Amanda

After a 30 hour trip via Kuala Lumpur and Rome, my husband and I flew into Venice for a 3 week holiday in Italy and France including:

VENICE - 4 nights
POSITANO - 4 nights
CINQUE TERRE - 3 nights
ARLES - 1 night
SARLAT-LA-CANEDA - 7 nights
PARIS - 1 night.

Armed with considerable kilos of paper from all the hints of Fodorites, we set forth to sample the delights of 2 wonderful countries, where the natives were always extremely helpful, and even understood some of our attempts at butchering their languages.

Thanks to the hints we bought our ticket on the Alilaguna (10 euros each) and a 3 day vaporetto pass at the airport, motored in to San Marco, swapped to Vap no 1 and then alighted at the next stop to drag our suitcases to our HOTEL DO POZZI in Calle Larga XXII Marzo. It had a pleasant, quiet bedroom with air conditioning that worked, and a delightful courtyard that was a haven from the crowded streets just down a small calle, where breakfast was served. Great breakfast of cereals, croissants, cold meats and cheeses. Suitcase dragging is a bit of a pastime in Venice ? you see people doing it everywhere!

Over the next few days we travelled the Grande Canale, saw San Marco Basilica during a thunderstorm, so we stayed and saw the Pala d'oro (well worth it) and the treasury (don?t bother), the Doge's palace and it's Secret Itinerary Tour which was wonderful. We had a great English-speaking guide who LOVED pronouncing names like Giaccomo, Giaccopo, Tinttoretto etc with a wonderful rolling Italian emphasis! Also found out about Casanova's escape!

We took Bob's hint and ascended the San Giorgo Maggiore Campanile instead of San Marco for spectacular 360 degree views to San Marco and the Dolomites, and the Adriatic. There I led my husband astray - the first of many confident assumptions that my unerring sense of direction was just that! Having jumped on the vaporetto to go to San Marco, we headed up the Guidecca canal instead. Easily remedied at the next stop!

We also visited the Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim (a wonderful rest stop of modern art after so much religious art) - loved her garden areas too, Rialto bridge and market area, Ca D'Oro which was a bit of a disappointment - no furniture in it, only large spaces, art and a few statues, and a small musem but probably should have seen Ca Rezzonica - have to see it NEXT TIME!

Generally had a wonderful time wandering through Venice's unique layout and architecture, and shopping. Go to Murano next time.

Thanks again to Fodors we never had a bad meal in Venice. We ate at the Da Raffaele restaurant attached to the do Pozzi twice (right on a lovely small canal which gondoliers went through frequently), on the Dorsoduro at Ristotecha Oniga where I had the Sea Bass (too bland) but my husband had the Sole (good), with a very funny waiter. Around the corner from the Oniga ( in Campo San Barnaba) was the Casin Dei Nobili, which had naked women on it's menus - apparently the street was the street of the brothels in the doge's time. Delicious menu, non-smoking room and the kitchen staff were very entertaining! Campo Santa Margherita had great little cafes, and we found one on the street on the way to Peggy Guggenheim. Also had a surprisingly good and cheap pizza at the Pizza/Bar Accademia just near the Accademia.

Unfortunately only had one Bellini on the last night - another thing to return for!

I found some wonderful glass bead shops and glass jewellery shops, it took me a while to figure out you didn't have to buy the beads in huge ropes of 1 -2 metres, but could just buy 1 or 2. For anyone interested :
I bought glass jewellery from a young man who made it himself very near the Rialto bridge. Shop called the SEGRETI VENEZIANA: if you stand on the Rialto bridge looking towards San Marco, his shop is about 2 shops to the left of where the bridge ends. There was another shop on the right, around the corner a bit which also sold beads, large glass vases and dolphins and so on that was a bit dearer.

