Scootoir

DH and I usually travel on our own and I enjoy researching hotels, train schedules and sights for months before a trip. This year however I did not have the time to invest so began looking at possible tours to Italy last fall in order to visit Venice, Florence and Rome. We wanted to find a tour that would handle the details, allow DH and I time on our own and would not have us on a bus for hours on end. We settled on Trafalgar’s “Contrasts of Italy” which offered the balance we were looking for. Transport between the cities would be by high-speed train and the hotels were located near the stations in each city. We added a couple of nights in Rome before the start of the tour and one additional night at the end in Venice. My window to be away from work was limited so we booked the first tour of the season at the end of April to early May.

We worked with an Avoya travel agency that handled bookings for Trafalgar and they were very good to work with. The four star hotels on this tour are a higher level than we usually choose in Europe but we decided to splurge a bit on this trip. We also selected premium economy on our flights with Air France and Delta and all seemed in order.

As we got closer to departure we learned that our first full day in Rome would be the day that John Paul II and John XXIII would be canonized. Uh oh, it was going to be especially crowded in Rome. We had anticipated the May 1 holiday and how it might impact our time in Florence and now had to consider the crowds in Rome.

Our Air France flights to Paris and then Rome were very comfortable. LAX to CDG was on an Airbus A380 which gave us lots of room, bottles of water at our seats, drinks but pretty average meals (I keep hoping Air France's food will improve). My seatback screen did not work but we were not offered two alternate seats together so DH and I swapped while I watched one movie during the flight. Rather disappointing on a new plane.

The Trafalgar transfer was there in Rome to take us to the Grand Palatino Hotel. Located near the Colosseum and Forum on Via Cavour, we discovered there were lots of restaurants in walking distance particularly on the small streets just north of the Via Cavour. We got to the hotel about 6:30 p.m. and by the time we were checked in and a bit settled we decided to have dinner that first night in the hotel restaurant which was pretty good. Then we walked to the Colosseum (part was in scaffolding) and had a gelato on the way back. The free lobby wifi only worked on my phone and I thought in-room wifi should have been included at the price Trafalgar charged. I probably should have sprung for the multi-day wifi charge but actually limited connectivity wasn’t a bad thing.

Sunday April 27—Our first day in Rome and we were able to sleep in a bit which helps with the jet lag. Breakfast at the Grand Palatino was pretty good. We heard an estimated 1 million pilgrims would be in Rome today but we planned to spend our day either outdoors in the Forum or visiting the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in the event of rain. The weather was predicted to be good for most of the day so we headed to the Forum. As we reached the small squares where the Via Cavour meets the Via Dei Fori Imperiali we saw people clustered around big screen TVs and many streets were closed to traffic. There were groups of people together carrying flags of their country or wearing matching Tshirts or kerchiefs. It was lovely to walk and hear the singing even if it was from television. We watched a bit of the ceremony then headed to the Forum looking for the entrance. We walked around the perimeter enjoying the views and taking lots of pictures (new camera which I love). We saw the Mamertine Prison covered in scaffolding and kept walking but could not find the entrance to the Forum. We found what looked like an old entrance and realized that the crowds must have obscured the current entrance and we had passed it. We continued walking and climbed up to the beautiful Capitoline Hill. When the canonization ceremony ended bells all over Rome rang out. That was something special.

We came across a farmers market and though we wished we could take home some honey, balsamic or other good things, we did manage a few cookies. We finally stopped for lunch at Gran Caffe Roma within sight of the Victor Emmanuel monument. The food was pretty good, our waiter Max was fun. After lunch we walked to the Pantheon. The crowds were larger now particularly in the square around the Pantheon but inside was not as crowded as I expected. Stopped in a quality linen shop and bought a gift and something for our kitchen. DH navigated with the map book and a little help from a local gentleman got us back to the hotel just before it started raining.

