Sorrento

Monday, June 27th, Rome to Naples to Sorrento
View of the Sorrento Harbor

Our morning train to Naples is delayed 40 minutes. We know that when we arrive in Naples we must transfer to a different train line for Sorrento. When we arrive, Art asks a cluster of loitering men for directions to the local trainline platform. One disheveled, middle aged man, reeking of alcohol, takes it upon himself to escort us through the terminal and to the local line. I’m quite sure that his escort will come with a price, but he does his best to reassure and charm us and repeatedly tries to help me with my luggage.  Indeed, when we are reach the ticket turn style, he asks Art for ten euros. Art chuckles and hands him five and we join the other passengers gathered on the platform to wait for the local train. It arrives shortly and there is a rush and push to board the crowded train and we stand, sardine-style, much of the way to Sorrento. During the push to get aboard, Art is blocked and jostled by several men and when he settles on board he discovers that the button to his cargo pants pocket is undone. He is upset, but fortunately, still has his wallet. (This episode will inspire Art to purchase a decoy wallet in Sorrento into which he will put a small amount of cash and keep in his upper accessible pants pocket. He will also buy a pack of safety pins to pin closed his lower cargo pants pocket where his will keep his real wallet.)  

Sorrento
The Lemon-House; Air BnB Sorrento Italy













Our Air BnB host, Gisieppie, picks us up at the train station and drives us the ten minutes to our accommodation at the Lemon House. She is in her mid 50s, large and gregarious, and we are grateful for the direct delivery to our room. This is the first Air BnB that we have stayed at and the room is exactly what is pictured on the web site. Unfortunately, the drive to the Lemon House is mostly uphill and I realize that the “short walk to town” will be more like a hike. We settle into the immaculate and spacious room with a queen bed and a pull-out sofa for John. The bathroom is updated and more than adequate, but Gisieppie rambles on with complicated instructions about how to close the shower door properly. She suggests tours to Capri and tours along the Amalfi Coast and although we want to do both, I simply want to be left alone and to read travel details in the Rick Steves guide book and check my email. I feel that she is annoyed that I don’t commit to one of her tour suggestions where she likely receives a commission but I feel equally annoyed and pressured by her. She eventually leaves us alone in our room and we attempt to log onto the Lemon House wireless. The connection is painfully slow and will continue to be problematic over the next several days. 
Waiting for our laundry to wash
Technical challenges – soap dispenser











We bag up our dirty laundry and, with map in hand, walk into town with finding a Laundromat first on our agenda. Once again, our friend Rick Steves gets us directly to one of the two laundromats in town and I watch with amusement as Art and John try to figure out how to purchase soap from the dispenser and operate the washing machine. (I have learned that trying to help in these “technical” situations only leads to disharmony). When the comedy of errors is over and the machine is agitating our laundry instead of the men, Art and John tell me they are off to buy sandwiches and leave me to guard our laundry. They are gone a very long time, but in the meantime I make many friends at the laundromat. 
Although I am alone to begin with, a newlywed couple arrives, the young woman looking terrified with the prospects of domestic duties. Soon a group of seasoned and gregarious Australians arrive and the sterile laundromat turns into a party as they open bags of dirty laundry and bottles of beer. They struggle to operate the machines but I watched Art and John carefully and I am forthright in disclosing the idiosyncrasies of the machines. Art and John return just in time to decipher the mysteries of the dryer cycle and to confess that they have been watching a soccer game while I watched the laundry spin.

With stuff bags filled with clean laundry, we set out to explore the more interesting parts of Sorrento. It is late afternoon and the sun basks the city in a golden glow. The Italy versus Spain soccer game is underway followed by the England and Iceland game and all the cafés are filled with enthusiastic fans. Art and John want to watch and they manage to find a shared table at an outdoor café where they can sit, watch and drink beer.  

Art and John watching a Soccer Game in Sorrento Italy
A winning soccer maneuver, Sorrento










Not a sports fan, I take this opportunity to stroll the picturesque city alone and I stumble upon a cliffside elevator down to the marina several hundred feet below where I hope to investigate times and prices of tickets to Ill de Capri. The elevator pops me out at beach level and although it is late in the day there are still people enjoying the fading sunlight.  

Private beachside cabanas
Peter’s Beach, Sorrento

The various beaches are all private with deck chairs and dressing cabanas alongside a narrow boardwalk that winds between the steep cliff and the various beach enclosures. The scene is picturesque and I make the mistake of stepping onto a private deck to take a photograph and am reprimanded for my intrusion. The marina is just a short walk ahead and when I arrive I find the ferry office still open and pick up a printed schedule so that we can plan tomorrow’s trip to Capri. 

The New Marina, Sorrento


I meander back on the narrow boardwalk, enter through the turnstile for the cliffside elevator, pay my half euro, and am quickly transported back up to Sorrento. The elevator regurgitates me onto the cliffside square and I walk to the railing to admire the view of the marina below. After inhaling the view, I leave the park and see a Franciscan Church adjoining the square. 

