Just Do It

We started dreaming about our Dream Trip a decade ago. And with student loans, it took us that long to save up for it. It's been almost a week since we returned, and I've nearly de-jet-lagged, showered once or twice, re-stocked up on my favorite cigars from Alvarez and made the drive to NC to begin our house search.

I've also spent more hours than I care to admit trying to replace all the stuff that got stolen on a crowded, rush-hour Metro in Rome by a smooth-as-silk pregnant gypsy.

And I verified that while Italy is gorgeous, historic, loaded with churches (over 900, to be exact) and probably ten times that many restaurants with crazy-good food, one does not visit the country for its beer. Granted, I had a very good, refreshing weissbier from Moretti one day, but that was pretty much it.

Beerwise, the Greek Isles weren't much better, though the Yellow Donkey I had in Santorini was damned good, the Mykonos MYKONU was quite drinkable and the Alpha was passably decent, especially after working up a thirst walking up a donkey trail to an Acropolis in Lindos, Rhodes. Admission was half-price for senior citizens, but only European senior citizens (!), so I said to hell with them and headed to a rooftop for some liquid refreshment. Conversely, the wine, especially that of Santo in Santorini, was outstanding. My favorite was a special white wine that ended up brown called Vinsanto. So, in a departure from my usual M.O. on this page, beer is not going to be the focus of this blogpost.

Nor will I put you to sleep with lengthy, detailed accounts of each of our visits to various places: places like Messina, Malta, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, Naples, Sorrento, amazing Pompeii and the fabulous Amalfi Coast. (Our lunch spot is above.) You can see those all yourself and be just as impressed as we were.

And the Eternal City--Rome--with its eternal attractions like the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, Roman Ruins, will still be there for anyone who decides to "Just Do It" when their time comes.

Rather, I'd like to simply share some of our favorite stories and pictures -we took about 600 when it was all said and done--of the things and people that impressed us. And maybe offer some advice for those of you bold enough to take the plunge.

Our trip was handled by Vista Travel in Colonia and my friend Peter Scocca, through his more-than capable agent Patti Gallagher, served up a memorable itinerary, all while closely monitoring our progress overseas. That may seem like a shameless plug, but it's a well-deserved one.

We sailed on Celebrity's Reflection out of Civitavecchia. We have fifteen cruises under our belts, so we knew what to look for--and what to avoid. And one of the things to avoid is paying the cruise ship for WiFi access. $365 per person for ten days is, quite frankly BS. So is $30 an hour. Especially when the ship encourages you to share how wonderful their shows are via social media.

Wait. What?

You want me to advertise for your amenities while charging me usurious rates to do it? Not happening. We waited till we got off the ship and found a pub or restaurant that had free WiFi.

Another thing we didn't use was the $550 p/p UNLIMITED drinks (which was capped at seven drinks a day) package. Why? Because, first, we don't drink that much. Second, it was a per person charge. In other words, i couldn't buy the missus a drink on my card. She had to have her own. BS. And we spoke with a number of folks who regretted getting the package near cruise's end, especially when a bottle of water counted as a "drink." So although we spent some money on drinks, poolside, wine with dinner, etc. we didn't even approach the $1100 per couple tab. You decide based upon your preferences--and your capacity.

To Celebrity's credit, the shows, save for one, were fabulous, and the food and accommodations equally so. Our waiter, Carlos (Gus Fring's double), was exceptionally attentive, and our sommelier Madalina (above) was both personable and efficient.

Our neighbors at dinner each night were four delightful German ladies, only one of which spoke darned good English, and we had a whale of a time talking (and singing!) with them. One of them, Julia, is a pretty well known artist back in Die Faderland, too. You can check out her stuff here.

The others were Gerlinde, Waltraud and Brigitte, and they were all delightful company.

We also met some very nice folks on the various tours, like the one up the Amalfi Coast. Two cute Taiwanese kids (below) had just tied the knot and were on their honeymoon. Delightful kids, affable and pleasant, though I didn't get their names.

