08/30/25 and 08/31/25- Our 2025 trip is finally here and starts promptly with a 5am wake up call. We get a ride to the airport from our son-in-law, Kaveh, and make it to our gate with two hours to spare. This first leg leaves at 9:13am for Philadelphia, so far so good.
We land early (thank god because there’s a guy sitting in the middle seat between Sharece and I that is very annoying) and have a three hour layover before our next flight to Rome. During the wait, we do take advantage by ordering a Philly Cheese steak Sandwich, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.
We finally board the large 787 Dreamliner and enjoy the Premium seat upgrade for the eight hour journey. I watch one movie to help pass the time, but otherwise try to get as much rest as possible. It’ll be morning when we land and don’t want to crash too early on day one.
Two meals and a leg cramp later, we land safely around 11:20am. Customs is a bit of a wait, but our legs are moving and we breeze through the self checkout lane without a hitch. We also find an UBER that takes us thirty-five minutes to our hotel for cheaper than the taxi rank.
We make it to our hotel (Relais Forus Inn), check in and almost don’t leave. Our bodies are so wore out and tired that it feels good to sit and relax for a bit. They even provide us with a complimentary bottle of red wine and two glasses of white wine. I was not happy with the 7 Euro per person/per night city tax charge in cash though. 56 Euros is quite a bit extra to pay on top of the regular rate, but the hotel is not at fault and nothing we can do but pay it as a tourism fee. Keeping to our first day mentality checklist, we change clothes after a thirty-some minute break and head out for our first destination of Domus Aurea.
The walk is not far from our hotel, only thirteen minutes, but we’re immediately met with a mound of steps to climb. Once at the top we realize that section is closed off and need to walk completely around the complex for the entrance. We are able to take some photos of the outside excavations, but decide against paying the 28 Euros per person to enter. Doesn’t seem to be that much of anything and we have bigger fish to fry.
Continuing down the block, we arrive at Basilica San Clemente. The church is free and quite interesting by itself, but we opt to pay the 10 Euros to enter the underground areas. The cool, moist air is quite a reprieve from the 85 degree heat outside, so well worth the price of admission for that alone. Overall, not much to see in the underground section but some artifacts and empty rooms with wall engravings still present. Still interesting none-the-less since we haven’t done this on our previous trips here.
Famished, we find a rooftop restaurant not far down the road and order carbonara and a margherita pizza. We opt to stay inside as it feels quite cool and the view of the Colosseum being partially blocked anyhow. I did get a photo through their see-through tent, although with not very good results. Right before paying the bill, I literally fall asleep with a slice in my hand, I’m THAT tired. But as soon as we leave and see the Colosseum up close, my mind, soul and body rejuvenate all at once.
Our tickets to enter are not until tomorrow, however, it includes going into the Roman Forum and that’s exactly what we do. There literally is no line to enter, mostly because it’s closing soon, which we didn’t know until AFTER we have our tickets scanned. It feels a bit on rush, but interesting to note that we’ve done this before and didn’t mind the brief refresher. We also didn’t have the sun backing down on us the entire time, and the evening glow off the ruins is magical to see.
Our legs and back are now shredded enough to call it a good first, productive day. After getting some gelato, we brave the ten minute walk to our hotel and do everything we can to keep from crawling into bed right away. Somehow, we make it to 10pm.
Side note: Our hotel bathroom door looks just like a shower slider door that doesn’t seal shut. Not sure why hotels opt for an open bathroom concept as we’ve seen this trend before, but it’s extremely annoying when it’s not in the original photos during booking. Also, the internet keeps going in and out to where I have to log off and back on each time. Hey, at least we are close to everything.
09/01/25- It’s a restful night’s sleep but still difficult to fully wake up. Unfortunately, there’s no room for sleeping in any longer as we have timed Colosseum tickets to go to. The normal admission tickets are easy to get but we both opted to explore an extra part which sells out as quick as they are put up a month in advance. Luckily, I found Sharece an underground Colosseum ticket with guide for 10:45am while I snagged the upper Attic view for 11:30am.
The walk is a brisk thirteen minutes (with a cafe stop on the way for breakfast). I thought I ordered the Bavarian cream croissant but turns out to be a very rich, icing type of pistachio. I barely eat half as it’s very sticky while Sharece eats a portion of her club sandwich. We continue on and arrive in time for her to join her tour at the ticket line.
I now have an hour to kill before my timed entry begins, so I fill up my water bottle at a nearby natural spring fountain (free, fresh water is awesome) and I walk over toward the Roman Forum nearby to see if I’m able to still get in despite using my ticket yesterday. Unfortunately I’m greeted with the dreaded phrase, “It’s not possible”. A common phrase here in Italy that is starting to become really annoying. Not to be outdone, I find a gate nearby and climb half way up onto a platform to get a nice shot of the Colosseum that I’m sure many never thought of. Life of being a professional.
11:15am roles around and I’m finally able to enter the gates. Once passed security, I’m told to go all the way to the elevator to begin my tour. I’m the only one in line and escorted up the elevator to the next level. Upon exiting, I find myself at the museum portion of the 2nd floor, scurry to the open forum area and mosey my way through the crowd to get a great view of the Colosseum from above.
With the sun baking my skin, I continue around the arena before taking the elevator back to the ground floor. It’s now around noon and I text Sharece to see where she’s at. Somehow, our wires keep getting crossed and it’s impossible to get to each other (see now I’m using that word). Apparently, her tour won’t allow her to come over to my side, but we don’t realize this until after about fifteen minutes of waiting.
It’s at this point when I realize, “Wait a second, did I actually go to the attic or just the next level?” I mean, there were quite a few people crowding my way and can’t imagine all of them paying extra for this tour. So I head back to the elevator area and find out that I apparently was supposed to follow the person who originally brought me up and not wonder around myself. So this time, I follow and am lead through a secret, side gate where I walk up stairs to the top level. Okay, now I’m getting somewhere.