Sorrento View
Franciscan Cloister
Franciscan Cloister













I have read about this church cloister in our Rick Steves guide book and step into the courtyard. The courtyard glows in the late afternoon sunlight; bougainvillea bright against the Gothic stone archways. I stroll the perimeter and decompress before heading back to the main street to join Art and John and to partake of the soccer festivities. In between cheers for the teams, Art is in conversation with two British couples and they heatedly discuss Brexit and what it signifies for the U.K. and the European Union. 

When the game finally ends, we walk down to the Grande Marina in search of dinner. The winding cobblestone pathway descends steeply toward  the sea and we arrive at the marina just in time for sunset. 

Walking down to the Grande Marina

Sunset at the Grande Marina









Sunset over the Marina



The lighting is magical and we are in good spirits. Because it is sunset, the many inviting restaurants are filling up quickly and choosing which one to dine at is stressful but we see one with an available table at the edge of the patio and sit down impulsively. 

Grande Marina Sorrento, Italy
Close up at the Grande Marina











The silver sheen on the water is lovely but the service is slow and although Art’s seafood pasta is good, John’s and my dinners are disappointing. We stroll along the waterfront after dinner, find the bus that departs every 30 minutes and take it back up into town. The evening is balmy and we enjoy after dinner drinks at an outdoor café, and when the bill arrives they also bring us shots of limoncello, the local aperitif that Sorrento is famous for. The thick sweet liquor tastes like melted lemon jello with a kick.


Campari and Limoncello

Limoncellos









From there we hoof it through the town center and uphill “the short walk” to our Lemon House Air BnB. When we crawl into our beds it is after 11:00 P.M.

Our Roman Holiday – Part Four

Sunday, June 26th – The Pantheon and the Heart of Rome Walk.

Pantheon 

Taxis are affordable in Rome and we take an early morning taxi to the Pantheon and enter the cool and uncrowded building. Art has downloaded the Rick Steve’s audio guide onto our phones and we listen to the history of this monumental Roman temple and admire the immense dome that inspired the domes of Brunelleschi’s Duomo in Florence and Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome. 
Pantheon 

Interior dome of the Pantheon







Interior of the Pantheon
Interior of the Pantheon

We leave the cool of the marbled Pantheon and are stuck by the heat as we wander towards Plaza Navona to admire the Plazas  three fountains. At one end of the plaza is a fountain of Neptune wrestling a giant octopus and coincidentally, Art is wearing an Octopus T-shirt from Apo Islands in the Philippines. John takes photos of Art beside the fountain. 

Fountain of Neptune battling a giant octopus. 
Art wearing Octopus T-shirt


The center fountain is the most famous; the baroque Bernini, Four Rivers fountain that is crowned by an Egyptian Obelisk and where horses plunge through rocks and exotic flora and fauna. The third fountain at the opposite end of the plaza is a Moor wrestling with a dolphin but it is the Octopus fountain that most impresses me.  

Four Rivers Fountain by Bernini
Four Rivers Fountain










John wants to go to Castel Sant’Angelo, a middle age castle, prison and tomb for emperors. The  formidable castle is build of ancient bricks and stands at the edge of the Tiber River. John walks the quay while Art and I stroll above and towards the elegant bridge to cross to the Castle. Our Roma passes get us a deep discount and we spend two hours within its stonewalls looking at armory and admiring the structure itself. The view of the St. Peters Basilica, the Vatican and Rome from the battlements is wonderful. 
Panoramic View of St Peter’s Basilica from Castel Sant’Angelo
Art, John, St Peter’s Basilica
Castel Sant’Angelo

River view, Castel Sant’Angelo 

View of the Tiber River from Castel Sant’Angelo









We continue the “Heart of Rome” walk; step into a stunning Cathedral and pass the crowded Trevi Fountain again and eventually pop down into the Metro near the Spanish Steps. 
Interior, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva

Tree installation,  Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Egyptian Obelisk






















We take the metro to the train Station to buy tomorrows  tickets to Naples and onto Sorrento. John and I hope to still make it to the Catacombs of Priscilla (open on Sunday) but by the time we have figured out the train tickets, time is short. Art is more interested in horizontal time than exploring the Catacombs and we part ways. Our three-day Roma passes get us free bus and metro travel and the bus to the Catacombs leaves from the train station. As we wait for our bus, I pull out my Roma pass and realize that I have Art’s pass as well. I don’t want him to have to walk back to our hotel and scan the plaza in front of the train station. Miraculously, I spot him crossing the street a block away and John sprints towards him. When we catch up I give Art his pass and John and I return to wait for the bus but it’s after 3:00 P.M. and last entry to the Catacombs is at 4:30.  Reevaluating, I am afraid that this might be a wasted trip and when I scan the plaza I see National Sculpture Museum of Rome at a far corner. This is the main branch and according to Rick Steve’s, our new best friend in Rome, houses the greatest collection of Roman art anywhere. John and I flash our Roma passes, get a nice discount and spend two hours looking at the collections of Roman Sculptures and an extensive collection of Roman coins. 

