LAWoman, yes, that is the convent bedroom.

Sadly I didn't take any pictures of the actual room at Hotel Julia. I always said I would do that when I cleared my stuff out of the way, but never got around to it!

Interesting about the crowds. I've been to Italy in the spring (May) twice, and Feb/March twice. Always pretty touristy but not, IMO, unbearable. I don't think there's a bad time to go!

Thanks again for the report, in particular the budget accommodation tips. You're making me think I might be able to squeeze in another holiday this year.

Huitres, I have a couple of questions about Soggiorno Bavaria. Is breakfast included and is there a lift? Neither of these questions is addressed on their website. Is there a particular room you'd recommend? I'm thinking of booking there based on you post above. Thanks!

Betsy, there are some more reviews of the Bavaria here:

http://www.venere.com/templates/go.p...&ref=28014

rialtogirl and platzman were asking about food. My appetite and taste were not up to par for several days, and I didn't keep careful notes about the food. But here are a few things I recall, starting with Venice:

Dec. 27 night in Venice. I did not want to wander far off the tourist trail still being feverish and not knowing Venice. So I found a restaurant on Nuova Strada and had dinner there. I had a salmon/seabass salad (oddly enough, raw fish agreed with me just fine), grilled vegetables, panna cotta, bread, and white wine - with coperto charge it was 30 Euros. My most expensive meal, and usually I try harder to do better, but it was all good, and the best I could do in the circumstances.

Dec. 28 night in Venice. I hadn't gotten around to eating dinner before the La Fenice opera (although had a late lunch and a snack), so I had little choice around 11:15 PM. This time I ended up with my one and only terrible meal in Italy. Lasagna, those fried rice balls, and red wine for I think 22 Euros. If I had gone for the salad, I think I would have been all right. This place is called Teatro Goldoni, and is somewhere around La Fenice, St. Marks, and the Rialto. I'd warn against it, but as I say, I think the salad would have been okay.

Dec. 29 night in Venice. I do laundry this night and decide to eat at a restaurant opposite (this is in Cannaregio). I get the menu turistico, which is pretty good. I think there was some tasty pasta, some type of meat (sorry, I've forgotten), and a couple other things, and with wine this came to about 21E.

Dec. 30 day in Venice - I had a wonderful, reasonable lunch at the Museo Ebraico caffeteria. It was 6.10 Euros, including a grilled pita sandwich with cheese and vegetables, grilled pepper, some lovely walnut cake and bottled water. I'd eat as many meals here as I could on a return visit.

I found a chocolate shop near St. Marks that sold small cups of hot chocolate for 2 Euros - perfect restorative.

I had other meals from the grocery store. I was delighted when I got some Argentinian blueberries for 1.50 Euros from a fruit-seller.

More later about food in Florence and Rome (not to mention more about what I actually did!).

You do have to be careful in Venice when looking for a place to eat. Unfortunately, there are many daytrippers and one-night stayers in Venice--they congregate along the infamous "daytrippers' alley" that runs roughly along the Grand Canal from the train station to P. San Marco.

Because there are so many people who won't be return customers anyway, there are a relatively high proportion of mediocre to poor restaurants along this strip. There are good ones as well, but you have to research. We had good luck walking away from the Grand Canal and the most heavily tourist-impacted areas. Good luck in both the quality and price of meals.

Note that traditional Venetian cuisine is very different from the rest of Italy--not what most Americans and Canadians consider typical Italian food. More rice-based and more adventurous seafood preparations than most of Italy.

In most Venetian restaurants, lasagna or fettucini Alfredo or veal parmesan would not be their stellar presentations.

WillTravel, thank you for sharing your trip information - it sounds great. Did you hire the tours in advance for Rome? I tried e-mailing a few tour companies from their English websites, but none responded. We'll be in Rome and Venice next month.

Where is this Museo Ebraico caffeteria located???

Hi Betsy:
I highly recommend the Soggiorno Bavaria - my experience there has always been a great one. The owner (or keeper) is a very friendly man that likes chatting with the guests, offering coffee, etc. He has lots of helpful information and local sites to see that he shares with the guests when asked. He takes great pride in the property.

Yes, a Continental breakfast (rolls, brioches, orange juice, coffee) is included in the rate and served daily in the breakfast room on the main floor. According to their website, the rooms are actually pricing lower (singles=min 40 euros/max 50 euros) so looks like that does beat out WillTravel's property after all!

I've used the stairs (which are wide and not too many). Frankly, I don't remember seeing an elevator but that is not to say they don't have one!

