My(first timers)Trip Report: Munic/Italy/Paris
May 23rd, 2000, 06:45 PM
#1
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My(first timers)Trip Report: Munic/Italy/Paris
MY TRIP REPORT: Munich/Italy/France <BR>This can be pretty generalized. If anyone has specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them. I was a first timer, so some of this will be repetitious for experienced travelers. <BR> <BR>Here it is, with all the mishaps and glories I can remember. <BR> <BR>Firstly, let me say that there is nothing quite like flying business class. It's nothing at all like coach. You get leg room to spare, <BR>your own private little television, flight attendants at your beck and call, menu service, etc........... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... <BR> <BR>I'm spoiled now. <BR> <BR> <BR>Marienplatz, Munich, Germany. My first sight of Gothic architecture. Breathtaking. And impossible to fit into a photograph <BR>without a wide angle lens. We stood and stared for awhile, and then made our way to our hotel, where we broke the jet lag <BR>rules, and slept hard for a few hours. Later that evening, we had a traditional German dinner at Augustinerbrau, a mellow beer <BR>hall just off Marienplatz. There, in the spirit of a proper tourist in Germany, I sampled the little white sausages and Rhine <BR>wine. Ugh. <BR> <BR>The next day we wandered around Marienplatz, taking in the Glockenspiel show, and then wandered into the Viktualienmarkt, <BR>an outdoor food market. Jon insisted that we take a walk in the Englischer Garten, and I'm so glad. It's an enormous public <BR>park, both manicured and wild looking. Bicyclists, horseback riders, runners, and a seemingly endless supply of really cute, <BR>really small dogs, all shared the paths with us. We worked up quite an appetite, and headed over to the Hofbrauhaus am Platzl, <BR>a legend among beer halls. My boyfriend ordered, (and consumed!) the largest beer I've ever seen. It was basically a vat with a handle! <BR> <BR>Later that night we took an overnight sleeper train from Munich to Rome. I'll never forget waking up to the Italian countryside. <BR>I think I'm in love! We took the Subway into the city--quite an experience, and easily found our hotel, a modest pensione near <BR>The Spanish Steps. <BR> <BR>First stop--the Vatican Museums to see the Sistine Chapel. I'd heard the horror stories regarding six hour waits, and was <BR>delighted when we walked right in.....and in......and in....... They really make you work for it! After about 1/2 an hour , we <BR>found it----and again, walked right in. Nothing you've seen in an Art History book prepares you for the real thing. We rented <BR>audioguides, and listened as we studied this masterpiece. It didn't seem real. We had even better luck at St. Peter's, where we <BR>were able to walk right in. <BR> <BR>Michelangelo's Pieta, sculpted when he was only 22, is protected by bulletproof glass, and a fair amount of distance from the <BR>viewer. Even so, the figures seem as if they could get up and walk away. I'm not normally affected by the visual arts as much <BR>as the performing arts, but this work is so dramatic, lifelike, and beautiful----by far the best reason to visit this expensive, <BR>overwrought house of worship. <BR> <BR>Next stop--The Colosseo, The Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. I'll never forget the moment that I emerged from the subway <BR>station, because---There it is! The Colosseo! I'd expected a trek, but there it was, right off the station. As we sat underneath <BR>it, and ate a little snack, we were approached by a couple of 'Roman Soldiers' who offered to pose with us for some pictures. <BR>Of course we took them up on it, and of course they expected payment. 