Monday April 28—We set out for the Galleria Colonna only to find out it has limited hours and we should have made a reservation to visit on a day other than Saturday. Need to read the guide book more carefully. So we walked to the Trevi Fountain—now this was crowded. A far cry from 30 years ago when there was actually so much space between people that you could take a photo without neighboring strangers showing up in the pictures. While walking we had passed a nice looking restaurant with outdoor seating. We were finding that many restaurants, in addition to multi-lingual menus, had hosts who chatted up passersby to encourage them to eat there. This one looked quiet and pleasant and the host was appealing so after the Trevi Fountain we walked back there and enjoyed lunch. There was a small street market to explore nearby and a shop where I bought a Murano glass necklace. I was planning to make this purchase in Venice but really liked the one I saw in Rome by Antica Murrina. I later saw the brand all over Venice including an airport shop.

Monday evening was time to join the tour group for an orientation drive. Nice bus for 48 people but that is a large group. When we returned from the drive there was dinner at the hotel and we heard about the plans for the coming 2 weeks. Yikes—the dinner was Saltimbocca—veal! I ate some of the sides but was glad we had granola bars in the room. The tour director is named Muris and the first impression was good. Tomorrow morning we will be taking our Vatican tour with our local guide.

Tuesday April 29—We were up early for the included tour to the Vatican and Colosseum. The tour offered early entry and skipping the line. This was one factor in choosing to do a tour on this trip. We were able to ascend the step-less spiral staircase designed by architect Donato Bramante then moved through the uncrowded Etruscan rooms of the Vatican Museum. As we made our way through other rooms of the museum to get to the Sistine Chapel it was packed and we did not get to enjoy more of the museum. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful but again crowded. Finally we visited St. Peter's Basilica to see Michelangelo’s famous Pietá and Bernini’s huge carved altar piece. We had a short time for lunch and hit a shop just outside the Vatican before going on to the Colosseum. Had I to do it over again I think I would have looked into staying longer in the Vatican Museums and seeing the Colosseum on our own since it was so close to our hotel.

We had much needed naps when we returned to the hotel. Feeling refreshed we went out walking in search of dinner. We looked first on the Via Urbana, the street behind our hotel, then walked a little further and chose Chicco di Grano. We had salads, Fantasia pizza with tomato, corn and arugula on top, wine and tiramisu. We ordered coffee “decafenato” and received tiny cups of espresso. Heard someone else order cappuccino and realized that’s what we should have requested “decafenato”. Tomorrow we take the optional tour to the Villa d’Este and hope to see the Spanish steps and Piazza Navona in the afternoon.

Wednesday April 30—The bus left the hotel at 9:00 a.m. for Tivoli on the outskirts of Rome. A lot of the group chose this optional tour to the Villa d’Este. I had great memories of visiting in 1982 and wanted to go back. This was a beautiful day to enjoy the gardens. Our local guide Elaria was fun and knowledgeable. We went through a few rooms of the villa before entering the gardens. Elaria toured us through a few areas and talked about the fountains and the system to bring water to the gardens to operate the fountains. Then we had time on our own. It was as beautiful as I remembered. The bulb flowers were in bloom and in a few weeks the camellias will be beautiful. We would have liked another hour there to spend more time in the gardens or stroll the main street of Tivoli and enjoy a bit of lunch.

After returning to Rome and our hotel we found our room being cleaned so DH could not have his customary power nap (he’s very good at these cat naps). Instead we had tea and coffee in the hotel bar which was served with some cookies. This was the first decent cup of tea at the hotel (why can’t they make it like this at breakfast?). Then we waited for a taxi in front of the hotel to the Spanish Steps to save time that we would usually spend walking. The Spanish Steps were packed with people. After a few photos we began walking through streets of expensive shops toward the Piazza Navona. The Piazza Navona was less crowded and more enjoyable, still my favorite spot in Rome. We window shopped, had a gelato on a bench in the piazza and took lots of photos. Next we walked to the Piazza di Fiori window shopping along the way and buying a gift for one of our sisters. I had difficulty navigating in Rome which is unusual and frustrating, fortunately DH was able to navigate for us well.

