Trip Report: Our Italian holiday with boys aged 9, 6 & 1
Feb 6th, 2008, 01:51 PM
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Trip Report: Our Italian holiday with boys aged 9, 6 & 1
First thank you to those that offered me advice when I was first planning our trip. The best thing was that we should slow down and spend more time in each place soaking up the atmosphere.
We started our Italian experience in Riomaggiore staying two nights in a mar mar apartment over looking the sea. It was very nice. The day we were there we walked the cinque terre trail to vernazza and caught the train back. All part of the pass. It was a really warm day especially for the middle of December. And very few people. The coast line is spectacular with sheer cliffs into the sea and townships hanging off them. And the hills all terraced to grow olives and grapes.
We got a special pass to bring our car down into Riomaggiore to drop our bags closer to the apartment, so we didn't need to carry our bags very far. I think you can only get this pass in the quiet times. The apartment people had a car park we could use at the top of the town.
Next we headed to Florence for a week staying in central florence near piazza d cimatori in an apartment I found using BBplanet.it I used this web site to find all our accomodation in Italy.
We were going to see the leaning tower of pisa on the way to florence but that didn't work out so ended up going back another day. We decided that it was just easier to get from one place we were staying to the next without doing any detours.
In florence we had to walk our bags about 1km to the apartment from where we parked the car. we succeeded in doing this as we all had bags with wheels. Our baby was in a back pack and I had his clothes in a pack on my back. Our oldest son also carried a small back pack and I had the camera and my husband the computer. We took the computer with games on it for the boys to play and so that I could download my photos on to it. Also when we found a cafe with free WIFI internet we used our computer.
We later moved our car up to Piazzale michelangelo to get free parking.
I will continue later.
We started our Italian experience in Riomaggiore staying two nights in a mar mar apartment over looking the sea. It was very nice. The day we were there we walked the cinque terre trail to vernazza and caught the train back. All part of the pass. It was a really warm day especially for the middle of December. And very few people. The coast line is spectacular with sheer cliffs into the sea and townships hanging off them. And the hills all terraced to grow olives and grapes.
We got a special pass to bring our car down into Riomaggiore to drop our bags closer to the apartment, so we didn't need to carry our bags very far. I think you can only get this pass in the quiet times. The apartment people had a car park we could use at the top of the town.
Next we headed to Florence for a week staying in central florence near piazza d cimatori in an apartment I found using BBplanet.it I used this web site to find all our accomodation in Italy.
We were going to see the leaning tower of pisa on the way to florence but that didn't work out so ended up going back another day. We decided that it was just easier to get from one place we were staying to the next without doing any detours.
In florence we had to walk our bags about 1km to the apartment from where we parked the car. we succeeded in doing this as we all had bags with wheels. Our baby was in a back pack and I had his clothes in a pack on my back. Our oldest son also carried a small back pack and I had the camera and my husband the computer. We took the computer with games on it for the boys to play and so that I could download my photos on to it. Also when we found a cafe with free WIFI internet we used our computer.
We later moved our car up to Piazzale michelangelo to get free parking.
I will continue later.
Feb 9th, 2008, 08:24 AM
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I'd love to hear if you climbed the leaning tower in Pisa, and if so, did you book tickets online before you arrived? I'm bringing our 11 yr. old grandson there in March and would love to hear about your experience.
Feb 10th, 2008, 02:08 PM
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Yes there is free parking at piazzale Michelangelo. It took us about 1/2 hour to walk back down to our apartment. They say no campervans. The view to good.
We had done a basic Italian language course before we went and it was good to be able to use some of it. With having a kitchen we shopped with the locals and managed to buy produce okay. Sometimes they did add more than you asked for after you said that you had had what you required.
My husband went to the market at mercato centrale and said it was a good experience. With the meat cheese wine and seafood on the ground floor and fruit and vegetables upstairs. Lots of stalls selling the same things.
We had lots of icecreams always trying different flavours. We found a free wifi cafe close to our apartment which was good. We played a simple game of cards every night with the boys.
The boys found it very entertaining to see the people selling fake handbags, pictures, watches etc move off very quickly, picking up the sheet they had laid the goods out on, when the police came into view. Our boys use to play games of it back at the apartment. They also liked copying being beggars.
With the day in Pisa we booked the climb up the tower when we arrived and had a slot given to us about two and a half hours later. We then went and had lunch, the service was very slow and they would attent to the locals before us. We then went into the church for a look and then it was time for them to climb the tower.
My nine yr old thought the tower was way better than the pictures of it he had seen. He and my husband also loved the climb up and the views but said it would properly have been too scary for my 6 yr old. We just watched from the bottom. Then we got a couple of T shirts for the boys, lots of stalls there. It was well worth the visit.
I didn't realise you could book a time on the internet to climb the tower, if you could it would be a good idea.
On another day we drove to Fiesole which is on the hill just out of Florence. It has both Etruscan and Roman ruins with a theatre and baths. You also got entry to the museum.
