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Halifax, NS to Gatwick,London then Venice...or so we thought...
Flight was scheduled to leave Halifax at 7:25pm. Flew via Air Transat (Thomas Cook). An FYI that if three women are travelling together and somehow manage to only check one bag between the three of them, there's a very high likelihood that the agent at the counter will weigh you carry-on luggage...and they will charge you accordingly 
Since this was my first flight with Thomas Cook I am only assuming...perhaps they weigh all carry-on luggage. All of the Thomas Cook staff was pleasant and I would certaily fly with them again. After we paid the fee, we went through security and to wait at our gate,...and wait a bit more.
An hour after our takeoff time (the plane that arrived from Gatwick which we were taking to Gatwick) we boarded. There was supposedly a sick person on the flight coming back from Gatwick...coming off the flight she didn't look very sick to me, but perhaps she just wanted to prolong her vacation...I can relate to that.
We were also flying around the same time that the Icelandic volcano re-erupted (we left May 6th) so our flight plan was re-routed around France, adding additional time to the overall flight. This meant that the nice 2 ½ hour buffer we had from landing in Gatwick to catching our connector to Venice was uncomfortably tight. We were lovingly reassured by the friendly staff on the Thomas Cook flight that we would make the flight...but alas, that checked bag was our doom.
We high-tailed it through Gatwick airport, picked up the luggage, and arrived at check in only to be told we just made it, but there was no time to check our bag. Since we really needed most of the items in the checked bag we had no choice. We paid for the next available flight...but the closest we could get to Venice was Verona. OK – fine with us – it was still Italy!
We arrived in Verona, but as we were to meet our apartment rep in Venice for a certain time, we just had a brief view as we took the train to Venice.
Venice- 3 nights - Highlights
We had made reservations, based mostly on the high praise from this site, and Franco's recommendations, at La Rosa di Venezia. It was a couple minutes walk from St. Marks Square, but felt quite removed from the main tourist areas. The apartment itself was gorgeous, well-appointed, comfy with a fully stock kitchen;it was even better than we had hoped. There were three of us, which was comfortable, but the place is ideal for a couple. Before I left I already was making plans in my head to reserve it again for a trip with my sweetie.
Back in Halifax we had made plans for a walking tour and gondola ride through the Original Walking Tour – Venice. I was a bit sceptical of this as I had a preconception that no matter what the tour we would be overpaying and feel ripped off. This was most certainly not the case – and shame on me for being such a cynic! We had a fantastic guide, Francesca, for the first two hours who described the history of St,. Mark's square, cathedral, and a great walk though some touristy, as well as less busy areas of Venice. After the tour, we had an hour (perfect timing for a little lunch and a big gelato) and then went to meet up for the gondola ride. This was a bout ½ hour long, and was beautiful, there was just us and the gondolier and the canals...what a memory! I highly recommend the tour.
On Saturday night we decided to venture out and eat out at a recommended restaurant...Alla Botta. And all I can say is it it lived up to the reviews. We arrived at Alla Botta at 8pm, but as we did not make reservations we made arrangements for a table at 9:30pm....we had an amazing meal, but we stuck close to the pasta side of the menu. However, there was a table across from us of three guys who were obviously locals who ordered without a menu. We watched with awe, and not a little drool, as plate after plate came to them – it all looked amazing, We must have looked a little too much, because after they left (we were still finishing our great house wine) they came back with rose for each of us – that and the hazelnut gelato we grabbed on the way home was the highlight of our night,
Bologna – 2 nights – Highlights
We only had two nights in Bologna, but we managed to pack in a walk up the tower (over wooden steps on a wet day was a little treacherous but we managed), plus we also did the 666 portico steps. This was not a challenging walk (yes it was uphill the whole way, but there were stairs mixed in with the inclines). We took it at a reasonable pace and finished up and back, but a short rest at the sanctuary at the top, in about 2 hours. We took the city bus from the centre of Bologna to pretty much the start of the walk, and took the same bus back. I can't remember what the number was, but it was provided to us by our hotel.