There’s a slight walk down a corridor that leads to more stairs to the upper level, and once there I realize how few other people are around and can now enjoy this experience. There’s yet one more level that brings me even higher with a great birds-eye view of everything else. I can only imagine these nose-bleed seats being the cheapest two thousand years ago, but today it’s an extra premium.
Finally done, I wait on Sharece to try and meet up with her again, but we are on the other side of the Colosseum from each other. It’s just easier to meet outside the exit at this point, so that’s what we do.
Resting in the shade, we take our time explaining to each other how crazy that all was before deciding to endure the rolling hot weather another thirteen minutes to our next destination of Palazzo Venezia. This palace is quite large, and once we power through the many steps to get to the base level, we locate the entrance (ticket 18 Euros per person) and bask in the overwhelming cool breeze blanketing us through the columns. It’s a tranquil moment and a much needed break on our legs and body.
We thought this area is the 360 view we came to see, but soon realize there’s an elevator at the back of the building which takes us to the very top. Without hesitation, we flash our tickets again and journey up to see a spectacular view of Rome from all sides. After ten minutes, we get our feel and take the elevator back down to hit up the restaurant inside the palace for some drinks. Unfortunately, the place feels like an oven and quite unbearable to stay in for very long. Luckily, we still have Shaece’s other half of her sandwich to share.
Bypassing the drinks, we walk through the museum on our way down to the street level and march again through the heat to pick up some burgers before heading to our hotel.
What a crazy two days so far. It’s been a bit difficult finding the energy as we’re both tired from the journey and exhausted from the heat, but at least there’s blue skies for our pictures. Tomorrow may be a different story with some rain coming in, so stay tuned.
09/02/25- Another day, another timed ticket in the morning. This one is for the Galleria Borghese Museum and gardens at 11am. We’ve missed on previous trips and made sure to include this time around.
We eat our pastries for breakfast (that we purchased yesterday) and called an Uber around 10:30am. I am a bit nervous for a moment wondering how close one would be, but only took a few minutes and we arrive at the Borghese ten minutes early.
Upon entering the museum, we are asked to check our bags before continuing on. We oblige, get our check item number and proceed to the first room of the gallery. Wow! The room is decked out in marble from ceiling to floor with sculptures in every corner. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is definitely better.
We continue to the next room and it’s more of the same, with beautifully painted fresco on the ceiling and gold radiating throughout. Every attention to detail is present, including the elegant chairs and mosaic flooring. There’s even an elevator (have to ask the staff for assistance) to get to the upper floor.
After an hour of roaming, we take the stairs down to the first floor, grab our bags that are stored and proceed outside to find the secret gardens, however the area is blocked off. We ask two employees inside to assist and both say to walk around the building again. Not satisfied we ask a third person who states the entrance is back in the museum area in room #7. So, we check in our bags once more, walk through the maze of rooms and voila, the outside door actually exists. Luckily, the rain never came down and the sun is starting to shine, but the gardens are much smaller than what we thought. No worries, time to grab our bags again and call an Uber to our next place (Castel Sant Angelo).
This is another place we didn’t get a chance to see last time as they were closed the day we were in the area. We’re dropped off around the corner and immediately met with a view of the Vatican cathedral down the street. We then find the entrance, pay the 16 Euros per person and travel up a steep ramp to get to the main level. Ugh, why does every old building have to be a chore (sarcasm).
At first we didn’t know what to expect as we enter a room that appears to be a small museum, but once we go up the side steps we are greeted with a view of the surrounding area through the castle walls. Around the corridor we find a small restaurant with a view of the Vatican, so we park at a table and order pizza, sandwich and coke. Why am I being specific on this? Because when we receive the bill I find the small coke bottle actually cost more (6 Euros) than the two large slices of pizza (5 Euros). That’s how they get you, folks. All in all, the food is excellent and well worth the money.
Feeling nourished, we climb a flight of stairs to an open view area of the city and take more pictures as the sun peaks through the clouds. We are now fully satisfied with the day so far and very happy the weather held up. If anyone wants to know, Accuweather predicted the thunderstorms today while weather.com didn’t. So point scored for weather.com.
Before going to the hotel, we walk across the statue studded bridge and through a cute area of town lined with shops until we get to Piazza Navona (an oval shaped, open area built on the site of the 1st AD stadium of Domitian). Yes, I looked that up for your reading enjoyment. On one end is the Fountain of Four Rivers statue and in the middle a cathedral and obelisk looming over.
We buy some strawberry shakes, which quench our thirst perfectly, walk a few more minutes to the Pantheon and contemplate going in before seeing how long the line is to do so. This is the part where my legs scream at me to call an Uber and go back to the hotel. A fifteen minute car ride and a short stop at the next door café later, we are back at our hotel ready to get some much needed rest.
09/03/25- This will be our last full day in Rome, and there’s no better way to spend it than with a daytrip to Tivoli. We eat our breakfast and walk the ten minutes to Termini Train Station around 8:35am.
Initially, we get turned around going down into the metro area before realizing the train station is a bit further ahead. We rush to make sure we don’t miss our 9:03am train only to find it’s delayed and still waiting for a platform number. In fact, it doesn’t even arrive until several minutes past the time. All of us are waiting at the board and when the platform number is finally announced, it’s a mad rush to the train for the better seats. At least we know how this system works for when we are back here tomorrow.
The train takes around forty-five minutes with six stops and we are on our way to explore. Our first destination is toward Villa Gregoriana as it’s only six minutes away. When we reach the entrance we realize it’s a huge hiking area with waterfalls and trails (not something we want to kill our legs over at the moment), so we continue on.
