ISEO AND THE CASTLE

Welcome to Iseo!

TOWN OF ISEO

Welcome to Iseo!  Our Hotel, the Ambra Hotel (on the right-hand side in the photo below), is located at the southern tip of Lago Iseo (Lake Iseo), an area that is often overlooked by tourists, but is a popular vacation spot for Italians.

ISEO LAKEFRONT AND AMBRA HOTEL

Thursday - We finally arrive in Northern Italy where we will spend our days touring the area and visiting the castle and other de federici holdings.  The castle is further north than our hotel and in a more remote location, so Iseo will be a perfect base for the next few days.

There are no plans for Thursday evening but we can all enjoy a walk along the lake promenade, and have dinner along the lakeside and maybe an evening drink in the piazza outside of our hotel.

Friday - Every Friday morning a lively local market is held in the piazza just outside of our hotel - we can stroll through the market in the morning, then we can explore the town of Iseo and take the ferry to Monte Isola, the beautiful island in the middle of the lake.  It's a pedestrian friendly island (no cars, only scooters).  These are optional activities for Friday, so if you prefer you can explore Iseo on your own this day.

FERRY TO MONTE ISOLA

ARRIVING IN MONTE ISOLA

Monte Isola is the largest lake island in Italy, and there are easy walks along the water and around the harbor with plenty of restaurants with spectacular lakeside views.  We can also walk to nearby characteristic old villages including an old fishing village near the harbor, passing a cat sanctuary along the way.

FISHING VILLAGE ON MONTE ISOLA

When we return to our hotel, the remainder of the day will be free to enjoy on your own.

Saturday - De Federicis castle, here we come!  Today we will have a private tour of the castle and then tour the local areas surrounding the castle where we will see houses, palazzo's, fountains, tombstones and other artifacts owned at one time by the de federici family.  This will be an all-day adventure, and hopefully some of our Italian cousins will be joining us for this part of our trip.

Sunday and Monday are free days and currently there are no planned activities.  There are more things to see and do around the town of Iseo and the surrounding villages along the lake, or you can choose to spend one or both of the days doing any of the tours/trips below.  Please let me know which one(s) you are interested in so we can arrange them.

Day Trip to Venice - this can be done as a guided tour, or you can travel by the fast train and arrive in Venice in a little over an hour and explore Venice on our own.  This is a day long activity and you would return to Iseo in the early evening.

GRAND CANAL, VENICE

Bernina Express - this is another day-long option.  The scenic train ride will take you through the breathtaking Alps to St. Mortiz, Switzerland, and return in the early evening.

Bergamo, Lake Como, Sirmione, Verona, or other nearby villages and lakes - these villages can all be easily accessed by bus or train, but you will most likely only be able to visit one.  Each of them is charming in their own way, so let me know if you would like more information about any of them.

BERGAMO

LAKE COMO

SIRMIONE ON LAKE GARDA

VERONA - JULIET'S BALCONY

The prices for these tours and day trips will be provided once I know how many are interested in each one.

Tuesday - on Tuesday's there is another small local market in Iseo that we can browse through for any last minutes goodies or souvenirs before being transported to Milan for our final Italian destination before leaving for Reykjavik, Iceland.

PLEASE RESPOND ON THE STORMIN' THE CASTLE FB PAGE TO THE TOURS AND ACTIVITIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.

Arrivederci Roma, Ciao Pescara! (Good-bye Rome, Hello Pescara!)

Welcome to Pescara in the Abruzzo region - home of our ancestors!

MONDAY AFTERNOON:
After leaving the hectic and fast-paced city of Rome, Pescara will be a welcome change.  Pescara is located in the Abruzzo region, which is the region where Mario De Federicis lived before leaving his homeland to travel to the United States many years ago.  He never lived in Pescara, but this port city is a good base for us to travel in and around the Abruzzo region.  Pescara is also where Gabriella's sister, Nadia lives.

Our hotel, Hotel Victoria, is a one-minute walk from Piazza Rinascita, a lively square filled with cafe's and shops, and it is a popular socializing spot for Pescara residents.

TUESDAY:  There are no planned tours for Pescara, but there are many optional activities including relaxing anywhere along the 10-mile stretch of sandy beaches lined with restaurants and bars, located just a short walk from our hotel.  Tuesday is a free day so you can use this time to explore Pescara and the beach, or if desired tours can be arranged for wine tastings in nearby villages or tours to the many historic, medieval villages in the region.  Please let me know if you would like something arranged, otherwise the day will be free to spend as you wish.

WEDNESDAY:  For those interested (and I think that will probably be all of us), we will hop on the local bus and visit nearby Teramo where the De Federicis family currently lives. We will meet up with family and friends before returning towards evening to our hotel for our last evening in Pescara.

