Solo Trip to Italy
Note
1:My
trip starts on May 11th...scroll down if you don't want to read my pre-trip
notes.
Note 2: Warning, this is a LONG journal.
20
February 2006:
I
am heading to Italy London
This
trip I will meet up with friend June in Florence Bologna Venice
This
solo trip was planned when Tony was not able to get May for his vacation dates
(he got October) for a Mediterranean cruise I booked. I didn't want to
miss a vacation during one of my favorite vacation month, so I decided to head
to Italy
Before
I booked my airline tickets, I kept thinking, "Do I really want to spend
two whole weeks by myself?" I knew I would be okay and wouldn't have
any problems traveling alone since I have always been the leader of the group
and have been traveling to Europe since
1990. Once I booked my airline tickets, I decided this was it!
There's no turning back now! And since purchasing my tickets, I am very
excited to go on this trip with me, myself and I. However, I won't be
100% alone since I'll be meeting up with fellow Fodorites in all 3
cities. Also, I booked two tours:
1.
A cooking class in Chianti
2. Full day tour inVeneto
I'll
have the time on these two tours to meet people and maybe build a lasting
relationship with some of them.
The
cooking class is set in a villa from the 1400s. We'll enjoy a meal after our
cooking class of different pastas. In the afternoon we'll have some free
time to hang around the villa and chat with each other.
For
the Veneto
March
5th 2006 Sunday:
I
am ready for this trip! I have gone through my documents that I plan to
take with me. Tony bought me a Palm TX a month ago, but until I am 100%
comfortable in using this, as well as being able to recharge the PDA with the
converter without blowing it up, I plan to have my documents as a backup.
Imagine loosing everything I have stored in this PDA. So far I have been
able to save all my documents on the SD, along with an expense sheet, my
airline itinerary, a few photos, etc. The neat thing about having this
PDA is being able to insert my digital camera SD to view the photos with this
larger screen. I will also bring my SD filled with music.
Everything (along with the keyboard) weighs no more than 11.5 ounces.
March
16, 2006:
The
other day I bought a new digital camera. I didn't really want to bring my
Canon A70 and was planning to bring Tony's smaller Nikon 3200. I've been
eying the new digitals with the 2.5" and 3" LCD screens, but said to
myself I'll wait a couple more years to upgrade. Well, Tony put the bug
in my ear telling me he almost bought one for me. Since I have certain
criteria for cameras, I started shopping around. I ended up with the
Canon SF550. I got it for a great price via Circuit City
I
received an email from the Accidental Tourist company (for my 1-day cooking
class) asking me if I could join the group on the 11th, rather than the 12th.
Not possible, as I fly in on the 11th. Now I'm worried that they might
cancel the class for Friday the 12th. They have the best price around and
I really don't want to spend double or triple the price. I'm keeping my
fingers crossed.
April
1, 2006
Well,
my cooking class was cancelled. At first I was very disappointed but
since planning another day trip, I feel better. I have decided to spend
the first day and 1/2 in Florence , and then head
to Greve in Chianti and Montefioralle on Saturday, and Arezzo
37
days and counting!
13
April 2006:
I
recently found out that one of Tony's cousins lives in Parma Ravenna Bologna
28
April 2006:
I
am currently flying home from San
Diego
I
did change my itinerary so that I could stay with Ernesto for 2 nights,
reducing my stay in Bologna
Thursday
May 11th
I
flew to Florence from Dulles International to Paris Florence France
I
didn't sleep a bit on the plane. Seats are too tight. Food wasn't
too bad and I enjoyed a couple glasses of white wine. From now on I will
book aisle seats - I love the window to look out and even lean against, but
it's always difficult to get in/out with two others in the row.
Since
I'll be arriving in Florence a few hours later,
thereby reducing the amount of time to sightsee today, I might head to Arezzo Florence
I
arrived in Florence Florence
My
hotel is located right next to Cartier's on via Tornabouni. Many stores
such as Pucci, Tiffany’s, Versaci, etc, line the street. Two floors up to
the reception room, I met Lara. She has been very nice since our first
correspondence. My room, #25, is located on the top floor - single room
with window facing the terrace. Too bad I can't walk out onto the
balcony: the window is about 4' above the floor. They should move
the desk to where the nightstand is located and add steps to the terrace.
The room next to mine is separated by a floral partition.
My
room contained a single bed, small desk, tv, room safe in the closet and a mini
bar, which I didn’t use. I did store my wine and water though. The
bathroom was nice although pretty tiny. Lighting could have been better,
but that seems typical in most European hotels. The shower was the
smallest ever!
I
hung up some cloths, and then headed out for the rest of the afternoon.
For lunch I wanted to dine at Mossacce, but there were at least 15 people
waiting to get in. Just a few doors down was the CaffeBigalloEnoteca (via
delProconsolo, 73/75r). I enjoyed their lunch special of short pasta with
zucchini, followed by eggplant parmesan (excellent flavors); glass of wine and
bottled water.
After
lunch, I checked out the open markets places in Florence
A
portion of the cathedral is under scaffolding, but that’s also typical in Europe . Something is always being restored.