Bronze Sculpture 

Discus Thrower – Roman Copy

Fish Mosaic

Mosaic








Marble Roman Carving

Ancient Roman Coin














Last night, John made reservations for dinner at a Monti neighborhood restaurant. Our reservations are at 8:00 P.M. and we have a reserved table on the street.  It is by far the best meal we have had in Rome and I regret that I didn’t  jot down the restaurant’s name or what dishes we ordered. 

Roman Holiday – Part Three

Saturday, June 24th The Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Borghese Gallery
We enjoy our first generous and delicious breakfast in the charming dining room of our hotel . We are welcomed with strong coffee with milk, croissants, cured slices of ham and thick slices of cheese, yogurt and orange juice. 

Breakfast at Hotel Antica Locanda
Breakfast at Hotel Antica Locanda

The morning is brutally hot as we walk to the Roman Forum. Our Roma passes allow us to skip the lines and John rents an audio guide which isn’t well organized and we wander the extensive grounds of the Forum in a disorganized manner. We drink water constantly, refilling our water bottles from the stone water fountains throughout the vast Forum.

Arch of Titus, Roman Forum
Temple of Antonius, Pius & Faustian












Although I don’t know for sure, it feels like the temperature is over 100 and we try to keep to the shade. We climb the many stairways, wander the ruins, and when I am about to expire, we cool down in the museum. 

View of the Roman Forum
Looking up to Palatino Hill





View of the Roman Forum




View of the Temple of Vesta




Museum Murals








Palatino Hill Plaza


Palatino Hill Courtyard












Palatino Hill adjoins the Forum but it is high on the hillside above requiring the climbing of many stone steps. At the top there is another small museum and I rest gratefully and watch a short movie about Palatino Hill. For the first time I grasp the essence of the cultured and brutal civilization that inhabited these ruins and how the civilizations rose and fell and how this extensive city morphed throughout the ages. We spend five hours exploring the Forum and Palatino Hill and I am exhausted by the time we start the walk back towards our hotel. 

We have lunch at the same restaurant around the corner from our hotel and the air conditioning and food revives me. Art and I order excellent artichoke and chicken salads and John orders a squid cannelloni. After refreshing showers we set our alarms and sleep for two hours to be recharged for our 5:00 P.M. reservation to the Borghese Gallery.

Pauline Borghese as Venus
Bernini’s David









One needs prior reservations to visit the Borghese Gallery with its renowned collection of Baroque sculpture by Bernini, and paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian and Rubens. We take a taxi to the museum and use our Roma pass to pick up our reserved tickets downstairs. There are many disappointed people who didn’t know that reservations were required or who paid for online reservations but because they were traveling, were unable to print out their ticket vouchers. After collecting our tickets we have just enough time to grab a cappuccino at the museum café; much needed to clear the cobwebs of our brains after our afternoon siesta. We are required to check all bags including my purse and the museum check provides a small clear plastic bag into which I may put just my wallet, passport and phone to carry inside. Precisely at 5:00 P.M. we are allowed entrance into this sumptuous jewel of a museum.  

Detail of the Rape of Proserpina
The Rape of Proserpina, Bernini


This 17th century museum was the Cardinal Scipione Borghese mansion and Cardinal Borghese collected much of the finest Renaissance art of the times.  Each room features a Baroque masterpiece and the intimate experience is awe inspiring. The breathtaking Carrera marble sculpture of Pauline Borghese as Venus, by Antonio Canova reclines scandalously in the first gallery. In another room, Bernini’s David puts a rock into his sling to slay Goliath but it is Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne that takes my breath away. Daphne’s fingers and toes morph into roots and leaves as she is magically transformed into a tree to escape the advances of Apollo. 
Apollo and Daphne, Bernini
Detail of Apollo and Daphne 










Bernini’s, The Rape of Proserpina, created when he was just 24 years, is masterful and he turns the marble into living flesh. The immense hands and fingers of her captor leave impressions on Proserpina’s voluptuous flesh and a single tear slips down her face.  The painting galleries are upstairs and there is an entire room devoted to the work of Caravaggio and Titian.

Caravaggio
Titian












Each gallery showcases one exceptional piece but is also filled with other remarkable works and the walls and ceilings are sumptuously painted with frescos, rococo iced and gilded with gold leaf. 
Borghese Gallery fresco
Borghese Gallery ceiling fresco










We loose John somewhere in the museum and Art and I wander together through rooms filled with remarkable masterpieces. In the midst of all these masterpieces, a small painting by Jacopo Zucchi, the Allegoria Della Scoperta dell’ America, captures my eye. Water nymphs hold coral and rays and shells ripe with pearls. A jeweled treasure of shells and coral surrounds Neptune, crowned with coral. When we catch up with John later he remarks on this painting and tells me it his favorite painting in the museum.

