Back from a month in Europe!!!
Jun 23rd, 2005, 10:24 AM
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Back from a month in Europe!!!
Can't believe I'm home. Spent 3 nights in London, took the Eurostar and 3 nights in Paris, then took Easyjet and flew to Barcelona and spent 3 nights there. We then took the train to Montpellier where we picked up a rental car and drove through the South of France: 2 nights in St. Remy, 2 night in Gordes, 1 night in Aix-en-Provence, 2 nights in St. Tropez, 3 nights in Nice. Dropped off the car in Nice and trained through Northern Italy: 3 nights in Bellagio, 2 nights in Santa Margherita Ligure, 2 nights in Florence and 1 night in Milan before flying home through Amsterdam and making an overnight stop there.
Yes, many of you said I was making too many stops and living out of a suitcase (which we were) but if I did it again, I wouldn't change anything (except don't bother with Aix and add the extra night in St Tropez). It was just the right amount of time to see the highlights of each town without getting lazy.
It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we saw and experienced so much. I can't say what was our favorite stop because they were all so wonderful and they were all so different. But I am glad we put the big 3 cities at the beginning when we were bursting with energy. The transition to Provence was perfect and then Riviera was like a little beach getaway...a vacation within a vacation as I called it. Lake Como was so beautiful and serene...relaxing but very different from the French Riviera. We only spent a day wandering SML and spent the second day hiking through Cinque Terre which we loved but were happy with our decision not to base ourselves there. Florence was fascinating but so crowded with tourists! That was the only spot where we were overwhelmed with tourists. And Milan is a fashion shopper's paradise. Was disappointed that the Duomo's facade was all covered up.
We were very happy with all of the places we stayed at (many thanks to all you Fodorites for all your recommendations) and we had too many fabulous meals.
Brought my laptop with me and kept a journal and it turned out to be 53 pages long single spaced so I have lots of details.
Will post some more of my thoughts soon but in the meantime, if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!
Yes, many of you said I was making too many stops and living out of a suitcase (which we were) but if I did it again, I wouldn't change anything (except don't bother with Aix and add the extra night in St Tropez). It was just the right amount of time to see the highlights of each town without getting lazy.
It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we saw and experienced so much. I can't say what was our favorite stop because they were all so wonderful and they were all so different. But I am glad we put the big 3 cities at the beginning when we were bursting with energy. The transition to Provence was perfect and then Riviera was like a little beach getaway...a vacation within a vacation as I called it. Lake Como was so beautiful and serene...relaxing but very different from the French Riviera. We only spent a day wandering SML and spent the second day hiking through Cinque Terre which we loved but were happy with our decision not to base ourselves there. Florence was fascinating but so crowded with tourists! That was the only spot where we were overwhelmed with tourists. And Milan is a fashion shopper's paradise. Was disappointed that the Duomo's facade was all covered up.
We were very happy with all of the places we stayed at (many thanks to all you Fodorites for all your recommendations) and we had too many fabulous meals.
Brought my laptop with me and kept a journal and it turned out to be 53 pages long single spaced so I have lots of details.
Will post some more of my thoughts soon but in the meantime, if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask!
Jun 23rd, 2005, 10:54 AM
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Hi ItalyBound,
Welcome home! You are right, that pace would not work for some, but that is what I love about Fodor's, you appreciate everyone's individual traveling style. Even though I prefer to not travel with such great speed, I love to read about it, I find it fascinating, well done!
Would love to read more, and thanks for posting.
Cheers to you
Tiff
Welcome home! You are right, that pace would not work for some, but that is what I love about Fodor's, you appreciate everyone's individual traveling style. Even though I prefer to not travel with such great speed, I love to read about it, I find it fascinating, well done!
Would love to read more, and thanks for posting.