This evening we went back to Chicco di Grano for dinner and enjoyed it as much as the first time. Someone complained in an online review that the tables are close together but this allowed us to make the acquaintance of some German tourists. Finally we had to go back to the hotel to pack. We would be leaving for Florence in the morning.

annhig

Scootoir, i think i remember your planning thread so it's interesting to read how your tour worked out. Fun to be in Rome at the time of sanctification of 2 saints - a unique event whatever your beliefs.

do keep it coming.

scotlib

hi Scootoir, thanks for posting a trip report. I'm enjoying your writing.

Tours have yays/nay, but it's good to read about both sides, including things you would do differently if given an opportunity. Perhaps someone can utilize what you report.

What kind of camera did you buy for your new camera that you mention liking? Thx.

Scootoir

Annhig, it truly was a unique event. DH was raised Catholic and remembered John XXIII as Pope during his childhood. It certainly made our visit to Rome memorable.

Scotlib, we bought the Panasonic Lumix LF1. We wanted a smaller camera that could fit in pocket or purse and has an electronic viewfinder. I hated to give up an optical viewfinder but this worked pretty well in bright sun.

Nikki

I'm enjoying your report, thanks for sharing your experiences on the tour.

Bokhara2

Interesting to see how you utilized the tour and did your own thing as well.
I'm looking forward to the next installment & thanks for making the time to write it up.

I noticed your comment about the saltimbocca - do you follow a vegetarian diet?

Bokhara2

Oops posted too soon.

Thinking about the included meals in the tour package - what was the choice like? It seemed from your comment that perhaps there was no choice at that dinner. Was it usually a set menu?

klondike

Glad you are posting...following.

bilboburgler

on for the ride

Scootoir

Thanks all.

Bokhara2--I'm not vegetarian but I have reservations about eating veal for as long as I can remember. In the last decade this includes lamb as well. I eat chicken and fish as well as meatless pastas and soups.

There were only three included meals (other than breakfast) and there was no choice at the table except for the farewell dinner. Perhaps we were asked that in the reservation process because I wondered what someone would do who was vegetarian or ate kosher. The farewell dinner had a choice of beef or salmon. The welcome dinner was the only one that didn't seem to have enough food to fill me up for declining the main course.

Scootoir

Florence, Thursday May 1

Bags in the hall before breakfast and they were loaded on the bus for the short trip to the station. We collected our bags on the platform and placed them on the high speed train. The seats on the cars were very comfortable and the trip passed by quickly. We arrived at the train station in Florence and rolled our bags across the street to the Hotel Ambasciatori. We left our bags at the hotel and boarded a bus to drive to Piazzale Michelangelo. This view spot was on my to-do list so it was great to have the tour take us there. We had plenty of time for photos then down to the city center to begin our walking tour. It started on the Piazza Santa Croce where the focus was actually on a visit to a leather factory. Muris set up a meeting point at a fountain for those who did not want to shop for leather so DH and I went off in search of lunch. We found a little spot off the square which turned out to be a good choice. We were able to relax before the walking tour through the crowded city. It was so crowded that the local guide skipped taking us across the Ponte Vecchio and the Piazza della Signoria was equally crowded with people waiting for a holiday celebration on the square. We were happy to get back to the hotel and in our room.

DH and I now had a mission. We travel light having learned a few years ago we no longer want to lug big suitcases onto trains. That means about half-way through our trips we need to do laundry. Since we were on a tour with our time more limited we thought we would blow the wad and pay for hotel laundry. I can hand wash some of my clothes but DH cannot so we had planned on the laundry at the Hotel Ambasciatori and in fact had emailed the hotel a few weeks earlier and received a laundry list to be able to plan the costs. Now the desk staff told us there would be no laundry service on May 1 or 2 due to the holiday and there is never service on the weekend. What?! I had researched laundromats in Florence before we decided to use the hotel service so we pulled the paper I assembled and DH took it and the suggestion from the hotel staff to go around the corner to find the laundry and off he went. Well that laundry was closed but as he circled the block DH heard someone calling him. It was Muris who suggested a place on the other side of the train station. DH came back to the room for me and the laundry and we set out to find the laundromat. We were on the Via Guelfa but did not see it and stopped in the Hotel Galileo on the corner of the via Nazionale. The young desk clerk directed us across the street and a few shops down to “Express Wash”. This turned out very well. Express Wash had large washers and dryers so we could do one big load. There were a couple of chairs and a coffee machine with surprisingly good coffee to keep DH going. We were done in a little over an hour and looked for a likely restaurant for dinner as we walked our suitcase of clean clothes back to the hotel.

