OUR DREAM TRIP TO ITALY

Going to Italy and the comune, Alvito, where my father was born has been my lifelong dream. It has finally come true, and what a beautiful trip it was. After 2 attempts at traveling to Italy, we have finally done it. The first trip was to be Sept. 16, 2001 and was cancelled because of 9/11. It was then rescheduled for May 19, 2002. This too had to be cancelled because I was scheduled for surgery for throat cancer. We finally departed from Detroit Metro Airport in the afternoon of Sept. 2 and arrived in Frankfort, Germany early on Sept. 3, 2003.

Venice

After a scheduled 4-hour layover we finally arrived in Venice in the early afternoon. On arrival at the airport we were met by an escort and went by water taxi to the Carlton Hotel & Grand Canal . After settling in we had an orientation meeting where we met the other people on the tour as well Barbara , our guide. She explained some of the things that we would be doing after which we walked as a group to the Trattoria Antica Besseta for dinner. Wonderful food.

After breakfast at the hotel, Barbara led us to the boat that took us to the Ferro & Lazzarino Glass Factory on the island of Murano where we saw masters making glass items. Beautiful things such as: Vases, angels and a stallion standing on it’s hind legs supported by it’s tail. After watching the glass blowers, we were shown some of the items that had been made at the factory.

 We took the boat to St. Mark’s Square and Barbara introduced us to Antonella Bellini who took us on a walking tour of Venice, to the Basilica of San Marco , the Bridge of Sighs , St. Mark’s Square and the Doges’ Palace . Here we were given Whispers, this is a receiver that is worn and the guide has a transmitter that enables her to explain to us what we are seeing and there is no need to be talking loudly or for us to be right there with her. This is very nice if you are in a crowd or in a church, you are still able to hear the guide’s commentary.
We then took a gondola ride thru the canals of Venice with some others on the tour. There was a singer and accordion player on the gondola with the tour’s newlywed couples (Annie & Jeff and Jennifer & Chris). We had lunch with Marion & Lee and Jeff & Annie at Kori Grill Pizzeria. We walked back to the hotel with Barbara and on the way she showed us a very nice place to have dinner that evening. Later we took a waterbus ride where we watched the sunset over Venice. We then went to dinner at Ostaria al Vecio Pozzo, the restaurant that had been recommended by Barbara.
Padua
After breakfast at the hotel, Barbara introduced us to Salvatore who would be our bus driver for the tour. We took the bus to Padua where we saw the Basilica of St. Anthony .
Pisa
Then on to Pisa, the Leaning Tower and Bapistery. Here we ran into friends, Jim and Barb Grove that we knew were going to Italy. We did not expect to see them, quite a surprise. On the way to Florence, we stopped for a wonderful Tuscan dinner at a farm in the countryside the I Tre Pini .This was wonderful; there was a buffet style hors d’oeuvres table, followed by a meal served to us. Wine was served in great abundance, which is typical of Italy. Here we sat with the two newly wed couples and all of us had a great time. There was an accordion player and a singer that strolled among the tables. The vocalist had a wonderful voice and would sing anything we requested. Then it was on to Florence and the Sheraton Hotel .
Florence
Today Barbara introduced us to our guide for the day Cindy Nesti . She took us sightseeing at the Academia, to see Michelango’s David , then to the Duomo (note the people near the top of the dome) and then on to the Baptistery, Signoria Square , Ponte Vecchio , an old bridge with shops on it. Then Barbara took us to the Misuri Leather Guild where we saw a demonstration of gold leaf stamping on leather. We saw some fine leather products and I purchased a belt and Nan got a wallet and some bookmarks. All were personalized with gold leaf. We also went to a jewelry outlet for those who wanted to buy jewelry.

 Dinner this evening was at the Otello restaurant. Here we were served samples, if that’s what you want to call it – it was all you could eat. There were Italian sausages, lamb, chicken, rabbit, fried eggplant, of course pasta, bread and salad. There was also a great abundance of wines. When our meal was complete there was a full bottle of Chianti left at our table. I asked Barbara if it could be taken with us to our hotel, she said, “yes”. Jeff had a cork and we put it on the bottle and took it with us. We invited the two newlywed couples (Annie & Jeff, Jennifer & Chris) to our room along with Marion & Lee to enjoy the wine. At this time we found out that Annie & Jeff live about 2 blocks from our nephew and his wife, Matt & Jen, in Denver.
Siena
Time to depart Florence for Siena and Rome and as we do we stop at Michelangelo Square and on to the walled city of Siena for another oriented tour with our Siena guide, Lucia Coppi. Here in the piazza each year they have a horse race called Palio. The winner has bragging rights for the year. This comune still follows many customs of the Middle Ages. After the bareback horse race in the town piazza the winning community will march through town with banners, flags and drums showing their pride . This is for them and their community, not for the tourists. A tourist was videotaping and one of the flag bearers gently pushed the camera away so as not to be filmed.
Rome
Then it was on to Rome where we had a problem with the air on the bus. Seeing that it was a rather warm day, we stopped along the way for a rest stop, one of Barbara’s ‘technical stops’. We were also waiting for another bus to replace ours. So out came a bottle of wine and some biscotti for all of us to share and we sat on the lawn and just enjoyed. While in Rome we stayed at the Hotel Polantino . Dinner was at the hotel when we arrived. Then to bed for a good night’s rest in preparation for our tour of Rome.

