Italian Craftsmen

I found the following article (which is located on the Slow Travel web site here), written by an Italian woman, great food for thought regarding purchases in Italy to bring home.  If  you click on the link to the Slow Travel web site you will find several articles about specific Italian craftsmen.  Unfortunately, none of them are located in the areas we will be in next week, but it's fascinating reading.

Slow Masters - Introduction

Letizia Mattiacci (Madona del Piatto)

Sometimes I wonder why shopping while on holidays is so much fun. I mean, most of us live in worlds where there are shopping opportunities at every corner. 

The thrill of something new and exotic is irresistible though. In addition, that object you buy will become a reminder of the sights and colors and emotions of a special time and place.

Hand painted Umbrian ceramics: a wonderful plate by Franco Mari in Deruta

There are endless ways to pursue the perfect souvenir.

I tend to go to department stores for purely utilitarian reasons. With globalization they all look the same down to the potpourri deodorizers and the focaccia/sushi bars. Only rarely have I found there something that had a link to a country and its people.

On the other hand, visiting colorful markets, quaint little boutiques and artisan workshops can be as valuable a cultural experience as the next monument.

This is particularly true in Italy. If you look beyond the glitzy made-in-China international brands, you will find a wealth of small artisans. Splendid ceramics, jewelry, textiles, iron, leather, wood and glass work, everything is there. And food, lots of special foods and drinks produced often by a single family or man.

Artisan food is widely available in Italy

Italian artisans might use modern technology and materials but they produce the same beauty, quality, and individual character of each object as centuries ago.

Theirs is no romantic life, really. They need to pay their bills. They are chased out of prime shopping areas by said international brands. They might not know how to use the Internet or speak foreign languages. There is no time for marketing when you run the business by yourself and need most hours to actually produce the merchandise, often by hand or with limited machinery.

Buying from an artisan, it's not only a gesture of appreciation of beauty, it is also a contribution to the tradition, to the preservation of knowledge and to the local economy.

Here are my tips for a successful craft hunt:

• Research: all good guidebooks and many travel websites have information about arts and crafts in a specific area or region.
• Go to the source: when possible buy from the maker. Not only will you have a chance of a better price but you might gain interesting insights into the history of the artisan and his craft and see how it is made.
• Compare: good crafts are plagued by imitations which might not be cheaper. When I am not sure how to tell one from another, I visit a reputable workshop or the local craft museum to get acquainted with the best. Then I visit different shops and compare prices and quality until I fall in love with something that looks typical and unique at the same time.

Back home you will have a little piece of Italy, our strange country, a country full of contrast and complexity, a country of extremes. A country where so much beauty can be found even behind a metal door.

The fabulous Brozzetti workshop in Perugia producing textiles on 100 years old looms

The forecast for next week in Sorrento, as of 5 PM today, from weather.com:

One More Last Minute Detail

Someone just reminded me of a pre-trip task that wasn't on my "last minute details" list (published last week):

Return library books!

Arrival in Italia

Our flight is scheduled to land at Rome's international airport, known by both its location (Fiumicino) as well as its name (Leonardo da Vinci), but usually referred to as Roma Fiumicino.

After leaving the plane, we will either (a) be bussed from the tarmac to the terminal building (the most likely scenario) or (b) take a tram ride from the satellite gates (seen in the foreground of the picture above) to the main building (like you do in the Orlando and Tampa airports) and wait on line to go through Passport Control.  Be sure to get on a line that says "Non EU Nationals" as in the picture below.  When you get to the window, hand the officer your passport.

After clearing Passport Control, we'll follow signs that say "ritiro bagagli" (baggage claim) and collect our luggage.  There will be monitors to tell us which carrousel our luggage will be on.  Once we have our bags, we'll exit into the main arrivals hall where either our Tour Director, Salvatore, or our bus driver will meet us and escort us to our bus.  He will be carrying a sign that says "Christ Church".

