Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 8

Friday, June 9, 2023

This was another very early morning and we were on the road before breakfast was served at the villa because we were driving to La Spezia to catch a train. We parked the van in the train station garage. We purchased our tickets for the Cinque Terre train. It was an all day pass and it allowed us to hop on and off.

Waiting in line for our Cinque Terre train tickets.

Cinque Terre was comprised of 5 old fishing seaside villages that sit high on the Italian Riviera. You can hike between the villages and see the scenic coastline and countryside but we opted for the train! Our time was limited and we didn’t have the gear for hiking.

In 1997 Cinque Terre was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site and in 1999 it became a national park.

The first village we visited was the largest and the farthest village, Monterosso. It had a long sandy beach. The water was so clear!

Make sure to see at the end of the beach the large sculpture of Neptune, the Sea God, or as the locals call it II Gigante, carved into the stone. It was built by a Jewish Italian sculptor, Arrigo Minerbi in 1910. It was made from concrete and steel. Monterosso was bombed during WWII and II Gigante lost his arms, trident and a giant seashell. It also suffered additional damage from rough seas and strong winds. Even with its wear and tear, it still stood tall!

You also could see the Aurora Tower here. It was a 16th century fortress built by the Genovese against pirate attacks.

We went back to the train station for our next stop which was Vernazza. This small fishing village had a small port that was surrounded by typical colorful houses for the coastal Italian riviera.

The Church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia was built in the 14th century. It was said that it was constructed here after the bones of St. Margaret washed up on a beach nearby.

The Belforte Castle and tower was built to protect the village from pirates in the mid-1500′ attacks. The remains from the fortress were converted into a restaurant.

A few more photos from Vernazza and its port.

We walked back to the train station for our train ride to the next village of Corniglia. This village sat on a promontory that overlooked the sea and was the smallest. It also was the least visited because of the difficult accessibility.

As you can see in the 2 photos below, it was a minimum 30 minute hike up to the village and filled with switchbacks.

Due to only having a day to spend here, we opted to skip this village. I guess we’ll need to return some day.

We went back to the train to stop in Manarola.

This village also had a small harbor with colorful boats. It had a tiny piazza and multicolored houses that faced the sea. We found it very crowded in all of the villages. It definitely was a popular destination for tourists.

We were told to try Sciacchetrá, a sweet wine made from the grapes in Manarola. Unfortunately we didn’t try it. Another reason to make a return trip!

The footpath Via dell’Amore – the Path of Love was closed due to a landslide and won’t open until 2024. This was listed as the easiest of the hikes between villages. It connected Manarola and Riomaggiore and was also a little over a mile long. It would have been one we could have walked. It gave us yet another reason to return!

The last village to explore was Riomaggiore which was the most southern of the Cinque Terre villages. It was known for its harbor with its colorful boats and the houses looked like they were stacked one on top of the other.

Before we left Cinque Terre we stopped in a place in Riomaggioree for either a glass of wine or wine tastings. It was a great way to end our day here.

On our way back to our villa, we made a stop in Pisa around 8:00 PM. It was nice because the majority of the crowds were gone.

The Arno river flows near Pisa. The Piazza del Duomo was near the northwestern end of the medieval walled city. In the piazza was the cathedral, the baptistery, the campanile or Leaning Tower of Pisa and a cemetery. Of course, the most famous was the Leaning Tower of Pisa which was tilting when it was completed in 1372 because the foundation was unstable.

We arrived back to the villa at 12:45 AM. It didn’t take long to wind down and get some rest for another day of exploring Tuscany.

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 7

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Since we were up so early yesterday, we relaxed at our villa where breakfast was included in our stay and it was quite a spread each morning.

Chris and Dave were busy planning out our adventures. Chris did a lot of research on the medieval towns around the area.

Late morning we left for San Gimignano which was the town we could see from our villa. The city was named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano who they believed saved the city from Attila the Hun.

There are 14 remaining of the 72 towers that originally existed. These were tower houses that symbolized wealth and power of the owners.

It originally was an Etruscan village and it’s location along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route allowed it to grow. The Via Francigena was an ancient road/route from Canterbury in England, through France, Switzerland, and through Italy to Rome and on to Apulia which had ports for embarkation to the Holy Land.

A view of San Gimignano from our parking spot.

San Gimignano’s historic center is a UNESCO world heritage site.

