antebellum

Excellent-quality report, as always.
I remembered taking advantage of Qatar stopover program and ended up scoring free nights in Westin or Grand Hyatt. Now it's $27 though.

iluvdoco

Where did chongl go? I was eagerly awaiting his next pictorial update of the St. Regis Rome's breakfast!

chongl

The next morning, we had another tour scheduled, but it wasn't as early so we could take advantage of the free breakfast. After enjoying the large selection at the other St. Regis properties, I was slightly disappointed when I saw a limited spread. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I thoroughly appreciated the cappuccinos every morning









We loved the packaged, to-go goodies for kids so that the little one could have a snack later in the day













Omelette station



Once again, our friends graciously met us at our hotel and we took a cab to Colosseum. The meeting point was at the ground level, so we descended a flight of stairs and found most of the other people had already arrived









Heading towards the entrance







Outer rings









Heading inside







On the floor (underground was closed, so we got a refund since that's what we had originally booked)



Panorama (as with all pictures, you can click for full res)



As with the Vatican, I'll just let the pictures do the talking















Equestrian statue ruin













Morons defacing history

































As we exited, this was the line to get in





Heading towards the Roman Forum





Entrance











Looking back















More ruins































Game from the past

























Image limit, so I'll cut this post off here since it's the end of the Roman Forum. Next up: continuing the exploring and some day trips out of the city

chongl

Thank you for the kind remarks, llamaesque

Always a pleasure to have you following along, antebellum. Too bad the stopover program doesn't apply to award tickets (believe me I checked )

Posted now...it takes a while to edit a bunch of pictures, so here's the latest bit while I go back to editing

iluvdoco

Thank you for your hard work! I always enjoy your TRs so I couldn't wait until the next installment!

The StRR breakfast *is* a little disappointing.

chongl

Continuing on where we left off, we departed from the Roman Forum and wandered towards the Altar of the Fatherland











A few pictures later, we decided to head towards Circus Maximus, coming across lots of historical ruins along the way







Mouth of truth



Ancient chariot racing stadium



At this point, it was mid afternoon and hunger started to set in, so we found a restaurant on our list and head in that direction



Some beer



Pasta





Can't forget dessert





We wandered around a bit more afterwards, eventually coming across the only Egyptian pyramid in Europe, the Pyramid of Cestius





With the hot sun beating down on us, we hopped in a cab and head back to the hotel where we had the butler service bring up some lemon iced teas. They were wonderfully refreshing after hours walking around in the heat



In the evening, champagne sabering was done in the lobby, but this time by some hotel guests





The wife and son retired to the room, so me and the guys opted to head out to grab some food and just explore a little bit

Porchetta





My heavenly sandwich



On the way to some gelato



We had our usual pick of pistachio and hazelnut, but my favorite was actually the biscotti flavor that was offered here





A night shot to finish off the night



And ascending the stairs to our room where I recharged for the next full day out



In the morning, it was back out to Termini where we caught our train to Naples







300 km/h!



She was not pleased with the speed of the train



Outside Napoli Centrale



We budgeted some extra time for ourselves in case of delay or other issue, so we had some time to burn. Stupid me thought we should go get some pizza, without thinking that the shops weren't open. We head towards Di Matteo, which was closed





So we walked to a nearby cafe and had some pastries and coffee instead







Once we were done, we departed for the meetup point for our Pompeii tour, which was back at the train station



We piled into a bus and were whisked away for a half day excursion





Similar to the other historical sites, I'll let the pictures do the talking. The one thing that surprised me was how big Pompeii was when we were wandering the ruins. I could only imagine what a busy, bustling town it was back in the day













Amphitheater

















An old fountain





Do you see what's on the wall?



Yup, that's a penis. Supposedly it was not an erotic symbol back in the day, but was for good luck, fertility, etc. In this case it was used to show traders and merchants the way to the brothel



Inside, where the action happened





There was a plumbing system, but the problem here was that the pipes were made of lead













The courtyard of the biggest house in the city





A food stand back in the day





Mosaic





























Mount Vesuvius as we took the bus back to the meetup point



Determined to complete our quest for pizza, we took a cab back to Di Matteo and were seated immediately. After perusing the menu, I thought the prices were way to low to be for a whole pie, but I was wrong and we ended up with 4 pizzas!