PERLE E DINTORNI - in Calle della Bissa - had loose glass beads as well as made-up brooches, necklaces etc and was also close to the Rialto bridge and Campo San Bartolomeo. Here they had great lengthes of beads and you could ask for 1 or 5 or x of the beads you liked. They have another shop called Perle e dintorni in Calle della Mandola towards La Fenice Theatre from Rialto that I didn't go to, and another called LA COMPAGNIA DELLE PERLE at SS Apostoli.

I agree with Tom and Teresa about the hideous modern statues by Botero that were all over Venice, incongruously in front of beautiful ancient buildings. I hope he's right about it being a temporary exhibit.

Farewelled Venice with the ride to the airport on the Alilaguna again.
Alitalia has a very relaxed attitude to air travel: they leave you sitting in the airport until it's departure time, then they announce the flight, a queue forms, then they wait another 10 minutes before they let anyone on the plane. Then the plane departs at least 1/2 hour late. If you're lucky, your baggage arrives within 1 hour after you have disembarked. Their e-ticket system works well though!

We ran through the airport dragging the cases yet again, because we were to meet our friends, Karen and Lindsay, in the Rome Terminii, so we were happy to make a train just leaving Fiumicino. Unfortunately, we weren't fast enough to make the Eurostar connection to Salerno, and settled for the Intercity 1 hour later. (There's only 10 minutes difference in travel time anyway).
Here we had another small crisis created by me looking at our ticket - we were on coach 12 - so we all dragged the cases to the far end of the train which actually didn't have 12 carriages. About coach 6 I looked again at the ticket to discover we were really on coach 1! I had flipped over too many tickets and the other was for another train!!!
We had to leap on because the train was departing, so we had to navigate our way through many people and cases, including a lady who had locked her huge suitcase to the wall and refused to move (much abuse from other passengers), and 3 people in electric wheelchairs who couldn't move. Eventually we made the sanctuary of 1st class luxury including air conditioning and no-smoking!

At this point I warned them not to listen to me if I sounded extremely confident!!
Karen had prepared a bread roll of prosciutto, rocket and pesto and Lindsay opened a bottle of red wine, and there followed one of the best meals ever!

We made Salerno about 5 pm and waited for the bus to Amalfi. For E2.80 we had 70 minutes of the most breathtaking, breath-holding, scary, amazing bus rides of our lives as the rally-driving, fearless bus driver drove at speed around incredible blind corners honking his horn prior to driving around them, and everything had to give way to him! I'd read of this in Fodors but it was quite an amazing experience! At Positano we changed buses for a 45 minute ride to Positano - quite beautiful because of the setting sun and the twinkling lights, not to mention the scenery!

We alighted at La Sponda "fermata" which appeared unexpectedly - it was just the roadway next to a flight of stairs, and did the drag DOWN hill to arrive at the bottom of Villa Rosa's 63 stairs! Huffed and puffed our way to the top, then down 45 stairs to our rooms. We knew Positano was hilly, but we didn't realize it started inside our hotel!!!! 2 BEAUTIFUL rooms each with a huge bathroom and BATH, and a garden terrace as big as the room outside! Dinner recommended by Villa Rosa (it was about 9pm) was uphill about 15 metres at Bruno?s. A wonderful 4* meal - really recommend the Gnocchi, and the mixed seafood!

Awoke next morning to chilly but beautiful day, with continental breakfast served on our terrace, with fantastic view over the islands called Li Galli, and a bit of Le Sirenuse hotel opposite. The garden had apricot, lemon and banana trees, roses, bougainvillea, geraniums, and wisteria and other flowers. We never wanted to leave Positano, and Villa Rosa in particular!! Went for a walk through town to both beaches and up a lot of steps into the far side of town, bought cheeses, bread, wines, tomatoes, olives, cherries at alimentari, also limoncello, took it all home to VR and had a great lunch on our terrace. Dinner that night up at Café Positano which is also owned by the Caldiero family that own VR. A great dinner again, with a complimentary prosecco ? delicious, and guitarist and accordionist.