I would definitely request a room with a magnificent frescoe - maybe even one with a view of the Duomo. (I don't remember our room number, but it was fronting the inside of the courtyard - vs. an outer view room). The location is wonderful, literally a couple streets away from the Duomo. They give you a key that opens the main, large gates on the street level, then once inside the courtyard, you go up to the entrance of the hotel (you won't see any big, visible signs from the street, so be sure to watch for #26 on Via Borgo degli Albizi and the huge entry gates).

Carolv, I did book and pay for the Scavi tour in advance. I booked the Enjoy Rome tours in advance, and then when I arrived in Rome I phoned them again and gave a credit card number to confirm, as they requested. I then paid for the tours in cash at the start of the tour.

Castleton, the Museo Ebraico is in the Jewish Ghetto area in Cannaregio.

Thanks for the info. I just booked three tours for our three days in Rome with Enjoy Rome. (I hope that's not too much?) We're going on the Vatican tour, Ancient Rome and the Catacombs and Roman Countryside (this was a last minute decision because it sounded fun and we decided to do Pompeii on another trip when we have more time.)
Comments?
Enjoyed your photos. Thanks for sharing.

Carolv, I took four tours (the Scavi and three Enjoy Rome) during my five-night stay. I think the only problem is that three days isn't enough in Rome. But enjoy what you have. I would like to take that catacombs tour. I enjoy guided walking tours, and would have liked that option in Venice and Florence (although I did fine with guidebooks).

Will - Great trip report so far. I have stayed at La Forcola and it is a great hotel but I certainly paid a lot more than you did. You got a great deal. However, our room actually had a bathtub and show but we quickly learned the tricks required to keep the water under control, towels needed for both body and floor. I am happy to hear Bila has reopened as we were able to stock up on many items there. Looking forward to the rest of your report very much. Welcome home. Take Care Jackie

maybe 30 days is enough, was there like other post, thread mentioned, 4 days (day & night visiting) the city gives you a rush.

if you do visiting and guides, that is cool I know, but it costs money AND TIME...

but with 4 days it must be good.

people that have 10 days or sth could do a trip with boat from rome to ostia antica, like romulus and remus did

be sure to check info about VILLA D'ESTE , also very good,

a daytrip to NAPOLI gives you a splendid view of the city it's surrounding, total contrast with the city itself

Jackie, I'd be happy to go back to La Forcola anytime. It seems you can get good deals in the winter.

======
Now I'll start with the item-by-item trip report. Those who like such a thing can read it, and those who don't won't :).

The 9.5 hour flight over to London was as noneventful as could be considering I was feeling far from perfect. I had my dispensable books to read. I hardly slept and couldn't eat much. The plane arrived at Heathrow, and fortunately this time the wait for a gate was not too long. Everything went smoothly and quickly through immigration. I was feeling weak with managing the luggage (I did carry-on only), but I held up surprisingly well considering I was still feverish. I was happy I had made a practice of walking four or five miles home from work several days per week. One problem I find with traveling in the winter is that when you wear a coat, it's a nuisance to deal with indoors when you have lots of other stuff to manage. For that reason I was rather hot by the time I got to the Central Bus Station. There is some distance and some steps involved in getting there from Terminal 3. All the time I was drinking lots and lots of water (which I had to carry with me). I bought a one-day pass into central London. I got a bus quickly to my airport hotel, Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel (booked through Priceline). I got a perfectly nice, but small room.

I lay down for a bit, and contemplated whether I should just stay there and rest. But even being feverish, I thought that was too boring. Plus that would be wasting the money I had spent on the tube pass. But I decided against trying a London Walk. I'd try to go to the Dickens Museum and St. Paul's Cathedral evensong. I went to the lobby, got an expensive and not too great cappucino, and then proceeded on my way. I took a bus to the nearest tube station, and went into London.

Now I still wasn't quite with it, and had forgotten to take the address of the Dickens Museum. I knew I had to get off at the Russell Square tube stop. I asked one of the tube workers how to get there, but she didn't know the address. She gave me a little map though. I went outside and noticed a Tesco's across the street. This was great, and I went and bought some water and juice.

I also noticed a sign leading to the Dickens Museum. So I followed it and got to the end of a dead-end street. There was no indication of which way to go now to get to the Dickens Museum. I tried going one way for a block or two. Still no sign. I tried going the other way for a block or two. Still no sign. I gave up and went for a walk around Bloomsbury. Then I noticed another sign for the Dickens Museum. I followed that for a while and still no sign of the museum. I was thoroughly fed up by this point. When I get home I check the map and see that the signs are indeed very poorly posted, and it would be a miracle if anyone found the museum using them.