We visited the Collegiata, a Roman Cathedral.

The frescoes in the cathedral date from the 14th century.

After our visit of the church, six of us climbed the Torre Grossa’s 214 steps, the tallest tower in San Gimignano. It was 177 feet tall. Its walls are a little over 6 feet thick. It was worth the climb to experience the panoramic views of the city.

San Bartolo church was anciently dedicated to St. Matthew. This church went under complete reconstruction in 1173. It was devoted to St. Bartolo who was a local saint who died in 1299.

It was always worth stopping in to wine shops to have a wine tasting or just to enjoy a glass!

San Gimignano was known for its Vernaccia di San Gimignano wine which was made from white wine grapes. In fact, I read that is was so famous that it was even mentioned in Dante’s Inferno.

Below were some pictures from our exploration of the town.

After a fun time spent in San Gimignano, we had purchased some wine, cheese, and salami to enjoy at the villa in the evening because we had a late lunch in the town.

It was another great day!

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 6

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

Today was a very early morning (5:00 AM) start because we were going to Florence for the day.

Originally we were planning on driving but because of the traffic and no driving zones in Florence, it was decided to take the train to Florence. We had 8:15 AM tickets to the Accademia Gallery. I was the only person of our group to have seen the statue of David and that was in 1980! We all were looking forward to visiting the gallery.

We had to drive from the villa to the closest train station in Poggibonsi. Once we got the vehicles parked we made it to the train station to catch a train to Firenze Santa Maria.

Even though it was early, our group was all smiles and ready for our next adventure in Florence!

When we got off the train we had to walk quickly for our entrance into the Accademia.

We arrived a little after our timed entrance but we were able to get right in and of course our first stop was to see the stunning statue of David! It was as I remembered from 43 years ago and this time I didn’t have to view it over crowds of people.

David was sculpted by Michelangelo, 1501-1504. It stood about 17 feet tall and weighed a little over 6 tons and was carved in marble. The statue originally was placed in the public square in front of the Palazzo della Signoria. In 1873 it was moved into the Accademia Gallery. After our admiration of David we then explored the gallery on our own.

We saw more of Michelangelo’s works. The unfinished marble statue of San Matteo or St. Matthew (1504-08). We also saw the 4 Prigioni (the slaves or prisoners) and these statues were meant for the tomb of Pope Julius II. When you looked at them it appeared they were struggling to free themselves from the marble. The Palestrina Pietà was first believed to be carved by Michelangelo but experts now think it was a different sculptor because of the variations in the style. There wasn’t any documentation to support who was the sculptor.

San Matteo- the unfinished sculpture of St. Matthew.

Another room in the gallery was the finest 19th century collection of plaster casts and models by Lorenzo Bartolini and his student Luigi Pampaloni. This technique of using the plaster casts and nails that helped the sculptor put reference points onto the block of marble before carving into the stone. These casts showed how the gallery was originally used for teaching art students from the art academy next door. There also was a video we watched that demonstrated this process.

The musical instrument collection once belonged to the grand prince of Tuscany. This collection included a violin and viola by Antonio Stradivari and other unique instruments.

Below is “The Tree of Life” by Pacino di Buonaguida. This painting is based on the Book of Genesis and dates back to the early 14th century. This painting depicted Christ’s crucifixion as a tree with several branches extending from his body. And from each branch of the tree hung medals decorated with certain biblical events.

When we were finished with our visit we went to find a restaurant for breakfast/brunch because we hadn’t eaten. We found a restaurant that was opened and getting ready for lunch but they set up a spot in their back dining room for us.

After breakfast we walked around the Duomo and the Bapistry and had time to explore on our own. The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Del Fiore was commonly known as the Duomo. Construction began in 1296 and took about 150 years to complete. The cupola was a terracotta-brick dome. It was constructed between 1420 and 1436.

White, pink and green marble is breathtaking!

As we explored around the main square of Florence we came across some points of interest.

Image gallery image — Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Porta- first built in 1038.