Allegoria Della Scoperta dell’ America


Our Roman Holiday – Part Two

Friday, June 24rd – The Vatican Museum and Roman Coliseum.
  

Our alarm goes off at 6:00 A.M. and we shower and dress quickly. The hotel calls for a taxi and minutes later we are zipping through an already warm Rome and by 6:45 we are deposited at the entrance to the Sistine Chapel. I have arranged for an “early entrance tour” with the tour company “The Roman Guy” and already there are groups of tourists with their guides gathering on the stairway across the street. We joke that soon there will be an ‘’early early entrance tour” for an “extra extra” charge. We sit at an outdoors tourist café and each order a cappuccino (mine a double) and share two toasted ham and cheese sandwiches.  By Starbuck standards, our espresso drinks are excellent but about as pricy and we pay the 30 Euro bill for our minimal breakfast and walk back to find our tour group. Booking a Vatican/Sistine Chapel/Saint Peter’s Basilica tour is complicated. There were literally hundreds of tour companies to choose from and pricing was varied vastly depending on the company, entry time and number in each tour. There is even a special private evening tour for some $3500 per person. 

View of Vatican City and Saint Peter’s Basilica
Vatican Cafe














When our tour is over we will rate our guide as mediocre at best but twelve of us dutifully follow her to the snaking line in front of the museum and shortly after 8:00 A.M. we are gliding along the polished marble floors of gorgeous Vatican Museum galleries. Although there were many other early entry groups, the Vatican Museum is immense and for a delicious 45 minutes we have expansive views of the hallways and galleries mostly to ourselves. 
Vatican Museum Gallery Hallways

Marty, Vatican Museum












We wander through a hallway of tapestries, a marvelous cartography hallway and galleries of Greek, Roman and Egyptian sculpture. 
Cartography Gallery Hallway
Map detail



Art, Marty, John, Cartography Gallery








The walls and ceilings are frescoed, frosted and gilded and we crane our necks to admire the swirling scenes above us. 
Ceiling Fresco, Vatican Museum
Looking Up, Vatican Museum










The highlight is of course Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel where talking and photography are not permitted. Our guide briefs us prior to entry and we are allowed twenty minutes inside the Chapel where I desperately try to absorb and retain the genius of this place. The famous ceiling consists of nine panels of scenes from the Book of Genesis but it is the immense end wall with the painting of the Last Judgment that takes my breath away. The frescos have been recently cleaned and the colors are vibrant.  I’ve visited the Sistine Chapel several times before but my last visit was some thirty years ago and at that time, the colors were muted and parts of the Chapel were cordoned off with scaffolding. 
We continue touring the vast museum stopping to admire Raphael’s famous painting of the School of Athens. 

School of Athens, Raphael

Battle Scene

Our three-hour tour includes and ends at St Peters Basilica, the largest Cathedral in the smallest country in the world. We circumnavigate the cool interior of this vast Basilica, admiring its opulence and gazing up at the immense dome. 

Crowds inside Saint Peter’s Basilica

Saint Peter’s Basilica







Interior dome, Saint Peter’s Basilica
Angel, Saint Peter’s Basilica











John wants to climb to the top of the dome but I’m not up to it in the heat and my still jet lagged state. When we exit, the heat and bright sunlight outside is a shock to my senses. I wait by a large drinking fountain, in the shade of a courtyard while John and Art make the climb. 
We head back to the Monti district and find a restaurant just around the corner from our hotel that seems to please all of us. Back at our hotel we take showers and a much needed two-hour siesta.
Panorama of the Roman Colosseum

When possible, we travel with the Rick Steve’s guidebook and he recommends purchasing the Roma pass, not so much because it can save some money but because it allows you to skip the lines and in the height of the tourist season, lines are terrible. At 4:30 we walk to the Colosseum, activate our Roma passes and skip the line. We are fortunate that there is room on the 5:15 P.M. guided tour that proves to be excellent. A young French woman, studying for her PHD in archeological restoration, leads our tour and afterwards we wander the perimeter of the adjoining Forum, which is closed for the day. 

John, Marty, Art, Roman Colosseum

Roman Colosseum

Roman Colosseum
Wedding Photos










Our guide has recommended two restaurants but we are unable to find either but leisurely stroll in the direction of our hotel in search of dinner.  We follow another suggestion and back track several block finding the suggested restaurant but they are fully booked for the night.  Once again, we end up at yet another second rate restaurant and order three prix fix dinners. The pasta course is good but my roast chicken leg and thigh is inedible and the salad is pathetic.  We are obviously not doing well in the gourmet department and it is the Campari Spritzers and a good and inexpensive bottle of a crisp white wine that saves the evening. 

Bistro Bar in the Monti District
End of the day toast
Although it is already late we have after dinner drinks at a colorful restaurant/bar in the Monti. Art orders another Campari, John a Negroni and I order another bottle of white wine to share. It is a refreshing blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio and the wine goes down like water on this still warm evening. We get to bed just before midnight.