So I decided to head over to St. Paul's to listen to the evensong, which I knew was supposed to be at 5 PM. I did so, and noticed a lot of people expectantly waiting. But the doors didn't open. By 5:15 PM, people had given up in frustration. I walked around, and noticed the schedule. I noticed that for whatever reason, evensong was now at 3:30 PM (or possibly it was 3:15 PM). I was resolved not to be too frustrated. I had a good look at the outside at St. Paul's and there is little scaffolding on it now, and of course it looks quite beautiful. But in all my trips to London, I still haven't gotten inside, so I resolve to do that next time.

So my next resolve was to head to Trafalgar Square and see the Christmas tree that Norway gives to Britain every year in memory of Britain's help in WWII. I got off at Leicester Square, and saw a fairly promising restaurant - Caffe Uno. I decided I'd go back there, and in the meantime check out the concerts at St. Martins in the Fields. A woman was outside handing out pamphlets to the concert at 7 PM. So no problem I thought -I'll go eat dinner at Caffe Uno and then come back and buy a ticket. Then after the concert I'd finally see the tree.

I was still battling a loss of appetite and not feeling well. But I had some roasted vegetables, and vegetable soup, and salad. This all went down really well, as I can usually tolerate vegetables if nothing else. This is an Italian restaurant, if that wasn't clear. I rarely go to sit-down restaurants in London, but in the circumstances I felt I had to. This was pretty reasonably priced for London even being on the main drag.

So off I go to St. Martins in the Field to buy my ticket. Oops, in the interim they've sold out. Hmm, not my day so much in London. So I go over and take a look at the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. I was looking forward to seeing something really festively decorated, but it's just a tall tree with white lights. I've read somewhere that Londoners don't do that much Christmas decoration and it's true I didn't see too much (once again this was Boxing Day, Dec. 26).

At this point, I decide it won't hurt if I get an early night. So back I head to the hotel. It is freezing cold. I phone the desk and complain. They immediately offer to send up a space heater. I ask to be moved to a room that has heat. They say that all the rooms are like that. I also ask for several blankets. I get the space heater and blankets. I put on a T-shirt, nightgown, sweater, cotton pants, and wool socks. Admittedly the fever might have made the heat problem seem worse than it was. I put on the space heater and everything does indeed heat up, helped by the smallness of the room. I get a call from home, and fall asleep.

I wake up before 4 AM (Dec. 27 now), and turn on the TV. I'm feeling reasonable, considering I still have a fever. Then I start seeing news of the tsunami. I had only vaguely noticed that earlier, because there was a silent TV in the lobby. I don't think I had discussed it the previous night.

The room is not bad now, and I turn off the space heater. I take a shower, etc. Then I discover the hair dryer doesn't work. Oh, I am somewhat ticked off at this point. I call the desk and they send someone up who agree it doesn't work. I ask for a separate working one. They don't have one. Poor me is going to have to go out in the freezing rain with a fever and wet hair. But by the time I leave, my hair is mostly dry.

Then I proceed to repack. Oops, when I was sick my husband had stuffed in a whole bunch of extra stuff he thought I might need, plus some more clothes, plus some fruit leathers (which I actually don't like). I can't get everything to fit, and I'm feeling tearful and frantic. Plus, this effort is making me later than I want to be to catch the plane. In desperation, I grab a plastic laundry bag and throw the extra stuff in there. This actually works fine. I get on the bus to the airport. It takes 10 minutes and I'm in line at BMI by 9:15 AM for my 10:50 AM flight. That's later than I like, but it turns out not to be a problem. Within about 15 minutes, Venice people are pulled out of the line into a separate one. I check in smoothly, and am given an exit row seat (although this has little if any advantage when I try it out).

Once I'm past security, I pick up some breakfast at Pret a Manger, a cappucino and a smoked salmon sandwich. I can just eat the salmon and vegetables, and can't handle the bread at all. I got cappucino instead of my usual cafe latte, because I couldn't handle the thought of that much milk.

At this point, it might sound like it's been pretty miserable, but actually it wasn't that bad. I had the feeling I was improving, and things would only get better.

So I get on the flight to Venice, and it proceeds fine. BMI serves a turkey sandwich, which I actually hope to be able to eat. Oops, only a small bit of it is edible, given my appetite. I do drink lots of juice and water. I'm in an aisle seat, but I notice the small islands of the lagoon as we are descending. I'm a bit worried by the forecast of intermittent showers.

I deplane at Marco Polo, which is a nice modern-looking airport. In a short time, I figure out where to buy the 72-hour vaporetto/bus pass. And then I figure out where to catch the bus to Piazzale Roma (which is also covered by this pass). I have to wait about 15 minutes, but I am feeling much more confident. In the short walk to the bus, I feel the last raindrops that I am going to feel during my whole trip.