When we met again we headed to the Sant’Ambrogio district because Joe(one of our group) shared an article about this local neighborhood that wasn’t over run with tourists. It was a short walk from the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio. The article stated that this area was a “tight-knit” community and that it was still authentic Florentine. It’s also a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Florence’s first covered food hall was located here. We found a restaurant, Cibrèo Caffe in Sant’Ambrogio and had a delicious meal! And bonus this restaurant was mentioned in the same article and it talked about how it is a restaurant that is a stand-out in the area. The owner’s son explained that their philosophy was “if you visit Florence and see a Botticelli painting and Michelangelo sculpture, you should not have to then settle for a fast-food pizza or a sandwich on the street”! Here we experienced a traditional Florentine cuisine!

Exploring the quiet side streets of the area.

When you are walking around the area, make sure you turn around and look behind you. You never know what scenic sites you might see.

Even with taking the train into Florence we still had ove 18,000 steps but it was a great day spent in the capital of Tuscany’s region. We felt we experienced some of the Renaissance art period!

We took the train back to Poggibonsi, found our vehicles and drove back to our villa where we enjoyed some wine and discussed our highlights of the day before dinner.

Our meals at the villa were always delicious! After our five-course meal, they always served a shot of Grappa! Grappa was an alcoholic pomace brandy made in Italy and contained 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume! It was grape based and was made from the left overs from winemaking after pressing the grapes.

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 5

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

This morning we had to be up early to check out of our hotel in Rome and carry our luggage over to the Metro station. We rode the Metro with our luggage to the main terminal exit.

From the terminal we found the track that our high-speed train would arrive on and then take us to the Firenze S.M. Novella stop.

At the Florence Airport we got off the train with our luggage and then boarded the Metro to take us to the airport!

When we arrived at the airport the guys left and took the rental car shuttle to pick up our van and car. When we first planned our trip we were hoping to rent one 10-12 passenger van. When we checked with Italy’s car rental agencies we were told you had to have a special bus driver’s license to drive any vehicle that carries 10 or more passengers. Therefore we had to rent two vehicles, a nine passenger van and a five passenger car.

After loading both vehicles with our luggage, we headed for our villa outside of San Gimignano, Torraccia Di Chiusi. It was our 4th mode of transportation!

The last two miles of our drive to the villa was gravel and because of all of the rain that they have had there were many potholes and uneven surfaces! Below are pictures from around Torraccia Di Chiusi.

We all loved our rooms, the staff, and the grounds of the villa.

It was around 3:30 PM when we arrived at the villa. This evening we were going to eat dinner there and it was served at 8:00 PM. Since we hadn’t had anything to eat since morning, we talked to Maria, the manager, and she had the kitchen make up two meat and cheese trays with fresh bread for our group. Of course, we also had several bottles of their wine. It was the perfect “happy hour”!

The grounds were beautiful and the scenery was spectacular.

Right by our villa was the Via Francigena Toscana, an ancient pilgrimage route. It was a 1300-mile long route in the Middle Ages from Canterbury through France, Switzerland and Italy before reaching Rome. We met a couple that was hiking part of the route.

After dinner some of our group played Euchre, some read, and others found that sleep was calling their name. It was a long day of subway, train, and cars so it was an early night for most!

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 4

Monday, June 5, 2023

This morning we were up very early to take the Metro to the Vatican. It was rainy but it didn’t stop us from arriving at our Vatican Museums tour at our check-in time of 7:15 AM and our tour began at 7:30 AM. We checked in, met our guide, and had time to use the restroom before heading out on our tour. I can’t emphasize enough what a great idea it was to do this tour before the museums opened to the general public at 9:00 AM. It felt like a private tour in the museums and the Sistine Chapel.

Our group before heading into the museums.

The Vatican Museums house more than 70,000 exhibits in an area of 42,000 meters (or 26 miles)! There was no way that we could experience it all in a few hours! Floriana, our own guide for the ten of us, did a fantastic job! We took a lot of pictures of the exhibits we saw but we only posted a few of our favorites here.

Pictures weren’t allowed in the Sistine Chapel. When we were sitting in there and looking at the ceiling and the walls it was like having the space to ourselves. We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour and then when we were finished, our ticket included breakfast in the Pigna Courtyard (or the Pinecone Courtyard)!

After our delicious breakfast, we then had to walk through some of the museums to get to St. Peter’s Basilica. Well, it was packed with people and it was quite an ordeal to get out! We made it and then spent some time in St. Peter’s.

We went from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Roman Forum. It was the political, legal and religious center of the Roman Empire and was located between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill. It was first developed in the 7th century BC. After we walked through the Forum, we hiked up the Palentine Hill and took some pictures looking down onto the Forum.

