October 4 – A walk around Trastevere – Earlier today, I took the Frecciarossa, the fast train, down from Milano to Rome. From Termini Station, I took a taxi to my B&B in the neighborhood of Trastevere. Le Clarisse e Trastevereis located just off the main drag (Viale Trastevere) in an old convent surrounded by a quiet courtyard filled with olive and lemon trees. Although the building is ancient, the rooms and public spaces are updated for the 21st Century traveler.
That evening, I struck out for a walk around Trastevere, the historic old neighborhood. The cobbled streets are narrow, and many are for pedestrians only, which makes wandering around easy and stress-free. Tonight, there was a festival celebration. October 4 is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. It marks the day in 1226, when the saint from Assisi, Umbria, died. Just by chance, I came upon the procession and joined in for a few blocks toward the church.
Later, I drifted towards the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, a vast outdoor square, with a fountain, bell tower, and church. The Basilica is old! The floor plan and walls date from the mid-4th Century, and practically everything else was renovated in the mid-12th Century, making it one of the oldest churches in Rome. Medieval mosaics dominated both the interior and exterior, with scenes from Christ’s and Mary’s life. But tonight, there was a festival happening in another part of the neighborhood. October 4 is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. It marks the day in 1226, when the saint from Assis, Umbria, died. Just by chance, I came upon the procession and joined in for a few blocks toward the church.
I don’t even remember the name of the pizza place I chose. I was working on instinct, and notice this place was packed with mostly Romans, not tourists. Families and groups of young people filled all the tables, and they all seemed to be enjoying their pizza and having a good time. I joined the queue at the door, and after about ten minutes, I got a table. A fast-talking/fast-moving waiter came by and dropped a menu on my table. I quickly ordered my drink before he ran away to help someone else. Sitting back and looking around, I noticed the patrons were enjoying watching the swift and gruff waiters hustling from one table to the other. A lot of action, but not too much service. A young guy at the next table leaned over saying, “We come here to drink and watch the waiters run around, if we get pizza, it is a bonus!”
Checking back in my journal, I found this entry, It is fun to note that even the local Romans are “entertained” by the fast-moving waiters and their super-slow service. If I were here with a group, this would be bad. But, for me tonight, it is entertainment.
Ultimately, I did get a pizza, and it was good. The pizza, mixed with the wine, ambiance, locale, and festive atmosphere, made for an enjoyable evening! You never know what you are going to come across when you wander.
Even though I did not get the name of the restaurant, I did make a sketch. Maybe next time I am in Rome, I’ll try to find this place again!
Scoula Italiano Pizzaoli – Molto Importante
It is important to note that the pizza makers here must have an education at the school for Italian pizza makers.
You have not heard from me for a while, but I wanted to write and let you know all is well with me, my family, and Exploring Europe. The last five months have been challenging for me personally and for Exploring Europe. All was going well until March 10, 2020. That was the day COVID-19 became a reality, in more ways than one. My wife and I, and several other family members, came down with the COVID-19 virus in early March (I blogged about it here). Fortunately, none of us had a severe case, although it did take a few weeks to get back to feeling normal.
As for Exploring Europe, we have canceled all our tours at least through November 2020. Early on, we had hoped this pandemic would be short-lived, and travel would get back to normal by the summer. After hundreds of cancellations, I now realize that “normal” is not going to be possible for some time. So, we hope and prepare for a new normal in 2021.
A David McGuffin tour is a unique, interactive, and personal travel experience. One of the aspects that sets our tours apart is the opportunity to meet, interact, and become friends with locals living and working in our destinations. Our trips would not be the same if we were placed under rigid travel and social distancing rules. On our tours, we love to spend time relaxing with our traveling guests, visiting with local friends over a glass of wine, exploring a shop, sampling olive oil, or just taking a stroll through town. Attempting these things from behind a mask or at six-feet intervals would invariably take some spontaneity and adventure away from the total travel experience. We have spent the last twenty years honing our travel and tour style to come up with, what we think, the perfect combination of cultural immersion, history and art lessons, engaging experiences, and unstructured free time. We will not depart on any tour until these types of experiences are again possible, reasonable, and safe for the foreseeable future.
Since we cannot travel to Europe right now, I hope to bring a bit of Europe to you in the coming weeks. During this pandemic, I’m writing several books, adding content to my website, and trying to keep on task with the business of Exploring Europe. I yearn for the day when I can hop on a plane and fly to Europe, but, for now, I’ll have to settle for my memories. So, as much for me, as for you, I am going to begin posting a blog series I’m calling David’s Weekly Wanders in Europe.
