#europevacation2014 - the highs and lows (part II)

"The clouds that cover the sunshine,
they cannot banish the sun.
And the earth shines out the brighter,
when the weary rain is done." - Anonymous


The annual vacation actually started out well.

After spilling out my frustration over the robbery in Milan, here's a summary of the HIGHs of my European vacation:

1. Emirates Airlines - There were two legs to the flight (both outbound and inbound). Of course, the technical stop is in Dubai. The 777-300 planes from and to Manila are wide enough with the inbound from Dubai being a newer plane. I think because they fly out more OFWs, they use an older model for the outbound flight. And we parked in the desert, which really sucked because we all had to take the bus to the terminal (about a 30 minutes ride including deplaning). When compared to Qatar Airlines (which is my all time favorite), the food served on the outbound and inbound flights on Emirates were mere sandwiches and very light snacks...unlike Qatar Airways, the food was always a very hot meal. And this was disappointing because I expected better food on Business Class. After all, it was a 9 hours flight to and from Dubai! They provided amenities which include mini-Bulgari lotion and cologne, but Rexona and Colgate were part of the package.

On my bucket list was getting to fly an Airbus 380, and this was available out of Dubai - to Rome and from Barcelona. Now this was flying. While the plane lived up to its design, I found the business class a bit too cramped as they fitted in too many things to make ONE seat looked like a mini suite. It was, however, an excellent sleeper as it was a 180 degrees lie flat bed! And the bar where food and drinks (well, yeah, mostly drinks) were abundant was the piece de resistance of the whole plane! Of course, the icing on the cake were: (1) you boarded separately from the rest of the world from the business class lounge and (2) you had your own chauffer-driven limo to take you TO and FROM your hotel (as long as it was within a 70km radius of the airport).

2. ROME, ITALY
Rome is without doubt a city deep in history. If one should make a trip to Europe and want to review the history of various countries or do some Museum hopping, Rome should be your initial destination, otherwise you might end up with saturating yourself with Museum-fatigue-syndrome.

Rome is a small city and I suggest two things: get a great hotel right in the heart of it all and bring some good walking shoes.

Selecting hotels can be a problem especially in Europe. Most of them are small, and the nice ones are expensive. But I've always cherished a vacation. You need to plan for one and not just jump on a plane on a whim! And remembering the places will require great accommodations and not just the scenic or touristy spots.

In Rome, we stayed at the Sofitel Villa Borghese which is such a beautiful hotel found at the back of the Villa Borghese park. It's a stone's throw from the Spanish Steps and while it is a bit secluded, security in the area is guaranteed. Breakfast at the hotel is divine and those Strawberry Shortcakes were to die for! One thing I can assure all the guests who plan to go to Rome...you'll never go wrong choosing Sofitel Villa Borghese.

Aside from the famous Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain (where there are loads of gypsies), Colosseum, Palantine Hill,and the Roman Columns are many places where you can enjoy Italian cuisine. Just a note to remember: you need to check with the concierge where it's best to dine. On the first night, we just casually walked to some restaurant and the food was terrible! I thought that spending 90 euros was such a robbery considering that the restaurant was one of those sidewalk restaurants. Rule of thumb to remember: IF THE LOCALS DON'T EAT THERE, THE FOOD MUST BE BAD!!!

3. THE VATICAN CITY
The Vatican City State is a walled enclave found within the city of Rome in Italy. It's about 44 hectares and with a population of less than 1000 people, it is the smallest country in the world.

For this part of the tour (which we spent a whole day for), we paid for a walking tour. While the walking tours are a bit pricey, don't attempt to do it on your own because you'll miss out on most of the history of the place. The Vatican City is ruled by the Bishop of Rome - the Pope. Pope Francis makes it a point to meet and greet the audience after the 10AM mass at St. Peter's Square.

In the city, the cultural sites are St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. The major income of the Vatican comes from the sale of postage stamps, tourist mementos, admission to museums, and publications. The military and police defense of the Vatican City is provided by the Italian government. The guide informs us that the Vatican City has no armed forces of its own and the Swiss Guard is the one that takes care of the security of the Pope. The arrangement for recruitment is between the Holy See and Switzerland. Majority of the people that live in the Vatican City are those working in the state and their families.


4. FLORENCE, ITALY
Firenze (Florence) is famous for the Renaissance history. The turbulent political history were periods ruled by the Medici family and numerous other prominent leaders. The Medici family were bankers to the Pope and this contributed to the family's ascendancy to power.

It is the most populous city in Tuscany and was declared by the UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 1982. Florence is an important city for Italian fashion and is a major source of economy for Italy.

In Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Brunelleschi. Found right in the heart of the piazza, this is a quaint modern boutique hotel which is just a few steps from EVERYTHING!!! The hotel is nice and the ambience a contrast with the old exterior facade but a modern interior!

Within Firenze is history at our doorstep. The Florence Cathedral, the Medici Palace, and other tourist spots are just a very very short distance from our hotel.

From Firenze, you can take a short train ride (about 30 minutes) into Pisa.

Or go outlet shopping...

I know that we've not really seen much of what Italy has to offer in terms of culture and arts...but aside from the fact that I had such a horrible nightmare from a robbery in Milan, the first leg of our trip ended at the Philippine consulate in Milan.

The second and final leg will be featured in the next blog update.