Cheers to you
Tiff
Jun 23rd, 2005, 11:45 AM
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Your trip sounds wonderful! It's the way my husband and I like to travel, most of the time.......though we usually limit the trips to 2 weeks or maybe a little over.and sometimes staying only 1 night in some places.)( (of course not covering as much territory on each trip as you did). (We're TOO old at this stage to do much dilly dallying around !!!, and like an overview of places 
>
Look forward to hearing more about your trip....I'll bet you DO have lots of good notes!
> Look forward to hearing more about your trip....I'll bet you DO have lots of good notes!
Jun 24th, 2005, 07:22 AM
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Yes! Everyone I know is demanding pictures. I knew 2 memory sticks wouldn't last long so it was good I had my laptop with me so I could download my pics every night and put them in different directories or else you could imagine how hard it would be trying to figure out each location!
However, NO ONE wants to look through 800 shots so I need to sort and just pic a sample from each location.
Will post asap!
One huge thing I learned: PACK LIGHT!!! and when you think you packed light, take out half of that!!! And if you bring a laptop, make sure it's a super light one. We only brought one suitcase each with one shared carry on and even then we were cursing that we brought too much. Especially since we wanted to do this trip taxi-free and get to all our hotels by metro or by foot.
However, NO ONE wants to look through 800 shots so I need to sort and just pic a sample from each location.
Will post asap!
One huge thing I learned: PACK LIGHT!!! and when you think you packed light, take out half of that!!! And if you bring a laptop, make sure it's a super light one. We only brought one suitcase each with one shared carry on and even then we were cursing that we brought too much. Especially since we wanted to do this trip taxi-free and get to all our hotels by metro or by foot.
Jun 29th, 2005, 06:57 AM
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Pictures are finally posted on Imagestation but for some reason I don't see it on the community page. So for the time being, if you want to look at my pics, go to this link:
http://www.imagestation.com/member/s...;rf=mypictures
User name: Sueandcolin
Password: europe
Enjoy and feel free to ask whatever questions you may have!
http://www.imagestation.com/member/s...;rf=mypictures
User name: Sueandcolin
Password: europe
Enjoy and feel free to ask whatever questions you may have!
Jun 29th, 2005, 07:58 AM
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Will be looking forward to the rest of your report--especially south of France/northern Italy.
We've traveled the 2 nights here/2 nights there method. Now that we're older we've discovered that after 2 weeks it becomes very tiring.
Did you feel 3 nights in Bellagio was enough? And would that town still be your favorite pick?
We've traveled the 2 nights here/2 nights there method. Now that we're older we've discovered that after 2 weeks it becomes very tiring.
Did you feel 3 nights in Bellagio was enough? And would that town still be your favorite pick?
Jun 29th, 2005, 08:07 AM
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Surprisingly, we weren't tired at all. We still managed to get a good 8 hours of sleep every night and suffered no jet lag on the way home.
For us, 3 nights in Bellagio was enough. But then again, you've seen our whole itinerary. It was beautiful and relaxing but I think I would have been bored if I stayed there any longer. In Lake Como, we only visited Varenna, Tremezzo and Bellagio. The other towns are great to visit but I think many will agree that Bellagio is the most charming town to stay in.
For us, 3 nights in Bellagio was enough. But then again, you've seen our whole itinerary. It was beautiful and relaxing but I think I would have been bored if I stayed there any longer. In Lake Como, we only visited Varenna, Tremezzo and Bellagio. The other towns are great to visit but I think many will agree that Bellagio is the most charming town to stay in.
Jun 30th, 2005, 05:45 AM
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Colin (yes?), your photographs are beautiful! And filled with all the kinds of details that make trip memories (the steps that taught you to pack light, the reserved parking for the Smart Car, the food, the glimpses of a couple of your B&B's, and pictures of the CT trails that I don't remember ever seeing before--worth 1000 words). Thanks so much. My favorites were the photograph of the Casa Batllo (wow), the little street in Arles, and the views of Gordes. I hope you'll write a very detailed commentary when you get to your impressions of Provence, Lake Como, and the CT. Welcome home, and merci beaucoup for giving me a delightful escape with my morning coffee. J.