David’s Weekly Wanders in Europe will feature videos, articles, book excerpts, virtual tours, and live online events. David McGuffin Explores Rome! is the first of several episodes chronicling the experiences and adventures on David’s Best of Italy Tour route. Along with his producer, Abby, and their travel companions, David visits the significant sites in Italy’s capital city. I hope you’ll consider joining in by participating, making comments, and dreaming of your return to travel.
All the best,
Watch David McGuffin Explores Rome! Don’t forget to scroll down after the video and read about my adventure in Trastevere. I even included a sketch from my journal.
Since we cannot travel to Europe right now, I am bringing a bit of Europe to you. I yearn for the day when I can hop on a plane and fly to Europe, but, for now, I’ll have to settle for my memories. So, as much for me, as for you, I’ll share David’s Weekly Wanders in Europe.
This week, David’s Weekly Wanders in Europe features a video, David McGuffin Explores Rome! It is the first of several episodes chronicling the experiences and adventures on David’s Best of Italy Tour route. Along with his producer, Abby, and their travel companions, David visits the essential tourist sites in Rome, plus a few off-the-beaten-path destinations..
Charlotte was sick with a fever, chills, and a cough over the weekend. I was 4-5 days into my symptoms. In retrospect, Charlotte was probably two days into the Coronavirus by Friday. It is funny how you remember small, seemingly insignificant details, with the advantage of hindsight. Charlotte recalls she had an eye infection earlier in the week, and now we hear that is a symptom of COVID-19, too. We both stayed home and away from people over the weekend. When Monday rolled around, Charlotte called our family doctor and reported she suspected she had COVID-19.
The doctor wrote orders for her to go to a newly set up, drive through testing site at a local hospital. She hopped in the car and drove there only to find no testing site and no one who knew anything about it either. The next day, we gave it another try. This place is an hour from our home, but with nothing to do, it was a welcomed distraction just to get out, even if it was only in our car! No signs were indicating where the drive-thru clinic was located, but with a little luck, we found it behind the hospital in the industrial area. The only indication was a sizeable mobile sign, the kind you see on the roads, flashing traffic information such as “detour.” Only this sign said, “Event Parking,” ha!
The entrance driveway was lined with orange traffic cones. Several hospital employees were standing along the way with hand made signs saying, “Don’t roll down your windows,” and “Pull forward to the tent.” Once at the tent, we were met by an attendant, holding another hand made sign which said they would need names and information to match the patient to the doctor’s orders. This was a swift process, and we were on our way in a couple of minutes. Moving up about 200 yards down a cone-lined drive brought us to a rear entrance of a medical building with a covered drive-through portico.
The medical staff was divided into two sections, the first to collect your personal information and match it with the doctor’s orders. The second station was where the test was administered. These people were decked out in full PPE (funny how we did not know that term until a few weeks ago). A lab tech asked Charlotte to roll her window down, and with just a few motions, stuck the swab up Charlotte’s nose, retrieved it, and placed it in a bio-hazard bag, sealed it, and said, “that was it.” We were in and out of the whole process in fifteen minutes!
Just as we pulled out to leave the hospital parking, Charlotte took a call from her doctor, who was concerned Charlotte may have COVID-19. Given that she recently had open-heart surgery, the doctor wanted her to go to the ER to have a chest x-ray. So, we pulled into the ER, and I let her out at the entrance door. I was not allowed inside, so I parked and waited a couple of hours for Charlotte to finish her visit. The good news is the x-ray showed her lungs to be clear, so all was well. We drove back home and, like many of you, spent the next days at our home. That was St. Paddy’s Day, March 17.
The Test Results
Four days later, on March 21, Charlotte received a call from the testing center confirming she had COVID-19. That call was followed up by a conversation with the local Department of Health. Charlotte had to provide information about who she was in contact with and where she had traveled. By this time, I was 12 days beyond my initial symptoms and Charlotte was 8-days out.
We passed it on to our family!
Earlier in the week, our son reported he was sick with Coronavirus symptoms. Then a day later, his wife and my daughter developed similar symptoms as well. So, within 10 days of my having the initial symptoms, at least five other family members exhibited the Coronavirus symptoms. There are four grandchildren to consider as well. They range in ages from 4-7 years. We suspect, at least two of them contracted the virus, but who knows for sure.