Next up is the Temple of the Sybil. Nestled through a winding path of this medieval town, it’s quite interesting as we navigate the stone mason archways and dodge a few cars coming down the narrow corridors. Soon enough we see the temple columns looming overhead like it’s a hidden oasis overlooking the valley. Sadly, it seems to be blocked to enter with half of the grounds sectioned off by the local restaurant.
We continue walking toward Tivoli Cathedral, which is a bit of an uphill and downhill trek through the heart of town. When we arrive we find it eerily empty. Come to think of it the entire town seems to be pretty dead right now. Interesting.
We walk through the large, wooden door and are taken back by how elaborate it is inside. I mean, we’ve seen better cathedrals but I wasn’t expecting this in Tivoli to be honest. It becomes a great resting spot for us to rejuvenate our legs, spending a good half hour doing so. Side trick: when sitting down in a place that has marble floors, take off your shoes if possible and enjoy the cool, numbing sensation. It feels so good on sore feet.
Ready to tackle the rest of the day, we journey another ten minutes or so to Villa d’Este. This is the one thing here that has a ticket cost and looks pretty massive on the map. Upon entering the museum section, we soon see the vast hillside in the distance and a decent view of town. This has already become worth the money.
Soon, we are led downstairs to the garden and even more amazed over the lush green paths and splendid waterfalls thrown around. Upon getting a closer look, we notice one waterfall has a tunnel that wraps around the backside, allowing us to go completely behind it. We take turns snapping slow-motion videos of the falls as it trickles and sprays out into the fountain.
We then venture further down and walk the garden paths for a spell before climbing back up toward the main building, where we buy what we thought was an ice coffee but turns out to be mocha ice cream in a cup. It is good regardless. With our time complete, we jump on the trenitalia app to purchase the return train ticket to Rome and walk fifteen minutes to the station. On the way we find a large castle lurking almost out of place. It’s closed to the public so a picture is all we are able to get.
Finally, we reach the train station with still time to sit and relax. It takes roughly fifty minutes for the return journey and stumble into our hotel room ready for the day to be over. Overall, I’m pleased with our time here in Rome and happy to be able to find more interesting things to do that we missed before.
09/04/25- 5am wake up for our 6:57am train. We check out of the hotel (when I say check out I mean just leave the keycard in the room and leave quietly), and get an Uber to the train station. It’s only a ten minute walk but with luggage it feels like a ton.
Our train is ready for departing shortly after we arrive, however our tickets say we are to be in couch #9. Well problem, because the train only goes to #7. We ask an attendant who checks our ticket before she calls for her supervisor. This isn’t going to be good news I’m assuming. Sure enough, our train no longer goes to our destination of Cecina and somehow we were never notified of this.
As she fidgets through her electronic pad to find a solution I ask how close one of the stops is. Luckily it goes to Campiglia, which is only twenty minutes away from Cecina. I confirm if we can still take this train to there and then just hop on a regional train for the rest and she agrees that’ll be best. So, she gives us seat numbers and off we go. She is very nice about everything and apologies profusely for the trouble. Who says everyone in Europe is harsh?
It’s very quiet in the cabin for the two hour journey, allowing me to get some sleep here and there. When our stop arrives around 9:20am, we grab our luggage and look at the schedule for the next train (should be about 10am), but luck will have it, the earlier train is being delayed and due to come to the station in a few minutes. Nice! I knew it would work out.
The second train we basically just hopped on figuring if an attendant asks for our ticket then we’ll show them our original with an explanation if needed, but no one bothered us for the twenty minute ride. Of course the elevator is out at the station so have to lug both suitcases through the platforms, up and down stairs just to get outside. Whew! Already tired but survivable.
We have a car reserved for pickup from EuropCar, which is only a six minute walk but again with luggage feels daunting. We are provided a compact stick-shift, which I completely forgot I booked as I thought it would be an automatic, and then walk outside, pressing the unlock button several times before finding our car down the street. Beep, beep! Check!
Takes a few moments to get used to the manual transmission but this car is very easy to maneuver. Like riding a bike, I maneuver out of the parallel parking spot with map directions up ready to explore the town of Volterra.
The drive takes fifty minutes as we arrive around 11am. Parking is quite difficult to find around this walled town and have to drive for a bit before locating a spot near the small bus station. I try to pay for it using the app provided on the sign but nothing comes up, so hopefully our car will be okay for the day.
We venture up the long stairwell that leads to the outer walls of town and am met with a grand view of the castle as we enter the stone archway. It takes a few minutes to walk to the center where we see multiple shops, restaurants and churches laid out. The further we go in the more people surround us until at one point it starts to feel like a section of Disneyland. No joke! “Come to Medieval City land, where all your dreams come truish.”
Despite the crowd, it’s actually a pleasant walk around with great views of the surrounding landscapes and narrow passageways from the main strip. It’s a cute little town that seems lively and calm at the same time, if that’s a thing.
Winding through the streets, we come to Palazzo Pretorio and Palace of the Priors. These buildings are the base for the Twilight series books and movies for any fans out there, and you can pay 10 Euros to walk to the top of the palazzo for a view. We didn’t go up as 150 steps is not what we are looking for at the moment.
Around the corner, we find a nicely rated Italian restaurant and order carbonara with bruschetta. To be honest, the food is okay with the carbonara very yokey and bruschetta filled with toppings that resemble more of a delicacy than an actual meal. The portion is also very small, which suits us as we’re not big eaters anyhow.
Next on the list is the Roman theatre. It cost 10 Euros to enter these ruins and is a quick walk through from a distance (meaning we can’t enter the actual ruins area). As we go we notice people outside of the gated area taking pictures, so apparently this can be viewed from the city walls just as well for free. No matter, it’s something to do and we enjoy it.
This is where the tiredness creeps in as we decide to head back toward the car, with fingers crossed that it’s still there. As we climb back down the many steps to the parking area a spell of relief consumes me as I see our car, although with a ticket attached to it. Hey, I tried to pay.