The remaining days we just wandered around. It was Christmas so was nice to just relax. It was nice to stay in the traffic restricted zone.
The day we left we walked our bags to Piazza Demidoff and my husband went up to pick up the car. While we were waiting there a man came up and asked me if I could help him. He had a map and only spoke Italian. He got me standing up and looking partly away from our bags, where my 9 year old was sitting playing a hand held computer game. the other two boys were about 2 or 3 meteres away in the park. The man kept me busy for a couple of minutes and when he left I thought that was a bit strange. Then I looked down at my son and saw that the computer, camera and back pack were all nicely stacked. I said to him did he do that and he said no a man had picked them up and when my son had looked up at him he just put them all back down and walked off. It would have just been so easy for them to have taken our things. So next time I try to help anyone I will make sure I am holding on to all my important things.
Next we went on to Venice.
We had done a basic Italian language course before we went and it was good to be able to use some of it. With having a kitchen we shopped with the locals and managed to buy produce okay. Sometimes they did add more than you asked for after you said that you had had what you required.
My husband went to the market at mercato centrale and said it was a good experience. With the meat cheese wine and seafood on the ground floor and fruit and vegetables upstairs. Lots of stalls selling the same things.
We had lots of icecreams always trying different flavours. We found a free wifi cafe close to our apartment which was good. We played a simple game of cards every night with the boys.
The boys found it very entertaining to see the people selling fake handbags, pictures, watches etc move off very quickly, picking up the sheet they had laid the goods out on, when the police came into view. Our boys use to play games of it back at the apartment. They also liked copying being beggars.
With the day in Pisa we booked the climb up the tower when we arrived and had a slot given to us about two and a half hours later. We then went and had lunch, the service was very slow and they would attent to the locals before us. We then went into the church for a look and then it was time for them to climb the tower.
My nine yr old thought the tower was way better than the pictures of it he had seen. He and my husband also loved the climb up and the views but said it would properly have been too scary for my 6 yr old. We just watched from the bottom. Then we got a couple of T shirts for the boys, lots of stalls there. It was well worth the visit.
I didn't realise you could book a time on the internet to climb the tower, if you could it would be a good idea.
On another day we drove to Fiesole which is on the hill just out of Florence. It has both Etruscan and Roman ruins with a theatre and baths. You also got entry to the museum.
The remaining days we just wandered around. It was Christmas so was nice to just relax. It was nice to stay in the traffic restricted zone.
The day we left we walked our bags to Piazza Demidoff and my husband went up to pick up the car. While we were waiting there a man came up and asked me if I could help him. He had a map and only spoke Italian. He got me standing up and looking partly away from our bags, where my 9 year old was sitting playing a hand held computer game. the other two boys were about 2 or 3 meteres away in the park. The man kept me busy for a couple of minutes and when he left I thought that was a bit strange. Then I looked down at my son and saw that the computer, camera and back pack were all nicely stacked. I said to him did he do that and he said no a man had picked them up and when my son had looked up at him he just put them all back down and walked off. It would have just been so easy for them to have taken our things. So next time I try to help anyone I will make sure I am holding on to all my important things.
Next we went on to Venice.
Feb 10th, 2008, 02:41 PM
#6
hi, nice start to your report. how lucky you were with the map scam!
images - the web-site you want is www.opa-pisa.it.
you ned to get there about 20 minutes or so before the start time to collect your tickets, and deposit any bags in the lockers provided, as you're not alowed to take them up. then you queue at the bottom of the tower.
regards, ann
images - the web-site you want is www.opa-pisa.it.
you ned to get there about 20 minutes or so before the start time to collect your tickets, and deposit any bags in the lockers provided, as you're not alowed to take them up. then you queue at the bottom of the tower.
regards, ann
Feb 10th, 2008, 02:44 PM
#7
oops, sorry it's www.opapisa.com.
Feb 10th, 2008, 02:46 PM
#8
aggg - it's www.opapisa.it. promise!
Feb 14th, 2008, 12:04 PM
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we parked the car in a park at piazzale Roma while we got checked in. We stayed about 10 minutes walk from there. Once we had checked in my husband took the car back out and got a park just on the main land for lots less money and caught the bus back in. Getting the bus back out to pick the car up was easier enough too.
We spent lots of time in venice just wandering around the streets. looking at the mask shops and the canals. We went to the market at rialto bridge and feed pigeons at san marco. I also visited some churchs. Plus we ate icecreams.
We also went for a gondala ride from opposite the train station. It goes down the main canal for 10 minutes and then back through some small canals. We all enjoyed it and I would recommend going on one even though it is expensive.
Next we went to Monterado a small hill town in Le Marche.
We spent lots of time in venice just wandering around the streets. looking at the mask shops and the canals. We went to the market at rialto bridge and feed pigeons at san marco. I also visited some churchs. Plus we ate icecreams.
We also went for a gondala ride from opposite the train station. It goes down the main canal for 10 minutes and then back through some small canals. We all enjoyed it and I would recommend going on one even though it is expensive.
Next we went to Monterado a small hill town in Le Marche.