We returned to the Via Zannoni and La Falterona Ristorante. I had a lovely roast chicken and veggies while the family next to us had the traditional Bistecca alla fiorentina di Chianina. When it was sliced and served at their table I knew I would never be ordering steak that raw. As my sister would say, that beef looked like with a little help it could recover—she might like it. We saved room for dessert and enjoyed “super peanut” gelato on the walk back to our hotel.

Friday May 2—Surprised DH with birthday cards that I had smuggled inside a guidebook. Today we were off to Pisa with the tour. While researching this trip we considered skipping this included excursion because we weren’t all that interested in the photo stop at Pisa. One tour book I read made it sound like you really had to run the gauntlet of vendors before reaching the Field of Miracles. Then I read a trip review on the Trafalgar website and the reviewer said the included lunch in the country was a highlight for her so we decided to go. The day was grey and while at the cathedral there was some rain but not too bad, perhaps this helped keep the crowds down. There were umbrella vendors at the bus parking lot but not nearly as many as we saw in Rome. As we got on the tram to the parking lot one vendor, for no apparent reason, said “Lady Gaga Boom Shakalaka” and got a laugh from all of us.

The cathedral exterior was beautiful and it was pretty cool to see the iconic leaning tower. We took LOTS of photos even when it began to rain. We took a turn down a shopping street where I bought some bookmarks then headed back to the bus.

Now we were on to Fattoria Medicea for our multi-course lunch in the Tuscan countryside. The rain stopped and the drive was through some pretty countryside. When we arrived at the estate we were offered Prosecco or fruit juice and a selection of hors d’oeuvres in the courtyard. It was a beautiful setting with some climbing roses. Then into the dining room for lunch of pasta, roast suckling pig (feeling like I’m back in Iowa), salad, wine and chocolate cake (for DH’s secret birthday) and coffee and tea. It was a lovely meal.

Back in Florence we walked to the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella to purchase some gifts. It is a beautiful historic shop that dates back to the 16th century. Afterward we looked at restaurants near the piazza Santa Maria Novella. For his birthday dinner DH settled on the Osteria Pastella where a young lady was making pasta in the front window. It turned out to be an excellent choice. The staff were welcoming, we were seated and began to consider our menus. They soon brought us a basket of the best bread we had of the entire trip, still warm from the oven. A perfect birthday gift as DH is a lover of really good bread. Frankly I expected the bread in Italy to be this good but found the bread to be a disappointment for much of the trip. Food was good at Osteria Pastella was good, I especially liked my stacked caprese salad (eating light after the large lunch that afternoon), DH had to have pasta since that was the initial draw, the dining room was comfortable and we enjoyed some wine. While we shared dessert a musical duo came in and set up to play. They looked rather bohemian and we wondered what sort of music they would be playing; no reason for concern as the second song was “Chips, Chips, Chips”. The actual title is “Via Con Me” and it was originally by Paolo Conte and used in the “French Kiss” soundtrack. We have this on a couple of CDs and it is a favorite. As we left DH spoke to one of the staff and thanked her for a wonderful evening. He mentioned it would be a memorable birthday for him and then she wanted to bring more drinks which he declined. He just wanted them to know this evening would be a highlight. We kept a couple of their business cards so we could tell anyone we know who might be going to Florence to eat at Osteria Pastella. If anyone reading this visits Florence don’t miss it!

Saturday May 3—optional morning excursion to San Gimignano. DH decided to sit this one out as did a number of tour mates since it was raining. Fortunately enough people signed up to enable us to go. As we climbed the road to San Gim we could see the medieval towers through the mist. Great view. We had 2+ hours in the town and it rained until we met at the bus to leave. I wandered the hilly streets, took lots of photos, bought a small piece of pottery and finally settled in for a cup of tea when I got too wet and cold. On the bright side the weather meant the town wasn’t very crowded on a Saturday in spring.