#europevacation2014 - the highs and lows (part 1)

My annual vacation destination this year too me to five countries in Europe - Vatican, Italy (Rome and Florence), Monaco, France (Nice & Cannes) and Spain (Barcelona). The whirlwind trip was to last 11 days and 10 nights.

This vacation was something I had looked forward to. And unlike previous vacations, this had its highs and lows.

I decided to write about the lows in the first part of this two part blog.

On board our train (Trenitalia) on a platform change in Milan (on our way to Monaco and France), I was robbed.

Yes. Like many other people who have been violated, my passport, wallet, money, bag and a few memorabilia were taken from my carry-on bag.

It's not my first trip to Europe or Italy for that matter. This year, my partner and I decided to just enjoy the much ballyhooed EuroRail in order to appreciate more of what a European vacation had to offer. On board the train, while we were trying to get settled in, there were two women who were arguing over seats. Obviously, they were our seats as indicated on our train tickets. One of the women claimed she had to seat number on her ticket because it wasn't indicated on her ticket. Another woman was arguing with her and then two men passed behind our backs pretending to be carrying things for other passengers. In a split of a second, I noticed that they began pushing against me and my carry-on bag and when I had looked at my bag, I noticed the zipper was open, and my other bag containing the stolen items were missing. I jumped off the train and informed the conductor and all he said was either I get off now and report to the Polizzia in the station or wait until the train stops in Ventimiglia and report it there.

Adrenaline takes an effect on situations like these and the rest was history.

We got off and went straight to the police and all they could do was shove a piece of paper asking me to just file a police report. When I informed them I could identify the thieves, all they did was tell me that: (1) they spoke no English (which I thought was a lot of bullcrap), and (2) that I should just proceed to the Philippine consulate and report the loss of my travel documents.

That was such a bummer! I saved up for this vacation and I felt angry over the incident!

My partner was busy calling the credit card companies to have my cards and ATM cancelled. I proceeded to the Philippine consulate in Milan. With the taxis on strike that day, I was having such a horrible day. I took the subway and got off at the 5th stop but could not figure out where Stromboli Av. was located. I asked a Filipina on the street (her name is Doris), for directions. She was running late for work but when she found out about what happened to me, she accompanied me to the consulate office.

At the consulate, I was endorsed to Jeremy who asked me to fill out some forms and listened to my disheartening story. Today, I was another statistic added to the millions of "gypsies" and thieves that roamed the streets of Europe. Jeremy said that there are almost 10Million of these kind that ply the streets, mostly in Italy, France and Spain. Obviously, it was something I knew, but felt so stupid about not having to be extra careful. I had to reach the inner recesses of my being to go through anger, denial, bargaining, and simply accept the fate - I was robbed. I was violated. Over and over again, the scene kept playing in my head.

On the kindness of Ms. Marichu Mauro (consul general) and Ms. Helen Sayo (Vice-consul), they gave me a new passport so that I could finish the rest of my vacation. In less than 3 hours, I had a new travel document and some papers to support the fact that my passport was stolen.

When I left the building of the consulate, a Filipino who was selling longganisa offered to take me back to the train station so that I could meet up with my partner.

The silver lining in the low of this vacation were the Filipinos who helped me along the way. They were angels that guided me through my nightmare.

While my partner advised that we abort our vacation, I decided against it. It was a simple decision because I already felt violated from the incident and I did not want to give these people the extra happiness of having to spoil a long planned trip. My happiness was not theirs for the taking.

As I write about this incident, I cannot help feel anger all over again. Angry at myself for not being extra careful. Angry at the thieves for taking other peoples property and valuables because it's their way of life. Angry at the Italian police and government because they do not seem to care about tourists who spend money to visit their country (and pay for the entry Visa which is scrutinized to the hilt!).

While we were getting our new train tickets to Nice, I noticed that there were several thugs stationed at various vending machines for regional tickets. These were the kind of people I was trying to avoid. I saw them at the Firenze station, at the Tiburtina station, at the Pisa station. They were lurking and waiting for victims of their scam. Italy has been tagged by National Geographic as the "Robbery Capital of the World". In a series featured at NatGeo, the various scams by these robbers were highlighted. I recall that before I left for Europe, it was in the news that the Chinese government insisted that France provide better security for the Chinese citizens that go on vacation in Paris. With the millions of Euros that Chinese tourists pour into the shopping district of Paris, the least the French government could do was to make their stay less stressful. I would say the same for Italy. Visibility of the police force and some sense of security from the government should be enforced.

The consulate had informed me that what happened to me was a daily occurrence in Italy. Ever since Europe became one state union, other countries had to contend with this problem. Most of gypsy thieves were from Eastern Europe and mostly Romanians. And crossing the borders of various countries became easy for these criminals. There's also a syndicate that manages these criminals. The economic crisis in Europe had worsened this situation over the past five years.

It's a painful lesson learned and in the future, I vow to be more careful with my things and less trustful about people or even give them the benefit of the doubt.

There will be future travels and escapades to blog about. And part 2 of this blog will tell my story - on how one tragedy should not defuse our happiness.

I believe that after hell, there will always be heaven.


(N.B. Photos are care of www.bella-toscana.com/pickpocketsinitaly.htm#.U4sBjpSSw1d
Read this article as it is so accurate to a T)