Remains of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine

Below is the Arco di Tito (The Arch of Titus). It was built by the emperor Domitian to honor his older brother Titus. It was created in 81-85 AD.

Our last sight to visit was the Colosseum which was built between 69-79 AD. As we walked around and then in the Colosseum you could envision the gladiators fighting, animal hunts happening or public executions.

Without going into a lot of specifics, if you visit any big city please be careful. There are many pick pockets and they are extremely slick. One of the members of our group had his wallet taken and it was in a cargo short pocket that was buttoned! Crowded places are easy targets. We found the police were not helpful.

This evening we had dinner at another great family restaurant and celebrated Dave’s birthday!

It was a day filled with a lot of walking all around Rome with over 25,000 steps.

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 3

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Today we took the Metro back into the center of Rome and our first stop was the Mamertime (Mamertime is a term attibuted to the prison in the Medieval Period) Prison. On our way to the prison we stopped by the Church of Santa Maria ai Monti. This church was built in the 16th century and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was beautiful inside.

Inside the Church of Santa Maria ai Monti.

Then on to the prison.

It was built in the 3rd century BC and in this prison, according to legend, Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter were imprisoned here by Emperor Nero. The prison was known as the Carcer which means prison and it was the only prison in ancient Rome. The Tullianum which was speculated to hold religious importance, votive offerings were found during excavations. It was used for death row prisoners and these prisoners were let down through the hole in the ceiling.

Upper Chamber of the Carcer- this altar is in memory of Saint Peter in the Carcer.

We walked over to the Circus Maximus. It was the largest ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium. It was constructed in the 6th century BCE. It was U shaped and had seats on 3 sides. It was rebuilt by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BCE. There could be 150,000 spectators and it was enlarged by subsequent emperors until Constantine in the 4th century AD and it had a seating capacity of almost 250,000 spectators.

We walked over to the Parco Savello, Giardino Degli Aranci and it was located on the Aventine Hill. This park was named after orange trees and was very peaceful. It has an excellent view of Rome. The park was designed in 1932. There were medieval walls surrounding the park. It was worth the hike up the hill!

We crossed the Tiber River as we walked down from the park.

By now it was early afternoon and we were hungry so we found outdoor seating at a restaurant called Sabatini in the Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere a neighborhood in Rome. Trastevere was known “as the foodie neighborhood of Rome”! Our meals were fantastic!

The drinks were excellent too!

This neighborhood had narrow alleys and in the Piazza di Santa Maria was the Basilica di Santa Maria which was one of the oldest churches in Rome.

As we explored the neighborhood of Trastevere we saw cobblestone alleys and interesting restaurant windows and shops. Below are a few.

At Pasta e Vino, she was making pasta in the window!

I loved seeing these boys as we walked down one of the alleys!

Some boys playing chess along one of the narrow streets!

Our walk continued to Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo). It was quite an uphill trek with stairs and narrow streets. It was worth the climb! At the top of the hill there was an equestrian statue dedicated to Geribaldi who was a military figure and hero.

The Janiculum Promenade served as a monument to the 84 partisans who fought and died protecting the Romans from the French invasion of 1849. These statues surround the area.

The views from Janiculum Hill were incredible.

The Fontana dell’Acqua Paola was a marble fountain and was built during the 17th century and was also called “The Big Fountain”.

After walking back down the hill we passed by the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument. It was built between 1885 and 1935 to honor Victor Emmanuel II who was the first king of a unified Italy.

As we were walking to the location for dinner we passed by more Roman ruins. Unfortunately the information plaque explaining what we were looking at was blocked off and we couldn’t get the information.

We walked into a neighborhood area of Rome to find a local restaurant and we found an excellent one. It was family run and we had great food and service.

Our group of travelers at Trattoria Da Valentino

It was a beautiful evening to walk from our dinner restaurant to catch the subway and head back to our hotel after a busy day and over 21,000 steps!

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 1 and Day 2

Friday, June 2, 2023 and Saturday, June 3, 2023

After over a year of planning this trip to Italy and it was finally here! Ten of us are heading to Italy!

We had an afternoon flight from Columbus to Washington, DC and had a short layover before we boarded our United flight to Rome. Both flights went smoothly and we arrived in Rome around 8:30 AM. Saturday morning. Italy was 6 hours ahead of us.

