Okay, for my last project (unless you request something else), I'm posting some running routes on GoogleMaps. I will update these, as my best one so far is just my short Rome Run (3.4 miles-ish - if you go back up past the Church of St. Peter in Vincoli, you add on another 1/2 mile)
Rome Short Run
View Rome Short Run 3.42 mi in a larger map
Rome Long Run (through the Villa Borghese)
View Rome Villa Borghese Run in a larger map
Siena Run - lots of winds and turns, but a great run through the center of the city!
View Siena Run in a larger map
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tonight's Meeting
Can you believe we're only two weeks away from departure? I can almost taste the gelato . . .
We have our departure meeting tonight (here's the meeting's powerpoint), and a few of you have already contacted me about not being able to attend (and, of course, there are you wonderful few who are out of town - expect to get something from me in the mail in the next week or so). Tonight, we'll talk about:
as well as many other things. I'll mention some special things, as well, and below are the links for them. These are objects which I personally choose to use when I travel - not a promoter for anything (but do have a Mary Kay personal rep if you want to get the Travel Bag).
Finally, at the meeting, you'll receive handouts - resources to use during the trip (because I'm not going to carry 34 copies of everything on the trip). These are great for helping you keep track of locations for your pictures, etc., when you return home and have to sort through everything you experienced!
Ricardo Beverly Hills Duffle Bag
Mary Kay Travel Roll-Up Bag (order through Sarah Stobaugh, or through your own rep)
Jansport Backpacks
At Container Store:
Clothing Organizers - Eagle Creek Cubes
Bottles - Leakproof Bottles
Money Belts (REI, for example)
Under Cover Pouches (REI, for example)
At your local drugstore:
EarPlanes
Ginger Gum
What else to know? You can expect one more post from me (unless someone sends me an e-mail which is post-worthy), and that's the weather.com forecasts the week before we depart!!!
BIGGEST HUGS,
Laura :)
We have our departure meeting tonight (here's the meeting's powerpoint), and a few of you have already contacted me about not being able to attend (and, of course, there are you wonderful few who are out of town - expect to get something from me in the mail in the next week or so). Tonight, we'll talk about:
- planning to depart
- dealing with expenses/money exchange
- packing
- safety, living in Italy and hotels (***our hotel in Siena is Max Executive, not SanGallo***)
- communications
- homesickness, and culture shock
as well as many other things. I'll mention some special things, as well, and below are the links for them. These are objects which I personally choose to use when I travel - not a promoter for anything (but do have a Mary Kay personal rep if you want to get the Travel Bag).
Finally, at the meeting, you'll receive handouts - resources to use during the trip (because I'm not going to carry 34 copies of everything on the trip). These are great for helping you keep track of locations for your pictures, etc., when you return home and have to sort through everything you experienced!
Ricardo Beverly Hills Duffle Bag
Mary Kay Travel Roll-Up Bag (order through Sarah Stobaugh, or through your own rep)
Jansport Backpacks
At Container Store:
Clothing Organizers - Eagle Creek Cubes
Bottles - Leakproof Bottles
Money Belts (REI, for example)
Under Cover Pouches (REI, for example)
At your local drugstore:
EarPlanes
Ginger Gum
What else to know? You can expect one more post from me (unless someone sends me an e-mail which is post-worthy), and that's the weather.com forecasts the week before we depart!!!
BIGGEST HUGS,
Laura :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Getting from your home airport to Hotel Diana in Rome
Check-in
You should be at check-in 2.5 hours before departure, as stated many times before. During this time, parents will check in their own student, then afterwards take group pictures, have hugs, etc., before you all go together through the security checkpoint.
BAGS SHOULD BE CHECKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ROME – we lose bags almost every year because of this miscommunication.
At the Departure GateSet up camp at the departure gate, which means EVERYONE's carryon bags are to be neatly gathered together into one spot. From now on, if you go out in a group, a group is THREE PEOPLE from our SPI group. If you want to get breakfast, eat something like what you’d usually eat for lunch. And to get lots of water or juice. Pick up food, and bring it back to the gate to eat it. Be at the gate, ready to board, 45 minutes before the departure time.
On the Domestic FlightsYou all need to stay awake on this flight - talk, play games, share what you're excited about, take pictures . . . and be super-nice to the flight attendants!!!
