Arrivederci Italy & Warning Alitalia Sucks!

We got up early in the morning to catch our shuttle to the airport in Rome.  It was very sad to say goodbye to our new friends and especially to Francesca our Globus Tour Director because she was so good to us.  Then it was off to the airport. 

We arrived at the airport and checked in at Alitalia.  The representative at Alitalia was gruff and not very friendly.  So we checked in, went through security and waited for our plane.  We got on the plane and settled in for a long flight back to Chicago.  The first thing I did was clean my seat and the area around me with disinfectant wipes because it was gross.  The cleaning wipes were grayish brown and black when I was done because the seat was so dirty.  I also cleaned my brother Tom’s seat, I think it embarrassed him but hey what are sisters for?  I should have known it would be dirty, I remember walking by first class on my way to my seat and I thought boy am I glad I didn’t pay for first class, it isn’t that nice and the seats are dirty.  Guess I should have thought of it as a sign of what my seat would look like and how bad the Alitalia service was going to be.

Graphic borrow from: http://crankyflier.com/2006/12/14/alitalia-strikes-again/

Right after takeoff we realized we were on a plane with the worst flight attendants ever!  It was flight AZ 628 just in case any Alitalia folks ever stumble upon my blog.  My mom says the crew reminded her of the Capital One Vikings.  They didn’t look like the Capital One Vikings but their behavior was like them, the attendants were mostly young good looking people but their behavior was so rude and their personalities sucked.  I don’t remember exactly how long the flight was, I think it was 9 to 10 hours, but from Rome to Chicago is a long way to go with no customer service. 

About a half hour into the flight they gave everyone a drink, and then they disappeared.  We saw them cordon off a row of empty seats on the plane, and then they put up curtains and apparently had a nap or a private party.  It was very awkward for the passengers to witness this strange event.  In the meantime there is no one to help if you need a drink or have an issue.  The moment that really pissed me off was when I saw an elderly lady in her 80s having issues.  She needed a drink and she had to get up and walk around with help from the people around her.  It would have been nice if the flight attendants were around to help this woman.  The other passengers began helping themselves to drinks and helping this woman because it was as if there was no flight crew on the plane.    

At one point my mom wanted a glass of water so I got up and went to the kitchen of the plane to ask for a drink.  One of the attendants was there watching a movie on a portable DVD player.  I asked her for help.  She looked at me and listened to my request, gave me a dirty look like I interrupted her, then went back to watching her movie.  So I picked up the bottle of water, poured a glass and I made sure she saw me helping myself, and then I went back to my seat.  I just couldn’t believe how rude she was.

The whole flight went on like this.  They did get up and feed us at one point but then they disappeared again and didn’t offer us drinks or help us dispose of our trash after we ate. 

I don’t think I am that high maintenance when I fly, but I need a little service to make it bearable when it is such a long flight.  I know this is pretty common because there are a lot of websites and blogs dedicated to the poor service of Alitalia. 

After we arrived in Chicago we had to go to Customs.  While standing in line I saw the crew walk by so I counted them.  There were 12 flight attendants and 4 or 5 people that looked like pilots.  I couldn’t believe with such a big crew they did such a horrible job.    

So the lesson of the story is Alitalia sucks, don’t expect much from them and you won't be let down.  After this flight we were so glad that we missed the original Alitalia flight from Chicago to Rome when we were on our way to Italy.  I feel blessed that I didn’t have to experience this on my first flight to Italy and that I experienced the wonderful customer service of Air India instead.

My advice to you if you have to fly Alitalia.

-          Bring disinfectant cleaning wipes so you can clean your seat, it made a world of difference.

-          Bring some snacks and beverages, maybe a bottle of water or two.

-          Make sure you are up to date on all vaccines before traveling 

After Chicago we jumped on another flight to Salt Lake City, then another to Reno.  It felt like it took ages to get home but we finally made it.  We loved our Italian adventure and had a great time but we were happy to be home.

Looking back at it a year later I feel like it was yesterday that I was on this trip.  It was an amazing vacation and it began my new love/addiction for international travel.

A year ago today I was in Sorrento & Rome

We said goodbye to Capri and then sped across the bay to Sorrento.  Sorrento is a very charming town and it is well known for Limoncello liquor.  We went shopping in Sorrento and checked out the sights. 

The most unexpected surprise was found in Sorrento.  My brother Tom and I were walking on what we thought was a bridge.  We decided to walk across to the other side so we could see the view.  When we looked down we didn’t see a river or even a creek, we saw a castle!  We literally found a castle in a hole in the ground.  It was a big surprise!  So then we started tricking our Globus cousins (the people in our tour group) into finding the castle.  When they came out of the store to wait for the bus we told them to go over and see the creek because it was really cool.  They would walk over and we would just wait for the surprised look on their face, it was priceless.  Everyone was shocked to find the castle. 