From there, we went down the street to Dal Presidente where we split a pie instead







Wandering around until we found a gelato spot







Then a cab back to the train station to head back to Rome





Ducking into a McDonalds to end the night just to see the regional menu, and get some nuggets for mini-ChongL



Next up: Leaning Tower and Cinque Terre

chongl

No worries! I remember getting so hungry after reading your reports

offerendum

Thanks for bringing back memories. Half day Pompeji is sporty. This Champagne ceremonies are something I really hat, I prefer to stay at hotels who don't do such nonsense, especially in the lobby.

chongl

Like previous days, we started off hopping onto the train towards Pisa. The plan was to stop there for an hour or 2, grab lunch, and then move along to Cinque Terre. It was about a 15 minute walk once we arrived at the train station









Other than the massive crowds of everybody trying to take selfies, my interest quickly wore off after I snapped a few pictures













Mini-ChongL wearing his shark hat





With nothing more to do, we decided to grab lunch at a local sandwich shop, back in the direction of the train station and near a local school





Beer



Porchetta



Strolling back towards the station





Looking out at the sea



Getting off at Manarola



Quite happy we didn't bring the stroller along with all the steps in these coastal towns



First order of business, some water and gelato







We continued down the path towards the scenic lookout area that would allow for some perfect opportunities for photography. But we got hungry so we decided to have a late lunch first











Then I had a few minutes to take a few pictures of the quaint town



Before we knew it, it was time to catch the train back to Rome





One last gelato stop before we go





Through the tunnel



There were lots of people waiting to get on, so it was important to squeeze in since the trains were mostly full. Manarola is the 2nd to last stop before La Spezia, where we would change for the leg back to the city



The train ride seemed agonizingly long for some reason. After almost a week of running about, it had taken a good toll on us, but luckily our last full day was an unplanned day. However, we received emails from BA that our 2nd leg of our flight to INV was cancelled. So I had to hop online and then call them to see what our options were. After some deliberation, we opted to take an earlier flight, but had to divert our destination to ABZ. For what it's worth, I'm still awaiting my EU261 compensation, but based on the thread in the BA sub-forum, it appears my claim date is nearing the top of the pile

Waking up and ordering some tea



One stop I wanted to check out was Bonci Pizzarium. After watching a pizza show, it seemed that Bonci is a local celebrity, and innovated Roman style pizza







Beers



This ended up being our favorite pizza on the whole trip







Off to the last gelato stop for the trip





My friend then had a cannoli place he wanted to stop at...





He might have overdone it on the ordering





With some leftover pizza and sweets, we managed to make a meal for dinner, supplemented with some lobster linguine from room service



After breakfast, we checked out with our friend meeting us at the St. Regis. Before we could walk out the door, we were stopped by staff who said we left an item in our room. It took a little bit, but they brought it down before we caught a taxi and got dropped curbside at FCO





Through security, and heading towards the Plaza Premium lounge







Internet speed



Decent spread, with hot food













After 30 minutes or so, it was time to head to the gate





On board in BA economy...packed in like sardines, so good thing it was a short flight





Getting off at LHR



There was a wait for the Aspire Lounge, so we grabbed a seat at Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food instead



Beer



This burger really hit the spot



Curry



Sticky toffee pudding



Boarding the 2nd leg to Aberdeen



More of the same cramped space with limited service



On approach to ABZ



Grabbing luggage and our rental. We welcomed the significant change in temperature and loved the cooler air as we walked



We lucked into an upgrade since the amount of luggage we were carrying would NOT have fit into what I booked . The problem then became driving on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road





Beautiful countryside scenery as we made the trek to Inverness





A quick stop in a parking lot





Arriving at the Holiday Inn Express



The stay actually exceeded my expectations. The room was on the smaller side, but it was enough to be comfortable for the night. The bed was only a queen, so that was the only downside. A great night of rest after a day on the road was exactly what we needed







Checking out and some hot breakfast in the morning. As I mentioned, it was all-in-all a good stay, at a clean and quiet property that provided everything we needed. None of the fancy turn-down service, concierge, or very detail oriented staff that you'd find at some of the places we stayed previously, but then again, I'm one of those that doesn't take full advantage and prefers to do things like bring the luggage to the room myself