The drive to our hotel in Guardistallo is just as nice through rolling hills and vineyards. We reach our hotel (Beatabb) around 3:30pm, find street parking and knock on the door without an answer. I search around for an intercom but none can be found, so I text the number I have on my reservation using WhatsApp. It takes ten minutes before I finally get a reply with check-in instructions, followed by an apology that she didn’t have my information earlier to forward this to. Hey, I’m just happy we made it in one piece.
Once we get to our room (and of course there are two flights of steps) we notice the enchanting view of the hills and town outside our window. We rest for several hours, mainly waiting for everything to open back up as it seems many are closed for a long siesta until 6pm. That’s when I make my way through town to get a margherita pizza and notice the lively atmosphere in the town center. What a unique and simply way to live, with so much charm and beauty surrounding it’s no wander Tuscany is a favorite place for many to travel to. Especially with this sunset… Amazing!
09/05/25- An actual full night’s sleep makes me feel well rested, and I begin the day by getting breakfast from the hotel. There are not many choices, mainly breads, croissants and muffins but it’s enough to satisfy the morning hunger.
At 10:30am we drive to the wine town of Bulgari for our personalized reservation at Azienda Chiappini, one of the largest wine producers in the area. It starts off with the hostess sitting us down to get to know us, which is very thoughtful. Soon after we are given a tour of the vineyards as she explains the varietals they have and the history. Apparently, they were one of the first winemakers in the region of Bulgari which sparked it to grow to its enormous size today.
We continue the tour into the cellar where we are able to see the French oak barrels stored, along with how they bottle and label. The icing on the cake is when we’re ushered to the back to see the workers dumping the freshly picked grapes from the vines into the crushing machine. I’ve never been on a wine tour that’s been so elaborate with their production and very much enjoyed the experience.
The hostess then takes us to the upper floor that has a tremendous view of the property. The large shudders give it a magical feel as if opening up to another world. We even met the owner for a brief moment which is a nice touch, even though he didn’t speak much English.
Lastly, we go back outside to enjoy our including tastings. They serve us two whites and three reds each and all are smooth and refreshing. We had to buy at least one bottle before leaving and chose the Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Sangiovese blend.
The tour last two hours total and once complete we eat our pastries that we brought from the hotel before traveling down the tall tree-lined road to the next winery, Guado al Tasso. This is more of a restaurant/wine tasting place which is perfect for us at the moment. After searching through their list we each order a glass and I buy an awesome bottle of sweet Chianti wine.
It’s now pushing 3pm and we prefer to utilize the rest of the day to rest at the hotel, but not before grabbing some burgers on the way back. What a great day. The weather is near perfect with blue, clear skies and we are so thankful to be able to enjoy this experience.
09/06/25- Second day in Bolgari and it begins with a knock at our door around 8am. I barely get out of bed to find the hostess frantically telling me that I need to move our car as tree trimmers are here. In a daze, I put on clothes and park down the street (albeit around the corner and down a hill). At least I’m able to pick up the hotel provided breakfast on the way back to the room.
We leave for our scheduled winery tour at 10:30am, giving us some time to take photos along the way. I just can’t get over how awesome this area is. Vineyards, hilltop towns, green everywhere, you name it.
We arrive at Le Macchiole at 11:15am and start our personalized tour of the vineyards, but I can’t help but be distracted by the picture frame view of the vineyards and let my camera rip away. I mean, we did already hear about the history yesterday on another tour but did my best not to be rude about it. I also can’t help but notice the lush color of the grapes on the vines which adds so much to the aura.
Just like the other vineyard, the hostess takes us on a tour of their winemaking process, from the grapes being destemmed to the barrel room. It’s quite interesting to see how their process is different from the other winery and how many options they have with just one varietal.
The tasting room is very comfortable where we are presented with two reds. The first being 25 Euros for a table wine and second being 110 Euros for their flagship library wine. As most likely Sharece will drink this on the trip, and not store it for ten plus years, we opted for the cheaper bottle.
With the first place done, we are recommended to eat lunch Trattoria Aurelia not far away. We order the best bruschetta and parmesan tortellini we’ve had so far and for a reasonable price. Highly recommend, although they do close at 2pm for several hours.
Now it’s time for our next scheduled tour at Terre del Marchesato. This one is a bit different than the others as we are part of a small group instead of by ourselves, but didn’t mind the extra company. We start off with the hostess talking to us about their vineyard in the direct heat, which we didn’t understand why not in the shade at first, but soon after we see the vine picking vehicle roar down the row and realize we are getting a first-hand peak at the harvest process. Wow, so very cool.
We then are treated to the picking of the grapes as they move from the truck and into the crushing machine. They allow us to taste them fresh from the vines and it’s so sweet, I could definitely eat a whole bowl.
The tasting consists of four wines (normally three but Sharece got an extra 100% Cab Sauv and I got a taste of their sweet wine). We bought two more bottles and now have no idea how we are going to get them home. Looks like we’re drinking them on the trip.
The wine tasting part of our trip in Tuscany is now at an end, but it’s a magical experience that I’m very happy with. I was concerned with only being able to reserve times instead of just walking in but the tours made the difference in these family owned vineyards. But now it’s time for the twenty plus minute drive back to our hotel in Guardistallo.
Before calling it a night, we venture out one last time to view the sunset and have dinner. The pasta is of very small portions, the outside table is not very pleasant with the wind gusting, and the glasses for our drinks say IKEA on the bottom; however, it’s an experience none-the-less and a good way to end our day.
09/07/25- A week into our trip and we can’t be happier with how it’s turned out so far. Everything is flowing smoothly and pretty much like clockwork, with even the problems that come about resolved very quickly.
We sit down for our breakfast at 8am before packing the rental car to return to Pisa airport. You heard right, we have to drive fifty minutes to drop it off as it’s the only rental car place open on Sunday. We arrive by 9:30am, get the okay from the attendant that all is good with the car and then look for a way to get to the train station. Unfortunately, it appears we need to take the shuttle to the airport first for that (at least it’s free).