In Domestic Connecting airportsHere’s where the fun starts. When y’all disembark, find the location of your departing flight, and set up camp. Again, keeping bags with you, go to pick up lunch (dinner), and, with food, return to the gate quickly. Camp out with the bags at the departure gate. International flights start boarding 1 hour to 45 minutes ahead of time. If you're traveling with others, try to find out where everyone is sitting, and write it down in your Tour Journal, so that you can say hi to everyone during the flight.
On the FlightEat ALL your dinner. SLEEP. A lot. Drink water. A lot. However you need to do it. EVERYONE. Be sure to get up and walk every so often, if you're awake. And eat ALL of your breakfast (no matter WHAT you're served).
Forms? Last time we flew to Italy, we received no forms entering the country. If they do hand out Customs forms, make sure you are filling everything out (you should have NOTHING to claim), and placing the form in your passports, for easy access. Have your passports in a quick-access spot, because that's the first stop you'll make once you get off the plane.
DisembarkingWhen you get off the flight, you might have to take a shuttle bus into the terminal. Either way, the minute you enter the airport, have any necessary potty breaks happen between there and the passport check.
Passport check: Be sure to get into a NON-EU line. It’s a quick thing – they just check your passports, and you head to baggage claim. No one in our group has an international passport this year (Gratias Deo), so this should be smooth.
Baggage Claim: At the end of passport check, just around the corner is the baggage claim. During this time, you can stop by the ATM inside the baggage claim if you want to get cash, but mostly, make sure your bags made it. You can always get cash outside of Customs, too. And there are ATMs in the train station of the airport. If there is a lost bag, go to your appropriate flight group desk right by the baggage claim.
Customs: You should just pass right through. If someone is stopped, it’s a random search, and shouldn’t be a problem.
Mendiolas and Aunt Carol, at this point, when you walk through the sliding customs doors, we should meet you there. If there is a severe delay in your flights, you might have to take the train/take a taxi to our hotel. It's easy:
As soon as you pass through the Customs doors (big sliding glass doors), you should see signs pointing "Ai Treni" (to the trains), and doors leading outside. If you want to splurge for a taxi (45-60 Euros, usually), go out the doors and find the TAXI stand. Don't get rides from strangers, adults. I'd advise you take the Train (Fiumicino/Termini Express) into Termini, and walk the two blocks to our hotel from Termini.
The Fiumicino Train Station is attached to the airport. You'll take escalators a flight down, then back up a few flights, to enter the train station. The Termini Express leaves from the Fiumicino Train station every 20-30 minutes, and is 14 Euros a person. You can sit anywhere on the train. Just be sure you validate your ticket in the machines before you board. The ride is about 30 minutes long. When you disembark at Termini, you have to walk all the way to the front of Termini. Go to the Via Cavour exit, and walk two blocks towards the center of town on the Via Cavour. Turn right on Via Principe Amadeo, and walk down one block. Hotel Diana is right there - Via Principe Amadeo 4 - before you get to the end of the street (which is the Opera House).
If you must take the train/taxi in because you're arriving later than the group, I'll make sure to have your room keys ready for you at the front desk, and you can get checked in and cleaned up. Expect to see me there, too, so we can meet up with the rest of the group on their tour of the Colosseum/Forum! This should only apply to Mom, Christi, Ursula, and Erin.
Can you believe it??? We're talking specific stuff like this!!! We're getting close!
Hugs,
Laura :)
You should be at check-in 2.5 hours before departure, as stated many times before. During this time, parents will check in their own student, then afterwards take group pictures, have hugs, etc., before you all go together through the security checkpoint.
BAGS SHOULD BE CHECKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ROME – we lose bags almost every year because of this miscommunication.
At the Departure GateSet up camp at the departure gate, which means EVERYONE's carryon bags are to be neatly gathered together into one spot. From now on, if you go out in a group, a group is THREE PEOPLE from our SPI group. If you want to get breakfast, eat something like what you’d usually eat for lunch. And to get lots of water or juice. Pick up food, and bring it back to the gate to eat it. Be at the gate, ready to board, 45 minutes before the departure time.
On the Domestic FlightsYou all need to stay awake on this flight - talk, play games, share what you're excited about, take pictures . . . and be super-nice to the flight attendants!!!