10,000 lire (about 5$) for a priceless memory. ;-) <BR> <BR>The next day we visited the Campo dei Fiori, where I picked up some incredibly sweet, fragrant, and juicy cherry tomatoes. <BR>Next--- the Pantheon, and the beautiful Piazza Navona, where I could hang out for the rest of my life. We had a long, leisurely <BR>lunch on the Piazza, and wandered around scouting out the work of the street artists there. Then it was on to the Spanish <BR>Steps, flowers in full bloom, and ridiculously crowded, which we climbed to the top on our way to the Borghese Gardens, <BR>which seemed to be the local teen make out spot. After yet another simple, yet fabulous dinner, we stopped at the Trevi <BR>Fountain, all lit up for the night. Rose hawking children aside............... it doesn't get much sweeter than this, Folks. <BR> <BR>The next morning we caught the elegant and clean Eurostar Italia train for Florence. After checking in, we decided to wander <BR>the streets and take it all in...............the Duomo, the Bell Tower, the Ponte Vecchio----the unbelievably inexpensive, high <BR>quality leather goods. We decided to be tourists, and have our dinner on the Piazza della Signoria, a magical place at night. We <BR>were, of course, surrounded by Americans--they were everywhere. As we headed back to the hotel, we shared a kiss in the <BR>moonlight, only to be disturbed by a child hitting us with a rose, and yelling: "Rose! Rose!" Apparently, in our reverie, <BR>we weren't paying enough attention to his sales pitch! This was just as funny as it sounds. We cracked up, as did the child and <BR>the adult that he worked with, who stood off in the shadows, snickering. ;-) <BR> <BR>The next morning, we had reservations at the Uffizi, which I would recommend to anyone who doesn't want to wait in line for <BR>hours. Then, on my sister's recommendation, we headed up to Fiesole, a sweet little Tuscan town in the hills above <BR>Florence, for lunch. I'm in love again! The 20 minute bus ride revealed some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen. <BR>We found a lovely outdoor restaurant that overlooked the hills, and sampled wild boar---a tuscan specialty which I will <BR>probably never eat again! ;-) After our return, we stopped into the leather store that we had found the previous day, and were <BR>measured for jackets. Then, vowing to find a restaurant populated by Italians, we crossed the Arno, and had the best meal of <BR>our trip---at a place called Dante, where no one spoke English! <BR> <BR>The next morning, it was on to Venice. On arrival, we caught the public boat to Piazza San Marco, and walked to our hotel, <BR>which was actually on the other side of the Grand Canal, in the Dorsoduro area---the quieter side. Our hotel, the Galleria, was <BR>right on the Grand Canal, and we had a picture perfect view! We spent a little time wandering San Marco at night, (it was a <BR>long, tiring travel day) and finally found a lovely outdoor table in a restaurant that looked good. Well, apparently, many of the <BR>smaller canals aren't cleaned often, and---well----we asked to be moved inside, where we had an average meal and a great <BR>bottle of Barbaresco. <BR> <BR>The next day, we spent taking pictures of the sites on San Marco, having a relaxing snack in the outdoor cafe of the <BR>famous Cafe Florian, and buying ink etchings from a wonderful artist in his studio near our hotel. Later, we bought a Venetian <BR>mask for my boyfriend on the Rialto bridge, and one for me in another mask studio near the Accademia. The next morning we learned <BR>the hard lessons of haggling for a Gondola ride--you basically pay what they want! <BR> <BR>By this point we were exhausted! We took the train west to Genoa, where we stayed in a lovely, clean, and very noisy hotel by <BR>the train station. We were up early, and caught another train to the Cinque Terre, a string of five villages on the Italian Riviera, <BR>approachable mainly by train only, (the locals have cars.) We decided to stay in Vernazza, the town with the prettiest harbor. <BR>Legend has it that you can walk around and find a room here, and that was our plan. Unfortunately, Rick Steves has written <BR>about this once quiet place in his guidebooks, and the tiny town was crawling with American couples looking for rooms! We <BR>were just about to take an overpriced, viewless room, when a 70-something old Grandma came towards us saying: "Camera! <BR>Camera!" (room.) My boyfriend went up to check it out, accepted, and well---it had a view, and it was cheap. We stayed in a room in <BR>her home, and I have to admit--spartan accommodations were made up for by her warmth and charm. <BR> <BR>This is one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous places on earth. We ate lunch right on the harbor, explored the little town, and <BR>took a ferry ride for an ocean view of all the villages. Later, we had dinner on the terrace of 'The Castle, ' and