Next day made the right decision and took bus UP to Nocelle, and walked DOWN some ancient steps - about 3000 of them - to Positano - spectacular views! Much whinging about sore knees! Lunch again "a casa"! We had booked tickets for a concert in Ravello that night, so took ferry to Amalfi and filled in time watching a wedding on the steps of the cathedral. 1/2 hour bus to Ravello, dinner at the only place recommended by fodorites that wasn?t so good - the Cumpa Cosima. The mama was there and greeted all, but the food was only ok, although the rabbit was good.
The concert by Il Trio Albatros Ensemble was wonderful - 3 young men who were so intensely wrapped up in their music! A flautist, pianist and violinist played for about 1 1/2 hours. The violinist couldn't keep still and he wove around the place with emphasis on the music, but his eyebrows were knitting a pullover with all the feelings he put into it!! Fascinating just to watch!! Ravello and the Villa Rufolo were wonderful, but we needed more time to look around before our taxi (E60) took us back to Positano. We?ll have to go back again!

Sunday, and the others decided to rent some beach lounges and a bathing pavilion, (the further along the beach, the cheaper the price) while I went by bus and train to Sorrento and Pompeii. Another amazing bus ride although this one had the added excitement of the cyclists out for the day, along with the Sunday drivers! Buses have first right of way, then cyclists apparently!

Half a day at Pompeii - hot and dusty! Many tourists, but it was so big it didn?t matter. I got an audio guide, but it played music before every piece, and was disappointing - I should have had a guided tour, but there were still many wonderful paintings, amphitheatres and so on. Back to Positano the same way - wish I had caught the ferry from Sorrento, but I had to get down to the sea from the train station, and didn't have a timetable. Great dinner at Café Positano again! Last night at beautiful Villa Rosa! We discover we could have had fruit and cereal for breakfast if we'd asked for it! They did give us complimentary coffees/cappuccinos all the time!

Early rise, and train (uneventful this time) to La Spezia, and local train to Riomaggiore. Drag the cases along 800 metre train tunnel, up a 45 degree bitumenned roadway for about 400 metres, up 3 flights of stairs in our hotel LOCANDA CA DEI DUXI, (E85 for a double a/c room and breakfast). My main concern - can they get a stretcher up these steps for me with my coronary? (There was an ambulance parked halfway down to the train station every night until about 11pm) We wanted to go back to Positano!! Dinner at La Lamperna with a delicious salmon pasta for me, and fresh pesto pasta for the others. Collapse into bed.

Next morning have shower in miniscule bathroom (although there was room for a bidet!), amazing full force shower which rapidly overflows the 2 inch shower tray! Room is actually pretty nice, newly furnished and decorated, with air conditioner that works!! We discover the necessity of the air conditioner when it is European Cup Final between Juventis and Inter-Milan that night! Great breakfast again of cereals, croissants etc before we buy Cinque Terre day pass and train to Monterosso to begin the walk back to Riomaggiore. Lets do the hard bit first! Good thinking!

Took 1 1/2 hours to walk to Vernazza (why do we always start our walks at 11 am?) - steep and only 1 stone wide in places, with plenty of walkers (some with their folding walking sticks) both directions which makes it interesting in some of the narrower sections! There was the inevitable runner in shorts and bare-chested to expose his heart monitor. I half hoped he'd sprain an ankle on the very uneven terrain! Spectacular Cliffside sea scenery all the way, along with olive trees and grapevines, and ingenius cogwheel machinery for taking produce down to the towns! You can see each new town from each village as you go, and often see Monterosso back further.
Lunch a foccaccia down by the harbour, then another 1 1/2 hours to Corniglia. More of the same scenery - different to Positano, where there are so many trellised lemon trees and grapes. Steeper, more rugged terrain. 5pm arrive Corniglia, down many MORE steps and decide to train home and do easy bit tomorrow. After a beer, cherries and a gin and tonic we love Riomaggiore now!
Dinner at Il Grotto - basically fish and chips, but delicious!