For those who will be looking to get Euros, along the way we will pass by several ATM machines (called "Bancomat" in Italian).  Look for this sign to identify them:

 For those who like maps, you can download PDF files of the airport maps here:  Rome Fiumicino Airport Terminal 3 Map.  You can zoom in on the map or print a copy to take with you, if you like.  The key that explains the symbols on the map is on page two.

Weather in Sorrento

Today in Sorrento the high is 68° and the low tonight is forecasted to be 52°.  A slight warming trend is expected by weather.com; their ten-day extended forecast is projecting the following for our first few days in Sorrento:

Sunday, 10/16:  Sunny, High 76°, Low 52°

Monday, 10/17:  Sunny, High 75°, Low 54°

Tuesday, 10/18:  Partly Cloudy, High 75°, Low 56°

Wednesday, 10/19:  Partly Cloudy, High 75°, Low 57°

Departing from Newark

One week from today!

Check in for our flight will take place at Newark Airport, Terminal B.

The Alitalia check-in desks are located at Door # 4.

The desk is supposed to open at 1 PM, but there's no guarantee that it actually will (it didn't today, I was there a little after 1 PM and there were no Alitalia employees in sight).

The best time to arrive at the airport is between 2 - 3 PM.  There will be an ABC Destinations representative at the Alitalia check in area if you have any questions or need help with the check in process.

Just to your right as you enter through door #4 is the Alitalia check in area.  Look for these signs:

You will receive your boarding pass and seat assignment when you check your bags, then it's off to security (see post from October 4th for hints on how to make the security check go as smoothly as possible).   The gate will be on your boarding pass; typically Alitalia flights leave from the B2 gates (gates B51 - B57).  You can see the layout of the terminal here.

This is a small gate area, but there is a bar, a snack stand and a news agent.

Beating Jet Lag

What do you do to beat jet lag? I've received all kinds of advice from friends and the internet, some of it conflicting.

Everyone seems to agree on:

• Stay hydrated
• Avoid alcohol and anything caffeinated in flight
• Do eat breakfast either before landing, or immediately thereafter
• Switch your watch to your destination’s time zone as soon as you get seated on the plane

There’s outright conflict on a couple of things:

• Don’t go to sleep until bedtime at your destination

OR

• Take a short nap (no more than 90 minutes) upon arrival

 

• Use movies, a book or an IPOD to help you sleep

OR

• Avoid entertainment on the plane as it will keep you awake

Other ideas:

• Alter your eating schedule to match your destination three days before flying
• Eat carbohydrate rich foods the night before the flight
• Eat protein immediately after landing
• Don’t eat the evening meal on the plane, because it’s the middle of the night at your destination
• Fast for 24 hours before traveling and don’t eat until arrival
• Wear a large scarf or pashmina that can double as a blanket in flight, if the AC is too high
• Use noise-canceling head phones to help sleep

What works for you?

Reader’s Digest article: http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/jet-lag-and-sleep/article54848.html

Live Science article re fasting: http://www.livescience.com/health/080522-food-clock.html

Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201001/beating-jet-lag

CBS Early Show Video, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6680699n&tag=mncol;lst;1





Last Minute Details

What's on your last minute list?

• Alert credit card companies and banks (if you will be using your ATM card to get cash) that you will be using the cards in Italy
• Make a list of numbers to call if credit cards are lost/stolen, carry one copy with you and leave one with someone you trust
• Send itinerary and flight info to family, put a copy in your checked luggage as well as carry on
• Send a link to this blog to family and friends
• Add international calling to cell phone plan
• Check the long-range forecast (www.weather.com or www.wunderground.com) and make sure you have appropriate clothing
• Check the camera batteries; put the camera manual in your bag and pack extra batteries or a battery charger
• Update voice mail and e-mail auto-reply message
• Charge device batteries (pda, iPod, mobile phone) and spares
• E-mail critical documents to your webmail account (for example, make a pdf file of your passport information page and mail it to yourself)
• Remove unnecessary cards from wallet (library, video rental, punch cards, extra credit cards)

Household stuff:

• Set heat and water heater at minimum
• Set lights on timers
• Turn off coffee pots or other appliances with automatic turn on
• Turn off ice maker
• Get rid of perishables in refrigerator
• Water plants
• Empty trash and clean kitchen
• Lock all windows and doors
• Power-off computer and other sensitive electronic equipment

Getting Through Airport Security

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has a mantra to help passengers get through the security check as quickly and easily as possible:  Pack Smart, Dress the Part, and Have Your Documents Ready.

