Trip to Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice
Aug 3rd, 2010, 09:55 AM
#21
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Sorry, forgot to post the appropriate link: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/prep...grandes-eaux-1
Aug 12th, 2010, 06:14 AM
#23
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I got my visa = D
The final plan is:
Sunday 5th - London to Paris (Eurostar)
Deliberately leaving this section largely unplanned for now.
Versailles for the fountains
Possibly Chartres
11th - overnight train to Venice
Sunday 12th - day in Venice, train to Florence in the evening
13th - SMN, Duomo, baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, San Lorenzo, Basillica della Santissima Annunziata, Palazo Medici Ricardi, Santa Croce, wandering around,
14th - Morning. Carry over from 13th
Academia (booked for 12:30pm), Uffizi (booked for 4:45pm), Medici Chapels, leather market
15th - train to Rome, reach at 10:45am (RomaPass booked, pick up at Termini)
Santa Maria del Popolo, Galleria Borghese (?), random wandering around, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, churches (which ones?)
16th - Vatican (admission booked for 9am), Castel Sant’Angelo, churches???
17th - Ancient Rome, Mouth of Truth, Santa Maria Maggiore
18th - Morning free - ?
Flight back to London at 1750 RyanAir from Rome Ciampino
A lot of this still needs to be sorted out geographically, specifically Florence. For now, I'm just putting it out there to hear your thoughts = )
Ideas for cheap eats would be appreciated = )
The final plan is:
Sunday 5th - London to Paris (Eurostar)
Deliberately leaving this section largely unplanned for now.
Versailles for the fountains
Possibly Chartres
11th - overnight train to Venice
Sunday 12th - day in Venice, train to Florence in the evening
13th - SMN, Duomo, baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, San Lorenzo, Basillica della Santissima Annunziata, Palazo Medici Ricardi, Santa Croce, wandering around,
14th - Morning. Carry over from 13th
Academia (booked for 12:30pm), Uffizi (booked for 4:45pm), Medici Chapels, leather market
15th - train to Rome, reach at 10:45am (RomaPass booked, pick up at Termini)
Santa Maria del Popolo, Galleria Borghese (?), random wandering around, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, churches (which ones?)
16th - Vatican (admission booked for 9am), Castel Sant’Angelo, churches???
17th - Ancient Rome, Mouth of Truth, Santa Maria Maggiore
18th - Morning free - ?
Flight back to London at 1750 RyanAir from Rome Ciampino
A lot of this still needs to be sorted out geographically, specifically Florence. For now, I'm just putting it out there to hear your thoughts = )
Ideas for cheap eats would be appreciated = )
Aug 12th, 2010, 06:39 AM
#24
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Glad the visa issue has been solved! Sorry that I have to insist, but you should book the Grandes Eaux Musicales TODAY, or there's a high risk that it will be sold out; same goes for Galleria Borghese.
Your Florence itinerary, as you mentioned, needs some further work. The Medici Chapels are right behind S. Lorenzo, and that's neighbouring Palazzo Medici Riccardi, which is very close to the Accademia... so you should do all those sights on one day (the 14th, more precisely, since you have your Accademia tickets for that day - the Accademia is a half-an-hour sight, which leaves plenty of time for everything else). The leather market, frankly, seems like a waste of time if you have just two days for Florence anyway; I know Rick Steves or some other "must see" authority is recommending it, but don't you agree you could buy leather anywhere, and even at home? You'll need some time to go to S. Miniato al Monte, which is REALLY a must see if you are interested in Romanesque or Renaissance architecture - it's the second magnum opus (after the Baptistery) of the amazing Florentine Proto-Renaissance, which is actually a branch of the Romanesque style. It's missing from all "must-see" itineraries, and yet it's one of Florence's most beautiful sights.
And there's a second, equally impressive sight, unmissable if you have any interest in Renaissance painting: the Brancacci chapel (inside S. Maria del Carmine). If I were to choose, I'd certainly prefer the Brancacci chapel to the Accademia, the Uffizi and S. Lorenzo.
SS. Annunziata is nice, but more of a specialist sight IMO. The adjoining Spedale degli Innocenti is another story!! That's one of the most important buildings throughout the history of architecture - one of a handful of places where Renaissance has been invented.
I have to return to real life for a moment now - I'll be back later with some remarks on Venice and Rome!