Our Symptoms
All five of us exhibited similar and varied symptoms. I experienced a dry cough, fever, and chills for about 12 hours. In retrospect, I suffered a loss of smell, loss of appetite, and feeling of lethargy that lingered for 7-10 days. Charlotte recalls she had an eye infection after returning from DC on March 9. When she got sick on the 13th, she had fever and chills overnight and into the next day. Additionally, she experienced periods of extreme sweats, loss of appetite and smell, severe head congestion, headaches, a runny nose, and a sense of being tired much of the time. My daughter and daughter-in-law were sick with fever and chills, coughs, and loss of appetite. My son had the worst case. He became ill on March 16 and exhibited symptoms for ten days. He was tested on March 25 and pronounced COVID-19 positive on March 30. His symptoms were much like what has been described above, in addition to extreme tiredness, sweats, and chills that went on for a week.
COVID-19 Negative?
During the first two weeks of April, we all noticed drastic improvements and our health getting back to normal. Charlotte was re-tested on April 10 and confirmed negative the same day. My son, had another test today and was confirmed negative. As for me, I am sure I had the Coronavirus but was not showing symptoms when the drive-through testing became available in our area. So, I was not eligible to have the test. Our hope is that all of us can give plasma once the “antibodies” test arrives in our area.
Conclusions
I am not a doctor or medical professional so my conclusions here are based on anecdotal information from my family and my personal experiences.
The Coronavirus is very contagious.
I am convinced a lot more of us have/had it than is reported.
I imagine many people are infected but asymptomatic.
We are fortunate all our cases were relatively mild and that we’ve had a full recovery.
Most people in my neck of the woods are not doing a very good job of social distancing. It is crowded in our local supermarkets, whole families are wandering around in wads with little concern for the required 6-foot distancing.
All things COVID-19-related have rolled out slowly. The drive-through tests, PPP loans, antibody tests, and plasma donations have all been delayed by days and caused us multiple trips to accomplish anything.
I pray for the day when this is all behind us and we can get back to life as normal. But, I think when it does happen, there will be a new normal. Maybe we won’t shake hands and give hugs, just a hello will do. When it comes to travel, I have a sinking feeling it will come back slowly. Maybe I will not even go to Europe this year! There is no way to predict anything because this is new for all of us. One thing I do know, this pandemic and its repercussions have not caught God off guard! He is in control of the situation and I pray that I can give up and let Him do the leading. All the best to you! Stay safe and stay home!
EPILOGUE
It was the first week of May 2020, when I got word I could have an antibodies test. By this time, testing had been ramped up in North Florida and there was not a shortage of COVID-19 test kits or Antibodies test kits. I went to a nearby Quest Diagnostics facility, had my blood drawn, and within two days had my results. I tested positive for the COVID-19 antibodies, meaning I had had the Coronavirus, had recovered, and now my body had generated antibodies to fight off another attack.
A few days later, the health department and our local blood bank called to ask if I would donate plasma. My son and daughter-in-law had donated their plasma a few weeks before and it was no big deal, so I was happy to donate as well. Unfortunately, I was not able to donate due to the blood-thinning medication I take.
Paris, Rome, Venice, Salzburg, and Tuscany are some of the most romantic destinations in Europe! What’s not to LOVE about these cities… good food, fine wine, enticing rivers, evocative museums, enchanting gardens, all laced in a rich history and dripping with decadent ambiance. Today is Valentine’s Day, and this morning I woke up thinking about these riverside destinations and how I always manage to find something I love about being there. Of course, it is much more fun if you are there with someone you love! Charlotte and I have many cherished memories in each of these cities. In the next few days, I am going to write a post about each of these destinations, so stay tuned. But for now, why not consider taking advantage of one of these discounted tours and experience them first-hand for yourself!
The Best of London and Paris tour provides an opportunity to settle in and experience two of Europe’s major capital cities. London presents a relatively stress-free introduction with non-stops flights from North America, almost no language barrier and easy transportation. All this coupled with our comprehensive itinerary and an opportunity to experience some of the best theatre in the world makes London a perfect beginning to this tour. The EuroStar high-speed train will zip you from London to Paris in less than three hours. In Paris, we’ve included all the major tourist sights and must-see attractions, but there is also plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the experience.