 

After spending some time in Sorrento we got back on the bus to head to Rome.  Rome was our first and last destination for this tour.  We got to Rome, checked into our hotel and then were rushed off to dinner.  On the way to dinner they took us to the Trevi Fountain which is one of the most famous fountains in the world.

The tradition is that when you are in Rome you throw coins into the Trevi Fountain to ensure that you return to Rome someday.  There are several different versions of this legend.  Another tradition is that if you throw two coins it will lead to a new romance and three coins will inspire a marriage or a divorce.  Then it gets more complicated you are supposed to throw with your right hand over your left shoulder to bring luck.  I was so confused by this that I threw a lot of coins with several strategies of right shoulder, then left shoulder, right hand, then left hand, you get the point.  Better safe than sorry when it comes to luck and love and of course I want to go back to Rome someday so I wasn’t going to take the risk of making a bad wish at the Trevi Fountain.

 

Our charming waiter

After throwing every coin we had in our pocket in the Trevi Fountain we went with the tour group to our last dinner in Rome so we could all celebrate a wonderful trip.  It was a little bittersweet because we made new friends and bonded with these people on the tour so we hated to say goodbye to our new friends and we were sad because our friend Danielle and her Mum didn’t make it to dinner that night.  The restaurant we went to for our last dinner was very nice.  They gave us a room for just our tour group.  The waiters were all very nice and there was one that was really funny.  I swear this is the only guy in the country that flirted with me, I am going to blame that on the fact that I was traveling with my dad and brother which probably makes me look unapproachable.  The waiter asked my brother first if we were attached, once my brother told him I was his sister the guy started putting on the charm.  It cracked us up because I started getting really embarrassed.

After dinner it was time for gelato.  The charming waiter came to our table and served everyone but me, then he looked at me and said “you allergic or don’t like ice cream?” I said “ oh no, I want ice cream” so then he smiled big and brought me out the biggest bowl of ice cream.  The whole group laughed because he was teasing me about the ice cream.  He was really funny, I bet he uses this routine on all the young ladies.

After we ate our ice cream we thanked our tour director and she thanked us for being a good group.  Then the waiter brought in roses.  He first went to my table and kissed me on the cheek and gave me a rose, it was hysterical, and everyone was cracking up.  Then he brought a rose to each lady in the room and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  Some of the men were jealous so he gave them roses and kisses too. We all had a good laugh with this waiter and enjoyed our last dinner with our group of Globus cousins.  After dinner we took another last bus drive around Rome and headed to our hotel so we could catch our flights home the next morning.  This was the perfect way to end our vacation.       



Francesca Bossi our tour director and hostess with the mostest.



The waiter chased me when I left
and gave me all the rest of the roses.

A year ago today I was in Capri

We took a morning tour of Villa San Michele in Anacapri.  To get there we had to take a shuttle bus from one side of the island to the other.  Anacapri was very nice and the people were friendly.  It felt like more of a local hangout and not so “Beverly Hills.” 

The legend is that you put your hand
on Sphinx Parapet and make a wish.

Me and my brother

This birthday boy was also our local tour guide.

The Villa San Michele had the most amazing views and was beautifully designed with Roman courtyards and marble walkways.  The gardens were lush and had beautiful flowers.  The Villa San Michele was built by a Swedish doctor named Axel Munthe.  He built on top of the ruins of Emperor Tiberius’s villa.  They both probably built here because there is no other view like this in the world.  The gardens are gorgeous and the view is of Capri, the marina, and the surrounding blue water because the villa was built on a ledge on top of the island.  There is a stunning view in every direction you look.  From what our local tour guide told us Munthe and his friends threw grand parties at the villa back in the day similar to the parties of The Great Gatsby.  Dr. Munthe was also a collector, while touring the estate we saw his collections including Egyptian artwork and a room dedicated to prayer and spirituality.      

After our tour and some shopping in Anacapri we returned to our hotel in Capri.  Then we went on a walk and climbed a hill to find a good place for lunch.  It felt like we walked forever because we were so hungry.  We also couldn’t use our families circling in technique or we may have circled ourselves right off a cliff so finding a restaurant was more of a challenge than usual and all we could do was keep walking uphill until we found "the one."  We finally found a great little place with patio seating on the hill near the shops and a few homes.  The food was delicious!  The Italian Panini and wine lunch combo is now my favorite lunch combo.  I wish this type of lunch was the norm here in America.  If I were to have this combo here and then go back to work they would start looking into 28 day programs for me and rehab because it is taboo to drink alcohol at lunch and then go back to work.  I really enjoyed this Italian tradition on my vacation.  The wine in Italy was cheaper than water and soda, so when in Rome...or Italy in general...be Italian.   

 

Me and Danielle from Australia

Real blooming tree at our hotel, bellissima!