When in Rome – Part One

Thursday, June 23, Arrival in Rome
We touch down in Rome just before noon.  Fortunately for John, he has slept the entire way and we all groggily disembark into the muggy heat of the day. Immigration is the easiest that I have ever experienced and we breeze through passport control; disappointed that our passports are scanned and not stamped. We wait 20 minutes until our bags appear on the revolving carousel and push through the doors of the terminal to street beyond to find transport to Hotel Antica Locanda in the Monti district of Rome.  We appreciate the Rick Steve’s guide book advice which suggests that for parties of 2 or 3, taking a taxi into Rome is easier and more economical than taking the train and transferring to the subway.  Forty-five minutes and a set 48 Euros later, our taxi drops us off at our hotel. 


Il Vittoriano, Piazza Venezia

Our hotel is ideally situated in the old town, perched on the corner of a narrow and picturesque cobbled street. We are graciously welcomed and showed to our triple room two flights up. There are no elevators and John cheerfully carries my luggage. The room is a tiny jewel with gleaming wood floors, a brick ceiling and crystal wall sconces. The gleaming bathroom has a faux baroque mirror, a ceiling chandelier and a sleek glass shower enclosure.

Lace Curtains and Crystal Chandeliers
Ornate Bathroom Mirrow


By 2:00 P.M. after quick showers we walk through the Monti district in search of lunch.  For our family, getting our bearings in new cities when jet lagged and hungry is usually challenging and todays unfolding scenario is typical. I am hungry and my blood sugar low and want food immediately while Art wants to read menus and carefully choose where to eat our first meal. Disoriented and with John’s wishes to also consider, disharmony rises and by the time I desperately choose an outdoor café we are all snapping at each other. The food is absolutely terrible.

Colosseum

Obelisk

In spite of the disappointing meal, we manage to salvage the afternoon and walk the short distance to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum and instead of snapping at each other, we are snapping photos.  We are not up to tackling either of these sights today but wander along the perimeter taking photos and people watching. The temperature is in the high 90’s and the sun is brutal. I have left both my hat and dark glasses in the hotel and before long I feel dizzy and need to return to our air-conditioned hotel to rest. We wander slowly back and once out of the sun, I feel better. John has let his hair grow long, partially out of laziness and partially to be in character for the Pirate Festival but in Rome, the men are trimmed and stylish and John feels noticeably out of place. When we pass a barbershop John decides to get a haircut. It is air conditioned inside the two-chair shop and John asks the elderly barber the price for a haircut. It is $20 and Art and I collapse onto an ancient couch and John mimes the style of hair cut he wants and then turns to me and asks if I have a photo of him a year ago at “Grandpa’s” 98th birthday? I pull a photo up on my I-phone and John shows it to the barber. It is cool inside and for a few minutes, Art and I watch as John’s long locks fall to the floor but our hotel is just around the corner and we leave John on his own. When John returns, he preens in front of the mirror, delighted with his new look.

The Roman Barber
When in Rome, look like a Roman 

After a two hour rest and a second round of showers, the three of us set out walking towards the Spanish Steps. John and Art navigate our route and after a few wrong turns, an unpleasant hike through a long traffic congested tunnel and a steadily uphill climb, we find ourselves at the top of the Spanish Steps with a hazy view of Rome below. The steps are under reconstruction and visually and physically cordoned off by high fences. We wind down an adjoining street to the cobblestone plaza below where hopeful horse pulled carriages wait for passengers and where people congregate around the Sinking Boat Fountain, designed by either Bernini or his father.  All the fountains in Rome are aqueduct powered and I watch as people fill water bottles and take drinks from smaller drinking fountains where the water is sweet and pure. 

Spanish Steps under reconstruction
Art and John, Piazza di Spagna

Designer Shops
Marty, Piazza di Spagna





Designer shops line the perimeter of the plaza and the radiating streets and we wander past Gucci, Armani, Versace and Cartier, their opulent and glittery window displays suggesting a perfect life should one be rich or thin enough to afford the finery. 

After much wandering, we choose a café bar a block off the main street and order drinks.  Art and John order Campari and Soda and the accommodating waitress suggests a mulled strawberry drink for me. When she brings our drinks, she sets down a plate of crudities and Art’s cheerful demeanor vanishes. He is certain that there will be a charge for these since at lunch we were charged for bread that we did not order. I surmise that these will be included in the price of the drinks and John and I nibble guiltily on the tiny sandwiches and cheese puffs and when the bill arrives, there is no additional charge. 
We make our way to the Trevi Fountain which glows aqua in the fading evening light. The surrounding fountain is packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists and I stand on a stone bench to take a photo above the heads of the crowd.  Although beautiful, the ambience is not that of La Dolce Vida or Three Coins in a Fountain. 