Pack Smart
   * Have your liquids, all less than 3.4 ozs, in a one quart clear plastic zip lock bag
   * Layer things in your carry on
   * Make sure your laptop (or other large electronics) are easy to pull out for separate
     inspection

Dress the Part
   * Remove everything from your pockets before you get to the head of the line
   * Wear shoes that come off and go back on easily
   * Take off your outer layers (jackets, bulky sweaters, scarves)
   * Consider wearing pants that stay up without a belt
  
Have Your Documents Ready
   * Boarding Pass (you will get this when you check your bags at the airport)
   * Passport

You can find all the detail here:  How to get through the line faster

A Prayer for Travelers

This Sunday, October 9th, everyone is invited to come to either the 8 AM or 10 AM service at Christ Church when there will be a special send-off for the group:

 O God, our heavenly Father,

whose glory fills the whole creation,

and whose presence we find wherever we go:

Preserve those who travel;

surround them with your loving care;

protect them from every danger;

and bring them in safety to their journey's end;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Public Restroom Survival Kit

Since you never know what you will find (or not find)

Enough said.

Carry On Packing Thoughts

As we get closer to leaving (15 days!) I'm starting to think more seriously about packing.  There are some things that should be in everyone's carry on and then there are, of course, lots of optional items that you might like to have with you to make the flight more comfortable.

Must/Should-Have List  (includes things I would never put in checked luggage)
* Wallet (money, credit cards, ATM card)
* Passport
* Glasses (distance, reading, sun)
* Emergency contact information (relatives, insurance, etc.)
* Keys (home and car, just in case you and your luggage don't get home simultaneously)
* Medications
* Jewelry
* Personal electronics (Ipod/MP3 player, laptop, Kindle/Nook, etc.)
* Camera
* Cellphone

Other Items to Consider
* PJs, a change of clothing and essential person hygiene items (in case you and
   your checked luggage don't arrive together - unlikely, but it could happen)
* Reading material (or other things to entertain you in flight)
* Eye mask and/or ear plugs (or noise canceling headphones)
* Guidebook
* Note pad and pen
* Snack
* Addiction comforts (cigarettes, gum, sudoku, etc.)
* Water bottle (empty - you can use a water fountain after security to fill)
* Makeup
* Wet wipes or hand sanitizer
* Tissues
* Eye drops
* Back up batteries (for personal electronics, hearing aids, etc.)
* Painkillers (just in case ... aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.)
* Hand cream or other skin moisturizer
* Personal travel pillow and/or blanket

I'm starting to need a pretty big carry on for all this stuff!

Visiting the Blue Grotto

For those who would like to visit the Blue Grotto while we are on Capri, there are a couple of options to think about.

You can reach the grotto by boat from Marina Grande, or by bus or on foot from Anacapri.

We have a little more than three hours of free time in Anacapri, and a little over an hour in Capri, so either will work.  The main benefit of going from Anacapri is that you have more time and won't feel rushed; however, it will eat into your time for lunch (pun intended).  The benefit of going from Capri is that you will return from the grotto to Marina Grande, which is where we will get the boat back to Sorrento, so it will be convenient.

You can see the bus schedule from Anacapri on page two of this link; you'll see that there are several buses every hour in each direction.  From the parking lot where the bus drops you off you will walk down a flight of stairs to the waterfront dock and get a boat from there.  Of course, you'll need to climb back up the steps to return to Anacapri.  On foot from Anacapri to the Blue Grotto is a little over a mile (1.2 miles, to be precise).