I
headed to the train station to and purchased via the ticket machines my train
tickets for Arezzo
On
the way back to hotel, I bought boxed white wine for 1.70 Euros! All for
1 liter of wine. It's decent house wine, and much better than some of the
box wines back home.
I
had dinner at AnticoFattore after a nice walk on the Pont Vecchio
window-shopping – love all the jewelry that’s on display in the windows.
Dinner was pretty good but not spectacular: crostini Toscana (liver pate
nice and warm and creamy); veal scaloppini with porcini mushrooms in a
gravy/sauce; fried battered zucchini flowers. Small bottle of white wine;
bread. With my coupon from the Internet web site I received a cute
ceramic plate to hang on the wall at home, which has the restaurants
name. I was also given a small bottle of red wine. This place was
evenly mixed with locals and tourists.
I
had a nice leisurely walk home. Along the way, I stopped at one
restaurant to make reservations based on Luciano's recommendation. The
menu looked very nice. Although I had some favorites from previous trips,
I wanted to try new places.
Florence
I
didn't really sleep last night because of the time change. I was very
tired while walking back to the hotel, but once in the room and after my
shower, I was wide awake. I had picked up a 5 Euro calling card and
talked to Tony. It was nice to be able to call him and not worry about a
phone charge in the room.
The
street noise lasted until at least 3am with people walking and being loud to
the cars and vespas going by - and I'm on the 5th floor! I had my window
closed because of being on the terrace. It was fine until 1/2 way through
the night and then it got warm. And then there was the one
mosquito!
I
got up at 8:30am and had breakfast, located behind the reception. Food
consisted of typical hotel breakfasts: cereals, toast, croissants, a variety of
cheese and meats; orange juice, fresh fruit, and a large cappuccino maker.
After breakfast, I headed out for the day, first stopping at a little
store where I picked up a spray for mosquitoes.
I
headed over to the Oltrano area and toured the Pitti Palace
Lunch
was across the street - PittiCaffé and consisted of their 15 Euro special:
risotto con frutta di mare; ensalatacaprese; 1/4 liter of white wine (4 euros).
The buffalo mozzarella was huge! Served with ripe tomatoes and lettuce
with basil leaves. Nice balsamic and olive oil. 19 Euros
total. Two women sat down next to me, Ann and her niece Morgan. We
had a nice talk about our travels.
I
didn't get inside the two churches on the Oltrano that I wanted to visit, as I
didn't take into consideration the siesta hours where things shut down
midday.
I
headed back to my hotel after walking around the Oltrano, stopping by at the
Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni hotel to meet Cristina. We had
corresponded prior to my trip. I had asked for room prices, but knew it
would be out of my price range. Sure enough, it was; however, Cristina
was wonderful. She emailed me three other hotels in the same area and offered
an invitation to meet her and see the hotel. She wasn’t there when I
arrived but Sandra took me to the roof terrace to see the city.
Apparently Cristina told Sandra about me and was expecting me.
After
a quick stop at my hotel, I headed over to the piazza di S. Croce, stopping
along the way for some gelato. Delicious! I had wandered around much too
long so that I missed going inside the S. Croce, as it was just after
5pm. This place is where Michelangelo is buried. There was some
sort of event going on in the city - something to do with Dante, but I'll have
to get the flyer I took and translate it. In the area are lots of leather
shops and jewelry shops. I looked but nothing caught my eye.
On
the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the Ponte Vecchio and priced a couple
of rings. I was hesitant to purchase knowing I still have time in my trip
to compare prices, plus the prices at the P.V. are much higher than other
places.
After
a drink in the room and typing up some of my journal, I headed to dinner.
Located just down two blocks from my hotel was Ristorante La Martinicca
recommended by the gentleman at hotel desk. I arrived promptly at 7:30pm,
where several people were already having their meal. I ordered 1/4 liter
of red wine, ravioli tartufo with asparagus in a cream sauce, steak Florentine
(approx. 27 oz); Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine, with biscotti; water.
40.50 Euros. This was an excellent meal! After the place filled up,
the service slowed down. Between two rooms filled with people, only two
waiters took care of the guests. I walked for a short while after dinner,
heading towards the Ponte Vechio. The moon was out but behind some
clouds. I took a few night shots, which I hope will come out.
Florence
I
wasn't sure if I really wanted to go to Greve in Chianti because of what I
missed yesterday; however, it was one place I really wanted to visit, along
with Montefioralle, just up the hill. I woke up at 6:20am and decided I
would go. I was out the door by 7:15am, missing breakfast, and headed to
the bus station located to the left of the train station. My ticket was
only 2.90 euros for the 8am bus ride. The actual bus stop was two blocks
away, which I had to ask a man in the street for directions. The ride,
after about a dozen or so stops, lasted an hour. I arrived with the
Saturday market in full swing.