Trevi Fountain Crowds
Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain



We walk back to our Monti district and spend another 30 minutes choosing a restaurant for dinner. Art makes the call tonight, and the food is mediocre at best. Happily, the wine puts a harmonious glow on our otherwise uninspired meal.    

John toasts to our first day in Rome

The Misadventures of the Water Bottle

Wednesday, June 22nd S.F.O. to Chicago to Rome

I wake 3 minutes before our 5:15 A.M. alarm and am first into the shower. At 6:00 A.M. we head downstairs for the included continental breakfast and to wait for the 6:30 A.M. shuttle to the airport.
We arrive 2 ½ hours before our flight and check in is a breeze. John and I each check one small bag and Art chooses to carry his onboard.  Art queries John if he is sure that he has everything and John flippantly replies, “Yes, Papa, I’ve traveled before!”  Our priority boarding passes are TSA Pre-Check and Art and I breeze through security wearing our shoes and jackets. John does not breeze quite so easily because he has forgotten to empty the water from his aluminum water bottle. He is pulled aside for the blue rubber glove inspection of his bright orange back pack and informed that he may either relinquish his water bottle or be escorted back into the terminal by security. He may not drink or dump the water on this side of security.  John is attached to his decaled water bottle and chooses to go through security a second time. The stern TSA woman escorts John outside and Art grimaces. We wait for our well traveled son to snake the security lines a second time and return to us.  Since we have allowed plenty of time we are more amused than stressed and twenty minutes later, John sheepishly rejoins us. I laugh and tell him that it is things like this that give me something to write in my blog. 

We are 1-½ hours early to our gate when my phone rings. Strangely, it is American Airlines calling me with an automated update that our departure flight to Chicago will be delayed because of bad weather. Art is quick to note that the earlier flight to Chicago has not yet departed and we rush to the kiosk to see if we can switch to the earlier flight. One of the attendants magically switches our bags from the delayed flight to the earlier flight and within minutes we have new boarding passes. In twenty minutes we board the earlier flight to Chicago which in reality leaves 15 minutes later than our initially scheduled flight but will presumably get us into Chicago in time for our connecting flight to Rome.

Tornado Shelter Signs, Chicago Airport

The flight between S.F.O. and Chicago is 3hr 20 minutes and I pass the time writing this blog and reading the Rick Steve Italy guide book. John rereads my father’s book Surf Casting for the Normandy Invasion and Art listens to history pod casts about Ancient Rome. So far so good:)

We land in Chicago at 3:30 in plenty of time for our flight to Rome, now delayed until 6:15 P.M. We wonder why our S.F.O. to Chicago boarding passes have “priority boarding” stamped on them and hope our American Airlines Platinum Visa will open doors to the Admiral’s Club. John and I watch our belongings and Art sets sail along the polished floors of the airport terminal in search of the lounge. He returns 15 minutes later with “virtual” cuts and bruises. The lounge bouncers deny him access so the three of us wander the crowded airport in search of a peaceful restaurant or corner in which to spend the next couple of hours. We share a chicken salad, an overpriced bottle of water and nibble on nuts and seeds.

It is 6:30 when boarding is called and the three of us push through the waiting passengers to the priority boarding line.  As John hoists his orange backpack onto his shoulder, the look on John’s face tells me something is wrong? He exclaims that his water bottle is missing and jogs back to where we were sitting to look for it. He returns empty handed with his second sheepish grin of the day and Art rolls his eyes in disbelief and amusement.  He has left his troublesome water bottle on the previous flight.

We are grateful to be boarding at last and file through first class to the cheap seats in economy and squeeze into our three inline seats. I have used frequent flyer miles to book our three tickets and only now wonder how many more miles would have been needed for the luxurious and spacious first class seats? Our plane sits on the runway for 1 1/2 hours before we are cleared to take off. There can be no drink or meal service until after we are airborne so we impatiently watch movies until we are cleared for takeoff.  Once airborne and level, the stewardesses are efficient; serving us a disappointing chicken and rice concoction that I pick at. I am grateful for the accompanying generous glasses of red wine, watch two mindless comedies and at 11:00 P.M. dole out sleeping pills and Art and I manage a solid four hours of sleep each.

From Pirates to Romans

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Just three days ago, Alisha, John, Jackie and I were selling Marty Magic jewelry at the NorCal Pirate Festival in Vallejo California. 
Alisha & John, Brotherly & Sisterly Love at the NorCal Pirate Festival
Brother and Sister Love, NorCal Pirate Festival
After hours with Marty Magic

The following blog posts are about our month long trip to Italy, Croatia and Amsterdam.  Although we had fun, the trip was not a vacation but rather a marathon of visiting world-class museums and archeological sights. Most days we were up early and out late and the family dynamics of the three of us traveling together were sometimes challenging. The trip was artistically rich and visually inspiring and I feel creatively recharged for my busy fall and holiday season.