The Best of London, Paris and Rome tour provides an opportunity to settle in and experience three of Europe’s major capital cities. London presents a relatively stress-free introduction with non-stops flights from North America, almost no language barrier and easy transportation. All this coupled with our comprehensive itinerary and an opportunity to experience some of the best theatre in the world makes London a perfect beginning to this tour. The EuroStar high-speed train will zip you from London to Paris in less than three hours. In Paris, we’ve included all the major tourist sights and must-see attractions, but there is also plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the experience. A quick flight down to Rome provides another cultural layer to your tour experience along with historic and religious sights.
Join a small group of 8-15 people in Italy for a fantastic holiday in Tuscany. We will set up for seven nights at the modern 21st-century agriturismo resort near Volterra, Italy. This wonderful agriturismo “villa” comes complete with all the “perks” such as modern rooms, WIFI, air conditioning, plasma TV, and a private pool. This all sits smack-dab in the middle of a hilltop vineyard with broad sweeping vistas of the Tuscan countryside.
Each day we will head out to explore the sites and experiences within driving distance. Day trips include visits to Volterra, Siena, San Gimignano, and Lucca. But one of the joys of staying in a villa is to experience la dolce vita, the sweet life of doing nothing! So, we will have chunks of unstructured time to sit by the pool, relax, walk in the countryside vineyards and enjoy your vacation. We’ve also included a night in Florence, before and after your villa vacation, to help you ease in and out of your travels.
If you’ve been to Italy and seen the sights but were frazzled with a breakneck pace… this is the next vacation experience for you! You’ll feast on fine food, taste some wonderful wine, experience charming villages and treasure packed museums. My personal friends will serve as local guides welcoming you with open arms to their hometown. If you are looking for a real vacation… consider joining me in Tuscany for this vacation experience.
We kick off this tour in the grand imperial city of Vienna, famous for castles, kings, music and cuisine. Then, you’ll have two relaxing days in Salzburg’s famous city center. A visit to Neuschwanstein Castle and nearby Reutte rounds out the fifth day of the tour. We’ll head to Switzerland for my favorite alpine village experience in the beautiful Lauterbrunnen valley. Then we will take a turn to the north and follow the Rhine River valley through the Black Forest to the cute little town of Rothenburg. Finally, visit Hitler’s first concentration camp in Dachau before capping off your tour with two days in Munich, the capital city of Bavaria.
The Best of Italy Tour visits favorite destinations situated north of Rome. Beginning in Rome, you’ll visit the essential tourist sights and classic destinations. Then, travel to the delightful villages of the Cinque Terre where you’ll enjoy two days exploring this coastal region where the mountains literally fall into the sea. Volterra, my choice for the quintessential Tuscan hilltown, is sure to win you over to the “la dolce vita” lifestyle. Siena adds another layer to the complete Tuscan experience with its famous Il Campo and Duomo. Florence, the “cradle of the Renaissance,” will have you walking in the steps of Michelangelo, DaVinci, and the Medici’s. Venice, the romantic canal laced city, rounds out the big three tourist sites. Finally, we will cap off the tour relaxing on beautiful Lake Como in addition to taking a quick look at Milan’s bustling city center.
Rome – 2 nights, Cinque Terre – 2 nights, Volterra – 2 nights, Siena – 1 night, Florence – 2 nights, Venice – 2 nights, Lake Como – 2 nights, and Milan – 1 night
Sign up for any of these tours online and pay your $400 deposit. When we confirm your application, we’ll deduct the discount from your final invoice.
It is not possible to fairly compare a European river cruise with a European land tour. The two offer totally different travel experiences and as a friend says, it is like comparing apples and oranges… you can’t! There are positive elements to both experiences, so in wrapping up my cruise experience, I’ll try to comment on the unique elements of each and offer some comparisons.
Traveling Over Land
Traveling by land, whether on a big bus or with a smaller group, always provides culturally diverse interactions with the local people. The bigger the group, the fewer the opportunities exist for this cultural immersion, but no matter, one will interact with the locals. These cultural interactions include those with hotel and restaurant staff, shopkeepers, local guides, coach drivers and even toilet attendants! Opportunities abound to break away from the group and experience Europe on your own. Additionally, traveling by land provides unlimited opportunities to visit big cities, small villages, national parks, historic sites and more while not being limited to sights strictly along or near a waterway.
My company, David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, offers tours for small groups ranging from 6-24 people. Typically, our tours are regionally based making for relatively short travel days, focused sightseeing and some time for exploring on your own. Our tours are arranged so there are two nights in each destination which allows one to establish some “roots” in the locale and settle into the customs and culture. We include at least half your dinners served at some of my favorite restaurants offering authentic and gourmet local menus. Breakfast is included daily at our hotels. Our hotels are top quality properties, usually 4-stars or better, designed for Europeans and situated right in the heart of our destinations. Some are small family-run properties while others are larger European chain hotels and resorts. Our tours are all-inclusive meaning you’ll never be burdened with optional tours, added costs and nickel-and-dime add-ons. Finally, all tips are included… for everything! Our advertised price is the price you pay, period!