Though most of the people we met were "friends for an afternoon," they were all very nice, except for the two dolts who delayed an entire bus for twenty minutes in Athens because they weren't at the meeting place on time. That they came in laughing about it did not endear them to the rest of the bus, either.

Some of our guides were pretty cool folks (R.), as well. Cinzia, who led us through the beautiful Sicilian town of Taormina was one such. Well spoken, knowledgeable and very down-to-earth, she set a standard for our other guides that was tough to match. Most came close, and all affectionatley ended their words "like-a this-a."

And a bit of advice...at least when in Rome, pay a little bit more and use the "Skip the Line" option for tours of The Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum. We used a company called City Wonders and they were very good, because the lines were VERY long.

While everyone should see those "standard" places above, we opted for a tour that was called Crypts and Catacombs, a tour that intrigued me ever since I read Poe's The Cask of Amontillado as a teen.

The missus didn't share my interest in such things, but afterward, it became her favorite tour. It involved descending into the crypts of the Franciscan Capuchin monks off the Piazza de Tritone to marvel at a group of rooms which used the bones of the deceased as decorations. Some of those decorations (above) were ornate, indeed, too.

Then a bus ride through town put us at the Catacombe of La Domatilla. We wandered four levels underground (of the seven existing levels) through carved tunnels and rooms, set in a labyrinthine design, marveled at 2,000 year old frescos and tombs, and stood under a painted arched ceiling that was there 200 years before Christ. I just knew Fortunato's bones were still in chains behind one of those walls Montresor had bricked over. In pace requiescat.

From there, it was on to St. Clement's Church, a relatively nondescript church from the 12th century, which had been built over three other buildings, one from the 4th Century, one from the 2nd (which featured an ancient named Mithra) and one from the 1st. These edifices were only discovered because a priest in the 12 th century kept hearing running water, and those springs were still running in the bottom-most building.

In all, it was a fascinating, worthwhile tour and one which the average tourist might easily overlook for some of the "flashier" tours.

Of course, while ancient stuff is fascinating, not everything in either Greece or Rome would qualify as ancient. Some of the local sights had a good amount of eye appeal. I found this "sculpture" (L.) on Kalafatis Beach in Mykonos (which is dubbed the "party Island), and this living statue (below) near the Colosseum in Rome. Turned out she was a model doing an early morning photo shoot. Sometimes, The PubScout gets lucky...

And speaking of luck, we really lucked out weatherwise. We had just one rainy morning the entire trip, which occurred as we docked in Athens. That canceled a planned trip to the Acropolis, but we made good use of our time by finding a cozy, little, rustic taverna in The Plaka that served Greek coffee and baklava. By the time we finished, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeking through, allowing us to meander among the shops.

We also got to experience how Greek Ship Captains navigate around a weather event called a "Medi-Cane," aka a hurricane in the Mediterranean Sea. He announced that as we would be sleeping, we might have to deal with 15-18 foot swells, but either that never happened, or he and the ship's stabilizers were so good, we didn't notice.

As mentioned, Rome is loaded with good restaurants, and, as Fate would have it, there was an excellent one right next to our hotel called Grotta Amatriciana (above). "The Grotto" offered a dish that made my brains fall out called "Cacio y Pepe." Quite simply, the best pasta dish I've ever eaten, it was a simple dish: homemade pasta with special seasoned salt and pepper. The missus agreed.

One of the neatest eating experiences took place in a section of town called Monti named Ai Tre Scalini (above). Cozy, casual and possessed of a decent collection of beers, this pub came highly recommended by the locals. I ordered the homemade lasagne and learned why it came so highly recommended. The service--in the form of Roberta (below)--was stellar and friendly. Ai Tre Scalini...worth remembering.

So what advice does The PubScout offer, based on his "Dream Trip" experience? First and foremost, just do it. Don't put it off, if you can help it. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Take the trip, drink the wine, eat the food and see the sights and meet the people that expand your world.

Second, keep your wallet directly in your underwear when traveling, especially in Rome. You may have to clean the funk off it every so often, but at least you'll have it.

Cheers!

The PubScout--Since 1996

As always, feel free to share and steal any pictures from the Gallery that tickle your fancy!