Your Florence itinerary, as you mentioned, needs some further work. The Medici Chapels are right behind S. Lorenzo, and that's neighbouring Palazzo Medici Riccardi, which is very close to the Accademia... so you should do all those sights on one day (the 14th, more precisely, since you have your Accademia tickets for that day - the Accademia is a half-an-hour sight, which leaves plenty of time for everything else). The leather market, frankly, seems like a waste of time if you have just two days for Florence anyway; I know Rick Steves or some other "must see" authority is recommending it, but don't you agree you could buy leather anywhere, and even at home? You'll need some time to go to S. Miniato al Monte, which is REALLY a must see if you are interested in Romanesque or Renaissance architecture - it's the second magnum opus (after the Baptistery) of the amazing Florentine Proto-Renaissance, which is actually a branch of the Romanesque style. It's missing from all "must-see" itineraries, and yet it's one of Florence's most beautiful sights.
And there's a second, equally impressive sight, unmissable if you have any interest in Renaissance painting: the Brancacci chapel (inside S. Maria del Carmine). If I were to choose, I'd certainly prefer the Brancacci chapel to the Accademia, the Uffizi and S. Lorenzo.
SS. Annunziata is nice, but more of a specialist sight IMO. The adjoining Spedale degli Innocenti is another story!! That's one of the most important buildings throughout the history of architecture - one of a handful of places where Renaissance has been invented.
I have to return to real life for a moment now - I'll be back later with some remarks on Venice and Rome!
Aug 12th, 2010, 06:45 AM
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See, this is why I posted this! = ) I know I had read a post from you, franco, about a must see chapel somewhere, but couldn't remember what it was called or anything!
Thank you so much! I was wondering about the Galleria Borghese - would you say I should book it for Saturday morning - i.e. 18th?
Thank you so much! I was wondering about the Galleria Borghese - would you say I should book it for Saturday morning - i.e. 18th?
Aug 12th, 2010, 10:20 AM
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Here I'm back. I forgot your cheap eats question for Florence... For lunch on the Accademia/S. Lorenzo day, I hope you're a sufficiently adventurous eater to try Nerbone, inside the Mercato Centrale: http://www.frommers.com/destinations...ce/D53848.html - Florence's most famous trippaio, i.e. tripe stall. Tripe sandwiches (of various parts of the cow's stomach) are THE specialty of Florence, and really cheap. Though lampredotto is perhaps more interesting (almost impossible to find anywhere outside Florence), I suggest - unless you are really, really big on offals - that you stick to trippa, which is certainly good at Nerbone. Alternatively, you can also have a sandwich with simple cooked beef there, that's excellent, as well. (For lampredotto, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampredotto - the German wikipedia has, in addition to that, also a picture of the typical Florentine sandwich: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampredotto - they come always doused with the stock in which the respective meet has been boiled.)
For dinner, I heartily recommend Marione, Via della Spada, 27r (no website, always open). Excellent, traditional Tuscan cuisine (no offals, though, they're just for lunch!), incredibly huge helpings, cheap.
Your most difficult destination, as we have broadly discussed, is Venice. PLEASE resist the temptation to see "must sees" only! In just one day, you wouldn't get a chance to see real Venice (i.e. Venice beyond tourism) if you stick to the "must sees", and might end up hating this wonderful city. Of course, go down Canal Grande in vaporetto no. 1, squeeze yourself into Piazza S. Marco, and into the Basilica, but see the Doge's Palace just from outside, for example, and try to get away from the crowds for the rest of the day. Building on what we talked about in Florence, you may be interested in the Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, apropos of Renaissance painting (check opening hours ahead, and try to arrive in their middle since the Scuola keeper is very prone to arrive late and leave early). Or walk to S. Pietro di Castello; the church is closed on Sundays (it's nice, though definitely not Venice's best, so you don't miss too much), but the walk will guide you to where real Venetian life is pulsating nowadays. Or, on the other end of town, go to S. Nicolò dei Mendicoli, for a tiny medieval jewel. Or go to the small island of S. Giorgio Maggiore, see the church (built by Palladio, with a Last Supper that is considered Tintoretto's best work by many), which is admittedly visited by throngs of tourists - and then go inside the ex-monastery next door (now the Fondazione Cini), and see more stunning architecture by Palladio, by father and son de Buora, and by Longhena (stiff entrance fee, but definitely worth it!, you'll get an excellent guided tour, and will probably be the only tourist in there). Always bear in mind that you'll have to go back anyway; and that the Doge's Palace with the Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile, the Rialto Bridge, the Frari Church (which is closed Sunday, anyway) and the rest of the wonders will still be there. (No, Venice is not sinking.)