In the afternoon our group visited the Academy to view Michelangelo’s David. In the brochure this was to take place on the day we arrived in Florence but the museum was closed for the May 1 holiday. We walked briskly to the Academy and I was not sure how some of the tour members kept up with the pace. This was the only time I thought this on the tour. With Madeline, our local guide, we viewed the unfinished Michelangelo sculptures that lead to David. Just seeing David as we entered the room got me choked up. Then Madeline toured us through the four sides of the amazing David. I thought she did an excellent job of describing how David was created, the sculpture’s history and damage and how it was moved from the Piazza della Signoria.

Strolled back through the streets to the hotel, window shopping along the way and stopped for a snack that seemed to be part scone, part cookie and had almonds. For dinner we went back to the Piazza Santa Maria Novella which was near the hotel. In the center of the square was a market offering herbs, olive oil, wines and honey and they were giving out samples! Would love to take some of these home. Had dinner on a fairly touristy place on the piazza but the soup was good and the room was attractive. Back to the hotel to pack again for our morning train to Venice.

kalnalcl

Enjoying your report!

latedaytraveler

Hi Scootoir,

Thank you for sharing your account of the tour. I have taken many and, although a majority posters berate them, you certainly can cover a great deal of ground on these junkets without hassles.

Your luncheon excursion sounded delightful. Nice to have such central hotels near railway stations. Looking forward to more...

Scootoir

Venice Sunday May 4

For the second time our bags were out in the hall before breakfast then we made the short walk to the train station. Today’s ride was a bit longer and the landscape much more flat than the trip into Florence. Just before the train left the station it was announced that the wifi on board did not work—I find I am getting used to limited connectivity.

We easily walked to the Hotel Boscolo Bellini with our hand luggage while the porter service hauled our larger bags. Our rooms were not ready and we were sent out to find lunch on our own prior to our trip to Guidecca Island. Walking down the Rio Terra de Spagna we chose Ristorante All'Aquila where we sat outside, shared a pizza and had a couple of salads.

Back at the hotel we regrouped and boarded a vaporetto to Giudecca Island to visit a glass factory and showroom. The trip was interesting as we sailed the Grand Canal to the west then to the Scomenzera Canal near the cruise ship port. Muris pointed out the huge yacht purportedly belonging to the founder of Monster energy drinks. He also discussed the controversy that follows the huge cruise ships and the impact they have on Venice. The Italian government has recently enacted limits on the ships. We arrived at the factory, DH and I enjoyed the demonstration and looking at the beautiful glasswork. We knew we would not be buying anything, even the jewelry was more expensive than I thought I could find it in Venice or Murano.

We returned to the hotel again and our rooms were ready. Our names were called and everyone was handed card keys until our name was called. DH collected a conventional key with a huge key fob that could have made a useful weapon. We received directions to our room and discovered we were in a little cottage on the ground level at the back of the property. Another couple had a similar arrangement with a private courtyard while our courtyard was shared. As we unpacked I spotted our first mosquito on the curtain and dispatched him. I had read that they could be a problem in Venice so had packed the mosquito spray which we put on right away. We both ended up with a few bites during our time here. Back to the room, it had beautiful Venetian lighting, fabric covered walls and a big marble covered bathroom with good storage space. As it turned out this was the best shower of the three hotels and this glass barrier and the position of the showerhead kept the water in the shower.

After settling in we went walking on the Rio Terra Lista di Spagna checking out the shop windows and restaurants for dinner. We crossed the Ponte delle Guglie and kept walking and shooting photos. When we got hungry enough we returned to the bridge and had a lovely dinner at a restaurant called Alla Palazzina at the Guglie bridge and bordering the Cannareggio Canal. It had an attractive dining room that we walked through to reach a vine covered outdoor dining room just the place to be on this lovely evening. We had salads, pasta pomodoro, ravioli and the house wines. It turned out to be my favorite restaurant in Venice. We did not have dessert at the restaurant instead we stopped for gelato on the way back to the hotel.