The
market was filled with vendors selling food, clothing, shoes, leather purses
(bought one for just 20 Euros! – prices are much, much higher in Florence
I
checked out the rings at a jewelry store and found a ring very similar to the
ones I saw the previous day at the P. Vecchio. BUT, this one was larger and
only 339 Euros, rather than 658 (marked down to 530). Unfortunately, my
credit card did not go through. It worked 2 days ago when I took out 500
euros from the ATM when I first arrived at the Florence Arezzo
After
my frustrating morning at the jewelers, I stopped to pick up my bus return
ticket for Florence
After
lunch and a walk around Montefioralle, which is a lovely, quiet small town, I
headed down the hill and to the center of town. I had a little time
before heading to the bus stop. It was interesting to see the piazza
completely empty of the market vendors and their goods. Trash was everywhere
with several people cleaning the piazza.
While
at the bus stop, I ran into the young woman, Tiffany, that was on the same bus
as me to Greve, and who I ran into while heading to Montefioralle. She
was traveling alone from Australia
Back
in my room, I rested for a while after the long walk from the bus
station. My evening plans were to meet June and Jill for dinner at
6:30pm, with drinks first at their hotel. I headed to June's hotel, which
was just down the street on the Arno River Italy Venice Arno River
We
took a taxi to our restaurant - Ristorante Le Fonticine on via Nazionale.
This is June's favorite restaurant and she made reservations a few weeks before
arriving. She specifically asked to sit in the back - a must do! In
order to get to the back room, you have to pass the open kitchen and antipasti
bar. Such fabulous aromas. The walls of the room are covered in
many paintings the owner has collected over the years. We all enjoyed our
dinner. I ordered the antipasti misti, which included marinated
artichoke, stuffed tomato, marinated mushrooms, salami, olives, a quiche,
marinated onions, and eggplant. For my entree I had the ossobuco, which
was excellent (both totaling 24 euros). June bought a wonderful bottle of
red wine for the three of us.
We
took a taxi back to our hotels and I took a walk for a short while since I
didn't want to go to the room just yet. I could have walked from the
restaurant. While waiting for our taxi, a woman from Ireland
Florence to Arezzo, Sunday
May 14th
I
woke up at 7:30am so I could catch the 9.08 train to Arezzo
Out
in the piazza of the cathedral were performers in costume and flags of various
prints, which reminded me of the Contrade in Siena
I
had the opportunity to tour a museum next to the cathedral, which had exhibits
of Leonardo's works. I could even play with them.
For
lunch I dined at Buca di San Francesco and enjoyed the riboletto and lomba with
tuscan beans and polenta. For dessert, I had the vinsanto (menu) but they
also gave me a lemon-type cake, which was drizzled with chocolate. I
couldn't eat all of it, although it was quite delicious. The place filled
up quickly with locals who came from church.
I
took the train back to Florence
I
found an Internet cafe and emailed Tony telling him to contact the bank and fix
my credit card/ATM problem.
Before
dinner I had a drink at a cafe on the Oltrano. I saw another cafe that
was almost empty but with better drink prices. I had picked a place right
off the main street, so my 1 glass of wine was the same price of a 1/4-liter at
the other place. Live and learn.
Dinner
at OsteriaCinghaileBianco was excellent! I dined there 2 years ago with
my cousin Reenie. I ordered the mixed meat dish, which included wild
boar, salami and other types of meats; cheese, and some delicious marinated
eggplant, which was infused with garlic and hot pepper flakes. It was
almost a meal in itself. For my entree I had the Papparadelle with wild
boar; 1/2 liter of red wine (I asked for 1/4).
Florence to Bologna, Monday
May 15th
To
start, I was able to get Bank of America off their ass and fix my credit card
problem. I had called Tony the previous night and got some banking
information and a new telephone number to call them. Apparently the woman
that said she would block my card at the bank never did it. I was able to
take out euros last night so I could pay my hotel bill in cash. If I
hadn't then it would have been an additional 80 euros! And at 1.30
to the euro...
Today
woke up at 8am to another perfect day. Temperature has been in the mid to high
70s, slightly cool at night where one may need a light sweater. After
breakfast at the hotel, I packed and took a taxi to the train station for my
10.39am ride to Bologna Venice
I
took a taxi to my hotel, which was just a 5-minute ride, but would have been to
long to walk with my luggage. I had already purchased a bottle of Vin
Santo and Cantucci, as well as a pretty ceramic salt & peppershaker, which
sits in a round plate.
Hotel
Paradise is a small hotel, with about 18 rooms, located just off of via
Indipendenza, and a 10-minute walk to piazza Maggiore. Monica, the
manager of the hotel, greeted me and gave me my room key right away.
Thank goodness my room was ready.
After
unpacking a few things and putting my valuables into the room safe, I went
around the corner for lunch. I had a delicious sausage pizza at Il
Portico, which reminded me of the pizza I had Naples
Bologna Siena Bologna Venice
After
lunch, I walked to Piazza Maggiore and the Piazza del Nettuno and the
surrounding area, including the university quarter. I did stop by the
tourist office at Piazza Maggiore to verify the hours for the Bologna Walking
Tour, which I would take another day.