Easy day - we walk flat path along Via del Amore to Manarola - nice looking little village - not as steep as Riomaggiore, and Corniglia train station (about 1 hour), take train to Levanto. See that Levanto is a large town and the action is a long way away down near the beach. Hop back on the train again back to Monterosso where have a delightful lunch in café next to the beach. Wander through the town and have a swim in the iceberg-cold and very salty water!! I normally only swim when it?s 35 degrees Celsius (about 90 F) at home, and my husband tells me it?s actually colder water than at home in the winter!! Feeling refreshed, we train back to Riomag, shower (figured out you only use water at 1/4 pressure), and buy take-away chicken, spaghetti, roasted, stuffed vegetables, cherries and more wine for our plastic plates all the way from home, and plastic cups courtesy hotels, and our ever trusty Swiss army knife! We sit on a park bench and have another wonderful picnic while watching the sun go down over the peninsular and Monterosso!

Next day catch 6.05 am train to Monterosso, have a wonderful breakfast of fresh-from-the-oven croissants at train station café (best coffee of the trip), catch 6.30 train to Genoa, Nice and Arles arriving about 5.00pm. Buy lunch at supermarket near Nice train station for picnic on train.
We stay at Hotel du Forum near the forum (E85 per room), and are warned off Café Van Gogh for dinner, go instead to hotel?s recommendation of Café Brin du Thym around the corner. Excellent food.

Friday, and we pick up our hire car at the train station about 12, prior to siesta time, armed with the knowledge and printout of a Viamichelin.com to drive to Sarlat-la-Caneda in the Dordogne. Luckily we had brought a road map of France with us from home, because Avis doesn't provide maps! Viamichelin says it will take 4 1/2 hours on the toll roads, and 5 1/2 hours not using them. We decide to go on local roads, which are pretty good, but only 2 lane, allowing for scenery and stopping to buy cherries. We got lost twice due to road signage - pretty good 1-2 klms from exits, but misleading AT the exit (just put highway number or whatever on the exit - numbers go BOTH directions!). This happened in large towns on freeway-type roads, so turning around took quite a while to locate an off-ramp! 9 1/2 hours later (including 1 1/2 hours lost and a quick lunch), we finally reached Sarlat. Perhaps Viamichelin had no traffic on their roads when they quoted 5 1/2 hours!

We had booked into LES VILLAS DES CONSULS in Sarlat for a week (about 625 Euros for the week) and cannot recommend it highly enough!! David, who owns and manages these 12, 17 and 19th century buildings, and is gradually renovating them in a sensitive yet very comfortable style, is on call 7 days a week and full of helpful advice on restaurants, bookings to see things eg caves with an English speaking guide, and canoe trips down river. We stayed in "Montesquieu", 2 bedrooms with comfortable queen size beds, large lounge, modern kitchen with dishwasher, bathroom and terrace with a barbeque, right in the middle of town. We had to pay to park 200 metres away in a lockup garage, or we could have left the car on the street about 100 metres away. This was the only very minor inconvenience. After so much travelling, we were happy to cook "chez nous" for a few nights but had an excellent meal at David?s recommendation, Le Presidial.

Saturday, there is a LARGE market in Sarlat of food, clothes, tablecloths, shoes, handbags etc that is fantastic! A gourmand's delight as you wander the town sampling duck saucisson, foie gras, all sorts of cheeses, cakes, sweets and liquer from walnuts, fresh produce of all sorts!

Armed with all my knowledge from Fodor?s, particularly St Cirq's, over the week we visited the Gouffre de Padirac -unbelievable underground river boat ride and walk through stalagtites and mites (and very cold 13 degrees C), unfortunately with a french tour guide although they did supply us with a pamphlet in English, watched a goose force-feeding demonstration ( gavage) at a farm along the road, and Rocamadour.

