Part III: Rome (Day 12)

This is our last full day in Italy. Part III: Rome (Day 12) was an unexpected gift, and the perfect ending to our adventure.

There have been questions about another trip, and the answer is yes. And I’ll leave it there.

Day 12: Rome (Oct. 16)

Due to a cancelled flight (a little hiccup in our itinerary) we had the miraculous opportunity to spend a Sunday afternoon and night in Rome before our scheduled Monday flight to Atlanta. Rome had not been part of our itinerary, and yet … after a short flight from Catania there we were. Sometimes the unplanned and unexpected moments are the ones that stand out. What a way to end our adventure.

Once in Rome, we hit the ground running. After checking into our hotel, we tossed our bags in the room, hopped into a taxi, and within an hour of landing in Rome we were standing in St. Peter’s Square.

Which always brings me to tears. Always.

We explored. We shopped. We ate a panino sitting on the curb along Via della Conciliazione, our view the embracing arms of Bernini’s columns.

Afterwards, we walked to Piazza Navona, visited the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone, walked to the Pantheon, and then walked back to Piazza Navona for dinner at Tre Scaline. There is something timeless about an outdoor table, there on the edge of the piazza, with the setting sun and the rising moon signaling the streetlights and street performers. There was music in the air.

After dinner we walked to la Fontana Trevi where we threw a coin over our right shoulder into the fountain. This, we were told by Jane, was the correct way to toss a coin, but only ONE of us (Rose Ann) did it the right way. Evidently too much wine and the other three did not know right from left. Once they realized their error, the three tossed yet ANOTHER coin into the fountain to undo their bad toss. All was right with the world.  

A coin tossed into the Trevi Fountain means that you will one day return to Rome and it was the most perfect, symbolic way to end our trip.

Then, because we walked well over 20,000 steps, we took a taxi back to the hotel and met some fellow travelers on the hotel rooftop for one last Aperol Spritz.

Arriverderci Roma!

We are in Rome!

A beautiful afternoon in Rome.

With a sister and a sister-in-law.

St. Peter

St. Peter's Square

A Tale of Two Sisters in Rome

top: 2015 (first girls' trip to Italy)

bottom: 2023 (third girls' trip to Italy)

Vatican Guard

St. Michael the Archangel

One of the many statues in Rome.

Castel Sant'Angelo

Streets of Rome

Tiber River

Piazza Navona

Every time I am in Rome I take a photo of this fresco.

Pantheon at Night

la Fontana Trevi

Three are doing it wrong; one is doing it right.

Rome in an afternoon. Whew!

Part II: Sicily (Taormina, day 11)

As we approach the one-year anniversary of our 2022 Girls’ Trip to Italy, this week La Dolce Vita Travels will publish a series of posts recapping our trip last October. I do this for several reasons: as a means of transcribing my travel journal, to provide fellow travelers with names of restaurants/hotels for their own travel journals, and to plant seeds of interest for our next trip (and there will be another one). 

This is an overall recap of the official itinerary. There were pockets of free time almost daily, and while I share what my sister and I did during these times, the truth is everyone will have a different story. Some were shoppers, some were explores, and some were diners … there was something for everyone.

The series will be three parts—Part I: Naples (Days 1-4), Part II: Sicily (Days 5-11), Part III: Rome (Day 12). Our time in Naples was the most intense; after all, it is an intense city and we packed a lot into our itinerary. This meant we did the heavy touring the first few days of our trip, then enjoyed the slower pace of Sicily on the back end.

Day 11: Taormina (Oct. 15)

Today is the day we add a city to our itinerary. But more on that later…

Breakfast this morning overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. I decided to celebrate with a delicious brioche—a Mt. Etna-sized brioche that paired most excellently with my cappuccino. Life is grand. (Speaking of Mt. Etna, which we could see off in the distance. Those weren’t clouds, but puffs of smoke. Etna is still considered an active volcano and the smoke is the reason it is known as “the grumbling giant” nickname.")

A short bus ride along the coast took us to the historic center of Taormina, which is known as the “pearl of the Mediterranean.” We walked up the main road to the Greco-Roman amphitheater which offered the most breathtaking views of the Bay of Naxos. All we needed was Luciano Pavarotti or Andrea Bocelli to walk out on the stage.

Because this was going to be our last day in Taormina (more on that later) we were given two hours to meander through the narrow streets and do some last-minute shopping. And shop we did. Taormina is so picturesque, so quaint, so lovely. After many days of group travel, I enjoyed wandering alone, taking photos, stopping at a bar for an espresso, and a little later for a small granita. At one point I entered an antique bookshop looking for an anniversary gift for Nicholas and Lauren. Since gifts for a first anniversary are traditionally paper, I purchased two lithographs that were from rare books (the owner even made a photocopy of my passport to maintain provenance for his records). It was exciting handling old papers and books.  

When we reconvened at the main plaza, we were given an offer we couldn’t refuse: a Godfather tour of the towns that served as location for the film. We drove to Savoca (incidentally, our bus driver today was named Vito, as in Vito Corleone). Just like the wedding procession in the movie, we climbed to the church of Santa Lucia where Michael Corleone married Apollonia. We also visited Bar Vitelli where Michael asked Apollonia’s father for her hand in marriage. Inside, the bar was filled with movie memorabilia, such as the same table and chairs that were used in the movie. 

Finally, a tale of travel woes. If you remember, I was missing from last night’s dinner due to the fact that ITA Airways canceled our Monday morning flight (Catania-Rome) which meant we would miss our connecting afternoon flight (Rome-Atlanta).  At one point, Jane and I were on three separate phones talking to ITA, the tour company, and Jane’s connections at Central Holidays. We went to bed with things still undecided, but overnight the tour company worked magic and by morning we were booked on a Catania-Rome flight for tomorrow (Sunday) so we could make our connection on Monday. They arranged transportation and lodging for our overnight stay in Rome (at no extra cost for us).

While we are sad to leave Taormina one day early, the good news was an afternoon and night in Rome before our Monday flight to Atlanta—an unexpected bonus, especially for those in our group who have never been to the Eternal City.  

When life gives you lemons, make limoncello!

P.S. Jane was able to change the date of our Farewell Dinner to tonight, our last night in Sicily. It was such a wonderful dinner with speeches, gifts for Jane, and Jane’s announcement that she would be retiring. We were her last tour group. Did we influence her decision? See video below. 

Farewell Dinner last night in Sicily (Taormina)