A cheap lunch, in Venice, on a Sunday... I'm recommending what I always recommend: Osteria alla Botte. That's as cheap as it gets, in Venice, and the city's best food: www.ristorantiveneziani.it/botte/index_en.htm#
Rome... certainly not a bad idea to book Galleria Borghese for Saturday morning. Once more, resist the temptation to see the whole Vatican at once and to spend the whole day there... your time in Rome is too short for that IMO. Walk through the corridors of the Musei Vaticani just to get an impression of their tremendous size, see the Cappella Sistina at the far end, then visit S. Pietro, don't neglect the Piazza in front of it (which is perhaps even more impressive than the church) - that's half a day! Castel S. Angelo is a so-so sight; if you're determined to see it, from outside is just enough; with just three days in Rome, I wouldn't go inside. Also the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are at best so-so, of course; scenic, but from an artistic-architectural point of view, well... The Mouth of Truth is certainly interesting, but I hope you are aware that the much more interesting sight is the church to which it's attached: S. Maria in Cosmedin, one of Rome's truly great medieval churches. By "ancient Rome", you'll certainly mean Colosseum-Foro Romano-Palatine; just be prepared that the Forum Romanum and, above all, the Palatine are not that easy to decipher without an advanced archeological knowledge. For that reason, be sure to see - since you'll be visiting S. Maria in Cosmedin anyway - the Foro Boario, opposite the church: two republican temples (they're among the earliest Roman temples still standing, Roman as opposed to Greek, not just Roman as in Rome), a church - S. Nicola del Carcere - incorporating remnants of two more temples, and a massive archway. From there, walk to the Teatro di Marcello and the Portico d'Ottavia, another two excellently preserved ancient monuments. In a sense, all that is giving a better impression of ancient Rome than the (much larger) Forum Romanum and Palatine, since it's so much better preserved.
Roman churches - there are sooooo many of them, and I mean so many great churches, that I really need some input. Rome has many really early medieval churches (from a time, thus, that hasn't left too many churches outside Rome), some Renaissance, and plenty of (splendid) baroque. What would you like to see? Concentrate on one style, or see a bit of everything? More into architecture, or sculpture, or painting, or mosaics? (There is a wealth of incredible medieval mosaics in Rome - those mosaics alone could easily keep you entertained for a week.)
Cheap eats in Rome: now I'm being lazy and derefer you to http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm - Osteria dell'Angelo is where you want to go, not just because of the terrific quality, but also because of the matchless price. Pommidoro is not too expensive, either; another place where you'll eat well without paying much is Taverna dei 40, Via Claudia 24, no website, always open.
Note: this post has become so long that I'm too lazy to proofread. Sorry for any typos!
For dinner, I heartily recommend Marione, Via della Spada, 27r (no website, always open). Excellent, traditional Tuscan cuisine (no offals, though, they're just for lunch!), incredibly huge helpings, cheap.
Your most difficult destination, as we have broadly discussed, is Venice. PLEASE resist the temptation to see "must sees" only! In just one day, you wouldn't get a chance to see real Venice (i.e. Venice beyond tourism) if you stick to the "must sees", and might end up hating this wonderful city. Of course, go down Canal Grande in vaporetto no. 1, squeeze yourself into Piazza S. Marco, and into the Basilica, but see the Doge's Palace just from outside, for example, and try to get away from the crowds for the rest of the day. Building on what we talked about in Florence, you may be interested in the Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, apropos of Renaissance painting (check opening hours ahead, and try to arrive in their middle since the Scuola keeper is very prone to arrive late and leave early). Or walk to S. Pietro di Castello; the church is closed on Sundays (it's nice, though definitely not Venice's best, so you don't miss too much), but the walk will guide you to where real Venetian life is pulsating nowadays. Or, on the other end of town, go to S. Nicolò dei Mendicoli, for a tiny medieval jewel. Or go to the small island of S. Giorgio Maggiore, see the church (built by Palladio, with a Last Supper that is considered Tintoretto's best work by many), which is admittedly visited by throngs of tourists - and then go inside the ex-monastery next door (now the Fondazione Cini), and see more stunning architecture by Palladio, by father and son de Buora, and by Longhena (stiff entrance fee, but definitely worth it!, you'll get an excellent guided tour, and will probably be the only tourist in there). Always bear in mind that you'll have to go back anyway; and that the Doge's Palace with the Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile, the Rialto Bridge, the Frari Church (which is closed Sunday, anyway) and the rest of the wonders will still be there. (No, Venice is not sinking.)