From Capri you'll need to get down to Marina Grande, either by using the funicular, by bus, or by cab.  At Marina Grande you'll get a speed boat out to the entrance to the grotto, where you will transfer to the rowboats that go into the grotto.

It's getting closer!

Free Time Plans

Our trip offers a nice balance of programmed tours and activities as well as free time to explore on your own.  I'm a researcher and planner; I like to have a sense of what my options are but let the selection wait until I need to make a decision.

Here is an overview of our free time (note that the times are approximate):

Day	Location	Time (all approximate)
Sunday	Sorrento	4 hours (1 – 5 PM)
Monday	Amalfi	1.75 hours (11:45 AM – 1:30 PM)
	Ravello	1 hour (3 – 4 PM)
Tuesday	Naples	2 hours (3 – 5 PM)
Wednesday	Anacapri	3.25 hours (10:45 AM – 2 PM)
	Capri	1.25 hours (3 – 4:15 PM)
Thursday	Sorrento	All day
Friday	Rome	Evening
Saturday	Rome	All day

Remember that our free time on Sunday (in Sorrento), Monday (in Amalfi), and Wednesday (in Anacapri) is also time to eat lunch.

Here are some thoughts about possible ways to fill all that free time, besides eating and shopping:

Sorrento

* Cathedral (Duomo)

* Museum of Inlaid Wood (Museo Bottega della Tarsialigna)

* Decorative Art Museum (Museo Correale di Terranova)

* Hike up to Sant'Agata sui due Golfi

* Cloister of San Francesco (Chiostro di San Francesco)

 

 

Amalfi

* Cathedral (Duomo di Sant' Andrea) and cloister (Chiostro del Paradiso)

* Civic museum (Musco Civico)

* Paper museum (Museo della Carta)

* Waterfront

 

 

Ravello

* Duomo (San Pantaleone)

* Villa Rufolo (gardens)

* Belvedere Principessa di Piemonte

* Villa Cimbrone (gardens)

* San Giovanni del Toro

 

 

Naples

* Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale)

* Civic Museum (Castel Nuovo)

* San Carlo Opera House

* Santa Chiara church and cloisters

* Gesu Nuovo

* San Lorenzo Maggiore excavations

* San Gregorio Armeno

* Via San Gregorio presepi shops

* Cappella Sansevero (Veiled Christ)

* San Domenico Maggiore

* Cathedral (Duomo di San Gennaro)

* Pio Monte della Misericordia

* Archeology Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale)

* Spaccanapoli

* Underground Naples

* Capodimonte art museum (Museo e Gallerie Nazionali di Capodimonte)

* Catacombs of San Gennaro

* Monastery and museum of San Martino (Certosa & Museo Nazionale di San Martino)

* Villa Floridiana ceramics museum (Mueso Nazionale della Ceramica)

Sorrento Free Day (Thursday)
* Positano (we will not be able to stop there with the bus on Monday)
* Climb Vesuvio
* Revisit Pompei
* Herculeneum (Ercolano)
* Paestum
* Buffalo mozzarella factory
* Naples
* Vietri sul Mare

Rome Mass Transit

Rome has a vast and easy to use mass transit system and our hotel, the Quirinale, is ideally located to take advantage of it.

There is a bus stop directly in front of the hotel where a number of bus lines stop.

There is also a metro (subway) station at Piazza Repubblica, one and one half blocks from the hotel. 

The same tickets work for the metro, buses and trams in Rome.  The three tickets that would be useful for our short time in Rome are:

• BIT, good for 75 minutes, costs €1,00
• BIG, good for one day, costs €4,00
• BTI, good for three days, costs €11,00

So how do you use mass transit to get where you want to go?  Here are the easiest and most direct routes from our hotel to the key sites:

Colosseum/Roman Forum: #60 bus or metro (one stop on Line A to Termini, two stops on Line B), or 1.1 miles on foot.

Campidoglio/Capitoline Museums:  #70 bus, #64 bus, H bus, or 0.9 miles on foot.

