m. between some enthusiastic young men shouting in Italian for about twenty minutes.

For all I know they could have been saying “See you later.” “Yeah, come over to my house tomorrow, my mother will make us a nice roast chicken.”

The Marriott is our hotel of choice for many reasons. Look for more on that love affair in a future post.

Caffe Greco is a must visit, lovely place to sit and enjoy the company of someone you love.

The day we headed to our second destination there was a public transportation strike in all of Italy. It seems we are not the only ones in the world who have social, economic, political, human issues. Who knew? I’m not sure what the strike really accomplished. It was only one day; kind of like the SOPA/PIPA show of force. Hopefully something positive came out of it for the transportation workers. I do know that it clogged the roadways with lots of commuters in private vehicles that would have otherwise taken the bus into the city. Fortunately, our transfers and excursions were pre-arranged for us by IC Bellagio. Each of our drivers and guides were extraordinary. It meant a great deal to us that they take pride in what they do. We appreciated their professionalism and sense of humor.

In the capable hands of our driver, Tiberio, our first stop on this day was in beautiful Siena, home of the famous Palio Horse Race. Tiberio goes for team Tower. He’s a big fan and happily shared his enthusiasm for the race with us as any good fan would. We stood in the impressive Palazzo Pubblico that holds the thousands of cheering fans, we walked through the narrow streets and enjoyed the shops.

Hitching Post

We had a delicious lunch and then continued on to San Gimignano, which was my favorite of the two stops we made on our way to Florence. It was less crowded and although the terrain was much the same as Siena, we both agreed that a return trip most definitely will include a stay in the charming village.

There are still many more spectacular views, delightful sensations, and unforgettable moments of to share of our time in Florence. As well as Chianti, Pompei, Positano, Almalfi, Ravello and Capri. Until next time….here’s a little something to hold you over.