We had a car service meet us at the airport and drove us to our hotel which was located on the outskirts of Rome!

Our rooms were ready so we all went to our rooms to clean up after our 24 hour day! We met and walked to the closest Metro station to head into Rome! We rode the subway to the Colosseum stop. When we walked up the steps, the first sight for our group was the Roman Colosseum! Dave and I were the only members of our group that had visited Rome before. The rest of our group was in awe. Their expressions and comments were priceless!

Even though our group was exhausted we spent the afternoon exploring “The Eternal City”! We walked by the Forum and visited the Trevi Fountain where we all tossed our coin over our left shoulder to ensure our return to Rome. The Trevi Fountain was the most famous fountain in Rome. It was built in the mid-seventeen hundreds. It was the largest Baroque fountain in the city and known throughout the world.

We also walked up the Spanish Steps! They were built between 1723 and 1726 and consisted of 135 steps and 3 different terraces. The steps began at the Piazza di Spagna up to the French monastery church, Trinita dei Monti. At the top was a great view filled with many tourists.

Below is a slideshow of more of the sights that we saw on our first day in Rome!

Picture 1- Piazza del Campidoglio, Picture 2- part of the Forum, Picture 3- Roman Forum as we walk by, Picture 4- walking from our hotel to the Metro station, Picture 5- the Pantheon from the side, Picture 6- the front of the Pantheon, Picture 7- Piazza della Minerva, Picture 8- Monument to Cola di Rienzo, Picture 9- Forum of Caesar

Amelia Island, Florida

February 19th-23rd, 2023

We had a few days in between helping to care for our granddaughter in Virginia so we booked a condo through VRBO that was located oceanfront on Amelia Island. It was great to have warm weather and the sun shining in February! There was snow at home so we enjoyed the temperature in the 70s!

Our first full day we drove to the north end to visit Fort Clinch. The drive to the fort took us along the historic Canopy Road that was covered with oak trees and Spanish moss.

After the serene drive along the canopy road we arrived at Fort Clinch, 1847-1945. The fort was never completely finished. When the Civil War began the fort was under control by the Confederates. Then as the Union started to gain control of the coast of Georgia, General Robert E. Lee ordered the evacuation of the fort and Union troops arrived in March, 1862. It is now a Florida state park and is open to visitors. We enjoyed wandering around the fort.

After visiting the fort we drove over to see the Amelia Island Lighthouse. It is the oldest existing lighthouse in Florida. In 2001 the Coast Guard turned over the lighthouse to the City of Fernandina Beach. It is the westernmost lighthouse located along the east coast of the US and about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. It is located within a residential neighborhood and sits on the highest point on the island.

On our way to the lighthouse we stopped at the Salt Marsh.

Looking across the Salt Marsh at the lighthouse

After our morning exploration we spent the afternoon by the ocean at our condo.

Our second full day at Fernandina Beach was gorgeous weather so we spent most of the day enjoying the warmth of the sun and catching up on our reading!

Day 3 was another warm and sunny day. The sunrise was beautiful! We read by the ocean in the morning and spent the afternoon walking around the historic downtown of Fernandina.

Fernandina Beach historic waterfront city is considered downtown which encompasses over 50 blocks that are on the register of historic places. It was fun to walk around the area.

Enjoying a “beverage” at the Palace saloon!

Today we left the warmth of Florida and headed back to Virginia!

A Trip to San Antonio, Texas

November 5-12, 2022

We had enough Delta points to schedule a quick vacation to San Antonio, Texas, a city that we had never visited. It included our flight, hotel, and car.

The hotel upgraded us to a suite and we were quite impressed! After checking in we headed out to the famous San Antonio River Walk.

Saturday’s Adventures

Dave heading down to the River Walk and our hotel is in the background.

Our destination was Valero, or the Alamo as its known to most people. It was the first mission along the San Antonio River in 1718. The Alamo was where over 150 people died in 1836 as they fought for independence from Mexico.

Sunday’s Adventures

We headed to Fredericksburg to visit some wineries along the “Wine Road 290”! Our first stop was to park and walk around the town of Fredericksburg. As we walked along the main road in town there were many shops and some of the wineries had downtown tasting rooms.

After walking around town, we visited a few of the wineries along the “Wine Road”! Our first stop was Messina Hof. They produce wines that are 100% grown in Texas.