A cheap lunch, in Venice, on a Sunday... I'm recommending what I always recommend: Osteria alla Botte. That's as cheap as it gets, in Venice, and the city's best food: www.ristorantiveneziani.it/botte/index_en.htm#
Rome... certainly not a bad idea to book Galleria Borghese for Saturday morning. Once more, resist the temptation to see the whole Vatican at once and to spend the whole day there... your time in Rome is too short for that IMO. Walk through the corridors of the Musei Vaticani just to get an impression of their tremendous size, see the Cappella Sistina at the far end, then visit S. Pietro, don't neglect the Piazza in front of it (which is perhaps even more impressive than the church) - that's half a day! Castel S. Angelo is a so-so sight; if you're determined to see it, from outside is just enough; with just three days in Rome, I wouldn't go inside. Also the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are at best so-so, of course; scenic, but from an artistic-architectural point of view, well... The Mouth of Truth is certainly interesting, but I hope you are aware that the much more interesting sight is the church to which it's attached: S. Maria in Cosmedin, one of Rome's truly great medieval churches. By "ancient Rome", you'll certainly mean Colosseum-Foro Romano-Palatine; just be prepared that the Forum Romanum and, above all, the Palatine are not that easy to decipher without an advanced archeological knowledge. For that reason, be sure to see - since you'll be visiting S. Maria in Cosmedin anyway - the Foro Boario, opposite the church: two republican temples (they're among the earliest Roman temples still standing, Roman as opposed to Greek, not just Roman as in Rome), a church - S. Nicola del Carcere - incorporating remnants of two more temples, and a massive archway. From there, walk to the Teatro di Marcello and the Portico d'Ottavia, another two excellently preserved ancient monuments. In a sense, all that is giving a better impression of ancient Rome than the (much larger) Forum Romanum and Palatine, since it's so much better preserved.
Roman churches - there are sooooo many of them, and I mean so many great churches, that I really need some input. Rome has many really early medieval churches (from a time, thus, that hasn't left too many churches outside Rome), some Renaissance, and plenty of (splendid) baroque. What would you like to see? Concentrate on one style, or see a bit of everything? More into architecture, or sculpture, or painting, or mosaics? (There is a wealth of incredible medieval mosaics in Rome - those mosaics alone could easily keep you entertained for a week.)
Cheap eats in Rome: now I'm being lazy and derefer you to http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm - Osteria dell'Angelo is where you want to go, not just because of the terrific quality, but also because of the matchless price. Pommidoro is not too expensive, either; another place where you'll eat well without paying much is Taverna dei 40, Via Claudia 24, no website, always open.
Note: this post has become so long that I'm too lazy to proofread. Sorry for any typos!
Aug 12th, 2010, 10:49 AM
#27
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Franco, thank you SO much! This is simply fabulous, and I am going to print it out and take it with me!
You are absolutely on the spot about Venice - I haven't looked a great deal into it yet, but the idea I had in my head was to get a feel for it and you have provided so many suggestions, thank you!
For Rome churches - I think a bit of everything. I know very little about architecture or art techniques or even art history but I love looking at it - all kinds. Mosaics sound interesting and I recall seeing you post about this somewhere...perhaps Zeppole's Rome thread?
I have to still sit down and sort a lot of this stuff out but thank you SO much!
You are absolutely on the spot about Venice - I haven't looked a great deal into it yet, but the idea I had in my head was to get a feel for it and you have provided so many suggestions, thank you!
For Rome churches - I think a bit of everything. I know very little about architecture or art techniques or even art history but I love looking at it - all kinds. Mosaics sound interesting and I recall seeing you post about this somewhere...perhaps Zeppole's Rome thread?
I have to still sit down and sort a lot of this stuff out but thank you SO much!
Aug 12th, 2010, 12:04 PM
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Ok, let's see... you could leave S. Maria del Popolo for the last day since it's easily reachable from Galleria Borghese. S. Maria del Popolo is an architecturally bland Renaissance church with sensational art inside, mostly early Renaissance (some excellent Pinturicchio frescoes plus some of the most delicate Renaissance sculpture), but also early baroque (two of Caravaggio's greatest paintings) - please take time to study all those wonderful artworks, then end your exploration of Rome at the Spanish Steps.
