kmoncrief

We just got back Sat from Two weeks plus in Venice,Verona,Bologna,Lucca,Cinque Terre,Villa by Arrezzo,and Florence. Unfortunetly the tendonitis I had before I left did not magically go away so I cant type much... so will spread it out and happy to answer questions.

I thought I would start with general things I learned!!

Trains!!
22inch luggage is the best! there is storage at the end but sometimes full.Having to heave the suitcase up,and after some lousy packing the second time it didnt fit!,that seemed to work the best.

The trains change tracks by the minute sometimes,so keep checking the montitors..

know the final destination. We were going to Lucca which our ticket said but the monitor said Via Reggio..we almost missed our train..the boards with the printed schedules do say all of the stops..looking at the monitor you might think the only next train to Firenze is at ten..but actually the next train to Milan would better. Most of the train ticket people spoke English,but not all.

The diagrams they show are not always correct on where your car will be(for reserved trains).we had car 11,one of the last so went all the way at the end..of course it wasnt that way and we had to run! We decided it was best to just stand in the middle from then on..

We got on one train with compartments and werent sure where to go,ended up we were in first class,not second.(there are 1's and 2's on the side we later saw) We started to think about moving all of our luggage but then asked if we could upgrade. For a mere 8 Eu we could..what a relief!!

We bought all of our tickets at the train stations,the Eurostar ones the day before from the station or a travel agent.anything from Florence was busy.Other stations not too full.

To be continued!!

Jocelyn_P

Welcome back, Karen!!! I can't wait to hear specifics about your trip.

macanimals

Good job kmoncrief! As a soon to be train rider, I really appreciate the practical information you're passing on. You're line-up of cities looks impressive. Thanks for the reports. Paul

Treesa

Ciao, Karen -- Glad to know you're back safe and sound. More, more....

ellenem

Looking forward to reading your report of some of my favorie places. . .

kmoncrief

Venice first stop!! I was actually getting worried about taking this water taxi. People had said be prepered to negotiate and I thought yuck what a way to start a trip! Then I thought we should look for someone to share with..In the end no one was walking to the ferries..just us..around 6pm..and yes walk its just a little bit and feels good..We walked up to the window..80 Eu.no negotiating..the ferry was there but that takes much longer ,this was my treat . Well someone had written about going in on the taxi,scarf flying etc..I had my camera poised..but you actually go through an industrial kind of area and then he went around the back side,by the taxi to Murano..so I never did get that 'magical 'view. We did get to go through the canals..this was my gondola ride!..I would absolutley suggest it though if your jet lagged or its late.The cost is worth it. The Locanda had a water door and we said we were going there. Well he dropped us off close and said its 50 yds down..no way Id studied those directions! Well gosh we had towalk through St Marks sq! That wasnt so bad!.

We stayed at the Locanda Orseolo. I cant say enough about that. I just got an email from them..I felt like Id left family! Which they actually are. Beautiful hotel and great location. The gondolas parked at the end of the Orseolo canal and people could get on. There was a bridge right outside my window as well. I perched on the side table with a pillow and just watched all of the goings on .The gondoliers and singers went by all the time. Very quiet at night. The rooms were beautiful and breakfast!! chocolate crepes,scrambled eggs any way you like..They were so nice..Hugs and kisses when we left..They have a website. We paid 240.Eu.Someone had written more specific instructions(than theirs)about how to get there!! Thankyou!!! It was not how I pictured it at all!

Hmm did the Doges secret Itinerary,very interesting..my husbands favorite part..they booked a concert for us at St Vidal church. that was fun listening to Vivaldi.had a nice dinner in the same plaza there right before. THAT was expensive!! Not the dinner mind you but the very cool shop right by it that had the most incredible I must have this jacket..well my birthday was coming up!! The shop looks so weird.. but I bought a beautifully tailored long jacket on handprinted velvet.It is a one only..
Lets see..went to Burano.that was fun.The weather was yucky but enjoyed walking around and having lunch. Very touristy the shops but the houses are very bright. I wished we had done Murano as I didnt expect the glass to be so wonderful,but we went on a Sun and I think most are closed.
Didnt do the gondola..and I was looking forward to the rat with the doggie paddle!!!
Food was good the second night on the St Vidal Plaza,would have to find the card.First night not memorable..We didnt do a lot of research on restaurants for the whole trip.we were going to leave it up to the hotels.Our first nights suggestion was the only 'putz' we had.Venice is expensive!!
The vaportto was fun,very easy after you get the hang of it. We should have used the gondola taxi to cross,didnt realize how easy that would have been,we WALKED alot!!! The Peggy Gugg. museum we liked alot..
Mon we took the vaporetto to the train station..easy..hadnt looked up that..cant belive I missed something!! So was glad it was an easy thing.



Next on to Verona!!

maitaitom

Welcome back Karen. The Padres need your support!!!!! Looking forward to more of your report.