Our hotel was Hotel Paradise, good breakfast, clean rooms, very central. And they provided several balloons in your room, should ou feel then need to blow up a balloon on vacation. The staff was very friendly, and provided several recommendations for restaurants. However, just be sure to check and make sure the restaurant you wish to go to is open that particular evening...We had high hopes for the food in Bologna, and we were not disappointed- the pizza was outstanding everywhere we went, and we picked up some cannolis at a street market that pretty much brought a tear to our eyes, and we were sad we only bought two each. Each time we hit a new area we scoped out the cannolis, but none came close.
Cinque Terre – 2 nights
OK – it was a little sad, but I won't bemoan the fact that it was rainy for our time in CT...we were in Italy, so what it was raining, things could be worse, right? We had plans to hike the five towns, but due to the rain from the past two weeks (the day we arrived it was bright and sunny) meant the trails were all closed. Except for the Lovers walk, which we did twice because we could, once at night and once in the morning...it was super easy, took 20 minutes and provided some beautiful views. Not as beautiful I'm sure as the other trails, but we'll take what we can get, and I can say for certain that as soon as I arrived in Manarola I knew I would come back. So the trails and the weather will cooperate next time!!
We ended up visiting each of the towns by train instead, and since we really had one full day only, it worked out. The best restaurant was dal Billy's in Manarola. I will dream of the fresh fish, sunsets, and the red lobster linguine until I return! We ate there both nights...and the nut liquor story alone will bring a smile to my face every single time...
We had the very best cheese foccacia and lemon strudel for breakfast (yes, I said breakfast). We found a small bakery in Riomaggiore after the morning Lovers Walk, and decided to have a bite there. Little did we know that the sweet, lovely owner/baker with the bald head but surprisingly long curly pigtail at the back of his head could produce such amazing concoctions...the cheese foccacia was salty and savoury, with just the right amount of cheese on top, and the lemon strudel with the lemon rinds and real lemon chunks all the way through was made all the better by the creamy cappuccino. We tossed around the idea throughout the day of popping back and seeing if ones of us might have been able to convince him to abandon his life in CT and come back to Canada to make foccacia and strudel for us...
Soon to come...Florence, Tuscany, Rome...and night in London
A blonde, brunette and redhead - Girls trip to Italy 2010 Trip report
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Great start, Jenn_Mitch, keep it coming!
How enjoyable! Loved this comment, which made me chuckle:
"And they provided several balloons in your room, should
you feel then need to blow up a balloon on vacation."
Now, I know what I've been missing!
Jenn-Mitch - thanks for doing this report, you are covering some places I have been and some I have not seen. But your report is immediate and fun to read. More, Please.
This is great, very enjoyable reading. Where did you stay in the CT? I have to get some of that lemon strudel - we are going to stay in Manarola next May so I will be looking for your little bald man with the long curly pigtail. Can you remember what the bakery was called?
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Great start to the report. Thanks.
We just got back a few days ago from Florence/Tuscany and CT. Sunny hot weather all the way thru.
I'm in the midst of writing a too long, detailed, boring report with way too many details. But I'll do anything for a free Fodors guidebook.
You actually did the walk up to the church on the hill in Bologna? Brava! We took a cab up and walked down. Actually saw some joggers coming up.
Keep it coming, please.
Maudi - We stayed in an apartment called Casa Basso, and booked it through Arbaspaa..the price was 80 euro per night, and was perfect for us. The bathroom was huge, and compared to some of the other places we saw people dragging their luggage up to the number of stairs and hills we had to climb to get to our place was reasonable. I don't remember the name of the bakery - sorry.
TDudette - We did do the walk up and back...and we watched the joggers run up and back down!
Meyer - lucky you with the great weather!
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Good for you for not letting that Italian flight problem ruin your trip.
Had you asked beforehand, though, I would most definitely have recommended against a 2.5-hour connection with separate tickets anywhere, but particularly in London and particularly with Air Transat. I'm glad it all worked out, though.
Thank you for the info on the apartment, not sure about the green walls! If only it had a terrace to sit on and enjoy the view but there are plenty of choices to research on that site.