After breakfast, we met our guide Paolo for a tour of ancient Rome, the Forum , Coliseum and the Arch of Constantine . We ate lunch at the hotel and then in the afternoon Nan & I took the optional walking tour with Paolo, to the Piazzas and the Spanish Steps , many of us climbed them and that’s where we met Marion & Lee. From there we went on to Piazza Novona and the Trevi fountain where we made a wish . Then Anne and Jeff, Marion and Lee, and Nan and I went to have pizza and wine at a small café near the fountain, then back to the hotel.

 In the morning we were once again with Paulo as our guide. We visited the Vatican and saw Swiss guards , the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica . Here we were supplied with “Whispers” once again.

 Tonight we went to a dinner and an Operetta. The singers had some of the diners on stage to assist them, just ask Rena ! Upon completion of the operetta, many of us started dancing and all had a good time . After dinner we had a night tour of Rome.

Allora, this is the end of our tour and we are supposedly now on our own, but Barbara tells us to return to the hotel after we pick up our rental car so we can follow the bus out of Rome and to our exit on the autostrada. We find our way back to the hotel and almost attach the nose of our car to the bumper of the bus. When we make a “technical stop” we say our goodbyes and gratefully thank Salvatore & Barbara for helping us get out of Rome and to our exit safely. There those taking the extended tour to Sorrento and Capri continue on as we head for San Donato Val di Commino.
Alvito
Then on to San Donato Val Di Commino and the Villa Grancassa Hotel . We had lunch at the hotel and rested. We then drove to Alvito just to look around and see the comune. Upon returning to the hotel, I called my cousin Rachelle and because of the language barrier was unable to communicate with her other than to let her know who we are.

After breakfast, we talked to Anna at the desk (she spoke and understood some English) and we asked if she would call my cousin Rachele. As a result, Rachele and her daughter Rita drove to our hotel after introductions we followed them to Alvito, stopping first at the cemetery where our ancestors are buried. After about 2 hours at the cemetery, we continued on to Rita’s and met her two sons Enrico Maria and Pier Mattia . After talking, showing them pictures and giving them gifts, we went to Rachele’s casa, for lunch. And what a lunch! . . . Pasta, sausage, beef, wines, salad, fruit and pastries, more wine and liqueurs. There were many there, including Rachele’s husband Orfeo , and Rita’s husband Bonaventura and many Paolacci cousins . After lunch we talked about our relatives both in Alvito and the U. S.

After a short nap at the hotel, we returned to Rachele’s for pizza and more talk about our ancestors. Rachele lives in “ Casa Paolacci ” (the door to the left), which has been in the Paolacci family for over 400 years. With this in mind as I lay in bed at our hotel that night, I had a hard time falling asleep while thinking about the fact that not only my father was in this casa, but my grandmother, great-grandfather and many other ancestors were born in this casa. I still have a hard time trying to fathom this fact. It is so unbelievable especially when here in the states many buildings are torn down because they are 50 or 100 years old or less.

The next morning we met Rita at her casa and drove to Sora to do some shopping since there are not any large shops in Alvito. Rita took us on a route where we could see Alvito from the bottom of the valley. In Sora, my sister Marion bought some shoes. We walked around Sora and just viewed the sights in town. On returning to Alvito, Rita took us to Lake Posta Fibreno which has a with a floating island in it.

Then it was off to Rachele’s for lunch (seems like we are doing a lot of eating). For lunch, we had rizzoti with eggs and cheese, chicken, peas, eggplant, spinach, fruit, wine, wild strawberry liqueur (very, very good). As you enter Rachele’s casa, you are in the dinning room, off to one side is a small sitting room. As you go beyond the dinning room you enter the kitchen and next to that is a large walk-in pantry. There is a large window in the pantry, about 4 feet high, from here you can step out onto a veranda and look over the valley below Alvito. This was just a beautiful sight.

After checking out of Villa Grancassa Hotel, the four of us planned on going to the lake in Posta Fibreno. To get to the lake we had to drive through Alvito. Here to our amazement in the piazza, we discovered vendors selling everything from cheeses and sausages to linens, shoes and bras. You name it and one of them had what you were looking for. So we stopped and browsed. It was market day. After we had purchased a nice linen tablecloth, we came across Rachele and her husband; Orfeo at his tailor shop, above his shop is the inscription of the year the building was built. Orfeo gave me an Italian flag, a postcard of Alvito, books, and a picture of a girl carrying a water jug.