Monday May 5

In the morning the group boarded a private launch that took us near to St. Mark’s Square for our included walking tour. I was glad we were dropped at a stop a bit east of St. Mark’s to be away from the crowds. We walked through some back streets and one place we passed was St George’s Greek Orthodox Church. After explaining the excellent wayfinding in Venice and providing ideas for those of us not going on the afternoon optional tour, Muris brought us to St Mark’s Square where we could make our way around for the afternoon. We began walking “Per Rialto” taking many photographs. Stopping just south of the Rialto bridge we found a little place on a small campo or square for lunch. DH enjoyed a beer, something he never indulges in at lunch at home, and I had a cappuccino decafenato. As we were finishing a family from our tour happened by and we offered them our table.

We continued walking toward Fondamente Nuove where we could take a vaporetto to the island of Murano. Upon landing we walked the main street/canal shopping for gifts and looking for a shop called Cosi Cose that a friend recommended. We never did find it but managed to make some purchases at other shops. We returned from the Faro (lighthouse) dock then walked along the Stada Nova heading back to our hotel. We stopped for pizza at yet another charming square near the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel and a gondola dock. As we walk we are window shopping and taking pictures and always following the signs “Per Ferrovia” which direct us to the train station.

Tuesday May 6

This morning the tour group boarded sleek fast boats for a trip to Rialto bridge. We met our local guide Michele for a tour of the Rialto market and other spots including the square where Marco Polo lived. At the end back at St. Marks DH and I set off on our own this time keeping toward “Per Rialto” then later “Per Ferrovia” (the train station). More charming squares and beautiful shops. We happened upon a used bookshop with two fat cats and a gondola filled with books inside. We had seen a lot of people with dogs in Venice—I wonder what happens if any of them shop here? I would have liked to purchase some decorative papers here but it would be too difficult to get them home safely. In the afternoon we stopped in a lovely quiet square where we shared a bench and a gelato. Today I wore the pedometer to get an idea of the steps we have been making and it counted 13,553.

After a rest we went to the dining room for Trafalgar’s Farewell Dinner. We sat with a couple from Toronto and enjoyed their company very much. We all filled out the Trafalgar evaluation then dinner was served. The whole group was lively and lots of photos were taken. Our table of four were the last to leave the dining room but we found more tour mates in the lounges still chatting. This was a really good group of people but we missed getting to know some of them better. While others were leaving in the morning we still had one more day in Venice.

Wednesday May 7.

We set no alarm and got up when we wanted. We saw a few tour mates at breakfast and made some final good-byes. DH and I walked to the Santa Maria Glorioso dei Frari Church. We hadn’t been to many art museums on this trip and were looking forward to this opportunity to view works such as the Titian altarpiece. It absolutely glowed and I loved being able to sit quietly in the church to contemplate it. Next we walked to the Campo San Polo, a surprisingly large and quiet spot in Venice. While in this area I spotted a beautiful window display in the shop Anatema and went inside. The store was quite elegant and I had a nice chat with the owner. I tried my little bit of Italian on her and she warmed right up. She asked where I was from and it turned out she had driven the length of Route 66 a few years ago which means she had driven through our town! What a coincidence.

We stopped for lunch at Al Paradiso on a quiet side street. It was beautifully decorated inside but we sat outside. Later in the afternoon we stopped for our last Italian gelato enjoyed on the steps at St. Mark’s Square. We took a vaporetto the length of the Grand Canal for one last look at Venice. Back at the hotel we started packing then walked out later looking for dinner ending at a place on the other side of the Guglie bridge. As we strolled back to the hotel we met the Toronto couple and heard about their day and learned they planned to visit the Frari church on Thursday.

Thursday May 8

It’s time to go home. We awoke before the alarm, showered, had breakfast, finished packing and checked out of our charming room. We walked to the Piazzale Romo for the ATVO bus to the airport. Bought tickets and boarded for the easy 20 minute drive. Marco Polo airport is small, new and very manageable. We checked out some shops and bought magazines for the flight. I had a very good cup of tea for the sore throat I woke up with. I spotted a large kiosk featuring Antica Murrino jewelry which became my favorite of all the glass jewelry we had seen.

