Rome

We arrived in Rome the day before the tour began to tour the Borghese Gallery and park. We purchased museum tickets using advice in the Rick Steves guidebook. We had made transportation and room arrangements with the Hotel Smeraldo prior to leaving the Twin Cities. Once we identified ourselves as part of the Rick Steves tour, it was as if we gave a maître d’ a financial incentive for better seating. We were well taken care of!

We were fascinated by the cats who live in the Torre Argentina. The Romans will leave cans of cat food, tuna and milk for the cats who are protected by local laws. There are an estimated 300,000 feral cats in Rome.

Hadrian’s Villa

Our first bus excursion with 26 fellow travelers led us to Hadrian’s Villa. We enjoyed the bus's roominess and its affable occupants. We felt that with each location our tour group became more and more connected in predominately positive ways.

We were astonished by the vast expanse of the villa, by the lovingly cared for condition of the structural remains and by the view of Rome in the distance.

Vieste

Vieste is a charming, quaint, accessible city on the Adriatic with jewelry shops and intimate restaurants. The first day included a jovial pasta demonstration and a lunch with delicious dishes that incorporated the same types of pasta created in the demo. We began to get the pulse and feel of the tour and to learn protocol. Photograph the posted, daily itinerary and be on time.

Due to the weather, the tour was unable to take a scheduled boat ride. However, our main guide quickly replaced the ride with a fantastic tour of a small olive farm and gift shop. We were able to see the olive press, learned how the machinery works and were able to taste several varieties of olive oil.

One evening, Mary and I with another couple arrived at a restaurant as it was closing. We were invited in and served several delicious seafood entrees. Magic!