From the airport, we walk a short ways to have an Uber take us to Pisa Centrale, which cost 28 Euros for only an eight minute drive. It beats lugging everything on a bus that’s for sure. From here we wait almost two hours for our train to Santa Marguerita Ligure.
On the train, we both have window seats facing each other and have it to ourselves for the first few stops before a man sits down next to me in the aisle seat. Almost immediately he starts coughing and I can smell the cigar breath on him. With no other seats to take, I keep my head toward the window that luckily has AC blowing right at my face, and a view.
It takes a total of ten stops (two hours) and we are in SML. Upon exiting the station we don’t see a taxi area (only a bus stop) and Uber apparently doesn’t go in this area. With our AirBnb being about ten minutes away we decide to just walk it with our luggage. Yes it is hot, but it’s mostly flat or slightly downhill so nothing too grueling. Sharece also handles herself very well and I’m thoroughly impressed.
We arrive at our place, get the key from the lock box and instantly we are very happy with our choice. There’s stairs to maneuver, which sucks with luggage, but it’s a full apartment with kitchen, two bedrooms, a loft and a great view. Best of all, the AC works perfectly. Score!
Spending an hour getting situated, we gather our bearings and head back out to see the town. Villa Durazzo is first on our list with about a ten minute walk that takes us up some stairs and a hillside. Interesting enough, our legs handle it pretty well.
Upon entering the grounds, we see the church first and walk in to find it decorated for a wedding. Then we continue through the statue-lined garden (that has an excellent view of the water) and into the villa house.
The cost is only 5.50 Euros per person and quite interesting as it transports you back in time. Built in 1678, the villa was the summer residence of the Durazzo family, and it seems much of the original artwork and furniture remain.
After exiting, we follow the path down the hill to Castello di Santa Margherita Ligure. Dating to the 16th century, this fortress was meant to defend against raids on the town. It’s very small (literally just a tiny tower overlooking the water) but the views of the entire town are well worth it.
Now that we have a feel for the town, we continue our walk near the main strip outlining the sea to find food and a souvenir. Unfortunately many places seem to be closed for a few more hours, but we are able to find a pizza place open and order a large margherita with garlic. I mean when in Santa Margherita you have to get a margherita pizza, right?
We close the day off with a stopover at a local grocery store so we can cook our own food for the next few days (you know because we have a kitchen) and plan out our time for tomorrow. Suppose to be cloudy in the morning with rain coming in the days after so hoping that all doesn’t damper our itinerary. We’ll see how it goes and may have to adjust on the fly.
09/08/25- Our train to Cinque Terre (which means “the five lands”) leaves at 10am and takes an hour and a half including a twenty minute stop half way through. We actually leave the train at that stop not realizing the rest of the journey is on the same train (as the remaining journey is under a new train number).
The first town we arrive at is Vernazza. We are let off the train in a tunnel, which throws us for a loop at first, and follow the crowd to the upper part of town. The weather is fair with the clouds covering most of the sunlight, but we can still see the vibrant colors of the buildings as we make our way down to the water.
After finding a souvenir, we see the church and venture inside. There’s not much going on with it and filled with numerous tourists, perhaps just escaping the humidity.
Then we walk around the boats to capture the view of the town from the furthest point we can go without jumping into the water. This is where the sun begins to peek through the clouds every so often, which really brings out the colors.
Next up is Doria Castle, which is only a few minutes walk but many stairs to climb. Sharece stays back while I power through to the top for a higher view. It cost 2 Euros to enter (credit card accepted) and basically it’s a single tower with a winding staircase. The views are excellent, much better than I expected.
It’s now 12:30pm and we originally thought about taking a ferry over to the next town, but the next one doesn’t leave for another two hours. We decide to take the train instead (since it’s only a 12 minute journey and half the price).
The second town on the list is Riomaggiore (dating back to the thirteenth century). After leaving the train station, we are led down a half kilometer long tunnel to reach the town. Once there, we have to work our way down a cave like stairwell before finally reaching the base. I’m already seeing the jog back to the station will be an interesting one if we need to catch our return train quickly.
We climb a small amount of stairs while dodging the mass amount of people (I swear this place is a huge tourist trap, I don’t even know how this town can sustain it all). On the other side is the sea wall full of large boulders that I climb down upon to get a very nice shot of the town. Sharece hangs back and catches a picture of me lying down on the job. It’s much more peaceful out here.
Now that everything is done on what we want to do, we check the train schedule to return to Santa Margherita Ligure and see they have a faster one leaving soon (only forty-five minutes and six stops as opposed to the 1.5 hours). Using the train app, we purchase our two tickets. There is some thought to check out the other towns (Manarola, Corniglia [lots of stairs] and Monterosso [beach town]) , but honestly we are quite done so two out of five isn’t bad.
We are very happy to have our AirBnb at SML compared to the smaller towns and opt to stay in and rest for the remainder of the day. Tomorrow the thunderstorms start, but if there’s a window we may venture out.
09/09/25- I wake up to the sound of thunder rolling outside. Thankfully, we have nothing to do this morning and able to sleep in. We check the weather and see it should clear up around 1pm, so we decide to go ahead with our Portofino plans.
Our hot water stopped working yesterday and our AirBnb host stops by this morning to check it out. Unfortunately, the issue is broader than what she can handle and calls a maintenance person that won’t be here until later. Good thing is, we ask about how we can call a taxi for the day we leave and she offers to take us herself. Wow, didn’t expect that and greatly appreciate the hospitality.
Shortly after noon we notice the rain beginning to let up. I check the ferry schedule and see a 1:15pm time that goes to Portofino so we get ready for our day out hoping the weather holds up. It takes ten minutes to walk to the port (everywhere here seems to take ten minutes), purchase our tickets and take a few photos around the pier before we embark.
