European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Florence Byrul continued from Page 7 too fast for Little legs and parents loaded Down like pack mules. We gamely struggled to follow the Bobbing numbers held aloft by our tour guides until they disappeared in the crush in the distance. When we eventually made our Way to the station exit it took us 10 minutes to pick out our bus among the rows and rows of others parked outside. The other tour guests waited patiently while our overburdened caravan made the Transfer. Throughout the trip we were to find that almost without exception our fellow americans in the group were Friendly to the children and understanding and sympathetic to us for bringing them. During the bus ride to our hotels our tour guide Patrizia Daghini introduced herself and gave a Brief run Down on Florence. Most people who have been on Tours have had the experience of arriving in a City and finding out that their hotel is somewhere in the nether regions of the suburbs far from the madding crowds of the City they came to see. For this reason we were pleased when the bus pulled up in front of the hotel Benvenuti Only 10 minutes from the train station at the Piazza Clella Liberia. After no More than a half dozen trips we had lugged our gear up the stairs to our room. Since the trip brochure had stated that we would be in a two Star hotel we were not expecting Crystal chandeliers and Marble floors. Though Here and there the wallpaper was faded or peeling we found the Benvenuti to be clean and comfortable. The Only minor inconvenience we experienced was a window that was not airtight. Since our room was on the Street Side this made it noisy at times. Several group members complained of inadequate heat or a Lack of hot water but the management was Quick to investigate the problems which in All but one Case were quickly solved. A family on the sixth floor said the water in their room never got More than lukewarm during their stay. After cleaning up and getting a bite to eat at a restaurant near the hotel our Florence tour started in Earnest. The bus returned us to the station where we met our City sanctioned guide Nicoline a. Basile Koomen a dutch woman who has made Florence her Home for several decades. Over the next Days the extent of her knowledge of the City s Art architecture and history and of the lives of countless famous florentine was to amaze Many of us. We bundled up the kids and set off on foot with the rest of the group. Koomen said he bitter cold was unseasonable for Tuscany but this was Little Comfort. To kids with freezing Cheeks and ears. Fortunately it was not far to the Piazza Del Duomo. The kids showed the extent of their interest in florentine gothic architecture by playing hide and seek in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore and falling asleep in the stroller respectively. The baptistry Bell Tower and Duomo museum made equally lasting impressions on them. Later Back at the hotel we changed for what would be one of the most memorable thanksgiving dinners any of us had Ever enjoyed. The setting was the Villa Viviani High in the Hills and Olive Groves North of the City. On the Way there we Learned that among the Villa s past illustrious guests was Samuel Clemens better known As Mark Twain who reportedly wrote pudd head Wilson there. Outside the Villa the grounds and the frosty Countryside were bathed in the Silver Light of a full Moon. Inside blazing fires cast a Golden glow in elegantly furnished High Ceil need rooms. For us the dinner was an occasion of extreme contrasts. Starting with aperitifs and snacks it progressed to a multiple course banquet fit for a High class wedding including Fine wines. As the waiters and waitresses brought course after delicious course of pasta prosciutto fish and More we picked a visitor admires a Duomo museum sculpture. Do package offers a lot As one would expect from the German Railroad its Florence tour was organized and run in a thoroughly professional manner. Except for the original 15 minute delay in leaving Darmstadt everything went according to schedule. The train ride was a pleasure Florence is a visual and cultural feast anytime and the wine tasting at castello Verrazzano was very enjoyable. The accommodations were comfortable and in line with the description in the tour brochure. But the highlight of the trip was without question the thanksgiving dinner at the Villa Viviani. The decision to offer a magnificent italian banquet rather than attempt a hit or miss version of an american Turkey and trimmings feast was a very astute one. The Basic Cost of the trip was 726 Marks about $405 apiece for my wife and me and 438 Marks $245 for our 3 year old son. There was no charge for our baby daughter. Optional Tours were priced As follows walking tour of Florence 32 Marks about $18 for adults and 26 Marks $15 for children Chianti Region 54 Marks $30 for adults and 44 Marks $25 for children and Pisa Lucca also 54 Marks for adults and 44 Marks for children. If the thanksgiving in Florence tour is offered by the German Railroad next year i would recommend it highly. But if you have children under 5, please do everybody a favor and leave them Home. Up pieces of the same pasta prosciutto and fish from the floor where the kids had tossed them. It added a special touch to the occasion for those unlucky enough to be seated near us. Long before the dinner came to a close we retired to an adjoining room to collapse in front of the fireplace while the kids with their inexhaustible Energy Supply played tag around the antique chairs. Watching the flames while i struggled to keep my eyelids from closing i thought How Well Mark Twain would have understood. The next morning was the first of the optional Tours. I left the rest of the family in the warmth of the hotel and departed with the group for a walking tour of the City. Again under Koomen s Tutelage we viewed More of the major landmarks including the Church of Orsa Michele the uffizi gallery the elegant shopping District and the Academy Galery with Michelangelo s David. With a brisk wind blowing and the temperature hovering around 35 degrees i was glad the kids were in a warm room. That afternoon the ride out to the Chianti Region was relaxing and fun even for the kids. The Lovely tuscan Countryside was a palette of fall colors Gold Brown yellow and Pale Green. Old Villas and ancient Homes of peasants nestled in the gentle Hills among stands of Cypress and Pine a refreshing change from the jammed in buildings and narrow Dusty streets of Florence. In the Little town of Greve in Chianti we stopped for shopping and to stretch our legs. For my Little boy the highlight of the town was three freshly killed wild boars snouts still rubbery to the touch and blood not yet dry in their bristles stretched across the counter of a Butcher shop. On the last Day Many of the group got started Early for a bus tour to Pisa and Lucca but we chose to sleep Date and then stroll the City at our own Pace. It was another cold blustery Day but we piled on the extra clothes and tucked the Littlest into her fleece lined stroller. Florence is a fascinating City for adults but is not Ideal for children. It would be More than unrealistic to expect preschoolers to take an avid interest in the history of Western Art and culture. During our visit to the uffizi while my wife viewed the Botticelli and a Vincis i had already seen i sat in the hallway with my son while he perused a Mickey mouse comic Book. Despite stops at museums a restaurant a cafe and an ice Cream shop the hours of walking were tiring for us All. Amazingly the Little ones retained their Good moods throughout most of the afternoon but there was no question that we had All had enough sightseeing by the time we got Back to the hotel that evening and boarded the departure bus. At the station several fellow travellers helped us haul our Mountain of Luggage to the platform. As the train pulled out Patrizia waved from track Side. When we again climbed into our Couch ettes to the Clickett Clack of the wheels on the rails it was with a Mutual sense of Relief that the trip was coming to an end. Experiments that produce results cannot be considered failures but this one certainly did not yield the results we had hoped for. In Hindsight it should have been obvious that a group tour with two Little ones would prove to be a trying experience not Only for the children and us but also for our fellow tourists. The combination of tour schedules the confines of a hotel room and wintry weather Are simply not compatible with the needs of preschoolers. Babies cry when they Are hungry and Little boys get out of sorts when they Are tired or bored. Often we Felt sympathy for those booked into rooms near ours or seated close to us on the bus. Despite this we received Many compliments and Friendly parting comments. We attributed this partly to americans Well known love of children and partly to people being too polite to question our sanity. 8 stripes Magazine january 19, 1989