My Route-To-A-Italian-Hotel Story

 The Air Force sent me and a contractor for 10 days to Italy (northern region) back in 1998.  So we arrived and went to the base-hotel....which responded and said 'no rooms'.  So they arranged a stay at regional hotel.

The Italian desk lady for the Air Force then brought out this 15-line verbal/written map....not a real actual drawing map....like you'd expect.  'Mike' (the contractor) spoke a good bit of Italian and he seemed set to the task.....I personally felt uneasy about the complicated nature of what they were doing.

So we started the drive to what the lady said was a 'nice' hotel...about 25 minutes away.

Around the 3rd task in this 'adventure'....we approached a five-turn traffic-circle.....with the instructions fairly complicated.  Both Mike and I noticed at least six signs at each exit of the circle, and we  actually made two revolutions around the circle before we felt sure about the right exit.

We drove through at least three valleys, with at least six different turns, and complicated by a mass of Italian signs trying to guide you (my impression, they wanted you to get lost).

This was all before GPS came along....I should note.

So we finally reach this really remote village in the middle of nowhere.  It had a gas station.....tobacco shop....some small grocery, and  a post office.  Then at the end of the village....this sign to 'such-and-such' hotel.  Well....we get there and then realize....this is some type of wellness resort...five-star type.  

I'm shaking my head....'Mike, this can't be right'.   He looks over  the base-hotel letter, and there's apparently a 'special' rate for base-guests.

We checked into what was one of the finest hotels that I've stayed at in my life.  Whatever imagination you had for a five-star place....with this hotel, it'd been met and exceeded.  Pool, spa and hot-rock treatment....was all included in the 'deal'.

The one problem?  Meals were some outrageous amount....'Mike' figured it up...just for a cheap pizza....you'd paid like $50 (with the beer included).  

So we walked back into the village and found this 'hole-in-the-wall' grandma-run pasta shop.  We feasted that evening pizza/pasta with desert....with three beers each, and probably spent around $20 roughly each.    

It was the best 10 days of 'work' I've done.....in my career.