As we were walking in town, we came across Vincenzo . He took us to the municipal offices of Alvito. At this point, Vincenzo talked to a police officer to see if we could take a tour of the offices. Upon his approval, we walked upstairs to the offices. The building was at one time the Duke’s Palace and much of the décor was as it was then. On the walls of the stairway were pictures of Alvito, here we found one of Rachele’s casa. We were taken to the room where they now have council meetings. Here, the officer found a history book of Alvito and presented it to me, what a treasure, along with a banner of Alvito’s crest. We also went out on the very tiny balcony where we could see all the comunes that were under the Duke’s reign. The comunes under his reign were: Alvito, Atina, Casalattico, Casalvieri, Fontechiari, Gallinaro, Picinisco, San Donato Val di Comino, Settefrati, Vicalvi, Villa Latina.

We met Rita and followed her to Anna’s for lunch. Here we had homemade pasta, meat loaf with gravy, kohlrabi, sliced tomatoes, figs and other fruits and a custard dessert. Once again a wonderful meal. As we were leaving, Anna showed us the kiwi tree just outside her house. This was much of a surprise to us as we thought they only grew in New Zealand.

We checked into the Raffaello Hotel in Alvito. We had quite a view out our window. We met some of the family at the piazza and walked around town as we were waiting for Stefania to close the flower shop and Vincenzo to return from Sora. About 8:00 we headed to the festival . Two churches joined for this festival and there was a band that played nonstop the whole evening. They had a large grill where they were cooking sausages for sandwiches. Most of the men were sitting at a large table drinking beer and eating olives and lupini beans. There was a bar open that sold drinks to those who wished to have a drink.

We met Anna and her grandchildren, Roberta and Gian Mario , to go to church in Alvito. Here Gian Mario leads us to the front pews of church. Both children are proud that they sing in the choir. Every so often Gian Mario would peek around the organ to see us and give us a big grin. After Mass we met in front of the flower shop and said our goodbyes.

Just a note: I am glad that I had made contact with Rachele prior to our trip and even though there was a language difference, all went very well.
Alfedena
And now off to Alfedena , this would take us thru Abruzzo National Park. At the entrance there were vendors selling cheese, hot sausage sandwiches and other items. Here Lee bought a sausage sandwich and we got a wheel of cheese to split when we get home.

After checking into the Katia Park Hotel in Alfedena , we drove around the comune. This was very different from Alvito; there are some newer buildings even though there were many of the older buildings still there. Alfedena was seriously damaged during World War II and is now a ski town. Because of this they have rebuilt to accommodate the skiers. We had dinner at a little pizza shop then back to the hotel. We got out our maps and checked out our route to Rome.

Had breakfast at the hotel and walked around the comune. Stopped at the bar where we were told that the cemetery is about 1 kilometer away. We decided to walk there, but after going better than a mile we turned back and went to the hotel and got the car. Drove to the cemetery where we found the graves of many ancestors and recorded many of them. There is an interesting statue in the park of a stonecutter . It is recorded that in the time of Hannibal, there were stonecutters from Alfedena that built the roads in Rome. After lunch at the Pulcinella Restaurant we headed for the Abruzzo Zoo, and found that the admission was € 15 per person. We were cheap and decided against the zoo. Drove to Castel Sangro and looked around town, shopped some, then back to Alfedena and the hotel. By now it was time for dinner and we went back to the same restaurant where we had lunch.

After breakfast at the hotel, we were off to Rome and our last day in Italy. We were able to drop our car off at an Auto Europe drop-off point rather than the airport as we had initially planned. This was closer to our hotel than the airport. We took a “cab” to the Domus Sessariana, where we were staying the night. I must explain this cab , it was a two door Fiat built for four people at most, the rear-end was smashed in, there was no bumper, you could not open the hatch, and to load anything into the back you had to go through the passenger door. After loading all the luggage that he could into the back of the car, the driver had me get in the backseat along with a backpack, then came my sister, also with a backpack, then her husband with a video camera and a small suitcase. How we fit in I have no idea, but we did. Nan was the fortunate one and was able to sit in the front with the driver and her backpack. This cab had no meter, no taxi license and no “taxi” sign on top. We suspect that the fellow at the drop-off point called a friend or relative. When we got to the hotel he charged us € 50!!!! We didn’t tip him!

We checked into the hotel and rested for a while. Domus Sessariana is a former convent that is connected to the still active church and is surrounded by ruins. Looking out our window we could see some of ancient Rome and Adrian’s wall . We then went for a walk in the park across the street from the hotel. There were many adults and children in the park, be it on a teeter-totter or just playing ball, they were enjoying the park. Then it was time for dinner. We stopped at one restaurant and they said they open at 7:30 it was 7:00. Around the corner was another that also opens at 7:30 but the owner said to sit and they will serve us. Their special for the evening was ravioli and we all ordered it and some wine as well. It all was very delicious.

We then returned to the hotel and went up to the roof for one last look at Rome before having to depart the next morning. Our shuttle would pick us up at 7:00 to take us to the airport for our 10:00 flight. Arrivederci Italy!!!

After the two postponements, it was well worth the wait and hopefully we will be able to return.