Dec. 27 - 3:30 PM or so
So I arrive at Piazzale Roma, after a pleasant bus ride. Almost immediately I find the vaporettos. I can't remember which one I'm supposed to take, but a worker tells me to take #1. Three stops, and I'm at San Marcuola. I had worried I wouldn't be able to find my hotel - but it's very easy. Check-in goes smoothly, and the clerk gives me a map of Venice. This is very good - much better than the guidebooks.

I walk along Nuova Strada, visit a grocery store, visit a small shop and get some meat, and proceed to see the Rialto. I'm struck by how many expensive designer shops there are in the area around the Rialto and St. Marks. I take a water bus all around the Grand Canal and Giudecca, but it is better to do this when there is light, because there's less to see at night. I visit St. Marks Square at night and find I can't see much either. I walk back to my hotel and on the way have dinner at a place on Nuova Strada - salmon/seabass salad, grilled vegetables, bread, panna cotta, and white wine. It's pretty good, but more expensive than I'd normally go for, but given I'm still feverish, I don't want to be wandering around too much.

Dec. 28 - I'm feeling much better, and have an enjoyable breakfast at the hotel. When I step out of the hotel, I notice there is acqua alta. There's no way I can get off the step of the hotel without going through a huge puddle that is at least a couple of inches high. Luckily I have my waterproof Rockport boots, and I step through the puddle and onto some stairs. They have the platforms set up all over the place - I always tend to call them "picnic tables" because that's what they look like, although they have a concrete base. I walk into the area of Cannaregio that's leading to the train station. I want to check out the location and hours of a laundromat for later use. I notice that all the Venetians have green rubber boots on. Some tourists have some purple plastic covers for their shoes. There are storefronts where people are pumping water out of their shops (you can barely see this in the first few Venice photos). I find the laundromat, note the hours, and then proceed out to do my main sightseeing.

I've decided I'll proceed to see Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Santa Maria Gloriosi dei Frari, which is very close by. I take the vaporetto from San Marcuola to the other side of the Grand Canal almost directly opposite (San Stae) and decide I'll walk the rest of the way (I think I could also have taken a traghetto, but it worked out the same). When I'm walking down to San Marcuola, I have to walk on the platforms, but there's an area at the end where I have no choice but to go through a bit more water. Boots to the rescue again!

There's a grand place (possibly St. Eustachio's church?) almost right at this stop which is having an exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. This would have been fun to see, and I take a quick look inside (would have had to pay 6.50 Euros to see the proper exhibit), but I want to get on to the other stuff.

I have a very enjoyable walk through the San Polo sestieri (district). Venice has six sestieri, each with its own characteristics. I generally point myself in what I think is the correct direction, and periodically check on my map. I really enjoy walking in Venice - seeing things almost becomes secondary. I notice lots of local touches: Christmas lights and decorations strung up between buildings, clotheslines, elderly ladies dressed in mink and pumps with their wheeled shopping baskets, private boats in the side canals, and so forth. There are lots of steps and bridges, but these steps are very gentle.

I can tell when I'm getting close to a tourist site because I start hearing a hubbub, and sure enough when I get around the corner there is an obvious cluster of tourists. I don't mind, because after all I'm a tourist, but it was sort of funny.

I see the outside of Scuola San Giovanni Evangelista, but don't go in. As usual, everything takes longer than expected, so it's already later than I was planning.

I then visit the Frari. This is a grand, lovely church following the typical pattern of one main aisle with two side aisles and numerous chapels. As with so many other churches, there are a fair number of people buried here, with magnfiicent tomb monuments, like Titian and Canova. I forget to get the audiophone, but there is a lot of information available anyways around the various parts of the church. But elsewhere I do get the audiophone and it is helpful. http://www.basilicadeifrari.it/

I then proceed to Scuola Grande di Rocco.
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/t/tintoret/3sanrocc/
The scuolas are interesting charitable institutions. This building features the work of Tintoretto, almost exclusively, although there is at least one Titian (of the Annunciation). I get the audiophone which has lots of information about the history of the place and about Tintoretto and his paintings. There's the hall on the ground floor, and then upstairs there is a small chapel, and also a large room that includes some magnificent ceiling paintings, plus walls crammed with other Tintoretto works. There's a grand staircase also, of course. I think it is Titian's Annunciation which to me features a surprisingly masculine-looking Mary. Michelangelo whose works I later see also had masculine-looking women.

