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My 36 days Italy journey, Lucca (1) I went to Italy from Oct 15 to Nov 19 with 3 different groups. I took near 400 pictures but it won't fit in Chinese FriendFinder blogs. I only can select some pictures to show you. Italy has 20 regions (that is similar to USA 50 states). Each region has many cities. I went to Tuscany/ Umbria, Rome and Sicily in 4 regions with 3 different groups. First, you need to buy a socket adapter and put on a comfortable walking shoes. Because Italy has very narrow cobblestone streets and the bus can't drive or park right in front of scene or churches. If you don't like to see idyllic rural scene, you won't like Tuscany or Umbria regions because both in agricultural farmers style. When you enter any hotel room, you will see bidet (坐浴盆) next to a toilet. Bidet is to wash your butts and they provide special towel to wipe and dry your butts. Bidet is not a urinal. Churches including chapel, church, cathedral, duomo (【義】教區中之主要教堂), basilica (（古羅馬）長方形會堂), .... Churches bells ring every hour by the hour (12 o'clock ring 12 times). Some churches even ring bells on every 15 minutes. All Italians got used to the bells, so they almost don't hear the bell sound, but tourists hear the bells. Language: Italian (Sicily has its own local dialect, but they also speak Italian). Some useful Italian. Italians have many hand gestures. Italians talk with their hands. Yes / No (Si / No) Good day (Buon giorno) Good evening (Buona sera) How are you? (Come va?) Fine (bene) Thank you (Grazie) You're welcome (Prego) Rome (Roma) Italy (Italia) delicious (delizioso) Oh, my God (Dio mio) (Momma mia) My Italy journey started from Florence city in Tuscany region. A bus picked us up at airport and immediately took us to Lucca for 1+ hours. Lucca is an 2,000 years old small city but has 97 churches. The trip leader provided a local tour guide to introduce Lucca city for about 9 churches. Each church has its story but after the long trip and so many churches, I couldn't remember them all, but few of impressive churches I will mention to you later.        Honesty is the best policy. |
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My US passport and USD money are stored in my locked luggage at hotel room. I carry only some EURO cash (Italy is in EU) and one of my credit card for shopping and one debit card for ATM to get EURO cash in my waist stash. I carry my smartphone in that neck stash bag so that I can have my hands free for taking pictures or eating or shopping selection. I don't carry many stuffs with me when I was walking outside. It was a safe trip from Oct 15 to Nov 5 when I stayed in hotel room alone. However, O.A.T. arranged a female roommate to stay with me from Nov 5 to Nov 19. To explain more clearly to you, I have the 1st group trip with O.A.T. Italy is for Tuscany and Umbria regions which is less people population areas. It is mostly idyllic rural scenery with some cathedrals and duomos. The 1st group from Oct 15 to Oct 29. Then my 2nd group are from Oct. 29 to Nov 2 in the capital of Italy, Rome for 4 days. Then I paid extra money to stay in Rome for 2 more days/nights for hotel and airfare to Sicily. I stayed in Sicily 2 more days/ nights alone prior to the 3rd group arrived in Sicily, Italy. I was by myself in Rome for 2 days and in Palermo, Sicily for 2 more days without a group to tone down the high-speed group trips. When group trips, I have to get up 6 am, breakfast at hotel at 7 am, then go on bus for sightseeing at 8 am every day. Especially on the changing hotel days even busier to pack luggage and push them to outside of hotel room. Very tight schedule and exhausting. That 3rd group in Sicily started from Nov 5 and I found out I have been arranged with a female roommate to stay with me. The bed had been separated a little for 2 beds. That female roommate came in with nasal congestion and dry cough, hearing difficulties and 10 years older. She likes to drink wine. I can't get along with her. I have tolerated her so many days from Nov 5 to 19 for Sicily trip. In the day time, I always locked-up my luggage to prevent the hotel maid stealing. When came back from daily activities, I opened up my luggage for evening and morning shower (bathroom using). She is the only person knows where I store my marble necklace and bracelet that i bought earlier in 1st group when the time I stayed alone in hotel room. Honesty is the best policy.