Florence – 4 nights – Highlights
or just pure exhaustion from everything we did but we had a bit of a rough start getting from Gatwick to downtown London...we had tickets to see Mamma Mia. Unfortunately, when we were at the train station in Gatwick, where the friendly Corner House folks had dropped us off after picking us up from the airport, bringing us to the hotel to drop our bags and change, we realized we forgot the online confirmation form we were told to have with us, plus the credit card used for the payment, at the hotel...in our luggage. At this point it was about 15 minutes before the train came to get to London, and the train took about 40 minutes, and came every hour at this point. We were really unsure what to do – we couldn't find any cabs to take us back to the hotel, and were unsure how to walk back... and we really didn't want to miss our train. I grabbed one phone and tried to find the number for the theatre to see if we really needed the printed confirmation and the credit card....yup, we did they said. So I then called the hotel to see what they might suggest. Now having to rummage through three weeks worth of hastily packed luggage might faze some (me included!) but the young guy on the phone had no problem...he would locate our confirmation and credit card and drive it to us at the station. 7 minutes after hanging up from him he pulled up, confirmation and card in hand – we could have kissed him but settled on a big tip. We ran down the stairs and hopped on the train just as it was pulling in – phew!
We had reserved Hotel Casci for the 4 nights we were in Florence and were really pleased with the accommodations, the incredibly friendly staff, and the location. We chose it mainly from the slew of positive reviews on Trip Advisor. We had a couple of rainy days in Florence, but armed with umbrellas we were determined to pack lots in. We had made reservations at the Uffuzi and Galleria d'Accademia and had absolutely no lines. Florence has incredible sights, museums, and restaurants, but the two biggest highlights for this trip to Florence was the great shopping in San Lorenzo market and the walk across the Ponte Vecchio and up to Pizza Michelangelo. I hadn't planned to go to San Lorenzo market, but it was within easy walking distance from our hotel, and we kind of just stumbled across it the first morning. After that we sought it out at least a couple more times. As with any market there are some vendor stalls with higher quality products than others, so a little bit of shopping around is probably a good idea. All three of us has something of a handbag fetish, and we more than fed our addiction here...the prices we felt were reasonable for the quality, and the colours and sizes and styles – oh my!
The walk across Ponte Vecchio was pretty cool, but the stores didn't make a huge impression on us. Once we made our way to the top of the hill and caught a glimpse of the outdoor David statue (this one was greenish due to being in the elements and the materials it was made of, compared to the glowing ivory white of the original in the Accademia) we were in awe, and when we turned around and looked at the amazing view of all of Florence we were delighted we made the decision to take the walk.
Tuscany – 4 nights – Highlights
We had reserved an apartment in Barberino val d'Elsa, a small hamlet village halfway between Florence and Siena. We picked up our car at the Florence airport as we weren't quite 100% comfortable with the driving and navigation from downtown Florence. We decided to use this time to wind down, and relax and enjoy the tranquillity of Tuscany. I would certainly recommend taking the time to do some drives around the incredible countryside and all the gorgeous little (and big) towns and villages. I could easily spend months in Tuscany and never get bored. We picked up groceries for meals at a small store a few doors down from our apartment, and tried some local wines at a wine bar that showcased organic wines from a local winery. We were truly refreshed to make our way to Rome!
Rome -4 nights – highlights
Let's just say the sun was waiting for us in Rome! Our four days there were sun drenched and magnificent – I love Rome and everything about it! This was my second time in some parts of Italy, and Rome was even better the second time around.
Our first pleasant surprise was the apartment we reserved through Real Rome Apartments felt like a palace in the central area of Rome where we stayed. This place was huge, and beautifully decorated, and it had two bathrooms! We did leave our apartment though, and did lots and lots and lots of walking. We had managed to arrange Scavi Tour tickets. I had tried a couple of times with no luck, and no response, but one of my girlfriends obviously has an in at the Vatican, because when she sent her request she got a response, confirmation and paid for the tickets within 24 hours. So, if you are planning to go for a Scavi tour....be persistent and if that fails, get someone else to try! The tour itself was worth it...our guide was amazing, he was so passionate about the history of the Vatican you couldn't help but be drawn in to the stories and images he described.
We made a long walk over to Trastevere, which was lovely and much less congested with tourists. We also stumbled across an open market which was definitely unlovely (not sure if this is a real word, but you get my point). The market was crowded and massive...we kept on walking and elbowing our way through, expecting the end, but we lost faith and turned around. We didn't see anything of interest, but I am sure there were good deals to be had...with the hoards of people there something had to be good!
