Just Back from Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome
May 1st, 2001, 04:49 PM
#1
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Just Back from Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome
I want to thank Elaine and other helpful Fodorites whose information helped make a trip of a lifetime a great one. Email me for specific questions but here's the short version: <BR> <BR>Paris: I found the Parisians very responsive to my dusty college French - none of the attitude I expected from other people's opinions. We stayed in a very small hotel - Hotel de Notre Dame in the Latin Quarter. Quiet for this neighborhood but small. If you need a big room this is not the place for you. But it is very close to Notre Dame and walking distance to many attractions and fun neighborhoods. <BR> <BR>Venice: indescribable, like another planet. I would definitely go back for more (we were only there 1 1/2 days). Spend the money for a drink at one of the cafes on the Piazza San Marco and marvel at your surroundings. Get lost on purpose on the many alleyways and tiny streets. Spend sunset walking along the lagoon. It's the most romantic place I've ever been. <BR> <BR>Florence: Go to Vivoli every day. Get advance tickets to the Uffizi and the Accademia, it's no big deal to walk by the day before you want to go and it saves precious time. Follow the business people at lunch time if you want a nice lunch. We stayed in Fiesole and enjoyed a quiet sunset drink and dinner after a hectic day in the city. Best decision we made. <BR> <BR>Rome: unbelievably crowded (like Disneyland on the busiest day of the year) and warm. Go early in the morning as much as you can, especially the Vatican. They don't control the crowds as they do in many Florence sights so you will end up in the Sistine Chapel like a sardine with no breathing room. This affects the experience IMHO but it is still a must-do. Go to the wine bars off the Via Condotti and have drinks and appetizers - better than any full blown meal we had. The pizza in the little neighborhood pizzerias will knock your socks off. Also the coffee place near the Pantheon - Tazza D'oro - unbelievably good coffee and great people watching.
May 1st, 2001, 05:29 PM
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Thanks, Jane...very nice report. Glad you found the Parisians didn't have the attitude you expected; my French is *beyond* dusty and, like you, I've never felt scorned for it. I've been to Venice once, in 1987, and my feeling about it was exactly like yours: almost otherworldly, and very romantic. Interesting that you found Rome to be "unbelievably crowded." I was just there about a month ago and neither my girlfriend nor I felt that way at all so either a month has made a big difference or we have real different opinions on what unbelievably crowded is. (I agree with you about the Sistine Chapel though; that was quite packed!) We stayed near the Via Condotti -- on the Via della Croce -- for four nights and loved that neighborhood, especially due to all the pedestrian streets. Finally, I also agree with your about the wine bars. One of our best "meals" was an antipasta plate at a wine bar called the Enoteca Antica on the Via della Croce. <BR> <BR>Thanks again. Glad you had the trip of a lifetime.
May 2nd, 2001, 08:50 AM
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Re: above questions. We stayed in Venice one night at Locanda Sturion. Great location right on the Grand Canal. We were lucky enough to spend one night in Treviso at a friend's flat. Treviso is about 20 km (I think) north of Venice and is a lovely small town, complete with remnants of an ancient wall, trout stream and frescoes on the walls. Try to go there if your time permits. <BR> <BR>In Rome we spent one unsatisfactory night at the Hotel Marcus. We had the worst room at the place and could not be accomodated when we requested another room. Perhaps they have some that are better. The place gave me the creeps. We were so close to our departure date for home and Rome was so crowded we actually took advantage of an inexpensive weekend package at the new Rome Airport Hilton and just took the train back and forth to the city. It was great - we had a huge room and the food was even good. I would recommend it if you have any reason to stay near the airport. <BR> <BR>As for restaurants, both in Paris and in Rome we did not opt for fine dining but instead found neighborhood bistros in the Latin Quarter and pizzerias in Rome which I couldn't even remember to name. We had good food everywhere although I will say that in Rome try to eat away from major tourist attractions because you will pay more for very basic fare. We did go to Les Deux Magots in Paris of Hemingway fame for a late lunch one day and found the food delicious and the people watching great. It is not cheap but a good place to hang out after an exhausting day.
May 2nd, 2001, 08:56 AM
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Thanks for your travelogue. I've been to Paris twice (and have sat outside Les Deux Magot sipping tea...sigh) and want to go back. <BR> <BR>I will be leaving for Florence and Venice on 22 May (4 nights in Florence, 3 in Venice) and it was wonderful to read your message. I'll keep in mind the business about getting advance tickets to the museums. <BR> <BR>Lee ... more eager than ever to get to Italy...
May 2nd, 2001, 11:03 AM
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Abe: how many days depends on how much time you have and what your interests are. Both cities will be crowded in July. If you have a busy agenda of museum, church-going and shopping with a little extra time for unexpected adventures I would try to stay 3 days in Venice and 5 in Florence minimum. Also be prepared for little bumps along the way - we encountered a 12 hour train strike trying to get a train from Venice St. Lucia to Mestre on a Saturday night. Fortunately we caught the last bus to Mestre but others were not as lucky. For some reason having spent a wonderful day in Venice and having had a delightful meal with wine this didn't seem to bother us too much. It must be the water in Italy that gives one that dolce vita attitude. <BR> <BR>By the way, here's a very quick take on the shopping scene (not that it's my first priority when travelling but you can't help it if you want to bring back little gifts for people): <BR> <BR>Paris - more expensive than Italy (no surprise). Good buys on cosmetics from France and Birkenstocks or Mephisto shoes. <BR>Venice - not much time to shop but I was surprised how much less expensive basic souvenirs are there than in the US. Just check the labels if it's important to you that the items actually come from your location (it is to me). We bought some lovely small paper goods in a little shop and etchings from one of the artists in the Piazza San Marco. Very reasonably priced although you can go as high end as you want in this town. With two children at home we did not go in for the large glass objets d'art and did not go to Murano. However, on my way back to the hotel by way of the Rialto bridge I did find a jewelry store called Attombro (I think) behind the stalls near the canal. He makes jewelry from old and recycled Murano glass and I thought his stuff was beautiful and quite reasonably priced. <BR> <BR>Florence: this is the place to buy leather goods, table linens and silk scarves. Street markets are everywhere. We just priced stuff as we went from museum to church to lunch etc. and then circled back on our last day there to the market with the famous pig statue to purchase. You can negotiate with the vendors, and ask for a discount for cash and also for bulk purchases. We also bought etchings from an artist about a block and a half from Vivoli for about 10-12 dollars each. They are beautiful and of course the best thing about them is that when they are hung in your house they constantly remind you of your trip. We went to the Santa Croce leather school and while I will say that the workmanship is lovely the prices are high and comparable to those at home in the states. <BR> <BR>Rome: Shopper's paradise provided you have time to shop. We had to pack a lot of sightseeing in to 2 1/2 days so did not spend any real time shopping. However, for last minute gifts I would recommend going to any food store and buying lots of packaged items like cookies, candies etc. The prices are great and the packaging is nice.