Going through just these two places takes hours. There really is an embarrassment of riches, which is almost overwhelming. I still don't feel as if I did them justice, but I have to move on at some point. I think I could visit the Scuola every day for a week and it would still be a new experience each time.

I head to the vaporetto stop San Toma. This one is quite a distance from San Stae, but I've walked the intervening distance in the course of sightseeing almost without noticing it. I can't remember where I get off, but I think I go to Rialto. I go into St. Marks Square which looks rather busy. I find a chocolate shop that sells some hot chocolate for 2 E. This is sort of like drinkable pudding. It's a great restorative. I find St. Marks looks a lot better in daylight, because I can see the painting on the front for one thing.

I head back to my hotel, get something to eat, but realize I should hurry out again, because I have to pick up my opera ticket before 6 PM. I walk to the Rialto and find the place (the Hello Venezia office although they didn't say that in the email) and get my ticket with no problems. I then walk over to La Fenice so I'll know where it is, although it's still too early to go in.

La Fenice is a lovely, cream-colored building. There's a gondola stop adjacent, because of course the most well-heeled Venetians are hardly going to take the vaporetto to the opera! I couldn't take a picture because of the darkness, and I'm having a hard time finding a good one. Here is a picture that must be from the construction time, given the scaffolding:
http://www.lunadfuego.com/Dolce/venezia/fenice.jpg
This looks whiter than I recall, but of course I only saw it at night. I did mean to go back and take daytime pictures, but didn't get around to it. The exterior is pristine, which really sets it off against other Venetian buildings, but the architecture fits right in. The Venetians had resolved to build La Fenice "dov'era, com'era" (where it was, as it was) so that it really looks like the original. The original was destroyed by arson in 1996.

I wander around in the area between St. Marks and the opera house for a while. I then head back to La Fenice. I can't go in the main entrance with my cheap ticket, but have to go in a door around the side. My seat is up several flights of stairs.

Now I get to the disappointing part, although I had been warned on this forum. My seat is situated in such a way that I have no view of the stage. I have a fantastic view of the whole opera house, but not the stage at all. The top balcony extends around like a horseshoe, and I'm at the end of the horseshoe.

Eloise had posted that she hoped the cheap seats would be more comfortable in this version of the opera house. The seats are indeed very comfortable. They're like armless, plush, white-with-pink-upholstery dining room chairs, that aren't bolted to anything. The entire opera takes 3 hr, 50 minutes and I'm very comfortable the whole time. They do have bolted down seats in the main section, but these look reasonably comfortable.

I can't see the first act, but for whatever reason by a later act some seats become available in an area that has a partial view. Wow, the staging is really incredible. I hadn't thought there would be much, for some reasons, but the Indian/Orient theme of the opera is exploited to full advantage. Great showmanship. Here is a synopsis of the opera:
http://opera.stanford.edu/Massenet/R.../synopsis.html

It is in French with Italian subtitles. I hadn't much hope of understanding very much, but I knew that going in. I was there for the experience. The singing was fantastic. I had read the synopsis beforehand, and I noticed some other people had printed the Internet site out.

As for the opera house itself. Here is an old picture (for some reason, I can't find a new picture of the interior).
http://www.culturaspettacolovenezia....niceoldweb.jpg
This picture doesn't capture the beautiful blue and gold tones of the opera house. I'm used to seeing old grand theatres that have red and burgundy tones, but this one doesn't have that at all. I'm curious about whether I was seeing brass or gold-leaf, but in any event, it shone very brightly. The blue is sort of a sky-blue shade. I'm not sure if it was painted or wallpaper (actually I think it must have been some sort of expensive wallpaper fabric). There are paintings and patterns interlaced with the blue and gold all the way down. The paintings are cherubs and fruit (and probably some other neutral themes too). These paintings are placed in ovals and rectangles. I've read some reviews that say the colors are too bright. They are bright, but I think it worked quite well with this production. And it's nice to see something that doesn't try too hard to be subdued.

I did just now find some pictures of the interior, but I think they make the interior look too reddish. When you're there, the blue and gold predominate:
http://archrecord.construction.com/n...0105venice.asp
You can't see the true blueness of the shade from those pictures either.

I spend more than four hours in the opera house, with being quite early, and it all passes very quickly, despite the inconveniences. It is now past 11 PM.

>Where is this Museo Ebraico caffeteria located???<

In the Museo Ebraico in Venice.

http://www.ghetto.it/ghetto/ing/museo_ing.asp

((I))

Nice report, Will.

Thanks for sharing.

((I))

Thanks Ira! At this rate, it will take me forever to get through the whole trip, but I can keep on reliving it :).