On the 16th... if you want to walk to Castel Sant'Angelo (not along Via della Conciliazione, please, but along Borgo Sant'Angelo, i.e. along the elevated medieval escape passageway that allowed the popes to reach their castle), you could then cross Ponte S. Angelo (with Bernini's great angel sculptures), walk back to the Metro (behind the castle), train to S. Maria Maggiore, and walk to S. Prassede, finally: one of the very few preserved Carolingian churches, and most probably the second best ever built in Carolingian times... great mosaics, too! (The best Carolingian church is of course the Pfalzkapelle in Aachen, Germany.) This is an afternoon at a somewhat more relaxed pace - which you'll need after touring the Vatican, which I always find exhausting.
On the 17th, ancient Rome... I would start at the Mercati di Traiano (an ancient shopping mall, stunningly well-preserved - of course, no shopping there anymore, though all the shops are still there and could be revived in a heartbeat), walk along Foro Romano without entering, see SS. Cosma e Damiano (one of those stunning medieval mosaics), see the Colosseo just from outside (much more rewarding than the interior), take a bus up to S. Stefano Rotondo after lunch (the very best of those churches from late antiquity/earliest Middle Ages, a sight that alone would be worth traveling to Rome half around the world), bus to Foro Boario/S. Maria in Cosmedin - Teatro di Marcello - Portico d'Ottavia, explore the former Jewish Ghetto beyond the Portico (another extremely beautiful neighbourhood), see Il Gesù (the church where baroque architecture was invented), and end your day by climbing Capitole Hill, Michelangelo's greatest achievement as far as architecture and urban planning; from here, climbing the steps to the left, you can look down on the Forum Romanum again.
So what do we have left for your first day in Rome? I suggest starting at Piazza Navona - walk to S. Luigi dei Francesi (an ugly church, but with three of Caravaggio's very best paintings inside - Caravaggio is my favourite painter, I cannot refrain from recommending this place). Next, the Pantheon, Rome's single best ancient temple (now a church, for centuries already). From there, walk to S. Ignazio (another excellent baroque church - note the famous trompe l'oeil painting that suggests a dome where there is none), and to Piazza Barberini, from where you can easily walk up Quirinale hill, where you'll find two of Rome's best baroque churches, one adjoining the other: S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, one of the masterpieces of Francesco Borromini, the playful genius of baroque - the interior is stunning, and the entire church is the same size as ONE of the crossing piers of St. Peter! The other church next to it, S. Andrea al Quirinale, is the best architectural effort of Borromini's great rival Bernini, the perfect example of classical, elegant baroque. Now walk along Palazzo del Quirinale (where the Italian president is residing) to Piazza del Quirinale; assuming it will be late afternoon by now, enjoy Rome's very best view at sunset (St. Peter's dome is never as beautiful as seen from here!!), and then walk down to Trevi Fountain, which is best seen after dark anyway (you don't notice all the ungainly details then - oh, why do I always have to be so sarcastic?). No seriously, after dark, it's a much nicer place than in plain daylight.
Sorry that I'm being so directive here; but it's really hard to make the most of a three-and-a-half days stay in Rome, so I hope that will do it for you. (Again, no proofreading, and sorry for - most certainly - dozens of mistakes.)
On the 16th... if you want to walk to Castel Sant'Angelo (not along Via della Conciliazione, please, but along Borgo Sant'Angelo, i.e. along the elevated medieval escape passageway that allowed the popes to reach their castle), you could then cross Ponte S. Angelo (with Bernini's great angel sculptures), walk back to the Metro (behind the castle), train to S. Maria Maggiore, and walk to S. Prassede, finally: one of the very few preserved Carolingian churches, and most probably the second best ever built in Carolingian times... great mosaics, too! (The best Carolingian church is of course the Pfalzkapelle in Aachen, Germany.) This is an afternoon at a somewhat more relaxed pace - which you'll need after touring the Vatican, which I always find exhausting.
On the 17th, ancient Rome... I would start at the Mercati di Traiano (an ancient shopping mall, stunningly well-preserved - of course, no shopping there anymore, though all the shops are still there and could be revived in a heartbeat), walk along Foro Romano without entering, see SS. Cosma e Damiano (one of those stunning medieval mosaics), see the Colosseo just from outside (much more rewarding than the interior), take a bus up to S. Stefano Rotondo after lunch (the very best of those churches from late antiquity/earliest Middle Ages, a sight that alone would be worth traveling to Rome half around the world), bus to Foro Boario/S. Maria in Cosmedin - Teatro di Marcello - Portico d'Ottavia, explore the former Jewish Ghetto beyond the Portico (another extremely beautiful neighbourhood), see Il Gesù (the church where baroque architecture was invented), and end your day by climbing Capitole Hill, Michelangelo's greatest achievement as far as architecture and urban planning; from here, climbing the steps to the left, you can look down on the Forum Romanum again.