Trevi Fountain:  #116T bus (doesn't run all the time), #85 bus from Piazza della Repubblica, metro from Piazza della Repubblica one stop on Line A to Barberini, or 0.5 miles on foot.

St. Peter's Basilica:  #40 bus or #64 bus, or 2.1 miles on foot.

Vatican Museums:  metro from Piazza Repubblica five stops, or 2.5 miles on foot.

Spanish Steps/Via Condotti:  metro from Piazza Repubblica two stops, or 0.9 miles on foot.

Piazza Navona:  #70 bus, #116T bus (doesn't run all the time), or 1.3 miles on foot.

Pantheon:  #40 bus, #64 bus, or 1.1 miles on foot.

Gesu:  #40 bus, #64 bus, or 1.0 miles on foot.

Campo de' Fiori:  #64 bus, #40 bus, or 1.4 miles on foot.

San Clemente:  #60 bus, or 1.1 miles on foot.

Castel Sant' Angelo:  #40 bus, or 1.8 miles on foot.

You can view and download the Rome metro map here.

Sorrento Sita Bus

SITA is a large bus company with operations in the Veneto, Tuscany, Basilicata, and Puglia in addition to Campania.  They are the primary provider of bus service along the Amalfi Coast (although the larger towns have local bus companies as well).

It's very easy to take the bus from close to our hotel down the Amalfi Coast.  From Sorrento to Positano takes under an hour, from Sorrento to Amalfi by bus takes about an hour and forty minutes.  If you want to go further down the coast, to Vietri sul Mare or Salerno, you would switch buses at Amalfi.

Tickets for the SITA buses are handled by UnicoCampania (see previous post).  The ticket between Sorrento and Amalfi is the E4, which costs €2,80 one way, or €8,40 for the day.

A ticket between Sorrento and Vietri sul Mare is the E5, which costs €3,30 one way and €9,90 for an all day ticket.

The timetable for buses between Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi can be found here.

There are also local buses in Sorrento, run by Circumvesuviana.  These buses are orange and are called "Arancioni".  Line A passes in front of our hotel and goes to Piazza Tasso in the center of town.

Sorrento Circumvesuviana Train

The Circumvesuviana is the regional railroad that serves the area around Vesuvio.  The Naples - Sorrento line goes between Porta Nolana station, on Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi in Naples and the Sorrento station, at Piazza Giovanni Battista de Curtis.  Along the way there are stops at Pompei and Ercolano, among other towns. 

It takes a little over an hour to travel by Circumvesuviana between Naples and Sorrento.  From Sorrento to Pompei by train takes a half hour and the train station is just steps from the Porta Marina entrance to the site.

The train runs primarily above ground, although the stations in Naples (Porta Nolana and Garibaldi) are below street level.  The inside of the train is more like an old subway car than a commuter train:

Pretty it is not, but it is easy and efficient.

Tickets for the Circumvesuviana, as well as most other public transit in the region, are produced by UnicoCampania, a consortium of several transit companies.  The price of the ticket depends on the distance traveled as well as time.

For example, if you are traveling only within the city of Sorrento the ticket you need is an E1.  The price of  an hourly E1 is €1,20, and all-day E1 is €3,60.

This is an E8 rather than an E1, but you get the idea

From Sorrento to Pompei requires an E3 ticket, which costs €2,10 for an hourly ticket or €6,30 for a daily ticket.

From Sorrento to Naples requires a U5 ticket, which costs €4,00 for one hour or €12,00 for the day.  For those who travel into Naples for the day, this ticket will also cover all public transit within the city of Naples.

All tickets absolutely MUST be validated.  You do this by stamping the ticket in a small machine, which is either in the car or, in the case of a train station, in the turnstile as you enter. 

With an all day ticket, you stamp it once (the first time you use public transit with the ticket) and then put it away.  You may be asked to produce it by one of the conductors; if you do not have a valid, stamped ticket on your person you will immediately be slapped with a significant fine.