River Cruising
River cruising limits your destination choices and sightseeing to locations along or near the river route. My personal experience comes from a recent river cruise on a Viking long-ship cruising from Budapest to Passau in seven days. The boat is set up with 95 staterooms accommodating up to 190 passengers. I’ve described the ship’s features in detail in a previous article which you can read here. Every passenger, save a couple of Canadians and a couple of Aussies, were 100% USA Americans. The ship’s crew all spoke perfect English and it was the language of the ship. Many passengers were on their second, third or more Viking cruise. The Viking company does very well with their targeted marketing to Americans ages 60 and beyond.
Unpacking only once is definitely the best benefit of cruising. The stateroom was well planned with closets and drawers to hold your stuff and space under the bed to store empty suitcases. The bath was small, but well-planned, modern and bright. All meals were included. A bountiful breakfast buffet, table service or buffet lunch and seated three and four-course dinners. BUT, the meals were all heavily slanted to American tastes, ideas and portions. There was one night we had a traditional Austrian buffet dinner featuring sausage, pork knuckle, pretzels, cheese, sauerkraut and all the fixings.
There was organized sightseeing offered every day. These included short coach and walking tours with local guides followed by some free time on your own… although often, this free time was limited due to having to go back to the ship for a meal or castoff. I felt it was necessary to eat all my meals aboard ship because I had paid for them. Dining on the ship certainly was a choice I made, although I think most of the folks did the same. Getting back to sightseeing, there were optional tours offered every day and with this option came an added cost ($79-$150 per tour) and an investment of time away from the port of call. The guided tours were mostly informative, led by a local professional guide with a placard “lollipop” that we were to seek out and follow. The group usually consisted of 30 to 40 cruisers.
It was a well-known fact that tips were not included for any portion of the tour. Our pre-tour information included suggested tip amounts for drivers, local guides, ship’s crew and the tour director. This was heavily reinforced at our ship-wide meeting at the beginning and end of the tour. Additionally, envelopes were placed in our rooms on our last night as a final reminder. On top of it all, we were encouraged to give additional tips to members of the crew who serve you well. For me and Charlotte, the suggested and optional tips added up to €360 above and beyond the cost of our tour.
Wrapping it Up
Cost is the final factor to consider. I calculated that our Viking cruise cost us $3800 per person, plus coach airfare of $1400 per seat. European coach tour prices vary widely depending on the size and services, however, my Exploring Europe small group tours beat Viking by almost $1000 for our 7-9 day tours. Although, I must mention that our prices do not include lunches, a few dinners and drinks. Check out all my European tours here at my website. Again, the two travel styles cannot be equally compared, however, I have given you my exact cost for a dollar-to-dollar comparison, so you be the judge.
A European river cruise and a European land tour, especially the European tours I offer, vary widely. The two are totally different travel experiences designed for two types of travelers… those seeking cultural immersion and an authentic real-life and local experience, and those desiring the comforts of home punctuated with short guided excursions out to see the sights. I am glad I traveled with Viking. They do a fantastic job with customer service and the boat and accommodations were top notch. I enjoyed the down time and leisurely pace, however, I very quickly realized it would be my only European river cruise. I am glad I chose the route from Budapest to Passau because it allowed me to see some sights along the river I had never visited.
To wrap it up, floating down that river with two hundred people in an “American bubble” is not my idea of experiencing Europe. I am a traveler, one who enjoys planning and exploring on my own or with a small group of like-minded people. Armed with information and an adventurous spirit, there is a whole world out there to explore. Get out of your comfort zone and GO!
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Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at https://davidmcguffin.com/.
David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, https://davidmcguffin.com.
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The Best of London and Paris tour provides an opportunity to settle in and experience two of Europe’s major capital cities. London presents a relatively stress-free introduction with non-stops flights from North America, almost no language barrier and easy transportation. All this coupled with our comprehensive itinerary and an opportunity to experience some of the best theatre in the world makes London a perfect beginning to this tour. The EuroStar high-speed train will zip you from London to Paris in less than three hours. In Paris, we’ve included all the major tourist sights and must-see attractions, but there is also plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the experience.