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Both of "waist stash" and "neck stash" have microchip deactivate device to prevent the thief to copy the my credit card # information. Please Google "Magellan's RFID waist stash" and you will know I have protected. Nobody snitched my money or credit card from me. I carry my passport only at airport for TSA (Transpiration Safety Administration), Airplane company, and custom to look it. The most time when traveling, I store my passport in my locked luggage. Oct and Nov are slow season for traveling, less tourists, less thieves. Nobody stole my money or grabbed my waist stash or neck stash. Once I entered Italy, I put away my U.S. dollars and carry a little EURO money for shopping. I have a debit card with me and I can walk to any ATM machine to get EURO and I have big US bank that won't charge me for transaction fee but only the USD and EURO exchange rate. I have been advised to buy Magellan RFID waist stash and neck stash. Many tourists have same bags too. Cash money and credit card # are safe with me all my journey. Not to worry. Both have RFID blocking device. I bought them on Amazon. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. The tags contain electronically-stored information. Passive tags collect energy from a nearby RFID reader's interrogating radio waves. Honesty is the best policy.
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We went to a marble mine that in a small town that people are very poor but make the most money for Italy government. We have to ride on 4 wheel drive Land cruiser to go up to the marble mine. Bumpy ride. They cut marble in 3 x 3 x 3 ft or 11 x 7 x 7. It used to take them 3 days to the size, but now only 2 or 3 hours. The workers have been paid very low and no medical benefits. Usually father to son's job on the marble mine mountain. I bought beautiful marble necklace and a bracelet at the souvenir shop down the hill. I stayed by myself alone in hotel rooms since Oct 16 to Nov 5 in Tuscany/ Umbria and Rome regions, the marble necklace and bracelet safe with me. However, my O.A.T. (Overseas Adventure Travel) arranged me with a woman to stay in my room. She stole my marble necklace and bracelet that i bought at this marble mine mountain. I locked my luggage during the days, but returned to hotel room after dinner. She stole my marble necklace and bracelet during I was in bathroom for toilet or shower. I sent her 4 emails to ask her return my marble necklace and bracelet, but she didn't respond. She had nasal congestion and dry cough that interrupted my sleep. She is also have difficulty to hear, so she wear hearing aid during the days and took out hearing aid when we returned to hotel. She is the only one who knows where I store my marble necklace and bracelet. Honesty is the best policy.
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Although October starting slow and raining season, but still lots of tourists especial seniors (no young children). In my 3 groups some over 85 years but very healthy. Most of them at age 70+. My age is consider young but I have left knee pain that effected by cold raining weather. In the crowded tourists, you just don't have time to ask someone to take pictures. Everyone hurry to take pictures (church ceiling painting that you can't stand on) and catches-up with the group and listen to local guide's introduction. I took near 400 pix but only less than 1/20 with me inside. The trip leaders said in the summer, more tourists, more younger people with kids. It was even worse, hot and sweating. I actually to two countries because Vatican that is not Italy but inside of Rome. My trip didn't include Vatican, so I paid extra to hire local agent to see Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter Square in Vatican. Do you know Vatican is the smallest country in the world only 43 acres in total. The Pope lives there.  Honesty is the best policy.
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Can someone teach me how to load my near 400 pictures (maybe just 100 better selected pictures) to my computer. I have Samsung S7 smartphone. I tried to send my friends 26 pictures through email but there are only 4 pictures went through, the 2nd email, I sent out 30 pictures but only 6 of them went through. I need to load those pictures in my computer so that I can upload them to show you. You know Italy has so many cathedrals, duomos, ... and each church has not only the front altar but also another one at right and one at left, and ceiling paintings, both sides have many oil paintings or marble sculptures, and floor have special design. Some churches have special story for each Saint. Of course, they hired local tour guides to explain each individual church, but I still remember some more important stories that I want to share with you. Please teach me how to transport pictures from smartphone to Desktop computer then i will select the pictures to explain the unique churches. Thank you. Honesty is the best policy.
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In some part of Italy have had more than 3,000 years history, so you have to know that means 1,000 B.C. (Before Christ) or ten centuries before Jesus Christ. A.D. does not mean “After Death.” It is an abbreviation for “Anno Domini,” which is a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of our Lord,” referring to the year of Christ’s birth. BC means before Christ. So at the time of this writing, 2011 AD is intended to signify that it has been 2,011 years since Christ was born. Secondly, 1 BC could not be directly followed by 1 AD if AD meant “After the Death of Christ.”2 That would mean that Christ was born then He immediately died, and we know that’s not the case. Italy has united as a single country in March 27, 1861 (157 years ago). So, Italy is younger than USA 242 years old. We know Roman crucified Jesus Christ and killed many Christians. Over time, the Christian church and faith grew more organized. In 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which accepted Christianity: 10 years later, it had become the official religion of the Roman Empire. Honesty is the best policy.
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