Overall the trip was fantastic. We ate gelato and drank wine pretty much every day; which is always good in my opinion, we shopped and walked everywhere and saw some amazing sights. Italy for me is one of those places I think I could travel to again and again – there's no "been there, done it" feeling for me!
London and the trip home
We left Rome after 20 days in Italy and had one last night to spend in London before our flight back to Halifax. Our flight to Gatwick was great and we arrived at The Corner House after picking up the shuttle. The Corner House was perfect for an overnight before or after a trip. I'm not sure if it was excitement to be heading home (I was pretty homesick to see my sweetie again after three weeks
We arrived in London and had a whirlwind tour..it's certainly on my list of places to get back to and spend much more time visiting, but on to Mamma Mia! We arrived at the Box Office, gave our name and picked up our tickets – yes just gave our name, no confirmation, no showing of the credit card...just “last name please”. We laughed it off and headed for the show. It was exceptional – we loved it and sang all the way back to the train station! We were beat and had no problem falling asleep – home was just around the corner!
Our flight back was uneventful and no delays, which is a nice way to end a trip.
Ciao!
Really cute trip report, I don't know how you did it all, but maybe it was your youth and your great spirit. Many thanks.
Loved your trip report, thanks so much! I am interested in what you called the "Original Walking Tour – Venice"...I did a quick web search and found a gazillion websites that could be it. If you have their contact info, could I trouble you to post it here? Thank you!
Leslie
Scarlettdz9 - This is the site we used to book the tour (walking and gondola). I was skeptical as it was recommended in the Rick Steeves book we had, but I was impressed by the quality of the guide we had, as well as the gondola ride.
Sigh...Venice was beautiful, wish I was there now.
http://www.tours-italy.com/venice_tours-all_tours_italy.htm
taconictraveler - It was a busy trip, and my first full three week trip, and I probably would not do quite as many places in that period of time again. This is mostly because I like to settle and nest for at least a few days before moving on...2 nights in theory seems like a good enough time on one place, but with travel, checking in, getting situated and finding your bearings, you really only have one full day...as many on this site have stated before, consider a travel day not a day in one place or another...
Thank you, checked out the website for the walking tour and it looks great. I like the spooky ghost story nighttime walking tour, too!
Do you happen to remember the price range for Alla Botta in Venice?
Thanks again,
Leslie
Scarlettdz9 - Alla Botte was reasonable...for the three of us, including wine it was about 80-90 euros. Now, we just had pasta dishes, and I would recommend venturing further into the menu (written on the chalk board inside). Bu the prices overall were quite good.
Did you stay at VRBO 19410 in Barberino Val D'Else. Could you please tell me about it? There is only one recent review on their site. Thank you
Hi JBMB,
Yes, we stayed in that apartment. We found the town easy to find, and the town was small but I was happy to see that it was still very easy to manouver our small rental car. There was a free parking lot within a 5 minute walk. There was a small corner store and a larger store for anything you might need, all within 5-10 mins walking distance.
As for the apartment itself, I absolutely loved it! There was a large bedroom downstairs with two twin beds, and there was a bedroom upstairs with a balcony off of it...As there were three of us we each took turns in the upstairs room - the views upon waking in the morning were so beautiful. There was a comfortable living area, dining area, and the kitchen was very well equipped - Cindy (owner) is an accomplished cook and it shows in how she stocked the kitchen. Bathroom was large and bright - no tub but the shower was roomy! There was a washer and dryer - which we used! The dryer was "typical" in that it did not dry completely - something we take for granted in power-resource rich Canada, but it cause us not problems. We hung to dry to finish drying no problems.
We were truly delighted in the apartment rental,and Cindy met us personally and provided recommendations for as many day trips as we wanted. We loved the relaxing feel of the town, and used the time to catch up and only did a few drives. We also walked from Barberino val d'Elsa to the neighboring town, and caught their market.
We picked up pizza at the pizzeria in town and absolutely could not belive how fantastic it was- and we had already had some great pizza by this point in our trip! The price for take out was really inexpensive. Even now, thinking back to that pizza make sme smile
Please let me know if there's any other information you'd like me to provide.
And - thank you for the reminder - I will be posting a review to the VRBO site - it was a lovely find! Very central between Florence and Sienna, and I would stay there again!