A two-week trip to Italy with my family; something
I have been dreaming about for many years. I have put off taking the trip
because I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a chronic neurological pain
disorder and traveling can be very difficult. However, I have done my due
diligence. It has taken me almost a year to plan this vacation. I researched
how to travel, fly, tour, etc. with a disability and I was ready for this
amazing adventure.
I had it all arranged. I prioritized what sites I
wanted to see and developed an "A" and a "B" list of our
top sites. My overall sightseeing plan was to dedicate each morning to tours on
the "A" list with my family. We would all have lunch together and
then I would take a taxicab back to our hotel. My husband and two kids (17
& 14) would then continue on exploring for the afternoon and we would meet
up for dinner. I knew I would be disappointed not seeing the
Coliseum in Rome, or the Uffizi in Florence but hey, I was going to Italy!
Our adventure started out in Naples. We would
be in this city for three days. The travel agent we used recommended two
different day tours. Our first tour was an eight-hour excursion to Pompeii and
the Almafi Coast. I knew the day was going to be long, but I thought
since a great deal of the time I would be on the bus, I would use that time to
relax and recover. Now I know why people should never assume things. Eight
hours out no matter what you are doing, is eight hours out. Way too much for a
CRPS patient to take on in a day.
We arrived in historic Pompeii. Gazing upon these
ruins that were uncovered from so long ago made me feel as if I was transported
into my high school Social Studies textbook. It was surreal. As we
started walking on our guided tour, the walk became more difficult. The streets
were constructed of uneven stones. I had to look down at all times as to
not trip in a divot. At one point, when I felt as if I really could not walk
anymore, I asked the tour guide where I could go to sit and just wait for the
rest of the group. It was then I discovered that I had to continue
walking to the end of the tour to exit the city of Pompeii. When we
reached our bus, my pain level was through the roof. The tour was then
continuing to the Almafi Coast. My family tells me the ride was beautiful and
there were gorgeous sites to see along the way. I would not know; I was in too
much pain and had to sleep during the ride.
I could not get off the bus when we got to the scenic overview or the
local shop. We eventually got to the
Almafi Coast. This was a beautiful,
quaint shopping area. Eventually I fell asleep for the remainder of that
day's bus ride back to Naples.
That night, back in Naples, we decided to go to
dinner. The concierge suggested a restaurant close by to the hotel. Walking
around the city of Naples is extremely frightening, especially if you already
have some trouble walking. The roads are extremely narrow and yet they are
still meant as two-way streets and for pedestrians as well. The sidewalks are
limited and very difficult to walk. It would be nearly impossible to
navigate a wheelchair. The sidewalks are made up of stones with many gaps
between; again I was forced to look down so that my cane did not get stuck in
the crevices.
Our next day was visiting Capri and Ana Capri.
Absolutely stunning islands, but again not very handicap friendly. There
were no smooth roads and at several times climbing many steps was unavoidable.
However on this trip there were varied times I was able to separate myself from
the group, rest, sit at a cafe while they toured a specific area.
Our next city on our itinerary was Rome. As you can
imagine, with many of the sites predating 0AD there were hardly any places that
you can consider handicap accessible. There were stairs everywhere, and
again the streets and sidewalks were difficult to navigate. I did however in
Rome keep to my plan. I went out and toured in the morning with my family, had
lunch and then returned to the hotel as they continued on sightseeing for the
afternoon. Although I was sad I was not with them, I was very glad I was
not holding them back. I never want them to resent me for having this
horrible monster of a disease.
Although the streets and famous landmarks of Rome
were not easily accessible physically, the restaurants and hotels are
wonderfully accommodating. Even those with food allergies should not have much
trouble while staying in Italy. Gluten-free, not a problem, so many hotels,
restaurants, rest stops, and supermarkets offered substitutions.
Our three days in Rome went quickly and we were
then off to Florence. A wonderful thing about Florence is that the city is flat
and you can walk anywhere, point to point in 20 minutes. Now, for me 20 minutes
of walking is too much. However, I seemed to make it through because we
would never walk 20 minutes straight. Somehow we would get sidetracked and we
stop into a cafe for coffee, and then a patisserie for gelato. In
Florence, I was able to cross off everything on my "A" and many off
my "B" list as well. Climbing the Duomo, and walking down to see the
crypts would have to wait for another visit.
We exhausted our stay in Florence, so we set out
for a day in Verona. As soon as we arrived, I knew I was not going to have to
worry about tripping, or big steps to get off and on sidewalks. To begin
with, there were many handicapped parking spaces. This was the first time I had
seen a reserved spot in our previous nine days in Italy. The sidewalks were all
even and wide. In the square of Verona and its streets the roads are
smooth like marble. No cobblestones, or broken up rocks to worry about.
If you rely on a wheelchair, you will have no problem in Verona. Even at
the open market, the aisles are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or
scooter.
We continued on to Venice. Venice is a
beautiful and picturesque; no postcard could do the sights justice. There are
however many little bridges that you need to walk up and down about 15-20 steps
that cross over the many, many canals.
We visited several of the islands of Venice, and
with the exception for a handful of bridges near St. Mark's Square, I have no
idea how these islands could possible be handicap friendly/wheelchair
accessible. There are no cars. Only water taxis/shuttles are
available. These small boats are not easily maneuvered if you have
mobility issues. Even docked, a small
boat moves up and down with the tide and this is very problematic for a
handicapped individual. There is no
handrail that can eliminate the fear and uncertainty you experience getting on
and off a small boat. Although there are
no potholes in the canals, waves and cross currents can cause the boat to rock,
shift and slam you around.
I feel bad for making such a bold and wide
statement but in my opinion, Italy is not a handicapped accessible country. If
you are bound to a wheelchair, you may find it very difficult to visit many of
the famous landmarks.
