Leaving on a jet plane........
May 12th, 2008, 01:16 PM
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Leaving on a jet plane........
It's Tuesday morning here in Sydney and we leave on Thursday night for a month in Italy and France, and before I get ready for work I wanted to post a "thank you"....
Thank you to everyone who has so patiently answered my questions over the past five months.
Our first trip to Europe was in 2006 and we travelled with several other couples, one of whom was very happy to plan the trip and we just 'went with the flow'.
This time I have looked after the majority of the planning for my DH and I and I honestly don't know how I would have managed it without this forum. I hate the idea of having every second planned on holidays, but this time I think we would have been massively underplanned and really struggled when we arrived.
Thanks also to travellers who have taken the time to post trip reports, which I have found amazingly helpful (and often hilarious!). Often trip reports have raised and solved problems that I wouldn't have even thought of until I was preparing to panic in a foreign land! I've loved the suggestions for shopping, transport, restaurants and various itinerary ideas.
Here's a little outline of where we will be going. Some of it is rushed and we are aware that we will have to be a little ruthless with what we can and can't see.
We have deliberately booked a variety of accommodation, hotels, some apartments and a couple of B&B's.
Apart from a car in the South of France we are travelling by train, which I'm looking forward to and will regard as a forced rest period!
Arrive in Rome - May 16 (probably hideously jet lagged after 24 hours in the air),
5 nights in Rome,
3 nights in Sorrento (my DH teaches Ancient History so we wanted to squeeze in a day in Pompeii and maybe the Herculeum).
4 nights in Florence (with a 1/2 day in San Gimignano which I loved last time)
3 nights in Venice (I know, I know, not long enough!!)
2 nights in Monterosso (again not long enough... next time!)
3 nights in Provence
3 nights in The Lot, Albas, to meet up with Australian friends who will be there.
10 nights in Paris!! Home..... to plan for the next trip.
Again, I am so grateful to everyone who has helped us with our preparations. Thank you all so much, Cathie
Thank you to everyone who has so patiently answered my questions over the past five months.
Our first trip to Europe was in 2006 and we travelled with several other couples, one of whom was very happy to plan the trip and we just 'went with the flow'.
This time I have looked after the majority of the planning for my DH and I and I honestly don't know how I would have managed it without this forum. I hate the idea of having every second planned on holidays, but this time I think we would have been massively underplanned and really struggled when we arrived.
Thanks also to travellers who have taken the time to post trip reports, which I have found amazingly helpful (and often hilarious!). Often trip reports have raised and solved problems that I wouldn't have even thought of until I was preparing to panic in a foreign land! I've loved the suggestions for shopping, transport, restaurants and various itinerary ideas.
Here's a little outline of where we will be going. Some of it is rushed and we are aware that we will have to be a little ruthless with what we can and can't see.
We have deliberately booked a variety of accommodation, hotels, some apartments and a couple of B&B's.
Apart from a car in the South of France we are travelling by train, which I'm looking forward to and will regard as a forced rest period!
Arrive in Rome - May 16 (probably hideously jet lagged after 24 hours in the air),
5 nights in Rome,
3 nights in Sorrento (my DH teaches Ancient History so we wanted to squeeze in a day in Pompeii and maybe the Herculeum).
4 nights in Florence (with a 1/2 day in San Gimignano which I loved last time)
3 nights in Venice (I know, I know, not long enough!!)
2 nights in Monterosso (again not long enough... next time!)
3 nights in Provence
3 nights in The Lot, Albas, to meet up with Australian friends who will be there.
10 nights in Paris!! Home..... to plan for the next trip.
Again, I am so grateful to everyone who has helped us with our preparations. Thank you all so much, Cathie
May 12th, 2008, 02:10 PM
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Have a wonderful trip. It sounds lovely!! While in Rome if you like gelato, I would suggest the gelateria Della Palma, near the Pantheon. They offer more than 100 varieties, I haven't managed to try them all yet! 
May 12th, 2008, 03:10 PM
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What a wonderful trip!
If you're in Rome on a <u>Thursday night</u>, make reservations at Armando al Pantheon. Everything we ate there was the best of our trip. Especially the Coda alla Vaccinara (Oxtail Stew). I know, it doesn't sound like much. But, oh my! It was just about the best dinner we've ever had.
http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/menu.php
If you're in Rome on a <u>Thursday night</u>, make reservations at Armando al Pantheon. Everything we ate there was the best of our trip. Especially the Coda alla Vaccinara (Oxtail Stew). I know, it doesn't sound like much. But, oh my! It was just about the best dinner we've ever had.
http://www.armandoalpantheon.it/menu.php
May 12th, 2008, 07:07 PM
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Thanks everyone, Freeman, we will look out for the gelato place. We won't be in Rome on a Thursday night, does it have to be Thursday at Almando al Pantheon? I looked at the menu and it all looks gorgeous.
May 13th, 2008, 02:45 AM
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Thursday is the only night they serve the coda, their house special. But everything else was good too. I would still recommend it even if you miss the special.
(In the ladies room they have these neat gold foil packets of soap with the restaurant info on them. Grab a few for "guest soap" at home.)
(In the ladies room they have these neat gold foil packets of soap with the restaurant info on them. Grab a few for "guest soap" at home.)
May 13th, 2008, 01:05 PM
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Thanks Ira, your contribution to my needs and those of many other posters has been very helpful and generous. Didn't I read that you are off to Europe this week too, I hope you have a great holiday.
MomDDtravel you reminded me of a lady I met when we were in Greece a few years ago, who was enthusing about the bus trip they had just finished. The tour of Paris included "driving past the Eiffel Tour, couldn't get off the bus as it was raining" - it was exactly one of those 13 countries in 13 days!!
MomDDtravel you reminded me of a lady I met when we were in Greece a few years ago, who was enthusing about the bus trip they had just finished. The tour of Paris included "driving past the Eiffel Tour, couldn't get off the bus as it was raining" - it was exactly one of those 13 countries in 13 days!!
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