In Domestic Connecting airportsHere’s where the fun starts. When y’all disembark, find the location of your departing flight, and set up camp. Again, keeping bags with you, go to pick up lunch (dinner), and, with food, return to the gate quickly. Camp out with the bags at the departure gate. International flights start boarding 1 hour to 45 minutes ahead of time. If you're traveling with others, try to find out where everyone is sitting, and write it down in your Tour Journal, so that you can say hi to everyone during the flight.
On the FlightEat ALL your dinner. SLEEP. A lot. Drink water. A lot. However you need to do it. EVERYONE. Be sure to get up and walk every so often, if you're awake. And eat ALL of your breakfast (no matter WHAT you're served).
Forms? Last time we flew to Italy, we received no forms entering the country. If they do hand out Customs forms, make sure you are filling everything out (you should have NOTHING to claim), and placing the form in your passports, for easy access. Have your passports in a quick-access spot, because that's the first stop you'll make once you get off the plane.
DisembarkingWhen you get off the flight, you might have to take a shuttle bus into the terminal. Either way, the minute you enter the airport, have any necessary potty breaks happen between there and the passport check.
Passport check: Be sure to get into a NON-EU line. It’s a quick thing – they just check your passports, and you head to baggage claim. No one in our group has an international passport this year (Gratias Deo), so this should be smooth.
Baggage Claim: At the end of passport check, just around the corner is the baggage claim. During this time, you can stop by the ATM inside the baggage claim if you want to get cash, but mostly, make sure your bags made it. You can always get cash outside of Customs, too. And there are ATMs in the train station of the airport. If there is a lost bag, go to your appropriate flight group desk right by the baggage claim.
Customs: You should just pass right through. If someone is stopped, it’s a random search, and shouldn’t be a problem.
Mendiolas and Aunt Carol, at this point, when you walk through the sliding customs doors, we should meet you there. If there is a severe delay in your flights, you might have to take the train/take a taxi to our hotel. It's easy:
As soon as you pass through the Customs doors (big sliding glass doors), you should see signs pointing "Ai Treni" (to the trains), and doors leading outside. If you want to splurge for a taxi (45-60 Euros, usually), go out the doors and find the TAXI stand. Don't get rides from strangers, adults. I'd advise you take the Train (Fiumicino/Termini Express) into Termini, and walk the two blocks to our hotel from Termini.
The Fiumicino Train Station is attached to the airport. You'll take escalators a flight down, then back up a few flights, to enter the train station. The Termini Express leaves from the Fiumicino Train station every 20-30 minutes, and is 14 Euros a person. You can sit anywhere on the train. Just be sure you validate your ticket in the machines before you board. The ride is about 30 minutes long. When you disembark at Termini, you have to walk all the way to the front of Termini. Go to the Via Cavour exit, and walk two blocks towards the center of town on the Via Cavour. Turn right on Via Principe Amadeo, and walk down one block. Hotel Diana is right there - Via Principe Amadeo 4 - before you get to the end of the street (which is the Opera House).
If you must take the train/taxi in because you're arriving later than the group, I'll make sure to have your room keys ready for you at the front desk, and you can get checked in and cleaned up. Expect to see me there, too, so we can meet up with the rest of the group on their tour of the Colosseum/Forum! This should only apply to Mom, Christi, Ursula, and Erin.
Can you believe it??? We're talking specific stuff like this!!! We're getting close!
Hugs,
Laura :)
Itinerary with Internet Links
As sent from my e-mail today . . .
I thought it might be fun to give you an outline of our itinerary, with internet links, for your fun!
*N.B. Guided tours all include Whisper-Voxtours headsets
Saturday, March 10 – Depart from home. Fly to Rome.
Sunday, March 11 (Rome) –
Arrive into Fiumicino Airport. Get through Customs. Catch our Shuttle bus (or take the Termini Express Train to get to the hotel).