The rain sprinkles just a bit, but the humidity is warm enough for me to discard my beanie and sweater. Now I’m starting to second guess wearing jeans.
The ferry takes only fifteen minutes with some pretty cool views of the town and surrounding hills, and the closer we get to Portofino the more the sun comes out illuminating the colors of the buildings perfectly. Excellent timing if I do say so myself.
We disembark with full sun and immediately make our way up the hill toward the church and castle just in case the weather turns again. The church is nice from the outside but completely under restoration on the inside, but the real treat is behind the church where there’s a cemetery on a cliff overlooking the water.
The castle on the other hand is a hike away and not something we are looking at doing, so we opt to go back down to port. Not sure where to go, we check out the shops and find some souvenirs (including a real nice Portofino handbag for Sharece. She’s worth every penny).
With our stomachs rumbling, we search the restaurants for a place to settle down, weeding through the high end ones charging 50 Euros for an appetizer. We decide on getting a margherita pizza, but just as it arrives at our table the guy behind me lights up a cigarette. Doing my best to deal with the nuisance, a prissy looking lady with two dogs sits at the table in front of me. Before I can even tell Sharece that this looks like trouble, she asks the guy smoking a cigarette for a light and suddenly I have two of them practically blowing smoke in my face. I immediately flag the waiter to have our order to go. I don’t care if the restaurant caters to smokers, just be considerate about it and don’t treat my hair like an ashtray.
Checking the time, we are close to the next ferry back to SML, so we eat our pizza in the shade by the water before boarding. Another fifteen minute journey and ten minute walk later we are back at our AirBnb (with a quick stop in between for food for tomorrow), just in time to have the handyman arrive to fix the hot water. Not sure what is done but it works now and happy to have the rest of the night to ourselves to relax.
Side note: The clouds came back after we arrived back to the AirBnb, almost as if the sun came out just for us today.
09/11/25- Yesterday was a complete rest day for us. It was suppose to thunderstorm the entire day but it didn’t rain at all. Very strange. Our AirBnb host also is giving us a 50 Euro refund due to the inconvenience of the hot water (we didn’t even ask for it), so that’s a positive.
I look out the window and I am very happy to see blue skies again. Should be a great day to explore a new city, but first we have to get there. Our host picks us up at 10:30am to drop us off at the train station. There’s about a half hour wait before we board and once we do there’s no place to store luggage. I mean zero! I find a one seat row and throw everything into that space, and luckily after the first stop, the seats around it free up for us to move right next to our bags.
It takes ten stops and forty-five minutes before we get out at Genoa, look for a taxi and arrive at our hotel (So&Leo) around 12:30pm. We zoom up the elevator to the 9th floor and our host greets us with our room ready (which originally wasn’t going to be until 2pm).
We don’t stay long as we’re anxious to see the sights, so we take the elevator down, step outside into the warm sun and start our journey toward the San Lorenzo Cathedral. While making our way toward the church we realize it’s closed for another hour plus, so we deviate toward Piazza de Ferrari (which is the main square of Genoa). This open area boasts a beautiful fountain with palace-like buildings surrounding it on all sides.
We venture into one of the buildings with elaborate columns and quickly realize there may be a view from the second floor. We locate an elevator and sure enough, through a shudder window, we see the entire plaza from above.
Continuing our stroll, we arrive at the house of Christopher Columbus. We don’t pay to enter as it’s a recreation of it (since the original was knocked down quite a long time ago), but the cloisters next to it are interesting to relax at for a spell.
The Porta Soprana is literally on the other side and is the main towered gate to the city of Genoa since the 12th century. It’s under restoration and not open to the public, but what an awesome find. With some time left, we choose this time to get some burgers (as we haven’t eaten since breakfast) and once 3pm rolls around we head over to San Lorenzo Cathedral.
I’m happy we saved this to do now because there are 125 plus steps to get to the top for the viewpoint of the city. Somehow Sharece makes it through, and luckily there’s a mid-way point that opens up to the upper floor of the inside of the cathedral. So far so good.
Continuing up the stairs, we reach the top that overlooks the roof and enjoy the nice, cool breeze. Even Sharece admits that the climb was well worth the view. Unfortunately, this takes a toll on her body.
After descending back down, we check out the cathedral a bit more with its black and white stripes layered throughout and dome ceiling. But that is all we can muster before walking the five minutes back to our hotel.
Side Note: There are many small alleyways around this area, where one can get easily turned around. There was a point where we weren’t sure if we should venture down as it was dark and deserted, but no problem getting through in the end. This city does have a strange attraction to Elvis for whatever reason.
09/12/25- Where has the time gone? Almost two weeks into the trip and I can feel everything start to slow down a bit. Our bodies are wearing out from all the stairs but we are still excited to explore another day.
We leave the hotel around 10:30am and walk ten minutes to Palazzo Reale. Built in 1618 for the Balbi family it’s one of the grandest of palaces in Genoa. Of course we are immediately met with stairs to take us to the top floor, and once there, we see how elaborate the place really is.
Room after room is decked out with chandeliers and ceiling murals that make us gasp. And then there’s the hall of mirrors which completely takes us by surprise. More rooms follow with each one more tantalizing than the last.
From open foyers and thrones to bedrooms, I feel instantly teleported back in time trying to get a grasp of how it must have been to live in such a lively palace. The museum (as they call it) only covers one floor but the 12 Euro ticket allows entry to another palace we’ll visit later.
A few minutes down the road we run into the Sontissimo Annunziata del Vastato basilica (mouthful). This church is quite large and free to enter, but I begin to notice Sharece not being herself. Turns out the stairs at the palace drained her and she needs to go back to the hotel. We sit down to rest and recollect our thoughts before deciding that I will continue on alone. I’m not the happiest about this, but this is our last day in Genoa and Sharece insists. What am I supposed to do… not go?