Statia

Welcome back, Karen! Loved the rat doggie paddle comment reminicent of Jocelyn's report. Looking forward to your next installment.

kmoncrief

Tom I was just thinking it might be time to visit Petco Park,have not been yet!!

One other train message...On the last one we took,a regional train,where there were compartments,there were smoking and non smoking cars,the sign is on the side of the cars. The Eurostars were all non smoking.

Verona.. got there around noon on a Monday. Sundays and Mondays are hard to plan,plus the shutting down time I could never get used to! We always seemed to arrive around noon,have lunch and be ready to walk around,but everything would be closed! Museums were the ticket there.
Lots of tourists,I think some busses had come in.They were getting ready for the Opera so that was fun to see in the Arena.We had one friends from our Villa group going to see Madame Butterfly,I was so envious! Ate lunch on the Piazza,same place as Jocelyn which was fine.We stayed at Gabbia D'Oro,a VERY nice hotel.I about had a fit though. I had confirmed the reservation but had lost my sheet with the quote.I had changed the reservation from two days to one as well. In the room on the back of the door the rate said 520 Eu.(and breakfast extra! at 25 EU!!)I gulped and told Gary this might have been my big goof.I was thinking it was 260.
Well it was very beautiful the whole hotel and the room so we enjoyed it! They have a wonderful solarium in which we read,and tea in the afternoon.Breakfast was great,and luckily it was really only(not really ONLY,this was my second treat) 260 with breakfast. I think the 520 was their Opera rate,and perhaps they upgraded us as they werent full.I seemed to recall hearing her give 350 Eu for a double in July on the phone,this was called a suite. Anyway lovely Hotel. Dinner as suggested by them was at Osteria Sgarzarie,which is down a alley to the left facing Gabbia D"oro, which is right in front of the Erbe Plaza.Wonderful food. We are very in to food and the best food that we had on the trip was always at the more contemporary restaurants. It was still traditonal Veronese,but with a contemporary flair.I just couldnt go for the horsemeat appetizer though!,which is a Veronese tradition..

Went to the CastleVecchio(sp?) museum..of course it was closed on just this Monday! Went to the bridge and strated for the history museum..ah but closed on Mondays. Id say a day is good in Verona,and then as Jocelyn did, easy to go other places.

Did get to go to the museum in the morning for a quick one hour run through and that was very nice.

Juilet's house is very funny. In the courtyard people have stuck up notes with gum ALL over the walls,declaring their love(Romeo and Juliet).I dont think there was an inch left open!

Left for Bologna for two days next!

Jocelyn_P

Karen,

I'm glad to hear you had a good time in Verona and Venice. I'm bummed you missed the gondola ride--it was definitely the highlight of our time in Venice. It's so much different from the vaporetti.

That's funny about all the tourists in Verona! We recognized an average of probably one (or one small group) a day. I should qualify: we heard a smattering of other European languages while in Verona, but rarely recognized Americans. A couple of times the other Americans/Canadians/English would approach us and say, "Did I hear ENGLISH?" We'd have a nice conversation about having the place to ourselves. I guess the Opera really draws the crowds in the summertime.

I can't wait to read the rest!

kmoncrief

Well in Venice our water taxi was our gondola,not quite the same but almost I think. I had alot of fun out the window of the hotel with all of them passing by. At breakfast they would open the water door,which actually was only about 5 feet high,and the gondolas would go by right next to us.
There was the funniest thing though. There was a Orseolo terrace or something very close by. Looked very elegant in side,everybody dressed up. They had a piano player and as we stood outside for a bit and listened she was singing... Feelings! with the Italian accent of course! So funny ..it was close to our hotel and so with the window open we went to sleep listening to her 'crooning' American songs..

kmoncrief

Next part Bologna,not too much to report here,not our favorite city at all. Not sure what I was expecting.A friend had suggested and I had read about it. But it was very big and noisy,lots of college kids,although their celebrating was the most fun.They have a tradtion of the PHDs going to the Piazza with Laurels on and everyone singing Doctore,Doctore..etc. This one guy was very funnily dressed,and no shirt,with a pillow on his backside for all of the spanking. They poured flour on him and he drank champagne from a bottle as he read this incredibly long ..I guess bascially a roast to him that was taped to a column. Not quite like our ceremonies! There were at least 4 that one day we saw. We did a walking tour as we just seemed to be wandering,that helped. We were there a day and a hlaf which was plenty. The Hotel Touring was just ok. That was one of those website different experiences. I was sold on the website on their rooftop terrace,shown with tablecloths and candlelight and their talk about breakfast..well you could take your breakfast up there if you wanted,but there were no cloths etc. The rooftop was fine just not what I expected. the room a definite come down from the last two! But also at 100 Eu less..Had a wonderful dinner though ,again on the contemporay side with a great bottle of wine that was decanted for us. The waiters mother owned the restaurant,he was raised in NY ,met his wife,and had come hom eto help.

The library was interesting where you could see Roman ruins below the glass floor,but dissapointing they didnt go one step further,there was nothing about it,like a map of what perhaps we were looking at etc. There was a well and what looked like living spaces.