One
favorite area of mine is where all the fruit, vegetable and fish markets are
located (on via Caprarie, via Clavature, and via PescherieVecchie). The
store Tamburini is fabulous with its variety of ready-made foods for take
out. I drooled over the selection of seafood, such as the octopus and
shrimp. Many people were out buying their food for their dinner that
night. Everything was so fresh and beautifully displayed. The
windows also displayed the huge rounds of cheese and proscuitto. I wish I
could have brought all of it home! And of course, all the fabulous fresh
made tortellini and other types of pastas, which were perfectly
displayed. Some were filled with ricotta and spinach.
I
visited a the San Martino church nearby that is under restoration (well, aren't
they all?) with fabulous frescos. The University quarter is filled with
students and small bars. I felt a little uncomfortable in one part where
street kids with their dogs were hanging out. I wouldn’t want to be in
the area at night.
I
had walked by the two leaning towers, Torre degliAsinelli and Torre
dellaGarisenta. The first one is climbable – only 498 steps, the largest
tower in Italy Pisa
For
the late afternoon, I headed to Santo Stefano, which is actually a cluster of
six or seven (or is it eight?) churches. I didn’t go in, as it was closed
and just in front of it was a stage being set up for an outdoor concert with an
Italian group. Next to this piazza was the Corte Isolani, a 13th century
building. I had a drink and complimentary snacks (green olives, chips,
and quiche, cut into cubes) at the Café della Corte.
Near
my hotel, about a 5-minute walk, was an internet café. I have been able
to keep up with my emails to family and friends at home. The Internet
cafes are cheap 1.80 euros for an hour. The was an internet place next to
my hotel, but Monica stated that the other one had better prices.
My
evening started out terrible. I went to the first restaurant near my
hotel, TrattoriaSerghei, where I was told a private party took up the whole
restaurant. Fine, so I made reservations for Wednesday at 8pm. The
man said, "No, 7:30pm!" and I said that I would really prefer
8pm. He stated I wanted 8pm I could sit at this table, pointing to a tiny
table at the entrance of the trattoria, away from the main dining room.
No thanks!!! I agreed to 7:30pm but was already thinking I would cancel
the reservations later. I moved onto the next restaurant, La Montanara
where five tables outside were empty. I asked to sit at one of those
tables and the man stated they were booked. Now, it was only 7:45pm and
all the restaurants are pretty much empty at this time. Only one table
had a reserved sign on it, so I questioned him about the remaining empty
tables. He went inside and after a few moments, came back out and said
they were booked. I walked away. The third restaurant, although completely
empty, welcomed me. I read the menu and started to drool over the
"Tortellini with gorgonzola and the Eggplant Parmesan." When I
ordered the first dish the waiter stated, "We have no tortellini.” This is
Bologna
I
went to Il Portico where I had the delicious pizza for lunch and was greeted
with a smile. Although the place was pretty crowded, he sat me
immediately. I had a wonderful dinner of tortellini with Gorgonzola and
walnuts followed by a breaded cutlet, Milanese style. With 1/2 liter of
wine (and of course the coperto, bottled water, and their service charge), my
meal came to only 22 Euros, a very good price for Bologna London
Bologna
I
earned my pasta Bolognese and 1/4 liter of red house wine today fro
lunch: I climbed the Torre with its 498 steps to the top. I've
climbed other towers, including the one in San Gimignano and Florence Bologna
After
my climb, I headed back to the food area to take more photographs. More
fish stalls were open and the Italian women were lined up to buy their
fish.
My
English friend from last night recommended I visit the Santa Maria della Vita
church for its shocking and disturbing terracotta statues. Entitled
Lament Over the Dead, it is quite a scene. I stared at it for minutes.
I
visited the Santo Stefano church, which was very interesting. There is a
small museum and lovely cloister.
While
heading through the University quarter I saw a bunch of Carabinieri with their
plexi-glass shields and helmets. Something was going on. Nearby was a
group of people sitting in chairs listing two three men lecture on something I
couldn’t understand. I asked a man standing next to me what was going on
and he stated one of them wrote a book and there was about to be a protest –
right wing versus left wing. After a few minutes I decided it was best to
leave the area. As I moved along I could see the left wing group heading
my way with another group of Carabinieri in between. I was able to get
out of the area. I wonder if anything happened.
For
lunch I dined at Osteria dell ’Orsa and had a delicious pasta Bolognese and
some red wine. It’s a small place near the University quarter and young
students were also enjoying the food. This was one of my more inexpensive
lunches: 7.50 Euros.
I
enjoyed the 2-hour walking tour that the tourist office provides. It
started at 3:00pm and we were able to learn a lot about the history of Bologna Bologna
After
our tour, Colleen, Jim and I went to a wine bar for a couple of drinks.
Most of these wine bars (enotecas) serve complimentary foods. We had wonderful
olives, salami, and sweet pickled onions.
Back
at my hotel, we sat in the lobby for about half an hour waiting for one other
couple, Pam and Gary, to arrive for our 8pm dinner at Mariposa. This restaurant
is literally 30 feet from my hotel. Only about 12 tables, the place
filled up quickly, so I was glad to make reservations through my hotel.
Dinner was fabulous and only 18 Euros per person. This included
appetizers (Jim and I both had the mortadella, thinly sliced, along with some
wonderful chunks of parmesan cheese), for my entree I had the lasagna, which
traditionally served in Bologna
After
dinner I took a short walk while the rest went their separate ways, Colleen and
Jim headed south and Pam and Gary headed north to their hotel.