David booked an English tour for us of both Lascaux II and Font-de-Gaume caves, which were truly spectacular, and the guides obviously loved their jobs and the caves! We also toured The Chateau de Losse outside Montignac with a very lovely and informative young lady who gave us the tour in French and English. Delightful chateau with 16 and 17th century furnishings, paintings, wall drapes and tapestries. Half the chateau is still lived in. There was a wonderful formal garden there as well, overlooking the Vezere river. We also visited Chateau de Castelnaud with it's many medieval war machines, and the Chateau de Marqueyssac with it's manicured and clipped, terraced gardens - like giant green mushrooms! It had a lovely walk between the hedges and gardens to a 130 metre high belvedere overlooking La Roque-Gageac and the Dordogne river. Visited Domme and the wonderful view from it's belvedere of the Dordogne and it's valley and limestone cliffs (beware the parking inspectors).

On our last day we drove along the Dordogne via an outlook over the Cingle de Montford, and came upon the fairytale-looking Chateau de Montford, where we stopped to have a walk around the outside of the castle (not open to the public). Here we came upon a wood carver in his cave-studio, who spoke excellent English and had marvellous carvings! We followed a Grande Randonne path down to the Dordogne and past some caravan and camping sites, and canoe rental companies, back along a road where we picked cherries growing beside the road, to our car at the chateau. We never did hire a canoe, but next time ....!

We had our return to Paris marred by the inevitable train strike which meant the trip was delayed about 5 hours and took 6 1/2 hours instead of 4 1/2, and we arrived at our hotel, the unspectacular Tulip Inn Celte La Fayette near Rue La Fayette. The staff were friendly and we ate at their recommended restaurant around the corner. We caught a taxi to CDG next morning for about E45 and started our long haul home again after a marvellous European holiday!

jmw

Hi Amanda! Thanks for making my first cup of coffee so enjoyable. I think I'm going to print your report to read a second time this afternoon. I'll probably have questions then. J.

ira

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for a great trip report.

bobthenavigator

What a great experience--thanks for sharing.

LVSue

Amanda, I really enjoyed reading your report. Though Italy sounded wonderful, I was especially interested in your lodgings in Sarlat. Do you know which of David's apartments are on the ground floor? I'd love to stay there for a week (sans car).

francophile03

Thanks for your nice commentary.

I thought your observation about Venice and suitcase dragging was funny!

I read that there are porters who actually carry your suitcases anywhere-did you see any or everyone managed to drag their own luggage?

capo

Venice, Positano, Cinque Terre, Arles, Sarlat, and Paris...now that's my kind of itinerary! (even though I've yet to visit Sarlat, which sounds wonderful.)

Very nice writing, Amanda; a real pleasure to read.

Because we were staying only a few blocks away, we walked by the Casin dei Nobili on our way to and from the Campo Santa Margherita and ended up eating there twice, enjoying it very much both times (just gotta love a restaurant that has naked women on its menus

Mearby Campo San Barnaba, by the way, has a brief don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it cameo in the remake of "The Italian Job."

Glad you liked Campo Santa Margherita too; we went there every day and loved it.

Judy

Great report, Amanda. Thank you. When were you in Sarlat? We're planning a trip for next May or June and have read that it can get really crowded in season in some of the Dordogne villages. Was that a problem for you? Now that you're back, do you wish you had spent more or less time in any of your destinations?

Sue_xx_yy

Kudos to you for planning such an original itinerary, which is proof that everyone has their own 'travel speed.' The idea of flying Venice-Rome and a fast train down to Salerno to catch a bus to Positano was a first for this board, I think (?)

Thanks for the report, especially for the heads up about Ca d'Oro. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Amanda

Gee thanks everyone! I was a bit worried it was too long, but couldn't stop once I got going!

LVSUE - you can look at the website for Villa Des Consuls at http://www.villaconsuls.com and e-mail David at [email protected] - I think "Mirabeau" was on the ground floor, and had just been finished. The photos on the internet don't do it justice!

francophile03 - there were porters in Venice as you got off the alilaguna, but we were too stingy. Also we could do with the exercise after that trip! There was a bus at the bottom of Riomaggiore which you could take up the top, but I never saw anyone in it! There were plenty of people in the bus at Corniglia. Positano - Villa Rosa had a porter who would carry your cases to your room and to the street. There were also some electric carts that seemed to be a private porterage company in Positano. I think David in Sarlat can arrange anything for you!