We say our goodbyes for the moment and I start my walk toward Belvedere Castelleto. My GPS says 11 minutes but I see a shortcut through the car tunnel ahead, so I trot along without any worry that I’m steering Sharece the wrong direction.
Half way through the tunnel I see double doors that bring me to an elevator, which looks and sounds like an old time, wooden one, and low-and-behold it brings me exactly to where I need to go with a grand viewpoint of the city. Now it’s not as great as the one yesterday on top of the cathedral but it’s something.
I make my way down the hill and pass Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) for a quick photo before getting a text from Sharece that she has the key to get into the building but not our room key. Oof! I’m only five minutes away so I attempt to come back only to get another text that our hotel host is able to let her in. Ok, staying out a little longer it seems now.
I then venture over to Palazzo Spinola which is the one included in the first ticket purchased earlier. This is a smaller palace turned into an art museum. It also has a few floors to walk up so I’m happy Sharece didn’t have to power through this.
I return back to the hotel for a bit to unwind and spend time with my honey. That little bit turns into several hours of watching a show and waiting until sunset to see the pier. Unfortunately the sun is hidden by the clouds the entire time, but still able to enjoy the walk, see a pirate ship and get some food.
09/13/25- It’s an early start to our day as our train leaves around 9am. Luckily there’s a taxi stand just outside our building that takes us straight to the station, because a 16 minute walk would not have been fun. Did I mention they don’t have Uber?
Our train leaves on time and I’m wedged between the window and the passenger in the aisle the entire two hour journey. Why do they have the rows facing each other with strangers for the entire coach car? It just don’t make no sense.
After a 15 minute pit stop at the Italy/France border station of Vermillion, we hop onto the next train without tickets purchased. Why you ask? Because I tried to pay for this part of the journey beforehand and wouldn’t let me. It’s just 30 minutes on a regional train to Monaco (yeah a new country) so no biggie, although I do wonder for a moment as police come down the aisle asking random people for their passports. We are not picked.
Train lets out in a tunnel and we have no idea which direction to go, so we follow where everyone else is, take multiple sideways escalators that resemble an airport and finally exit outside only to notice we are a 16 minute walk from our AirBnb when it should have been only about six minutes. It’s also straight uphill. Nah, there has to be a taxi around here somewhere.
We push our bags to the street with no taxi in sight, we continue walking down toward the water for about ten minutes before we finally see a taxi stand and wait another ten minutes for one to show up. Turns out to be 25 Euros for the ride, but it beats lugging everything up stairs. The taxi is also a Tesla which is quite interesting.
Following the email instruction from our AirBnb host, we locate the key in the lockbox and enter the main doorway only to find that our place is on the top level. We are talking four flights of steps without an elevator to bring our luggage up. Somehow, I muster just enough energy to do just that and rewarded with a full on apartment.
Plenty of space, with a kitchen, living room, separate bedroom and air conditioning that cools us off quickly. Also, the view outside is not so bad either. Still, a first floor place wouldn’t have been so bad either.
The weather is not the best with spots of rain and cloudy skies so we check our itinerary to see what we could do that doesn’t involve an outdoor activity. We find one in the Prince’s Car Collection and have just over an hour before it closes, so no time to waste.
We walk six minutes to the train station entrance (which is different than where we were let out earlier) and quickly realize that this station has multiple escalators and elevators that take us near the water. If only we knew this coming in as we must have turned the wrong way before.
It’s difficult to be in picture mode when the skies are so gloomy, but we manage to cross the street to the port area and enter the Car Collection Museum. This place is fascinating as it has all types of vehicles from concept cars in the early years to F1 racers. Jay Leno would be proud. There are also two floors, enough to keep me interested throughout.
So, at least we did something today, got the lay of the land, saw the Monaco race track and finish with a trip to the grocery store for food over the course of the next few days. Tomorrow should be better weather so can’t wait to venture out more.
09/14/25- We get off to a late start this morning as we needed the rest. Slept in, ate breakfast and didn’t go out until 12:30pm.
The skies are a nice blue today giving us a much different impression of Monaco than before. Interestingly, it’s not very hot outside as we navigate down the hill toward the port. There’s no way we’re going to go back up to our AirBnb this way later.
Once at the water, we take the long road up to the Prince’s Palace (which is located on what they call the Rock). Here we see the yachts at Port Hurcule and have a great view of the town. When we finally reach the top we arrive just in time to see the changing of the guards.
With tickets already in hand, we go through security (which is pretty lax) and take our time strolling through each room and taking in the more modern touches thrown into this centuries old palace built in 1191.
Next, we continue down the path to the Cathedral of Monaco. This church holds the remains of many of the royal family including Princess Grace Kelly. A real piece of art that resembles London’s Westminster Abbey.
The old town on the Rock is quite crowded (understandably so with the nice weather and it being a weekend), so we scurry through, take in a few more views and then go back down the hill.
Feeling a bit adventurous, we then decide to walk toward the Exotic Garden, which shows to have a complete panoramic view of the city. Unfortunately for us there are tons of stairs to maneuver which we didn’t realize when we started. The climb becomes very daunting with each step, but the GPS says eight minutes so we trust that for now.
Apparently we didn’t factor in how much rest time we’d need as it soon becomes around thirty minutes to get to the gardens only to find that it’s temporarily closed. We knew this may be the case coming in and are still able to get some photos from nearby, but not exactly to our liking.
Seeing that there’s another scenic spot about ten minutes further, we make our way up and find it to be what we’re looking for, although still not perfect as there’s a big building in our way. We do cross the Monaco/France border so that’s pretty cool.