So what do we have left for your first day in Rome? I suggest starting at Piazza Navona - walk to S. Luigi dei Francesi (an ugly church, but with three of Caravaggio's very best paintings inside - Caravaggio is my favourite painter, I cannot refrain from recommending this place). Next, the Pantheon, Rome's single best ancient temple (now a church, for centuries already). From there, walk to S. Ignazio (another excellent baroque church - note the famous trompe l'oeil painting that suggests a dome where there is none), and to Piazza Barberini, from where you can easily walk up Quirinale hill, where you'll find two of Rome's best baroque churches, one adjoining the other: S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, one of the masterpieces of Francesco Borromini, the playful genius of baroque - the interior is stunning, and the entire church is the same size as ONE of the crossing piers of St. Peter! The other church next to it, S. Andrea al Quirinale, is the best architectural effort of Borromini's great rival Bernini, the perfect example of classical, elegant baroque. Now walk along Palazzo del Quirinale (where the Italian president is residing) to Piazza del Quirinale; assuming it will be late afternoon by now, enjoy Rome's very best view at sunset (St. Peter's dome is never as beautiful as seen from here!!), and then walk down to Trevi Fountain, which is best seen after dark anyway (you don't notice all the ungainly details then - oh, why do I always have to be so sarcastic?). No seriously, after dark, it's a much nicer place than in plain daylight.
Sorry that I'm being so directive here; but it's really hard to make the most of a three-and-a-half days stay in Rome, so I hope that will do it for you. (Again, no proofreading, and sorry for - most certainly - dozens of mistakes.)
Aug 12th, 2010, 01:46 PM
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I want to echo franco's suggestion about only viewing Castel Sant Angelo from the outside. I was underwhelmed with it, and spent most of my time there on the observation section looking at other Roman sites. Since you have limited time in Rome, I think that this is one that you could appreciate from the exterior.
Also, one resource that helped me when deciding what churches were "must-sees" for me was http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...e-churches.htm. That being said, you've been given some great suggestions and will certainly have more than enough to keep you busy during your time in Rome!
Also, one resource that helped me when deciding what churches were "must-sees" for me was http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...e-churches.htm. That being said, you've been given some great suggestions and will certainly have more than enough to keep you busy during your time in Rome!
Aug 13th, 2010, 02:22 PM
#33
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So I mapped everything suggested above out. I think that I am being super ambitious in places, Venice especially. But I am willing to change things/drop things as the situation pans out.
Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Franco!
5th Sunday - London to Paris (Eurostar)
Possibly Chartres
11th Saturday - 11am-12pm - Versailles for the fountains
overnight train to Venice
12th Sunday - day in Venice
Arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at jut past 9:30am.
Walk to S. Nicolo dei Mendicoli to take Vaporetto 1.
Vaporetto to Piazza San Marco
Vaporetto to Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore
Doge's Palace (from the outside)
Bridge of Sighs
Stop at Osteria alla Botte, cross Rialto Bridge
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (supposedly open between 1-6pm on Sundays)
train to Florence at 5:27pm
13th Monday - SMN, Duomo, baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce, Palazzo Pitti, Ponte Vecchio, Brancacci Chapel, Marione for dinner
14th Tuesday - San Lorenzo, Medici Chapels, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Nerbone in Mercato Centrale, Accademia, Spedale degli Innocenti, Basillica della Santissima Annunziata, Santa Maria del Fiore, Uffizi, San Miniato al Monte.
15th Wednesday - train to Rome. Check in/drop off luggage.
Piazza Navona, walk to S. Luigi dei Francesi, Pantheon, walk to S. Ignazio, Palazzo Barberini, Quirinale Hill, S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, S. Andrea al Quirinale, Palazzo del Quirinale, Piazza del Quirinale, sunset. Trevi Fountain.
16th Thursday - Vatican 9am. Walk down Borgo Sant’Angelo, to Ponte S. Angelo, around Castel Sant’Angelo, to Ottaviano metro stop. Take metro to Repubblica, walk to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, walk to Santa Prassede.
17th Friday - Walk to Mercati di Traiano. Walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali, stop at SS. Cosma e Damiano, past Forum and Colosseum. Lunch. Walk to S. Stefano Rotondo, bus to Piazza della Bocca della Verita, Foro Boario/S. Maria in Cosmedin, Teatro di Marcello, Portico d’Ottavia, Jewish Ghetto, Il Gesu, Capitole Hill.