This bull was in front of our hotel.

Our hotel balcony view

After a nice relaxing and leisurely lunch we walked around more and then went back to our hotel so we could lie in the sun and work on our tans.  It wasn’t quite warm enough to swim in the ocean and the rain clouds were coming but after sun tanning for a few hours I had a little new color.  In other words I wasn’t quite albino or pasty anymore I was a little more reddish-pink and I was praying it would turn into a tan.

After hanging out at the hotel we walked to dinner as a family rather than going with our Globus cousins/tour group, little did we know we were all going to the same place which was a funny coincidence.  Our dinner experience in Capri was entertaining because we had to deal with a snobby waiter that didn’t really like Americanos too much and we as Americans love a challenge so we decided to stay for dinner and make friends.  

We found this cute restaurant by the town meeting place so we started walking into the restaurant and the waiter stopped us and pushed us back out.  He very rudely said it wasn’t open for dinner and we had to wait outside.  He was smoking and we were pretty sure he wanted us to leave, we could tell he didn’t really like us.  So we dug our heels in and we stood there and waited.  We watched him smoke, and then we acted as the greeters when our tour group walked by to go to their group dinner at the same restaurant.  After they went inside we asked if they were finally open and the waiter begrudgingly let us in the restaurant and sat us in the back.  It was funny because we could tell he was annoyed with us and he didn’t really seem to want to work, but we were really hungry and their menu looked the best so we stuck it out.  The food was delicious!  I remember having the biggest plate of pasta I have ever seen.  The waiter that took care of us once we sat down was really nice and it turned out to be a great experience.  I remember that snobby waiter; I think it was the only time I thought anyone in Italy was snotty to us and anti-American. 

After dinner we went back to our hotel and our friend Danielle and her mum came over to have drinks with us on the patio.  We downed a few bottles of wine and some Limoncello.  We were having so much fun!  It was our family of four and our Australian friends sharing stories and comparing the differences and the similarities between our two great countries.  I had so much fun that it made me sad that this was almost the end of our trip.  I hope to visit our friends in Australia someday so I can see where they live and maybe sit on the patio and drink with them again, but drink like a Yankee not an Aussie.  I’m pretty sure they would put me in the ground before I could keep up with my Aussie friends.    

Captain Morgan!

Danielle, my brother and me in Capri

A year ago today I was in Pompeii

The biggest lemons I have ever seen! 
Found in Pompeii, and we thought Limoncello anyone?

We left Assisi for a long drive to Pompeii, if I remember correctly it is about a 5 hour drive but we had a few stops on the way at Autogrills and rest stop stations.  We were pretty excited when we finally got to Pompeii.  Pompeii is a very interesting place to visit because it is such a well preserved Roman city. 

Pompeii was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.  The city was both destroyed and preserved by Mount Vesuvius at the same time.  Some scientists believe the eruption buried the town in 15 to 20 feet of ash and pumice.  It was buried for over 1700 years and then was accidentally rediscovered.  It has been partially excavated and only a third of it is open to the public. 

When the volcano erupted and buried the town the people and the animals left behind perished.  It is thought that they died from either heat or ash suffocation.   During excavation work they have found buildings, public baths, shops, a brothel, homes, and fresco wall paintings. 

They also discovered a cast of a dog and human remains.  When the humans decomposed they left spaces in the rock.  The people excavating realized that if they filled the space with plaster they could recreate the forms of the last victims burried by Vesuvius.  By looking at these forms made from plaster they could see how the doomed were trying to brace themselves for the inevitable, this captured their last moment of life.  We were so grateful to have a tour guide in Pompeii because we saw all the highlights and learned a lot without trying too hard.  If we had been there alone without a tour guide it would have taken us forever just to figure out what we should see and what we were looking at.  

Dog



This made me feel very sad, I can't imagine the fear.



 

Mount Vesuvius in the background

 




Roman Road and Crosswalk

  



Dad, Me, Mom and my younger Brother

After touring Pompeii we drove through Naples.  Naples looked like a dump, literally!  The waste management employees were on strike so trash had been building up for a week or more, and then there was graffiti everywhere.  It looked like a pretty rough place but we were only passing through so it wasn’t a big deal.   We took a Jetfoil from Naples to the beautiful island of Capri.

I remember thinking it was nice and relaxing to ride on the Jetfoil to Capri.  Once we got to Capri we had to take a Funicular to the Capri village where our hotel was.  The minute we got off the Funicular in Capri Village I felt poor.  To my left was Gucci, then Armani and Prada, everywhere I looked was some big expensive brand.  It was a beautiful place but it felt too much like Beverly Hills to me.  But it was still a beautiful place once I could look past the designers and the commercialism of it all.  The views were breathtaking especially the sunsets.  In Capri we stayed in another 4 or 5 star hotel, it was lovely!

Capri, Italy