We had our one very Italian meal here. In Frommers..De Cheseri I think it was called,MUST have reservations etc..well it was lunch..and we were the ONLY people in there. We had very traditonal pasta that was dripping in olive oil..enough for me!! We did go to a self serve place after our tour and that was fun,there food really is better than our tradtional cafteria line!! How they eat all of that food I do not know!! I did not see too many overweight people..I hear they have a small dinner.

Tomorrow Lucca and Cinque Terre,both very fun!

Jocelyn_P

Karen,

Was the cafeteria-style place called Brek? We ate at the one in Verona and really liked it.

Did you see many tourists in Bologna?

kmoncrief

Hmmmn cant remember the self serve. We were finishing the tour through the Jewish Ghetto,from yesterday of course..and she walked us by there. It was in the marketplace. I just wanted to eat everything!!
No hardly any tourists there. It seemed like our hotel was mostly business travelers. Well there obviously were some there as they were on the walking tour and at dinner..that same early hour! I think we went at..yes can you believe it!! 7:45 that night!!and yes we were the first!

and no we have not kept up the same tradition! Dinner is back to 7pm at home!

I did like that though we got quickly into the routine of dinner at 8..to bed at 11-12 and up at 8..I think one hotel only offered breakfast at 7:30 all the rest were 8-8:30 or so.. Wehave had a hard time coming home we tried so hard to stay up to 9:30 last night.all the rest have been 8:30 and up at 4:30!! Although being really tired and drinking the wine(have kept THAT traditon )hasnt helped!
Jocelyn did you move yet? I think you were moving soon.

DickPatterson

kmoncrief,

Where is this diagram that shows where your car on reserved trains will be (your original posting)? I also had to run to my car, but I didn't know about any diagram, and so didn't start out with any idea of where my car was likely to stop.

Nikki

Karen, I think I took a picture of the shop where you bought your jacket in Venice. Was there a lot of neon on the doorway and a couple of mannequins with beards, hats and high heels modeling jackets outside?

kmoncrief

The diagram was on the train track at hmmmn.I want to say Florence but might have been Verona. It was behind glass,standing as a bulletin board. It showed the train,with car numbers, going in the right direction etc,we thought it was great..until it was the other way.. Maybe someone had posted it on the wrong side...


Yes that was the store!!! very odd. Some of the fabrics had prints of rats and some dresses had plastic rats imbedded.The lady in there was pretty ditzy,but very nice.. My jacket is a very tradtional florentine type print. The inside is bright yellow satin though! Some of the solid velevt has
dye type marks,its just very cool.

Jocelyn_P

Rats? In Venice? I don't believe it.

We did the same thing with the train diagram (I think there was one in Verona). We figured we wouldn't make it to the other end in time, so we got on the train about midway and walked through the crowded cars with all of our stuff.

What I couldn't get used to in Italy is the light breakfast. I'm used to small, frequent meals through the day, so waiting until lunch for some substantial food, especially with all the walking we'd do, was really hard for me.

Karen, yes, we moved already. I'm not missing the beach too terribly much yet. Our house here isn't ready yet, so we're all crammed into an apartment for the next two months. At least there's no yard work!

kmoncrief

Have to leave in a minute but next was Lucca! Stayed at B& B La Romea.absolutely delighful. Its owned by a fourty something couple. Beuatiful rooms,great breakfast,listening to Italian music with the sun coming through the windows.
We wished we had spent the other two days here instead of Bologna. We rented a car the second day and did Cinque terre..a whole days trip..but would have used the car and traveled from Lucca to Via Reggio and Sant Margarita..oh well next time!

Great city.loved renting the bikes around the outside walls.Still the touristy clothing shops..If I saw one more Max Mara store I was going to scream!!

The tower was great with the trees on top. Ate at the Buca D"Antonio,thats not he right spelling but close.Its in all of the books.It was very good,if you want to sit in a restaurant of tourists...Our hotel suggested Olivo which was wonderful,and not touristy. Beutiful outside under a cream tent,with the soccer game on of course but that was fun..Not sure what it is though with the Italians or Europeans..I do restaurant design and so am a bit bit about ambience(My husband so enjoys that little detail in finding the PERFECT restaurant) but the lights are sooo bright. We went into a few that would have been so great with candlelight,but they seem to insist on Metal halide bright lights..not so romantic to me!!

Anyway found some greta artwork just outside our B&B. We bought 16 canvasses that make up one picture. Greta thing was the owner of the gallery wasnt set up for credit cards..he just said take them! Without even having any particulars. We were giving him all of our info. They hadnt even emailed us before we got back. They just werent worried.We wired the money the day we got back.Where in the US would you find that??? of course we did wonder what happened when the wife,the artist, got back,and saw a wall of art was gone,and with no payment! Anyway was great,so gracious of them,we are sending her photos of it when its up.

Next morning was Cinque Terre..what an experience!

uhoh_busted

I know that store! I have a picture of it too! I thought it might be for cross-dressers Well, next time I'll know better.