The Get Away – Tuesday, June 21 

I am leaving the Marty Magic business to take a trip to Italy, Croatia and Amsterdam. My husband Art, our son John and I will be away close to a month and I must pass the Marty Magic baton into the capable hands of our daughter Alisha. Today is a frenzy of list checking. Alisha and I cross reference orders, check inventory and plan for the month ahead.  I fit ear cuffs to be shipped in my absence and sign checks to keep the business afloat until mid July. This past Sunday night, Alisha, John and I returned from the Nor Cal Pirate Festival, and I unpack Pirate costumes and do laundry so as to use the same suitcase to pack for my European adventure.  As the washing machine whirls, I make a dash to the bank, pick up the pre-ordered Euros and swing into AAA and in less than 20 minutes, have my international driving permit. The AAA representative asks me to check the permit and verify that all the information is correct? My scary mug shot stares back at me and I wonder if any car rental agency would rent this woman a car?

At 5:30 P.M. we load our minimal luggage into Alisha’s SUV for the drive to the S.F.O. airport. There is little traffic winding North on Hwy 17 and the afternoon sunlight bathes our route with a magical glow and we realize that it is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. We stop for dinner at Andale’s Mexican Restaurant in Los Gatos, and John jumpstarts his vacation with an immense Cadillac Margarita. Art and I are more moderate and Alisha our designated driver is abstinent. We enjoy a family meal together and relax into our vacation.  The traffic is light along 280 and Alisha drops us at the S.F.O. Airport Vagabond Inn a little before 8:00 P.M. After parking lot hugs and kisses, Art, John and I head to our room and Alisha makes the return drive to Santa Cruz.

Baja Road Trip – Heading Home.

 Thursday – January 21st – Good Bye Zacatitos, Baja
Art and I wake at sunrise and I sip my final cup of coffee on the deck of Casa Magic Gecko. The ocean dances with the morning light and whales spout in the distance. Although, I’m sad to be leaving both Zacatitos and Art, I will fly back for a week at Valentines Day. It’s time to head home, get some creative traction on new designs for the Marty Magic business and take up my responsibilities in the office
At 7:45 A.M. I climb the ladder to wake the boys, sleeping on the roof, and they break down their tent and we all pack for our return trip home. John’s final semester at S.F.S.U. begins on Monday and Will must complete his volunteer hours at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens before the end of January. 
We lock the Magic Gecko Bungalow for our drive to the airport, stopping at Buzzards for breakfast on the way. Buzzards, the Gringo Restaurant in El Encanto is half way between Zacatitos and San Jose and there are occasional concerts here. Extra Large, a Santa Cruz Band performed here last year and Art and I had a great time, dancing in the sand. We are surprised and pleased to have Jesus, who used to work at Zac’s Bar and Grill as our waiter. Art and I share eggs Benedict and the boys down large breakfast platters.
Breakfast at Buzzard’s Bar and Grill, El Encanto
Entrance to Buzzards’
On the way into San Jose, we make a reverse right at the cement plant and drive the dirt road to Flora Farms, an upscale organic farm, restaurant and gallery complex. Flora Farms is thriving thanks to a recent write up in the New York Times.They offer a farm tour at 11:00 but with a plane to catch, we don’t really have the time. We stroll the beautiful manicured gardens where butterflies flit between the flowers and pop into their overpriced jewelry gallery and body care shop.
Flora Farms
Flora Farms
Flora Farms Outdoor Dining Area
Flora Farms Garden
I have been thinking about purchasing another Mexican Fire opal that I saw in the same jewelry gallery where I purchased an opal on Tuesday. I want to get John’s opinion and possibly purchase this one before I fly home. It is 5.1 carats and a nugget of blazing crystal blue opalescence. Both John and Art appreciate it’s beauty and approve my purchase. Ruben, the gallery owner is expecting me this morning and he has two other opals to show me that belong to his friend. One is of no interest to me but I ask the price and carat weight of the other. It is a substantial, 20.5 carats with a pleasing organic shape and a pastel rainbow opalescence. Although it is fairly priced, I don’t have enough money to purchase it and ask Art if he will walk to the ATM to get pesos from his account? Tomorrow, I will deposit money back into his account so that he will be solvent again. As we drive to the airport, John and I discuss names for the new opals and he suggests Mermaid’s Tear for the fiery blue nugget but we are at a loss for the name of the other. Art chimes in Argonaut, a good name to save for when we find the “Argonaut Opal.” Naming each opal is part of the process and we try hard to choose appropriate names that suit each stone which helps everyone remember and keep the stones straight; customers as well. *When I return home and show Alisha the opals, she exclaimed on the wonderful purple radiance and the rippled shape of our unnamed treasure and suggested Violaceous Surge.  
Mermaid’s Tear
Violaceous Surge
Art drops us off at the curb and we say our goodbyes which is not too painful since I am returning before Valentine’s Day in less than three weeks. We are flying Alaska Air and because I paid for our three tickets with Alaska Signature Visa, we each get one free checked bag. Will fuels up with Burger King, I spoon down a Starbucks Yogurt and before we know it, we are boarding!
Ariel View of Guerrero Negro Lagoon
Ariel View, Guerrero Negro