Bologna to Ravenna,
Wednesday May 17th
I
had plans to meet Pam and Gary at their hotel, which is located near the train
station. Our plans were to do a day trip together to Ravenna Faenza Faenza ,
the board showed a 10:10am bus to Ravenna Ravenna
We
started our tour first visiting Dante’s tomb. Lots of school kids were
also on tour. Ravenna Ravenna
In
the center of town is a wonderful MercaoCoperto Cafeteria on via IV
Novembre. It’s in a large building and open only until 1 or 2pm. I
always enjoy walking around these markets looking at all the meats, cheeses,
fish, seafood, fruits, vegetables and pastas. It’s certainly a great
place to pick up food for a picnic.
We
had a delicious lunch at RistoranteGaradela. I had the tortellini, which
was stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach and served with a creamy tomato
sauce. We all ordered a primi and secondo. This was a big mistake
as this place serves huge portions! I would have been fine with just the
tortellini. Both Pam and I ordered the mixed plate of fried calamari,
shrimp and zucchini slices. It was excellent and again, a large portion. Gary
The
mosaics in Ravenna are incredible! We toured several sights with the
combination ticket we purchased: San Vitale and the Mausoleum of
GallaPlacidia. We also visited the Neonian Baptistery and Duomo.
Our
feet did ache after a while because of the cobbled stones. We took the
5:35pm train back to Bologna Ravenna Ravenna
Back
in the room I packed a little, had some of my wine, and then went back to Il
Portico for dinner. I had a good dinner. I had the best bufalo mozzarella
in the world! It must have been made that every afternoon. My entrée was
also good: Bucatinialla' Amatriciana, which has onions bacon in a red
sauce. My other dining option was to go back to Mariposa for their
lasagna Bolognese – it was fabulous. Next time!
Bologna to Parma, May 18th
I
got up about 8:30am and after dressing had my breakfast in the hotel.
They had a nice selection of food, although similar to the breakfast I had in Florence Parma Bologna
is certainly the capitol of food in Italy
I
took a taxi to the train station and caught the 12:23pm Regionale train to Parma Parma
The
weather in Parma
Parma
I
toured the baptistery, which the ceiling was fabulous, the Duomo (with its
façade covered in scaffolding), and a museum next door. I enjoyed a glass
of wine and wrote a few postcards at a café. Ernesto had given me one of
his cell phones to keep in contact, which I really like having. He called
me around 4:30pm and had me walk to one area of town so he could pick me
up. We met up and walked to a café for drinks. He was nice to take a few
hours off from work to spend time with me. He normally works till 8-9pm.
They eat every late and get up very early. He also works 1/2 days on Saturday.
After our drinks, we walked home. We had stopped at Santy’s office and
gave her the car so she could go on a job interview. She usually rides
her bike to work. It was a nice walk back walking along the river.
Dinner
was great and of course, I couldn't pay. I tried! Even when Ernesto
and I were having our drinks in the afternoon, he wouldn't let me pay. I
was getting up to go to the restroom and he said, "Don't pay" shaking
his finger at me. For dinner we went to a tiny trattoria: La
BarricataOsteria on BorgoMarodolo. Ernesto ordered our dinner without
any menu, as he stated this was one of the few restaurants he likes in Parma
Parma
I
didn’t sleep well last night because of my allergies. I took some
medication, which helped me through the day. Also, the day was much drier
than yesterday. After Ernesto and Santy went to work, I walked to the
market at Piazza Ghiaia, which is located along the river. It took only
20-25 minutes from the apartment. I saw lots of neat things and some
wonderful meats and cheese. The market is only open until the early
afternoon. I picked up a snack for breakfast.
I
spent the rest of the morning visiting the archeological museum (2euros and the
theater Farnese, a beautiful teatro built of wood. Both are located
inside the Palazzo dellaPilotta, a very unappealing building. The teatro
was used only eight times.
Ernesto
called me and told me to meet him at the Piazza Garibaldi. We met up just
as Santy showed up on her bike. We had a nice lunch outside at Trattoria
del Tribunale. Later, they went to work and I walked around the Park
Ducale, which is quite large. On the way back, I ran into Santy on her
bike heading back to work. I stopped along the way having a drink while
waiting for a jewelry store to open (3pm). I saw a pair of beautiful
earrings that I wanted to buy. Well, I went to the store at 3:15pm and it
was still closed. I guess after my ring incident in Greve in Chianti, I
guess I wasn’t mean to buy any jewelry on this trip.
Near
the house I found an internet place and sent out a few message.
Back
at the house I relaxed for a few hours reading my book on Venice
We
went out around 9pm to a wonderful seafood and pizza restaurant, S.
Martino. When we arrived, most tables outside were filled. I
ordered the mussels in white wine followed by the spaghetti with clams.