THURSDAY- Next Stop:  ISEO.  This morning our private drivers will arrive to transport us to Iseo in Northern Italy to begin our visit of the castle region, and to explore the area where our ancestors originated.

Welcome to Rome!

HERE IT IS!  Our Rome Itinerary

SATURDAY - MORNING/AFTERNOON

• Arrive in Rome after an overnight flight; Check into our hotel then meet in the lobby to walk to a nearby location for Lunch:  ALL
• Meet our friends from Scooteroma who will take us on an Orientation Scooter Tour of the Highlights of Rome:  
• Gary - will ride his own scooter
• Tim - will ride his own scooter
• Bob - will ride his own scooter, with Debbie on the back
• Glenn - will ride his own scooter, with Amy on the back
• Dan - will ride his own scooter
• Joyce - Might ride her own scooter
• Annette - will ride her own scooter
• Kelli - will ride her own scooter
• Gale - will ride on the back of a tour guide's scooter

SATURDAY - EVENING

We hit the ground running on our first day in Rome, and we will end our day with a walking food tour of the Trastevere area of Rome, a bohemian-style neighborhood filled with family-run shops and cafes.  Then we will head back to our hotel for a much-needed good night's sleep.  

• Evening Taste of Rome Tour:  ALL

SUNDAY - MORNING/AFTERNOON

• Day Trip - Pompeii Tour:  Bob, Amy, Glenn, Joyce, Dan, Kelli
• Borghese Museum - Debbie, Gale
• Free time in Rome - Gary, Tim, Annette

SUNDAY - EVENING

Sunday evening is "on your own", but there will be several options included in your final trip package including dinner suggestions.

MONDAY - MORNING/AFTERNOON

• St. Peter's Cathedral and Vatican Museum Tour - Gary, Tim, Bob, Annette
• Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour - Amy, Glenn 
• Climb St. Peter's Dome and Visit the Catacombs beneath the Vatican - Gale, Joyce, Dan
• Free time in Rome - Debbie, Kelli

MONDAY - AFTERNOON

• Depart for Pescara in the Abruzzo Region - ALL

Rome Itinerary: Friday, May 20th - Monday, May 23rd

Choices, Choices, Choices!

So much to do and so little time!  But, we will try to make it as easy as possible for everyone to decide what they would like to do for the few days we have in Rome.

Please check out the day-by-day itinerary for our first few days in Italy, then respond on our FB page or by text/email/messenger to me with your choices.

Please respond soon so we can get the tours we want before the best ones are booked, or before the 2016 price lists come out!  Items in BLUE need a response.


DAY 1:  Friday, May 20th:  Overnight flight to Rome, Italy

DAY 2:  Saturday, May 21st:  Arrive in Rome, group lunch, orientation tour.

1.  ____  YES, I would like to have lunch together with everyone at a pre-arranged location.

2.  ____  YES, I would like to go on an orientation tour - "A Scooter Tour of Rome"

Please choose only 1 of the following regarding the Scooter Tour:

2a. ____  I would like to ride my own scooter

2b. ____  I would like to ride on the back of __________'s scooter

2c. ____  I would like to ride on the back of a tour guide's scooter

2d. ____  NO, I am not interested in an orientation scooter tour of Rome 

DAY 3:  Sunday, May 22nd:  Optional Tours

3. ____  YES, I would like to go on a day trip to the ancient city of Pompeii (ruins)

4. ____  NO, I prefer to stay in Rome and do one of the other optional tours or day trips

Sunday Evening

5. ____  YES, I would like to go on an evening "Taste of Rome" tour

6.  ____  NO, I prefer to have free time for an "evening on my own" 

DAY 4:  Monday, May 23rd:  Morning Activities

Please choose only 1:

7. ____  YES, I would like to have an early morning Vatican Tour

8. ____  YES, I would like to have a tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum

9. ____  YES, I would like to get reserved tickets for the Borghese Museum

10. ___  NO, I prefer to have free time for a "morning on my own"

That's it!  Just 10 questions to answer and then we can finalize the Rome part of our trip.  Once everyone has responded I can also estimate the costs for all these activities.  But, please, it's important to answer - you don't want to be left out when we book a tour or activity that you might be interested in.

For more information about the tours listed above, click here to visit my previous post:  Roamin' around Rome

IMPORTANT NOTE:  The itinerary allows only for a tour of the Vatican - OR - a tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum.  There will not be time to have a tour of both.  But, please note that if you choose one or the other you will still have an opportunity to at least see both of these sites, you just won't have time for an actual tour.