Baja Road Trip – Mexican Train

Wednesday – January 20th – Zacatitos – Organic Market 
Today is my last full day in Zacatitos. John, Will and I fly back to San Jose California, tomorrow afternoon. Art will stay here another month and I plan to fly down for a week over Valentine’s Day, but I need to get back to work. I am recharged and have new designs bursting in my head, waiting to take form. 
Art and I wake early and although we don’t take a sunrise beach walk we have a quiet and contemplative start of the day together, sipping coffee on our front deck overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Our “boys” are still sleeping on the roof of our simple concrete bungalow. After three weeks of both traveling and living with Will, a college friend of our son John, he feels like a part of our family. 
Waiting Dog at the Organic Market
Zacatitos Organic Market – Zita and Raoul
Jose, Marshall and Sube
At 8:30, Art and I walk the quarter mile to to Zacatitos’s Wednesday morning organic market.  Last Wednesday, we ordered six chile rellenos from Zita and Raoul and we pick them up and choose other fresh produce from their baskets of organic vegetables. We have invited several neighbors over tonight for sundowners and a light supper. Breakfast is available, inside the tiny concrete kitchen and Art and I share a plate of three mushroom “dorados.” We sit in the tiny cluttered courtyard and visit with our friends and neighbors. Before walking home, I purchase three beaded pendants from the artisan and his wife who come to our small market. I will  give these to my “team” back home who have been taking care of the Marty Magic business in my absence. 
Zacatitos Sunset
John and Will go skim boarding at “Shipwrecks” and we lend them our Toyota 4 Runner to drive the rocky dirt road up the East Cape. They return several hours later, reporting a stellar day of skim boarding.  Unfortunately, their afternoon spear fishing expedition off Punta Gorda does not provide us dinner. 
Max, Nancy, Art
Friends and Neighbors
Shortly after 5:00 P.M; our friends, Nancy and Max drive up. Marshall, our friend and neighbor next door joins the party and we spoon guacamole and tuna onto chips, sip wine and margaritas and converse watching the sunset over the Zacatitos mountains. After the sunset glow is over, I warm the chile rellenos over our butane stove in two flying pans and we eat by solar light. We play several games of Mexican Train and call it a perfect evening.
Mexican Train 

Baja Road Trip – Opal Obsession

Tuesday – January 19th – Zacatitos into San Jose for Opals and Supplies
Art and I bundle up warmly and take a before sunrise walk on the beach. The sun peeks up slowly over the horizon, spreading a rosy golden glow over the beach and illuminating the froth of the waves that lap onto the pristine sand. Our morning coffee afterward, sipped on our deck tastes especially good. 
Zacatitos Sunrise
John and Will, sleeping in a tent on the flat roof awake and climb down the ladder and our morning routine begins. While Will is pulling ingredients from our ice chest to prepare breakfast, John approaches me with a grin and a closed fist. He has caught a baby gecko and holds it gently in his closed hand. I scramble to find a suitable container before John opens his hand to release his catch. I marvel at this minute lizard, take many photos, and release it.

Baby Gecko

I fly back to California in two days and have business to attend to before I depart.  I have opals on my mind and must also take care of paying the taxes on our beach side bungalow. I drive into San Jose on my own, choosing to take the newly paved highway into town rather than the rocky unpaved coastal road. In so many ways, I prefer the coastal road, rocky and slow but with a view of the Sea of Cortez. I regret that already, because I am given the choice, I am opting for efficiency rather than simply enjoying the journey. 

The drive into town via the newly paved road takes only 35 minutes. I park and walk to the court house adjoining the San Jose Zocalo. I am assigned a number and wait 30 minutes before it is my turn at one of the three official windows where I show my paperwork, pay a modest tax and leave in less than three minutes with a computer generated receipt in hand. Official business handled, I now hope that the jewelry shop where I have several opals on hold will be open today. I walk the few short blocks to the Art District and the shop is open. Ruben welcomes me and I spend another 30 minutes looking at the few opals of interest that he has set aside. We agree on a price and I commit to a 14 carat Mexican Fire Opal in the shape of a bird’s head with nice flashes of color. There is a maximum withdrawal from the ATM allowed each day and I have been accumulating pesos but I imagine that Ruben is anxious when I must leave to go to the nearby Santander, A.T.M. to withdraw more pesos. I am back with pesos in ten minutes; pay Ruben the agreed amount for the opal and with a handshake and thanks, I leave to go to the Mega store for supplies.
When I return from town, I make guacamole and the four of us watch the sunset and go to Zac’s for their Taco Tuesday special.

John and Will have spent the day skim boarding and enjoying the Zacatitos beach.

Zacatitps Sunset
Sundowners, Casa Magic Gecko