Now it’s time to go back to our AirBnb, only problem is we don’t want to scale the hills for the fifteen minute walk back. Instead, we head down the same steps we took to get up here so we can take the lift up at the train station. Neither of us realized that this decision would kill Sharece’s back to the point of actual tears half way down. We do make it to our AirBnb in one piece but not without some battle scars. She even cooks homemade spaghetti. She is such a trooper.
09/15/25- My body is almost done with this trip. I feel the last few days of stairs have really taken its toll and now I’m wishing I would’ve planned Monaco better. Case in point, this morning we wanted to go to Monte Carlo Casino (world famous James Bond one). I thought we had until 1pm to take the tour of the gaming area before they open to the public (as they don’t allow photos during those hours), but apparently they close this off at noon.
With us already being dressed up, we decide to go anyway to at least take some photos around the casino and see what else we’re able to do. It takes thirteen minutes walking in the shade and bam, what a nice looking building.
We go inside and it’s confirmed that we can’t tour the place today as it’s passed the time. Will just have to come back tomorrow before we leave on our train. I am able to get some pretty cool photos from inside the atrium though.
I was hoping to spend some more time here but there really isn’t anything to do. So we pass the high end shops and walk along the port (this time from the Monte Carlo side). The wind is pleasant but the sun is fully out and starting to bake, and I’m dressed in pants and a button shirt.
It’s a long 18 minute walk but we arrive at L’Orangerie Distillery. Sharece immediately heads for the restroom to freshen up as I stay outside in the breeze. Didn’t realize the heat would be so brutal today. After about five minutes, we ask for a tasting and surprisingly enough it’s free.
We try three of their spirits with each one almost better than the last. The alcohol content on them is from 24% to 40% but the orange one is by far the best so we buy a bottle. Again, unsure how this will work bringing it home due to our weight but that’s another day’s problem.
Finally cooled off and liquored up, we take the underground train passage back to our AirBnb and cook a pizza. Later, after 8pm, I head back to the casino to capture some night shots. The walk there is smooth but the uphill on the way back is grueling. The photos are worth it though.
Side note: Sharece is now getting sick with a stuffy nose. It’s probably only a matter of time before I catch it too. The flight home in a few days may not be the best.
09/16/25- This is our last full day of the trip before we fly home. Our check-out time is 10am and it’s time to lug our bags down the four flights of steps again. I am not looking forward to this at all, but at least the view is nice from our window.
We take it slow down the steps, one bag at a time, and then see the cleaning lady already waiting for us on the dot. So when they say 10am they mean 10am. Got it. We make it to the train station, relax for a few moments before realizing the boards are not working that suppose to show what platform our train is on. We stroll over to the tracks and see several people waiting on one so we gamble that this will be our train, and at 10:20am it rolls in.
We find an empty handicap compartment which helps with our luggage and watch the scenery outside the window as we zoom in and out of tunnels. It takes seven stops before we arrive in Nice near the airport. We exit the train and realize the wait for the elevator is pretty long. Either way, I’m not doing any more stairs. Once we are at the top, there’s another elevator wait to go down… then at the station itself there’s one more. Geez, this is the “airport” stop, don’t you think catering to people with luggage is essential?
Good thing is, our hotel (Ibis Aeroport) is only a few minutes walk away. We arrive before check-in time but only have to wait about ten minutes before our room is ready… and boy is it small. It does have a view of the airport.
With our legs tired and Sharece not feeling well, we aren’t sure what to do today. But she didn’t want our last day to be spent in the hotel so we call an Uber to take us into town. And yes, this place has Uber unlike the last several where it would’ve helped tremendously.
It takes us to the base of Castle Hill where we fortunately find an elevator to the top, because there are a ton of stairs to scale this thing. Just around the corner we are met with a beautiful view of the entire beach and town of Nice.
Now to brave the heat for a spell as we manage to take the stairs down the hill and into Old Town Nice which is a block away. Here is where we find refuge with the shade. It’s been years since we’ve been to this area (over thirteen) and for whatever reason we really enjoy it better this time. Perhaps it’s an age thing, or the fact that we are just tired and prefer the slow walk through small streets.
Around the corner we come to Nice Cathedral which has stood since 1650. It’s interesting to see where churches here spend their money. Some toward their ceiling frescos, others for the stained-glass, and this one with their huge pipe organ.
A few hours are enough to enjoy another city and we call an Uber to take us toward the airport. Before going back to the hotel, we pick up a few items from the grocery store and sit down at a restaurant that literally makes the best burger we’ve had around.
09/17/25 and 09/18/25- Our flight home doesn’t take off until 1pm, so we check out at 10am and walk across the street to the airport. Of course the sickness is hitting me now so this will be an interesting journey.
We drop off our bags at the counter, go through security and customs, and try to find seating in a crowded terminal near our gate. The only place seems to be close to the smoking section which keeps leaking the cigarette smell throughout. Who in their freaking mind would design something like this? I could never live here.
Our plane boards on time and of course I am surrounded by a large group from Philly who are all yelling at each other from their seats to talk. I really hope this doesn’t last throughout the flight because my head can’t handle this. Sure enough, once we take off it quiets down as I settle in for sleep.
Eight and a half hours later, we arrive to rain in Philadelphia and our first leg complete. We go through US customs, which is easy with the app, grab our bags to recheck them and find our next gate with time to spare. For whatever reason the gate’s AC is extremely cold and this doesn’t do well for my achy body.
This second flight is not bad, except for the screaming baby behind me the entire five hours. It’s not until we are an hour out of San Diego that the captain announces San Diego airport is closed and turning back toward Dallas. Ummm wha wha whaaat!
So, we land in Dallas, get a hotel (Motel 6) and food vouchers for the night, and sleep for about four hours before we get up and do this whole thing again at 6am. Now the sickness is really hitting so I’m drugging myself up.
It’s a long three hours but we finally land in San Diego, collect our bags, grab an Uber and fall into our home just as my sickness completely takes over and knocks me out.
END OF BLOG