Up next: visiting some whisky distilleries

chongl

Yeah it was a bit on the short side, but I was happy with just a half day so we could explore Naples a little bit

chongl

We hit the road decently early and trekked back towards the direction we came the night before. The area we wanted to be in had lots of distilleries in the general area. However, being that it was a Sunday, not all of them had tours running. Even so, we stopped at a few just to walk the grounds for a few minutes before continuing on our journey



Coming across a lot of whisky barrels











Balvenie, and Balvenie Castle, was also in the vicinity













A few minutes drive took us to Dufftown, just south







Ducking into a restaurant for lunch



I opted for the lunch buffet while the others ordered off the menu







When in Scotland....gotta buy some Scotch







It was then time for our tour at Glenfiddich, so back up north we went















An explosive start to the tour?



















We weren't allowed to take pictures once we stepped onto the floor with the stills, so we had a chance to pause and shoot from the elevated platform before continuing on. The shape of the still affects the flavor profile of the whisky...an interesting fact we were told











Old school bottling



Machine bottling



Tasting time



It wasn't anything special so we went and got ourselves something better to taste. We wanted the Tun 1509, but they were completely out, and the price on the Doublewood 25 was more than we felt was fair





We were recommended to stop by Macallan not too far away to gaze upon their newly constructed building...and we were glad we did. The place was simply enormous





Very green







A wall of very rare bottles







Looking out at the captivating landscape



From there, we would make a very slight detour on the way to Fort William to stop at Dalwhinnie right before closing. We missed the last call on tastings, but they offered samples of the bottles they were selling, so we ended up tasting for free . We left about 5 minutes before closing and continued the trek to Fort William







A dam













Arriving at Fort William to check in. Other than the odd hotel layout where the building is super long and the exit at the rear end was blocked as an emergency exit and thus useless, the hotel was in my eyes, better than the Holiday Inn Express the night previous. I wasn't expecting much, but it also had all the basics to give us some good rest for the next 2 nights









Wandering out for dinner at a local pub



Underwhelming





Up next: Riding the Jacobite steam train and viewing the Glenfinnan Viaduct for my Harry Potter enthusiast wife

chongl

In the morning, we walked next door to the McDonald's in the rain and ordered up some breakfast before going to the Fort William travel center. We were hoping for clear weather so we could have nice views out the window, but that just didn't work out







On board with some overpriced beverages



Arriving in Mallaig



With the number of passengers onboard, most of the well rated restaurants were full by the time we got off the train. We took our time and waited until everybody was off so that we could get the stroller ready, which worked against us. We ducked into a bakery instead and had some small bites while watching the rain fall











Port







There was a Harry Potter themed shop that the wife wanted to check out











Then back on board for the return



Not much of a view as you can see





Once we got back to Fort William, we dried off and warmed up before heading out for dinner





A float for me



And a nice meal to go with it







The following morning, I had a few stops to make before heading down to Glasgow to drop off the rental car and spend the night prior to our flight out to London. Being that the weather seemed cooperative, we journeyed out to the Glenfinnan Viaduct again, but this time as spectators awaiting the steam train to pass. It's about a 10-15 minute walk to the viewpoint











Once the train passed, most people head back for their cars. We noticed that some people had set up camp in the area, but I don't see how the cold, damp weather was pleasant in any way



Looking back







Our next stop was Glencoe where lots of movies and TV shows are apparently filmed with the backdrop of the epic landscapes filling in the scenes









Just beautiful, jaw-dropping views everywhere







Our last detour was Oban, where we wanted to stop by the distillery





Didn't seem like much for tasting...didn't even have Oban 18, but we were told that was mostly focused on the American market







Another round of fish and chips, which was one of the best to date. The golden crust formed a perfect wrapper around the flaky cod. Coupled with the house tartar sauce, it was incredibly satisfying after the mediocre versions we had over the previous days. There was even free entertainment as one of the customers started complaining about his fries and how they were scraps. He told 2 members of the staff before he got into with the chef and said he would post about it on Facebook. A comedic interaction all over some fries...







