Sherry and I are in an internet place one block from our hotel. Train ride was not without excitement--just before Florence, someone came through the car announcing something excitedly--Sherry asked, "English?" and it turned out the train was having mechanical problems and we all had to de-board in Firenze and get on another train. We got to Rome at 5, about one and a half hours late. Otherwise it was fine.
Took a cab to the hotel, very close to the Spanish Steps, the heart of the city. We walked and walked. We found with the concierge's help, a nice little restaurant where Tom and I ate two years ago. I had grilled sole and a fried artichoke and Sherry had pasta with lobster. One half bottle of wine did it for us. All yummy.
This morning we took a cab to the Vatican. St. Peter's was open, and the Vatican museums. All fabulous. We walked back from the Piazza Risorgimiento to Piazza del Popolo (quite a long way!) Rewarded ourselves with a pizza lunch before coming here.
Tom's cousin's wife, Ornella left us a box of chocolates at the reception desk for us--very nice surprise! She and her husband, Donatello, will pick us up at 6:00 on Saturday night.
and now a word from Tom (in Bellagio)
I said arrivederci to our hosts at Hotel Torcolo, who were very gracious in directing me to the A4. They even called Bellagio to get me directions to the town. Except for two accidents that nearly stopped traffic on the autostrada, that part of the drive went easily. Once I left the A4, it was heavy truck traffic on local roads with plenty of semaphora in the early going. Finally, at Lecco (once I stopped and got help figuring out how to get on the road to Bellagio) the traffic eased and the road became dramatic. Pity you and Sherry weren't with me. I think the views were spectacular. My eyes, however, were glued to the road and my hands to the wheel. Except for some tunnels, the road mostly follows the coastline with all its twists.
When I got to the town of Bellagio, I drove around a few times looking for the Rockefeller Center. Stopped at Hotel Belvedere where a pleasant young woman explained that I was 50 meters from the place, but I couldn't drive there from the Hotel. I had to go back down past the ferry dock and follow a switchback road up the hill. I tried that around four times without spotting the place. Then I asked the man at the ferry booth who gave me almost perfect directions. Not perfect enough, however, so I missed it again. The last time he explained that I was not looking for a road, just a little turn off at the back of which was a gate to the property.
Success.
The room is very nice. The town looks to be lovely. I'll walk down there either after my visit with Signore Basetti* or else tomorrow.
*friend of the Hastings Center
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Ciao until next time!
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