Everything was delicious. Ernesto ordered a bottle of white wine from Naples
Off
to Venice
I
got up fairly early so Ernesto could drive me to the train station for my
8:20am ride to Venice Bologna Venice , I met
a nice couple on board, whom were day tripping from Florence Venice Venice
I
took the 82 vaporetto to the Academia stop after purchasing the three-day pass
for 25 euros, taking lots of photos along the way. I had planned on
taking the #52 to the Zattare stop, but I wanted to show Jim and Carey the way
to San Marco. As I got off, they thanked me for the information I gave
them. I had given them my email address asking them to contact me when
they got home. I was curious to see how their trip went.
My
hotel, Pensione La Calcina, is located on the south side of the Dorsoduro
district. It’s a nice quiet area away from the noisy and crowded San
Marco. I got very good price for my single room with a view of the
Guidecca canal and buffet breakfast. There is no elevator in the building
but fortunately, one of the employees carried my luggage up three flights of
stairs. My room was small but adequate for me. It also had air
conditioning, which I was happy to have, especially being near the water where
there could be mosquitoes.
Since
I had five nights planned for Venice, I didn’t rush out of the room. I
unpacked a few things and settled in. For lunch I just headed down the
fondamentaZattere to AllaZattere. My guidebook recommended this place for
pizza with fabulous views of the Guidecca canal. They were right. I
had a delicious pizza with eggplant and some red wine. It was a lovely
day with a nice breeze on the water. Just like the terrace at my hotel,
AllaZattere had a terrace, which hangs over the water. While eating I saw
a cruise ship arrive. They were coming and going every day.
Further
down the fondamentaZattere is a grocery store that I remembered from my last
visit to Venice
I
headed out to explore Venice Venice
Beth
and I had drinks before our dinner at TrattoriaAllaRivetta, where I dined back
in 2001. While having our drinks at a café, Tiffany recognized me.
She and I met back in Greve in Chianti. What a small world! She sat
with us for a while and we exchanged emails. I had Beth take a photo of
the two of us.
We
got to the restaurant at 7:30pm but the only table available was too close to
the door. I wanted to be further in so I could see the other
diners. We waited at the bar for just about 20 minutes sipping on a glass
of prosecco. The man behind the bar passed out prosecco to all waiting
customers. He also served a small plate of fried sardines and
calamari. Yummy. Beth and I shared an order of fried calamari and
shrimp. For my entrée I enjoyed the noodles with crabmeat. It wasn’t
the same dish I got the last time, which was in a cream sauce, but it was
good. We sat next to a couple from England
After
dinner, we walked a bit and then to the piazza San Marco. I love seeing
the Basilica lit up at night. All the bands were playing throughout the
evening. I had a nice leisurely walk back to my hotel. As I walked along
the crowds dwindled. By the time I got to my hotel, it was very
quiet.
Venice
It
was a beautiful morning in Venice
I
had a nice map of Dorsoduro and San Polo and did my own walking tour from my
hotel all the way to the train station. It actually took me most of the
day, as I stopped along the way at various churches and sights (Chiesa di S.
Sebastiano, Chiesadell’AngeloRaffaele, Scuola Grande di San Rocco with its
fabulous Tintoretto’s masterpieces, and the Santa Maria GloriosadeiFrari with
Titan’s Assumption of the Virgin.
I
had delicious spaghetti with pesto and not so great mixed salad for lunch at
Trattoria Pizzeria Antico Capon in the Campo Santa Margherita. It was
nice to sit outside, as usual. Most of the customers were from Germany
Not
too far from the bus station, I found a small souvenir shop. The owner
and his wife were very nice to me, especially after I told them I was looking
for a long necklace for my grandmother. The man stated that I was getting
a discount because I said the magical word, “Nonna.” They were
sweet. I even asked them to pose for a picture.
I
took the #82 vaporetto back to the Accademia stop and walked to my hotel.
I had a glass of wine in the room and watched a bit of CNN.
The
woman at the reception had made my dinner reservations at Trattoria da Remigio,
which I had read was much better than alla Madonna. I met up with Beth at
her hotel about 7:15pm and we walked to the restaurant. We had about 5
minutes before it opened, so we walked around the area. Back at the
restaurant a couple asked us for directions to another place. We tried to
help them but couldn’t figure out their instructions. I just told them
that Remigio was supposed to be a very good place and to come back if they
couldn’t find the other restaurant. They did.
Our
table was next to the window. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio (no
carafes of house wine at this place) for our meal. I had a delicious
seafood appetizer of shrimp, baby octopus, prawns, escargot, and
scallops. For my entrée, I had the gnocchi with red seafood sauce, also
very good and filling. Next to us was an older Italian couple enjoying a
variety of dishes. When the seafood risotto arrived at their table the
man offered us to taste it. It was delicious!!
After
dinner, we window-shopped. Beth found a place where she purchased a bunch
of beads to make into a necklace. I purchased a small Murano glass
ring. It was very inexpensive compared to the rings I saw in other
stores. We also found a mask shop with beautiful masks. One man was
making two of them. Several people were around watching him. Beth
and I ended up back at piazza San Marco, where I took a few night shots of the
Basilica. We both headed back to our hotels.