On to Signor Vineyards with over 200 acres!

We also stopped at Grape Creek Vineyards founded in 1983 and was the oldest winery on Highway 290. They bottled all of the Grape Creek wines on their estate.

We really enjoyed our drive along the Wine Road. We drove up to a few of the other vineyards to look around before we headed back to San Antonio.

Monday’s Adventures

This morning we walked the other direction along the River Walk and headed to the Pearl District.

The Pearl District had shops, restaurants, a park area, the Culinary Institute of America and the Hotel Emma.

We had brunch at the Bakery Lorraine that was known for their baked goods. Every item that they serve was handmade. The food we had was delicious! We visited and browsed a great book store called The Twig. After walking around the area we stopped in the lobby of the Hotel Emma. It was a historical hotel that once was a Brewhouse in the 19th century.

This afternoon we visited the other Missions of San Antonio. Mission Concepción was our first stop. It had the oldest unrestored stone church in America.

Mission San José became known as the “Queen of the Missions”. At its peak, it housed 350 Native Americans that resided in 84 two-room apartments.

Mission San Juan was established in 1716 to serve the Nazonis Indians but the mission struggled due to disease and danger from attacking Apaches and then the Comaches. People of the San Juan Parish still worshipped at the church just as their ancestors had.

Mission Espada was established in 1731 and had many Spanish features. You could see the church doorway, the brick archways and the bell tower all had a Spanish influence.

Tuesday’s Adventures

Today we walked along the River Walk to the Main Plaza so we would know where the San Fernando Cathedral was located because we were going to go to the light show this evening. This afternoon we spent enjoying the pool at our hotel, reading and watching the Denver Nuggets basketball players that were also staying at our hotel!

Wednesday’s Adventures

Today was a trip to visit Austin, Texas the capital. We visited the capital building and the LBJ Presidential Library. Both were very educational.

Thursday’s Adventures

Natural Bridge Caverns was our destination for a late morning tour. The owners of the land developed that first 1/2 mile of the 2 miles of caverns. We were told that the first 1/2 mile was the best to see and was called their Discovery Tour.

This afternoon we visited the historic Market Square where you could get the flavor of old Mexico with the many locally owned businesses.

After walking all through Market Square, we visited the Tower of the Americas. It was a clear afternoon and it wasn’t very busy. It was 750 feet tall and we had awesome views of San Antonio from the observation deck.

Friday’s Adventures

This morning we went to the Witte Museum. The museum had exhibits that incorporated Texas heritage, nature, science, and culture.

Our next stop was the Japanese Tea Garden which had also been known as the Chinese Tea Gardens. It opened in an abandoned quarry in the early 20th century. It also was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. A lot of people were visiting here. The gardens were beautiful.

When we returned to the hotel for our last night in San Antonio, we visited the rooftop bar of our hotel for a glass of wine.

Saturday Adventures

This morning we checked out of the hotel, returned our rental and flew home. It was a great trip and we enjoyed exploring and learning about San Antonio, Texas!

A Taste of Peru: Discover Lima, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu Day 11 & 12

Saturday, October 15th, 2022 & Sunday, October 16th, 2022

This will be a quick post because the next two days are mainly traveling!

Today we left Aguas Calientes by train and arrived back to the Ollantaytambo Station where we boarded a bus to take us to Cusco.

When our bus arrived back to the city center of Cusco we had lunch at a local restaurant and then went to the airport where we grabbed our luggage and reorganized for our flight. It will take a little over an hour for our flight from Cusco to Lima.

When we arrived in Lima our group and our group leader said goodby. Some of us would be continuing our travels and some would be staying an extra day or two in Lima. Our flight from Lima was scheduled to depart around 11:00 PM to fly to Houston, Texas.

We arrived in Houston around 5:00 AM Sunday morning. We went through customs and said goodbye to our friends, Roseanna from Minnesota and Kathy, from Colorado. We hope to do another adventure together! Once we rechecked our luggage for our flight to Columbus we relaxed in the United Club because we had about six hours before our flight!

We arrived in Columbus on time, collected our luggage and headed home after a fantastic trip to Peru. Road Scholar fulfilled their description of providing a “Taste of Peru: Discover Lima, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu”.

Category: Travel Adventures

Club Italy Vacation 2023 Day 8

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Amelia Island, Florida

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