Our Delta flight from Marco Polo to JFK was very comfortable and fairly empty and all the seatback entertainment worked. We had a 2 hour layover which was enough to get through passport control, baggage claim, customs and baggage check and security for the connecting Delta flight. What a difference in the second plane. We paid $20 more for premium economy on this leg and it was hardly worth it. There was more leg room than the typical coach seats but the seats were so old you could identify the ashtrays. There were three seats crammed together on each side aisle where the first plane had only 2. It was pretty uncomfortable and Delta had a lot of nerve charging even more on this shorter flight. How unfortunate that this will be our last memory of flying with Delta and our last memory of the trip. I’ll have to review our 1600 photos to keep better memories at hand.

Scootoir

Frustrating finding typos after posting. The bus to the airport leaves from Piazzale Roma.

Bokhara2

Thanks again Scootoir. That was a really good overview of the Trafalgar Tour and an entertaining & interesting read.

Scootoir

Bokhara2--I appreciate your comments.

Scootoir

Footnotes on the trip:

With such a large group there were no introductions of tour members and though we wore nametags for the first few days it was difficult to learn the names of our companions. We found everyone we spoke to friendly but didn’t really connect as I expected based on my tour experience from 30 years ago. If we had done all of the optionals we would have spent more time together. We weren’t looking for lifelong friends but would have felt more comfortable at meals when we were seated together.

The tour director from Trafalgar and the local guides were excellent. I can only imagine the challenges to herding 48 people between three cities, keeping track of rooms and rail reservations and helping us individually as needs came up.

We did not take a gondola ride but if we were going to would choose one that travels down smaller side canals. They would be quiet and charming. A gondola on the Grand Canal has to contend with a lot of traffic and rather choppy water.

For the price paid for this tour a few of the optionals should have been included such as visiting the Doge’s palace in Venice.

Never had a bad meal in Italy.

House wine was usually good and a carafe was not expensive. Some restaurants offer different sized carafes.

Some restaurants charge for a basket of bread and we are convinced that slices are served again.

Best bread of our lives: Osteria Pastella in Florence tied with the Loire’s Chateau de Rochecotte’s baguettes and the wheat toast at Daylesford Farm in Notting Hill.

I found it tricky navigating when I have been paying so much attention to walking on cobblestones and my focus in Rome was looking down. I began taking photos of some landmarks along the way so I could find my way back to the bus. Little streets in Venice look so similar that I thought it would be really difficult to find our way. The wayfinding signs “Per Rialto”, etc. made it easier than expected. We never got lost but we did explore.

The Hotels:

Grand Hotel Palatino in Rome. Good location, I should have purchased in-room Internet which wasn’t badly priced for multiple days, tea/coffee in the bar was a good deal at 2.50 euro, lots of restaurants nearby. Terrible hair dryer on a hose. Near a Metro stop (which we never rode). Host to as many as 3 tour groups during our stay but seemed big enough to handle this.

Ambasciatori Florence: included internet in rooms not repaired during our 3-night stay. Looked best of the three hotels online but was our least favorite. Good location with many restaurants nearby; breakfast did not live up to a 4 star hotel. Staff seemed indifferent.

Boscolo Bellini Venice: I was so concerned about this one after reading Trip Advisor reviews that I emailed Trafalgar prior to our departure however this turned out to be our favorite hotel. Staff very helpful and welcoming, room was delightful but there were mosquitoes! English language TV channels were down during our stay. Best hair dryer of the 3 hotels.

None of these hotels offered hair conditioner in the amenities so if this is important bring your own. All the mattresses were firm and the double beds were very large and seemed equivalent to American king-size.

bilboburgler

mosquitoes in Venice!

Ackislander

This is a really nice report. You write well, and it is very well organized. It has humor without being cutesy-poo, detail without overwhelming. I particularly like your summary at the end.

I also enjoy your having realistic expectations throughout. I am going to look for and read your other trip reports. Thank you!