Venice
Monday May 22nd
My
hotel has Internet capabilities, so I used it for a few minutes this
morning. The computer is located in a telephone booth, so it’s stand up
only. I suppose they do not want people to be on the computer for a long
time.
Today
was great, although my feet were killing me. Because of the hot sun, I
did feel more worn out than the other days. I spent the first half of the
day walking I the Castello area. I had taken the #82 to San Marco passing
the San Giorgio Maggiore. Someday I’ll get off there to visit the
church. I took many photos of the canals and other scenes. I saw
two restaurants that I had dined in back in 2001. I visited the Santi
Giovanni e Paolo church, as well as the Church of Miracles
I
didn’t have time for a sit-down lunch since I had my 2pm walking tour, so I
headed to the Rialto area and had a quick lunch at Rotisserie Bartolomeo.
I had their shrimp and zucchini risotto for lunch, which was pretty good for a
dish that was prepared earlier. This place has wonderful foods to choose
from. Upstairs is a dining room and I believe more expensive than down
stairs.
While
walking down stairs from the bathroom, I was looking at the display of food and
missed the last step of the stairs. I tripped and fell down. No one
helped me to get up, even though the place was packed. I sat at a table
for a while making sure my right foot was okay. I was worried it would
swell up and then I wouldn’t be able to do the walking tour. I was fine
as long as I kept moving. If I sat for a while it would stiffen up.
I
took the vaporetto to the meeting point, the Royal gardens at the San Marco
stop. The tour started at 2pm and lasted two hours. Since there
were many people on the tour, we were divided into four groups. In the
group were Roberta and her husband Steve, who I had corresponded with prior to
traveling to Italy
After
our tour ended at the post office next to the Rialto, I headed over to the San
Polo side to sit for a bit at a café. I had a glass of wine and an
appetizer of bruschetta. It turns out this was the same place that
Roberta mentioned having dined the night before.
Again
on the vaporetto, I headed back for my 5:30pm boat ride of the Grand Canal . I met up with Beth, Roberta, and
Steve. There were four boats to cover everyone in the group, eight people
in each boat (actually a taxi). The four of us sat in the back, which was
a big mistake. We had a hard time hearing the woman give her lecture.
Although she had a speaker in the back for us, it was too much static. It
was disappointing not being able to hear her talk about the palazzos and
buildings as we went along the canal. The ride itself was very nice,
especially since the weather was beautiful and clear. We were given a
glass of prosecco, although it was cheap prosecco. Beth actually tossed hers
overboard.
After
our tour, we said goodbye to Roberta and Steve and headed to the area near San
Marco where a lot of the gondolas are stored for the night. We didn’t
have any dinner reservations and Beth was still full from her lunch. We headed
up to the San Polo area and ended up at AeOche for dinner. La Zucca was
packed with people, a highly recommended restaurant. It’s a nice area
with that restaurant and a second one on the canal. Dinner was good,
although they forgot my pizza order. Fortunately I was full after eating
caprese. Beth ordered the pasta carbonara and she got full quickly so I
had a few bites of her pasta. I told one waiter to cancel the pizza (the
pizzas I saw at the other tables looked great), as it was getting late.
We took the #1 vaporetto back to our hotels.
Venice
Tuesday I spent the day in theVeneto
We
arrived in Maristoca on market day, which I was very pleased. My original
plans were to take this tour on Sunday, but I was the only one booked for that
day. I was asked by the tour company to switch to Tuesday. I
purchased about 100 grams of Asiago cheese, which was delicious. Miriam,
our tour guide gave us lots of information throughout the tour, although she
had a rushed attitude. Plus I felt her driving, typical of the Italian
drivers, was not necessary. With customer in the van, I think the drivers
need to be a little more conservative with their driving.
I
loved Bassano del Grappa. I had seen this town on the travel channel and
re-arranged my Itinerary to add the extra night in Venice
In
Asolo, we had a very good lunch at Al Bacaro. I had pasta with fresh
white asparagus. Others had a polenta dish with mushroom and cheese;
someone else had simple pasta with red sauce and another had a large mixed
salad with tuna. Prices were very reasonable. After lunch, we had
the opportunity to walk around each town for a short while.
I
enjoyed our tour to the Villa di Maser. We had driven by a couple of
other villas. The Veneto Hawaii
Our
last stop was to a prosecco winery, Ca Salina in
Valdobbiadene. The owner, Gregorio Bortolin, gave us the opportunity to
try the various prosecco he makes, which were excellent. I bought a
bottle of the extra dry for just 4.8 euros.
It
took 1.5 hours to get back Venice , as traffic to
and from Venice
Prior
to dinner, I meet two women from Canada ,
Sharon Sharon
I
had a fabulous dinner at my hotel at their Ristorante La Piscina.
I was tempted to dine there the next night, but they did make reservations for
La Zucca. La Piscina serves two fixed menus (choosing two courses,
dessert and a glass of wine) either 22 or 32 Euros for their hotel
guests. Of course, the more expensive menu has the better choices.
I had a wonderful dish of tagliatelle pasta (orange color - was it pumpkin?)
with salmon in a light butter sauce and thin string beans. For my entrée
I had duck medallions and a stuffed tomato (breadcrumbs) topped with Gorgonzola
sauce. Dessert was vanilla gelato topped with sliced pears and amaretto.