Clam chowder





And some perfect fish and chips. I let the chef know his food was delicious before we parted ways



Last view of Oban before we drove off to Glasgow



Checking into the Holiday Inn, conveniently across the street from the terminal. Unfortunately, that's the only redeeming quality about this hotel. Even though we were in a non-smoking room, there was a very strong smell of cigarette smoke coming through the ventilation system that woke me up multiple times with a dry mouth and uncomfortable feeling in my throat. With an early departure the next morning, I didn't even bother addressing with the staff even though in hindsight I should have. This made for definitely the worst stay of the trip, breathing in second hand smoke for hours









Slow internet as well



With not many food options and the car returned, we walked to the terminal for a great pairing: the worst food of the trip by far



No wonder the reviews here were so bad





Dry, rubbery burger



Tasteless club sandwich



In the terminal early in the morning





A short stint in the BA lounge













On to the plane



Even the regional business seats that usually have the middle blocked off were unblocked. An email from BA let me to presume that some recent cancellations had them trying to get as many passengers to their destinations as possible. Luckily our middle seat went unoccupied





I enjoyed breakfast quite a bit, considering the very short flight time



Back at LHR





Taking the tube into town



We were a bit too early for check-in, so we dropped off our bags and hung out at the park for a bit















From there, it was off to Dishoom in Covent Garden for lunch













Chicken biryani

chongl

With stomachs full from ordering way too much food (partially since some dishes were spicier than expected for our son to eat), we head back to the hotel





Walking to our room, which was supposedly a double upgrade. The room was a bit dated, but we were just happy to have a king bed again













Impressive internet speed for a hotel



In the evening, we wanted to try a new fish and chip place in London, settling on The Golden Chippy. We were given the suggestion to sit outside due to the dining area being very warm







Perfectly flaky cod. The fish on its own was the best I've had, but the sauce was a bit lacking. As a complete package, I still like Golden Union a little more





Heading on back for the night, we decided to stop by the Tower Bridge for a gander













The Shard once more





With that, we called it a night before the record-breaking heatwave hit London the following day. The only thing I wanted to do was the Royal Observatory, but that wasn't such a great idea with the temperatures. But still, we ventured out







Giant sundial



Paying a premium for some soft serve that helped cool us off



Looking back at the city



And into the observatory!



Standard measurements







Straddling the prime meridian separating east and west



























Afterwards, I snagged another soft serve while we head towards Piccadilly. We walked into The Whisky Shop for a gander and grabbed an exclusive bottle before heading to our usual spot for afternoon tea. We were a bit too early, and the heat was oppressive, so rather than walk the area, we went back to the hotel and hung out indoors until our reservation at our usual spot, The Wolseley



The Mrs. didn't even bother with tea



I told her that it must be done properly, and had an English breakfast for myself



Let them eat cake!



From there, it was a cab back to the hotel as the Mrs was in no mood to walk. Naps were had, pictures were edited, and trip report posts were put together for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening, the meal of choice was a ramen shop. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking...hot broth on such a scorching day...but I'll chalk it up to wanting to give this place a shot a few times prior but not having the time to do so



I saw many shops with these rental AC units to keep their establishments cool. Just our luck that this one wasn't working until we were full of sweat and getting ready to leave



Delish





Then a walk to Laduree for some good ol' macarons









And that's a wrap for London! Up next: the final episode: flying to FRA to spend the night before SQ suites back to the US

antebellum

Excellent report on your trip to Scotland, looks like that should be on my bucket list as well for my next (I don't know when!) trip to Europe.

ps: did you bought any whisky from Scotland? I remembered you've been on whisky hunt in Japan before, and your advices on that was very helpful, when I went to Japan in January this year (with a side task of hunting whisky). ^

chongl

I will admit Scotland was not high up on my list, but with some urging from the Mrs, I figured we would have some activities that suited both of us. Now that I've been, we should have gone sooner. The scenery is stunning and pictures only do the views limited justice. I would have loved to see another distillery or 2, and spent more time taking in the views at Glencoe.

I didn't grab a bottle until London, but my friend grabbed Mortlach 16 and 20. We came across an Oban 21 that gave cause for some deliberation, but we passed in the end. We're actually heading back to Tokyo at the end of the month, so hopefully more Japanese whisky hunting will be had, however meager the pickings may be nowadays