Category: Italy

Along the way to our accommodations in Northern Sardinia, we had lunch at a place called Red’s Bar in the small town of Chiaramonti. Inside the restaurant looked like any other bar/sandwich shop just about anywhere else. The bathroom was another story. One memory that will stick with me is ...

{Reposted from my original 2008 trip journal and reflections in 2009} Audra sold us on the idea of Sardinia as an off-the-beaten path adventure that was somewhat less touristy. In that sense, Sardinia delivered. It was certainly remote. We allowed enough time to see the south and the north, first ...

{Reposted from my original 2008 trip journal and reflections in 2009} Looking back on the pictures and the trip as a whole, the Positano region, including the nearby town of Ravello, was the most musical of the trip. Our first night in Positano, we saw a street band ...

On arriving in Capri, we heard opera singing coming from an opera festival that was winding down not far from our hotel. Otherwise, aside from some street music and this sign… not much going on musically in Capri. ...

{Reposted from my original 2008 trip journal and reflections in 2009} It’s worth reiterating what I said on my review of our travel agent: “My own personal pet peeve was that Hidden Treasures seemed to be completely oblivious to any specifically musical offerings along our way, and did not go ...

I purchased a Mahogany Baby Taylor travel guitar for our first trip abroad. I already own a full-size Taylor, so I knew that the quality would be good. Aside from being one of the best values for the money, the reviews also indicated it was fairly easy to get onto ...

The Adventure’s Not Over Yet!  (We have tickets to see Tom Waits!!!)  {Reposted from my original 2008 trip journal and reflections in 2009} Goin’ Down South – When Mike (the friend who turned me on to Waits in the first place) first emailed me about the Tom Waits “Glitter and ...

{Reposted from my original 2008 trip journal and reflections in 2009} While in Rome I purchased three extra cards for my digital camera. The one was a 4 GB Sandisk that turned out to be invaluable and got me through the rest of the trip. The others were two Sandisk ...

(Audra’s intro) We were shopping in Exton when she brought it up again. The group vacation. “So, my church choir is looking to take another tour to Europe and…,” This is usually where I start to tune out. (Sorry, Kristy.) My best friend is far better traveled than I am, ...

Renting a Car – I personally would not rent a car in Europe again. It was interesting once, and a bit like a built in thrill ride, but it is not an experience I’d repeat. Even though I did not take the driver’s seat, I still had to battle car ...

Almost all of the guidebooks and websites warned about less than ideal conditions in Naples. Pickpockets, kidnappings, shootings and general lawlessness seemed the most encountered terms in most write-ups. News footage on CNN of burning trash piles just a few days before our trip did not instill confidence. There were ...

Mariella at Hidden Treasures of Italy did a great job with our trip overall. Every one of our hotels either met or exceeded our expectations. We had clean, working bathrooms everywhere and the people were always willing to help. The cooking class that Mariella found for us was amazing (more ...