I could only eat half of it but it was unbelievable. Service was
impeccable and I felt like I was dining in a 5-star restaurant.
Since
it rained in the evening, I skipped my evening walk after dinner. That
was fine, as I had a full day of touring and walking. I made a couple of
phone calls to Tony and Mom and was in bed by 11pm.
Venice
I
spent my last full day in Venice starting with a visit to the RialtoBridge and
the wonderful market area. I loved seeing all the wonderful fresh
seafood, fruits, vegetables, etc, including fish I couldn’t recognize.
It was rainy throughout the day and a little on the cool side, so I had my
sweater with me.
After
the market, I walked to the FondamentaNuovo on the north side of Venice to go to the island of Burano
My
guidebook recommended a place for lunch but it was closed on Wednesdays.
I picked another place, Café Vecio, in the main piazza and had a simple lunch
of fried calamari and a 1/4-liter of house white wine.
I
headed back to Venice
It
was only an eight-minute walk to the restaurant. I made 7:30pm
reservations and when I got there it was already 98% filled. This place
serves good food at reasonable prices, and with fast service. I dined here
twice in my previous trips to Venice Australia
Since
the rain was gone, I took a walk to San Marco. It was always nice to walk
after a full meal. It was about 9:30pm and things were winding
down. Only one glass/souvenir shop was open, so I looked around and found
a nice Murano glass pendant.
Thursday
heading home, May 25th
It
was time to head home after two wonderful weeks in Italy
I
skipped having breakfast since I had picked up some bread filled with walnuts
near the Rialto
After
checking in (and it was a long wait), I found a place to have my bread and
leftover Asiago cheese. It was still delicious! I had kept it in
the refrigerator.
My
connecting flight home from Paris
Tony
was in the terminal waiting for me and I was glad to see him. I had
gotten my checked back fairly quickly and was through customs fast.
Home
May 29th
I
had a wonderful time in Italy
I
never felt uncomfortable for my safety, although I wouldn’t recommend the
University area in Bologna
I
loved all the new places I visited, especially Arezzo ,
Bologna , Parma Venice
is my favorite city in Italy
I
especially loved the food in Bologna , the food
capitol of Italy
Lastly,
all the people I met, Italian and fellow Fodorites and Slow Talkers were
wonderful…well, with the exception of the three restaurants in Bologna
Next
big trip:
My
next big trip will be on the Celebrity Galaxy ship to the Mediterranean and Black sea on October 13, 2007 with Tony. My friend
Howard and some of his cruise friends will be on it too.
Ciao!
Monica
Some
useful Italian web sites:
General
Information:
http://www.italiantourism.com/ Italy Tourism
http://p104.ezboard.com/beuropetogo Travelers To Go
http://www.welcometuscany.it/
http://www.tuscany.net/
http://www.alltravelitaly.com/Italy/Destination_Guides/Cities/Florence.htm
Florence and Tuscany
http://www.laresidenzahotel.com/ Hotel La Residenza
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en_default.asp Florence Tourist office
Arezzo
Arezzo
Bologna and Emilia-Romagna
http://www.hotelparadisebologna.it/eng/index.htm Hotel Paradise
Bologna
Veneto
http://www.lacalcina.com/Pensione La Calcina
Expenses:
Totals
Transportation
Airfare $311.01
Taxi to hotel inFlorence
bus to Greve $7.42
Train toArezzo
Train toBologna
Other Taxi rides $38.08
Train toRavenna
Train toParma
Train toVenice
Local bus in various towns $0.00
Vaporetto tickets $47.36
Actv Bus (#5) to VeniceAirport$3. 84
$544.62
Hotels
Florence
Bologna
Parma
Venice
Food/Drink
Breakfast $7.48
Lunch $232.98
Dinner $440.56
Misc food/drink $90.96
$771.98
Museums $158.08
Hill Town Tour $143.00
Total for museums $301.08
Misc.
Bank fees $30.50
Phone card $6.40
Shopping/Gifts $193.38
$230.28
Grand Total: $3,331.14
Note 2: Warning, this is a LONG journal.
2. Full day tour in
Tuesday I spent the day in the
http://p104.ezboard.com/beuropetogo Travelers To Go
http://www.welcometuscany.it/
http://www.tuscany.net/
http://www.alltravelitaly.com/Italy/Destination_Guides/Cities/Florence.htm
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en_default.asp Florence Tourist office
Totals
Transportation
Airfare $311.01
Taxi to hotel in
bus to Greve $7.42
Train to
Train to
Other Taxi rides $38.08
Train to
Train to
Train to
Local bus in various towns $0.00
Vaporetto tickets $47.36
Actv Bus (#5) to VeniceAirport$3. 84
$544.62
Hotels
Breakfast $7.48
Lunch $232.98
Dinner $440.56
Misc food/drink $90.96
$771.98
Hill Town Tour $143.00
Total for museums $301.08
Bank fees $30.50
Phone card $6.40
Shopping/Gifts $193.38
$230.28
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