Judy - we were in Sarlat for the first week of June, which was beautiful - warm to hottish in the days, balmy to cool at night. (T-shirts to cardigans through the day, strappy tops to woollen jacket at night). The main street of Sarlat is a pedestrian mall for July and August, I believe, it is one way the rest of the time. There was a pleasant number of people about in June, but I think it could easily get very crowded - the whole of the old village/city was chock-a -block for the market. so I would not like to be there in Summer. It must be very hot too, because the old houses are very close together.
I think another day in Positano to see Capri, and a bit more of Ravello, but the rest was good. You always wish you had 1 more day on holidays!

WanderingTexan

Thanks for the report. I enjoyed reading it.

StCirq

<<The main street of Sarlat is a pedestrian mall for July and August, I believe, it is one way the rest of the time.>>

Just to clarify, if you're talking about "La Traverse," the commercial street that runs straight through Sarlat that's outside the pedestrian-only zone, it's definitely not a "pedestrian mall for July and August."

No vehicular traffic is allowed there on market days, which are Saturdays and Wednesdays from about 6 a.m. to about 1 p.m., but the rest of the time traffic flows freely down that street, no matter what time of year. And yes, it's a one-way street.

Loved reading your report, Amanda.

Amanda

I meant la Rue de la Republique which was one way and closed on market days. It was pretty hard to find a park there, and the parking inspectors or police were around all the time. There was a lovely memorial to the civilians who died at the Nazi's hands at one end.
St Cirq, there must have been some sort of "celebration" or remembrance just before we arrived (so late May), where the shops all had a pine tree with tricolours tied to them, and some words about remembrance, but the people on the train to Paris didn't know about it, so it must have been a regional thing. Perhaps for the "Resistance" that was so in evidence during the war? Can you shed any light on that?

StCirq

Amanda: The rue de la République is the same as "La Traverse," which is what the locals call it.
What you saw was in all likelihood the vestiges of la fête de la mai, an ancient pagan ritual that has evolved into a way of honoring certain people/businesses/newly elected officials. Pine trees are erected with a wreath at the top, and ribbons and sometimes other ornaments. The celebration itself, during which the trees are set up, usually just involves a "vin d'honneur," or pouring of wine on the spot where the tree is erected, and a sharing of a glass with all the celebrants.
It would be extremely unusual for all the shops in Sarlat to be thus honored and decorated - maybe a handful.
It's not just a Dordogne custom, though there seems to be more evidence of it there than in other parts of France. In fact, similar customs are practiced in many European countries.

Amanda

thanks St Cirq, I just received an e-mail from David stating just those facts. Indeed, it was only a few restaurants etc.

Judy

topping for RobynFrance

Statia

I must have missed reading this one in June before our trip. Great report, Amanda! It was like reliving our time in Venice.

Chicago_Heather

Amanda, thank you for posting your report. It is one of the most engaging that I've read and your trip sounds absolutely lovely.

Also, thanks for the note on Casin dei Nobili ... I'll be in Venice in a few weeks and always appreciate a good restaurant recommendation.

dollie

Amanda: I loved your report. We will be staying at the Hilton Rome airport for a week, but I plan on renting a car and drive to see Pompei and the Amalfi Coast. Is Pompei open on sundays? Do you have any advice on restaurants, hotels? I thought about leaving rome, driving to Pompei. After spending time there getting a hotel in Positano and enjoying the rest of the day there. Then drive the coast and stop to see Herculeum and the museum in Naples before returning to the Hilton the next day. Maybe I should post this and see what others say. thanks for your help, dollie

TamT

Dear Amanda,

Thanks for the great report.

I can still feel the exhaustion of the Vernazza to Monterossa trail.

We did it a couple of years ago in 90 degree heat - and saw some divorces in the making :'(

Got a great laugh about the bare chested runner - we must've seen the same man.

Sounds like you paced your trip well.

Tam