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

• Osteria del Tegolaio


• Trattoria Alfredo


• Fratelli Degl’Innocenti


• Cafe Rivoire

• Al Piave


• Alfredo alla Scrofa Restaurant


• Gelateria La Romana


• La Famiglia

• FreeNow for taxis


• Italo for train tickets

• 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

Holland and Belgium River Cruise…

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go on a European river cruise?  I had a preconceived notion thinking this was an old person’s vacation.  Although river cruises do attract older people and accommodate those who may have mobility issues, this is definitely not an elderly cruise!  I can tell you that this was one of the most fascinating vacations I have ever been on.  The AmaStella was our vessel, or ship, and is basically like a floating hotel.  Your room is always in the same location on board so no need to pack your bags and change rooms every few days.  AmaWaterways offers a variety of cruise itineraries that will keep you interested time and time again.   Right now they are celebrating 20 years in business with some amazing prices!

We flew out a day before the cruise and did a little sightseeing in Amsterdam.  I highly recommend doing this to get acclimated to the time change.  We took a canal cruise which was interesting, but not recommended if you have jet lag!  The warm sun made my eyelids heavy and I am sure I missed a thing or two!

Saturday morning we took the Anne Frank Guided Walking Tour which took us through the Jewish Quarter. Our guide, Roza, did a great job telling us about what it was like in Amsterdam during WWII.  

One stop was at the Auschwitz Monument.  The monument is made of broken mirrors signifying that 'heaven is no longer unbroken since Auschwitz.'

The last stop of the tour was in front of the Frank house where Anne and her family survived for 761 days!  Unfortunately we did not get to go in the house, but seeing the outside of the house in person as well as renderings of the inside makes it even more remarkable that they survived there for so long.

Our first stop on the AmaStella was in Utrecht, Amsterdam.  In the morning we visited Floriada, the international horticultural exhibition.  Castle De Haar, the largest castle in the Netherlands, was where we spent the afternoon. 

Castle De Haar was once the private residence of the Van Zuylen family, whose descendants still stay here yearly. The castle also frequently hosted members of the international jet-set with their lavish lifestyle; from Coco Chanel to Roger Moore, they too left their mark on the plush rooms of the most beautiful spot in Utrecht.

Lastly, we had dinner at the chef’s table aboard the beautiful AmaWaterways, AmaStella! A wonderful experience with several passengers in a private dining room.  This is available for all guests at least one night on the cruise. Delicious!

It's a good trip when you can't remember what day of the week it is while on vacation! On Tuesday, June 28th we were in Ghent, Belgium!  A beautiful and quaint city with so much to offer!  Our day started by visiting the St. Bavo Cathedral and the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. The Ghent Altarpiece, or ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’ by the Van Eyck brothers, completed in 1432, is recognized worldwide as a great work of art, and one of the most influential paintings ever made. Hubert van Eyck painted part of the Ghent Altarpiece that includes the Mystic Lamb, but was never able to finish it. His younger brother Jan, completed this masterpiece a few years after Hubert’s death.

This church was originally named Saint John the Baptist in 942.  The diocese of Ghent was founded in 1559 and the church became St Bavo's Cathedral.

After this, we had free time to explore.  We ate waffle fries, bought and tasted some chocolate, visited the smallest bar in Ghent (which used to be a jail) and then off to visit the Gravenstein Castle.  The moated castle was built by Count Phillip of Alsace in 1180.  I am so impressed with how well these castles have stood the test of time.  When I think about how long ago they were built with no modern way of constructing such a large building, it really is amazing!

One of our days was spent at the Battle of the Bulge site.  What rich history is here in Belgium!  The perspective of this museum is one of great appreciation of the United States and what they did to save their country during World War II.  Our tour guide was a walking encyclopedia!  He had so much knowledge of World War II and how each country became involved.

The photos below are from the museum, the actual battle field where foxholes still exist, a memorial to the 101st Airborne Division, memorials to honor General Patton and General McAuliffe.  The people of Belgium are incredibly grateful to the United States and paid to have these memorials in their country.

Our day in Antwerp was spent participating in a walking tour of the city and ending our time with a Belgium beer tour!  We saw the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady, Steen’s Castle, Grote Market and Brabo Fountain.  This particular city paid homage to the Virgin Mary.  Citizens from long ago would place a statue of the Virgin Mary on a light post so they would not have to pay taxes!  Some statues were elaborate and some very simple, but all placed for the same reason.  We ended our day with a beer tour tasting local beers.  Some were good, others not so much!  After all that beer, I finally found my Belgium waffle!  It was delicious!

The last day was in a small beautiful harbor town called Dordrecht.  I was in awe of this beautiful community.  We walked the city streets learning all about the rich history and sightseeing the amazing homes and businesses.  Dordrecht is Holland’s oldest city, being founded in 1220.  The last tour of the day was visiting the iconic windmills in Kinderdijk.  This small town is known for having the largest concentration of windmills dating back to the 18th century.  The first windmill still exists today!  What I found so interesting is that the windmills are used to pump water back to the sea to keep the town from flooding.  We climbed inside a windmill to see how it works and received some interesting information from a “miller” who is someone who operates the windmill.  

 

If you are now inspired to find an AmaWaterways river cruise that fits your interests, please contact me at laura@vincentvacations.com or 918-645-9524.