Guided tour of Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
Time on your own – Mass at Santa Maria Maggiore (5:30 PM)
8 PM Dinner at our Hotel (Hotel Diana)
Brief Stroll in our hotel’s neighborhood
Monday, March 12 (Rome) –
Guided Tour of Basilica of St. Peter (Vatican)
Guided Tour of Basilica di San Giovannni in Laterano
Guided Tour of Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
8 PM Dinner at our Hotel (Hotel Diana)
Tuesday, March 13 (Free Day in Rome)
AM with Hudec – Ostia Antica
PM with Hudec – A Roman Walk:
3-4 PM Visit to the Pontifical North American College (“the NAC”)
8:30 PM Dinner at our Hotel (Hotel Diana)
Stroll by the ancient sites at night (GREAT PICTURES)
Wednesday, March 14 (Travel to Siena)
Group Splits:
Papal Audience Group:
9 AM Load bags onto Bus, and take Metro/Bus to Piazza di San Pietro
10:30 Attend Papal Audience
5 PM Disembark bus in Siena at Piazza Gramsci (we’ll be there, waiting for you)
The rest of us:
9 AM Load bus and bags; travel to Siena, stopping in Orvieto for lunch
4 PM Check in to hotel (Max Executive); take bus to Center of Siena
5 PM Meet Papal Audience group at Piazza Gramsci
TOGETHER:
8:30 Dinner together at restaurant in center of town
10:30 Return to hotel (Max Executive) by private bus
Thursday, March 15 (Florence)
Private Bus to Florence
½ day walking tour of Florence:
Uffizi Entrance and tour
3 course lunch at a typical trattoria
Free time in Florence
Private Bus return to Siena
Dinner on your own in Siena; Pizza-making cooking class for those who have pre-booked
Return to hotel (Max Executive) after dinner by private bus
Friday, March 16 (Assisi)
Private Bus to Assisi
Guided City Tour of Assisi on foot, including entrance to Basilica of San Francesco
Lunch on your own in Assisi
Private Bus to Rome
Final dinner at hotel in Rome (Hotel Diana)
Saturday, March 17 (Depart)
Return home! Fly Smart!
Hugs to you all,
Laura
Thursday, February 2, 2012
There's an app for that
Looking for some good, cheap apps which might help build your knowledge of Italy or Italian? iTunes is full of free (and expensive) apps! Consider searching by some of the following searches:
Italian language
Italy travel
Italian recipes/food/cooking
Italy art
Italy museums
HUGS,
Laura
Italian language
Italy travel
Italian recipes/food/cooking
Italy art
Italy museums
HUGS,
Laura
Eating on our Trip
This week, I've had the privilege of talking about meals with Hotel Diana (Rome), and thought this would be a great time to give you an idea of what to expect for meals on this trip.
N.B. This is exactly the same as what I've told you in the past, but more specific!
Colazione: ("faccio colazione" - I'm eating breakfast) For breakfasts, we'll have buffets at both hotels. These will consist of the standard breads and spreads, but often also include fruit, sweet breads (coffee cake, etc.), and slices of cheese and meat. Then, there will be warm (coffee, hot chocolate, warm milk) and cold (water, juices, whole milk) beverages available for your drinking. Here are the hotels' descriptions of their breakfast spreads:
Hotel Diana's Restaurant - the first picture is part of the breakfast spread!
Pranzo: You'll have time to grab lunch on your own. In Florence, we'll have a three-course lunch together at a typical eatery (trattoria), and dinner will be on our own that day (or you'll be doing the pizza-making party with me!). Don't forget: If you get food at a place where you have the options to grab-and-go or to sit, you could be charged more for sitting!!! And, when you eat at a sit-down place, expect to have "Service" added to your bill.
Cena: ("Mangiamo" - let's eat!) Dinners will be standard three-course dinners. This includes a primo (usually pasta), a secondo (usually a meat, with a veggie side), and a dolce (dessert). Sometimes you'll get an antipasto (bruschetta, insalata, or sliced meats/veggies) for your primo.
An example of una cena at Hotel Diana (this may just be our first night's menu):
Primo: Rigatoni pomodoro e basilico (Tube pasta with a tomato-basil sauce)
Secondo: Aristi di maiale al forno (Oven roasted pork tenderloin)
con patate (with potato)
Dolce
per bevere (drinking): On top of this, there's the topic of drink. It's normal that drinks "aren't included", which means you need to expect to buy your drink, whatever you have. It is standard in Italy that people who are out for dinner will split the cost of a large bottle of water to share at the table. Cokes are SUPER expensive - if you HAVE to have caffeine, why not try a caffe latte after dinner, instead? And it's not at the dinner table where you should be chugging water. Plan to carry a water bottle around with you all day, which you can refill, as your source of hydration, and which you can leave in the room when we head to dinner.
When you completed your applications with SPI, you included information about any special dietary needs. But don't hesitate to e-mail me personally if you want to share or have concerns about eating on the trip! We'll accommodate as much as possible!
HUGS,
Laura :)
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