18th Saturday - Galleria Borghese 9am, Santa Maria del Popolo
5:30pm - Rome Ciampino, flight back to London
Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Franco!
5th Sunday - London to Paris (Eurostar)
Possibly Chartres
11th Saturday - 11am-12pm - Versailles for the fountains
overnight train to Venice
12th Sunday - day in Venice
Arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at jut past 9:30am.
Walk to S. Nicolo dei Mendicoli to take Vaporetto 1.
Vaporetto to Piazza San Marco
Vaporetto to Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore
Doge's Palace (from the outside)
Bridge of Sighs
Stop at Osteria alla Botte, cross Rialto Bridge
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (supposedly open between 1-6pm on Sundays)
train to Florence at 5:27pm
13th Monday - SMN, Duomo, baptistery, Piazza della Signoria, Santa Croce, Palazzo Pitti, Ponte Vecchio, Brancacci Chapel, Marione for dinner
14th Tuesday - San Lorenzo, Medici Chapels, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Nerbone in Mercato Centrale, Accademia, Spedale degli Innocenti, Basillica della Santissima Annunziata, Santa Maria del Fiore, Uffizi, San Miniato al Monte.
15th Wednesday - train to Rome. Check in/drop off luggage.
Piazza Navona, walk to S. Luigi dei Francesi, Pantheon, walk to S. Ignazio, Palazzo Barberini, Quirinale Hill, S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, S. Andrea al Quirinale, Palazzo del Quirinale, Piazza del Quirinale, sunset. Trevi Fountain.
16th Thursday - Vatican 9am. Walk down Borgo Sant’Angelo, to Ponte S. Angelo, around Castel Sant’Angelo, to Ottaviano metro stop. Take metro to Repubblica, walk to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, walk to Santa Prassede.
17th Friday - Walk to Mercati di Traiano. Walk down Via dei Fori Imperiali, stop at SS. Cosma e Damiano, past Forum and Colosseum. Lunch. Walk to S. Stefano Rotondo, bus to Piazza della Bocca della Verita, Foro Boario/S. Maria in Cosmedin, Teatro di Marcello, Portico d’Ottavia, Jewish Ghetto, Il Gesu, Capitole Hill.
18th Saturday - Galleria Borghese 9am, Santa Maria del Popolo
5:30pm - Rome Ciampino, flight back to London
Aug 13th, 2010, 05:09 PM
#34
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Just three more remarks, sam, on each Italian city one.
Rome: I noticed that Borgo S. Angelo is a mistaken (perhaps informal?) name for what is officially called Via dei Corridoi, that's what you'll find on street maps. However, it's easy to figure out - what you're looking for, the papal escape passageway, is this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File
assetto2.jpg
Florence: you have the Duomo twice on your list, because S. Maria del Fiore IS the Duomo. Which makes your pretty tight schedule conveniently less tight.
Venice: you're correct that the Frari Church is open Sunday afternoons, so no worries about that. But there are a few glitches in your itinerary: vaporetto no. 1 is going down Canal Grande - it doesn't pass anywhere near S. Nicolò dei Mendicoli. So if you start with the walk to S. Nicolò, you'd take vaporetto no. 2 afterwards from the S. Basegio (S. Basilio) stop and go to S. Giorgio Maggiore first - which is a perfect way of approaching the heart of Venice! Actually, I like this plan, because it gives you the - nowadays rare - chance to see the shopwindow of Venice that is Piazzetta S. Marco the way it was meant to be seen: from the water. (Everybody arrives by train or bus now, and comes down Canal Grande first, which is definitely not what this architecture has been made for.) So after visiting S. Giorgio and the Fondazione Cini, you get on no. 2 again and go one stop to S. Zaccaria, a few steps from S. Marco. The order of sights, then, is Bridge of Sighs (I'm not sure whether it will be open already, it has been totally hidden by scaffolding for a long time now), Doge's Palace, Basilica and Piazza S. Marco; then walk to the vaporetto stop S. Marco (which is a little farther away from Piazza S. Marco than the S. Zaccaria stop...), take no. 1 and go up Canal Grande, get out at Rialto for a late lunch, cross the bridge, go to the Frari Church; and then, you'll perhaps want to go back to Canal Grande (S. Tomà is your stop now), and go up the whole rest of the canal to the train station.
Ok. Now, everything seems perfect to me.
Rome: I noticed that Borgo S. Angelo is a mistaken (perhaps informal?) name for what is officially called Via dei Corridoi, that's what you'll find on street maps. However, it's easy to figure out - what you're looking for, the papal escape passageway, is this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File
assetto2.jpgFlorence: you have the Duomo twice on your list, because S. Maria del Fiore IS the Duomo. Which makes your pretty tight schedule conveniently less tight.
