The entrance to the Ghetto is through the Portico di Ottavia, built by Augustus for his sister; a ruin full of columns and remnants of walls and buildings, some incorporated into modern structures. The ghetto itself is both an historic and a living neighborhood, like so much of Rome. There is an active synagogue, a solitary plaque marking the deportations of 16 October 1943, an intriguing collection of cafes and small shops, and courtyards open to exploration.
By now, I am at a total loss about how to deal with Roman cash machines. The hotel concierge and I have tried several. My companions point them out - we are always on the hunt. I even check with my bank about my card. I am Euroless for two or three days and out of dollars to exchange. Thinking silently about how to put the bite on my newfound friends. I finally find a very few that have the right symbols - only to learn that they have limits on weekends. Why is it so much easier to put money in a bank than take it out?
From the Ghetto, we walked along the Tiber and crossed into the Trastevere, a narrow set of streets, medieval houses, and the fine Santa Maria in Trastevere, not as grand as some other basilicas in Rome, but filled with decorative detail - an intimate setting inviting contemplation. An outdoor lunch on our own. A very jolly waitress - no other word for it. If you want to work with tourists every day, I am sure it helps to have a sense of humor - she clearly had worked that out. And there were roaming street musicians, too. I wonder if they minded that I preferred the photo op to their playing.
On this and other days, we had workshops back at the hotel, which worked like this: everyone chose 15 ''best'' photos of the day to review with an instructor. A final ''five best'' selection was shared with everyone on a projector - and included the instructors' own best five. The real learning tool was seeing how others - instructors and students alike - shot the same thing I was photographing. Seeing how others viewed and composed the same scene with a completely different result opened my eyes.
I often chose for initial review five of my best and five of my most disappointing, asking why they didn't turn out as I expected. Very helpful feedback. On this trip, I finally learned how to master my camera manually.
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
1 day ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
2 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
3 days ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week