Taking a family trip anywhere can be a big deal, but when you go with your big Italian family, it is epic!!
I am the youngest of six children and this October, we had the privilege of taking my 81-year-old mother to Italy. This was a trip she had been wanting to take for years! Our traveling group consisted of 18 adults and one toddler, my 2-year-old granddaughter.
We took off from Tulsa on October 19th and arrived in Rome on Friday morning on the 20th. The immigration line was CRAZY long, but because my mother was in a wheelchair and we had a baby in a stroller we were allowed to cut in front of everyone. This was a blessing because we needed to catch a train to Florence with little time to spare!
We pre-booked the train on Italo. It was a high-speed train only taking approximately 1.5 hours to get to Florence. This was so easy and very relaxing. Now, getting from the train station to the hotel was a different story! When they say narrow streets and sidewalks, they are not kidding! We could not get a taxi, so we decided to walk. After such a long flight, it was a rough walk to the hotel even though it really wasn’t that far.
The hotel was within walking distance from everything we needed and wanted to do. There are other hotel options that were in a better location and I would definitely stay there next time.
In Florence, we did the Accademia tour with the Uffizi Gallery as well as a trip out to Pisa. The gallery was good and I really enjoyed the part of the tour that explained the Statue of David and everything that Michangelo did to sculpt it, but the Uffizi Gallery was a little much for me. Maybe I was tired, but by the end, I was ready to be done.
Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a sight for sure! We had a great tour guide and the day was so beautiful. Climbing 294 steps was challenging and it is not for the faint of heart! There is not a lot to do once you get there, and getting there is a 1.5-hour drive on a nice bus from Florence. You see the baptistry which is beautiful and then with a reservation, climb the stairs to the top of the tower. It is a fun place to explore as the area is beautiful. Check that off my bucket list!!
Another thing I did that was new was to attend mass while in Florence. My sisters, my husband, my mother and I all woke up early and walked to church on Sunday morning to attend mass. Although we could not understand one thing that was said, we at least knew the jist of what was going on!!
We left Florence on a Monday to return to Rome. Again, we had pre-purchased our train tickets on Italo, the high-speed train. Once on the train and the journey had begun, we were told that we would be delayed because of something that happened at a terminal. Our 1.5-hour train ride ended up taking 3.5 hours! Now we were in a hurry because I had scheduled a golf cart tour of Rome. Luckily, our tour guide was able to accommodate our late arrival and we were able to see the city at night! This was a fun tour and I would recommend it to anyone who will be visiting Rome.
Of course, when in Rome, one must do and see certain things! The Colosseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s Basilica and so much more! And the food! Oh my goodness! Pasta, meats, cheese, and gelato! Oh my! The pastries at breakfast and the cappuccinos were so good! My favorite gelato was hazelnut and I didn’t have a pastry I didn’t like. Our hotel had breakfast included and it was very tasty. As for the price of the food when we dined out, I thought it was reasonably priced. I had expected to pay much more for my meals but was pleasantly surprised at the prices of our meals.
Before we left for Rome, my sister had a conversation with her parish priest in Houston, Texas. He gave her information on how to get tickets to be a part of the Papal audience. We were granted tickets for everyone in our group. Now the crazy part. We arrived at the Vatican at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. We had maybe 75 people in front of us. So at this point, we were feeling pretty good about our chances of getting good seats. The gates did not open until 7:00 a.m. and in 30 minutes, droves of people descended upon the entry in hopes of getting to the front of the line. Security was nowhere to be found for crowd control and it was desperately needed! Since my mother had a wheelchair and granddaughter in a stroller, they were allowed to enter early and the wheelchair gave my mom a special seat for the Papal audience. She was right behind him and got to shake his hand! This was so special for her and really for all of us since we knew how much this meant to her.
What did I learn about travel from this trip?? So, so much! From the type of clothing and shoes needed, what technology helped me the most, to how far in advance to book tours, to getting around the city, to scheduling in time for rest and so much more! Honestly, everyone we met was so friendly and family-oriented. Since we had a two-year-old with us, flexibility was a must. Each restaurant we went to was very accommodating and loved having our little bambino in their place. She was held, played with, offered special meals, and given treats. Of course, we think she is precious, but really in Italy, family is so valued that she was treated kindly. I think seeing her experience so many new things on this trip will be something I remember forever!!
Hotels we stayed at:
- Hotel De La Pace in Florence (Next time I go to Florence, I will stay at the Hotel Grand Baglioni. This hotel is right in the heart of Florence!!)
- Hotel Artdeco in Rome
- The Guardian in Rome
Restaurants in Florence:
- Osteria del Tegolaio
- Trattoria Alfredo
- Fratelli Degl’Innocenti
- Cafe Rivoire
Restaurants in Rome:
- Al Piave
- Alfredo alla Scrofa Restaurant
- Gelateria La Romana
- La Famiglia
Helpful Apps:
- FreeNow for taxis
- Italo for train tickets
Things to have:
- Battery pack to charge cell phone - this is soooo important!
- Raincoat and small umbrella
- Small backpack to use when out and about
- Get a GREAT pair of walking shoes!
- Voltage converter for hair appliances if yours are not dual voltage
- Reusable water bottle
Another huge shoutout to Laura with Vincent Vacations!!! She got us this catamaran cruise and it was the funnest thing we’ve done this vacation at Jamaica Sandals Royal Caribbean!
Drinks, snacks, snorkeling, water slides and games, dancing, and margaritaville!!!
Thank you again Laura for hookin’ us up with this excursion!!!
Dachau[/caption]
The entry into Dachau.[/caption]
Rothenburg[/caption]
Hofbräuhaus[/caption]
First beer on our beer tour![/caption]
Best goulash ever![/caption]
The gardens where The Sound of Music was filmed.[/caption]
Salzburg[/caption]