shared one of <BR>the most stunning sunset views. As we ate, an impoverished artist came by, and I took home one of his watercolors for 30$ <BR>US. <BR> <BR>The next day was the big hike--from Vernazza to Corniglia. Three hours of semi-arduous climbing, killer views, and a whole <BR>lot of verticality! The trails were populated with Americans, Germans, and Brits. We had a fantastic seafood lunch in Corniglia, <BR>which is known for it's fruity white wine, grown in the hills. Delicious and very inexpensive. Later, we headed into Monterosso, <BR>the most modern of the five towns, for a seafood dinner! Shrimp seven inches long! Seafood heaven. <BR> <BR>The next morning, we headed to Cannes, France, where we were to stay for two days. We decided to leave early, because <BR>the following monday would be a holiday, and we would miss all the Paris museums. All I can say about Cannes--it was like <BR>being in a very built up Santa Barbara,(my family lives there.) It looked and felt just like Santa Barbara---but unfortunately, we had to leave the next <BR>morning. <BR> <BR>The train trip to Paris through Provence was--well--let's just say I want to go back. Provence is just as beautiful as everyone <BR>says. We took the TGV, a very nice, very fast French train. <BR> <BR>Paris! We spent Sunday going to museums: The Rodin (my favorite), the Orsay, the Louvre. Our Concierge at the hotel had <BR>helped us get reservations at the classic Brasserie Lipp, where we had a very charming waiter, and an amazing Bordeaux. <BR>Later, we wandered throughout the St. Germain neighborhood, and enjoyed the hustle and bustle. <BR> <BR>The next day was a holiday, but as luck would have it, the artist's colony in Montmartre was full of activity. Jon and I both fell <BR>in love the work of the same artist, and by the time we decided to buy something, only two of his works were left--and we <BR>snatched them up. <BR> <BR>The next day, it was back home! It was wonderful to have this sampler trip--but next time, I'd like to pick one or two places to <BR>explore and relax. <BR> <BR>I hope you enjoy--all questions welcome
May 24th, 2000, 05:40 AM
#6
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Wonderful report! I am curious about the restaurant "Dante" in Florence. Do you know the address and what was the price? Did you order 1st and 2nd plates everywhere or just an appetizer, 1st plate and side like I heard is popular to do? <BR> <BR>Glad you had a wonderful trip. (I can't afford business class but was bumped up on a flight from Paris to JFK and it was wonderful!)
May 24th, 2000, 07:14 AM
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Thank you to everyone who responded! <BR> <BR>Tony-Thank you! I can't wait to go back and do it again. <BR> <BR>Maira-I can't wait to return! <BR> <BR>S. Fowler-What a compliment.Thank you! <BR> <BR>Dan-The Rose incident was one of the best, funniest memories! <BR> <BR>Dawn-We found Dante by wandering around. I did a search, and came up with a Dante Pizzeria in Florence--and I think that was it. We, well, ate a lot! appetizers, salad, pizza, pasta, wine, and dessert for two--68.00$ US. And all simple, yet delicious. If I can find out more--I'll post it here. <BR> <BR>Chrissy-We went to the Vatican on the 19th of April,(I've been back two weeks) and arrived around 10:30 am. I wore a money belt, and remained aware of my surroundings at all times, especially in the subway from the train station into the city, which was jam packed. My bf carried his wallet in his front pocket, and had no problems. I think the key, really, is to be prepare and remain aware. We didn't have a tour guide, but we brought two guidebooks with lots of historical info--and went at our own pace. <BR> <BR>In my original post, I forgot to mention, that as a first timer, I received invaluable advice on this forum. I can't wait for my next trip, and I can't thank you all enough!
May 25th, 2000, 08:00 AM
#11
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<BR>Diane--Thank you! It was a wonderful trip! <BR> <BR>KK--Thank you! I'm not sure when I'll be able to go back, but I would love to got back to Tuscany and just relax and explore. Then I would head to Provence with same thing in mind--wine tasting, countryside.....nothing too urban this time. Ahhhhhhhhhh.......... I think I'll start planning it now! ;-)