Venice: you're correct that the Frari Church is open Sunday afternoons, so no worries about that. But there are a few glitches in your itinerary: vaporetto no. 1 is going down Canal Grande - it doesn't pass anywhere near S. Nicolò dei Mendicoli. So if you start with the walk to S. Nicolò, you'd take vaporetto no. 2 afterwards from the S. Basegio (S. Basilio) stop and go to S. Giorgio Maggiore first - which is a perfect way of approaching the heart of Venice! Actually, I like this plan, because it gives you the - nowadays rare - chance to see the shopwindow of Venice that is Piazzetta S. Marco the way it was meant to be seen: from the water. (Everybody arrives by train or bus now, and comes down Canal Grande first, which is definitely not what this architecture has been made for.) So after visiting S. Giorgio and the Fondazione Cini, you get on no. 2 again and go one stop to S. Zaccaria, a few steps from S. Marco. The order of sights, then, is Bridge of Sighs (I'm not sure whether it will be open already, it has been totally hidden by scaffolding for a long time now), Doge's Palace, Basilica and Piazza S. Marco; then walk to the vaporetto stop S. Marco (which is a little farther away from Piazza S. Marco than the S. Zaccaria stop...), take no. 1 and go up Canal Grande, get out at Rialto for a late lunch, cross the bridge, go to the Frari Church; and then, you'll perhaps want to go back to Canal Grande (S. Tomà is your stop now), and go up the whole rest of the canal to the train station.
Ok. Now, everything seems perfect to me.
Aug 13th, 2010, 05:12 PM
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Ah yes, one more thing I wanted to say. You're certainly ambitious, and it's wise to be prepared to leave out one sight or another - but your Venice schedule is the least tight of the three cities, that's perfectly doable.
Aug 14th, 2010, 06:01 AM
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Rome - It took me a while to find it, but I finally zoomed in enough on google to see that it was called Borgo S. Angelo later = )
Florence - Ahh, that's great, I'll fix that.
Venice - Thank you! I was relying on Google for Vaporetto stops and wasn't sure if I was getting them right!
Thank you SO much! I am super excited! Now I just have to hand in my Master's dissertation and I will be all set! = D
Florence - Ahh, that's great, I'll fix that.
Venice - Thank you! I was relying on Google for Vaporetto stops and wasn't sure if I was getting them right!
Thank you SO much! I am super excited! Now I just have to hand in my Master's dissertation and I will be all set! = D
Aug 14th, 2010, 06:22 AM
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Which discipline of study?
This is the page of public transport in Venice, if you want to look into timetables and routes once more: http://www.actv.it/en
One last thing is important: buy your vaporetto ticket (you need a 12-hour-pass for 16 Euros) immediately after walking out of the train station - at S. Basilio, there is no ticket booth!
This is the page of public transport in Venice, if you want to look into timetables and routes once more: http://www.actv.it/en
One last thing is important: buy your vaporetto ticket (you need a 12-hour-pass for 16 Euros) immediately after walking out of the train station - at S. Basilio, there is no ticket booth!
Aug 14th, 2010, 06:27 AM
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Comparative Politics - Conflict Studies specifically! After writing a dissertation on terrorism, I REALLY need a break. And this is shaping up to be perfect, largely thanks to all the advice you've given = )
Most people find it it very odd that I study something like that but like going to art galleries, museums, historical sights. But so much of art and museums is about conflict of one sort or another. Fascinating I think.
Ahh, thanks for the link, I will definitely map things out on it. And thank you for the point about the vaporetto ticket, I was wondering if I'd have to buy a new one each time!
Most people find it it very odd that I study something like that but like going to art galleries, museums, historical sights. But so much of art and museums is about conflict of one sort or another. Fascinating I think.
Ahh, thanks for the link, I will definitely map things out on it. And thank you for the point about the vaporetto ticket, I was wondering if I'd have to buy a new one each time!
Aug 14th, 2010, 06:49 AM
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Oh, I don't find that odd at all, on the contrary. Being interested in politics means wishing to change the circumstances in which people live; studying architecture, art and history is about broadening one's intellectual horizon, which is absolutely indispensable before tackling those problems of life circumstances. So I dare say any kind of political activism or political studies without a thorough knowledge of history (of course), but also of art and architecture is necessarily going to fail. (Ok, perhaps somebody should tell certain politicians.) Anyway, enjoy your break!