You can read more about the Circumvesuviana and see the schedules on their web site here.

You can read more about UnicoCampania and the ticket fares here.

Sorrento Public Transit

Sorrento is an ideal location for those who are comfortable using mass transit.  

Piazza Giovanni Battista De Curtis in Sorrento is the transportation hub for the area, where you can get either a bus or the regional train, the Circumvesuvia.   The piazza is one mile from our hotel.

Check out the following posts for information on the bus lines and the Circumvesuviana train.

Marina Piccola, which is also one mile from our hotel, is the place to get ferries or jet boats.  The schedules for the boats are somewhat reduced during the non-summer months, but it is still possible to get from Sorrento to Capri, Naples, and down the Amalfi Coast (to the towns of Positano and Amalfi) by water.

Weather

What's the weather going to be like?

I put together a ten year history (2000 - 2010) for Sorrento and Rome for perspective but, like financial ads, I'm reminding you that past performance does not guarantee future results.

That said, the average daily high during the time of our trip (between October 16 - October 25 in the years 2000 - 2010) was 70º.  The average low for the same period was 54º.

The warmest day in the 100 days in my history data base was October 22, 2004, when it hit 80º in Rome.

The coolest night was October 23, 2007 when it got down to 37º in Rome.

It rained at some point on 14 days out of 100.  Four of the ten years had no rain at all during our travel time.  When it did rain it was more like a drizzle; the average rainfall for those 14 days was 0.09 inches.  The most rain on any one day was on October 21, 2005 in Sorrento when there was 0.24 inches.  The least rain was a tie; on both October 16, 2009 and October 20, 2006, Sorrento registered 0.01 inches of rain.

Here is the summary information from my table (ten years of data from 2000 - 2010):

			Daily			Hi/Low
			Average			Records
			H	L		H	L
Sorrento	16-Oct		70	54		77	48
	17-Oct		70	54		77	49
	18-Oct		69	53		77	43
	19-Oct		69	52		77	45
	20-Oct		70	53		78	46
	21-Oct		71	55		76	44
Rome	22-Oct		70	55		80	42
	23-Oct		71	54		78	37
	24-Oct		71	53		77	44
	25-Oct		71	52		78	41
	10 Year Average		70	54

What Can I Bring Home With Me?

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has developed a brochure entitled Know Before You Go that goes over everything you didn't know you wanted to know about returning home after traveling abroad.

If you have any questions about what you can bring home, this booklet has the answers.  Click on the link above to download a PDF version of the brochure.

mmmm.....Gelato!

Gelato is something almost everyone tries when in Italy, even if only in pursuit of a scientific comparison between it and American ice cream.

Where to start? It would be much too easy to simply dig in and enjoy ... there's so much to know and to choose from!

There is mass produced gelato, like brands of ice cream we find in our grocer's freezer. Then there are different levels of "craft" gelato: homemade (produzione propria); made by the proprietor, but not necessarily right there (nostra produzione); and artisanal, or made by craftsmen (produzone artigianale).

You can get gelato in a cone (cono) or in a cup (coppa). You order and pay for it first, then show the barman your receipt and select your flavors. Just like ice cream shops at home, when you order you'll be asked how many scoops (gusti) you want and the price will be commensurate with the number you select.

The range of flavors can be dizzying. Of course there is basic Chocolate (Cioccolato), and then several variations on the theme of Chocolate (Bacio, Fondente, Nutella, etc.). There are vanilas, or creams, like Fior di Latte, Crema, and Zabaione. How about nuts: Pistacchio, Mandorla (Almond), Nocciola (Hazlenut).

There are fruit sorbets (sorbetti) made without milk in flavors like Fragola (Strawberry), Limone (Lemon), Mandarino (Mandarin Orange), and Pesca (Peach), to name just a few.

Then there are my favorites: Mente (Mint), Stracciatella (Chocolate Chip), and Tiramisu.

Every town will have a gelateria, exploring and tasting is all part of the fun.