Jun 30th, 2005, 06:18 AM
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You have some amazing pictures! You obviously went to some diverse places, but did you have any favorites? My husband and I were just in Amsterdam and Paris last month and we just loved it. After seeing your pics of Provence, I would love to visit there too. It looks so beautiful.
Jun 30th, 2005, 08:40 AM
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Just had a chance to look at your lovely pictures. You'll have a lifetime of memories!
Two questions: How did you like/and do you recommend Ferme de la Huppe? There rooms were booked but I wanted to try a meal there and our hotel owner turned up his nose. Looking back, he was probably supposed to recommend another place. Secondly, did you ever find the Mercedes too big for parking or narrow roads? My husband wanted me to rent one and I refused because of the size issue.
Two questions: How did you like/and do you recommend Ferme de la Huppe? There rooms were booked but I wanted to try a meal there and our hotel owner turned up his nose. Looking back, he was probably supposed to recommend another place. Secondly, did you ever find the Mercedes too big for parking or narrow roads? My husband wanted me to rent one and I refused because of the size issue.
Jun 30th, 2005, 09:27 AM
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Hi Hopingtotravel,
La Ferme De La Huppe was a beautiful property. The rooms were spacious and well decorated. They had a lovely pool area and we had breakfast poolside. The included breakfast consisted of coffee/tea, fresh orange juice, prunes, a variety fresh breads, croissants and pastries and jams/preserves. They had additional items such as eggs, fruit, yogurt, etc for an additional fee. Their restaurant is supposed to be great but unfortunately it is closed for dinner on Wed and Thurs nights and that were the two nights we were there. The host recommeded Auberge de Carcarilles for the first night and L'Estellan the second night and they were both fantastic. I actually took a lot of photos of La Ferme De La Huppe but thought it would be overkill to post that many on my album so if you want, give me your email address and I can email them to you.
And YES...the mercedes was a luxury but it was TOO BIG for France! It was so hard to drive through all these narrow windy streets and to fit into these tiny little parking spots. We were worried we would end up scratching the car! But it was so great on the highways.
La Ferme De La Huppe was a beautiful property. The rooms were spacious and well decorated. They had a lovely pool area and we had breakfast poolside. The included breakfast consisted of coffee/tea, fresh orange juice, prunes, a variety fresh breads, croissants and pastries and jams/preserves. They had additional items such as eggs, fruit, yogurt, etc for an additional fee. Their restaurant is supposed to be great but unfortunately it is closed for dinner on Wed and Thurs nights and that were the two nights we were there. The host recommeded Auberge de Carcarilles for the first night and L'Estellan the second night and they were both fantastic. I actually took a lot of photos of La Ferme De La Huppe but thought it would be overkill to post that many on my album so if you want, give me your email address and I can email them to you.
And YES...the mercedes was a luxury but it was TOO BIG for France! It was so hard to drive through all these narrow windy streets and to fit into these tiny little parking spots. We were worried we would end up scratching the car! But it was so great on the highways.
Jun 30th, 2005, 08:52 PM
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Loved each and every picture ... what a great photo journal of your amazing trip. I recently purchased a new Canon camera that I'm still struggling with -- so I'm wondering what camera you used to get such great shots in a variety of conditions. I would love to have that much success myself!
Thanks a million times for taking the time to share your photos ....
Thanks a million times for taking the time to share your photos ....
Jul 3rd, 2005, 05:49 PM
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Hi Golondrina,
I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-V1. I love it although I wish it were a little smaller. There are so many features and I find the best way to get to know your camera is by trial and error and taking a few shots with different settings.
Glad you enjoyed your pictures...I still don't know how to go about condensing my journal into a proper trip report to post...
I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-V1. I love it although I wish it were a little smaller. There are so many features and I find the best way to get to know your camera is by trial and error and taking a few shots with different settings.
Glad you enjoyed your pictures...I still don't know how to go about condensing my journal into a proper trip report to post...
