Tag Archives: Italy

Out and about in Venice

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Venice is a magical place. Over 4 days we have walked the narrow streets and alleyways, climbed more bridges across canals than you can count, and sat and people-watched in piazza’s ranging from the grand Piazza San Marco through to postage stamp sized ones tucked into the tiny spaces away from the crowds that define Venice.

We have eaten, yes, we have eaten. Whether it’s a simple sandwich and a coffee in one of the cafes in Piazza San Marco or dinner at our favourite restaurant Ristorante Da Ivo tucked away in a little back street which takes a bit of finding, the food has been exceptional.

But now we are leaving, with bags a little heavier from shopping and our wallets a little lighter from prices that can seem extreme.

And Venice is expensive. We remembered that from 24 years ago and it has not changed. But remember this is a truly unique place. For example, everything on the island is delivered by boat and then by handcart through the crowded alleys to shops and restaurants. That is an expensive process.

When we left, the hotel kindly arranged a luxury water taxi for our trip to Santa Lucia station – which was a fantastic way to say good bye. After arriving at the station we negotiated our way past the many porters offering to take our bags to the train for 20 Euro (about $NZ35 – no grazie) and we rolled out of Venice to our next stop – a week by the sea, on the Ligurian Coast.

An evening in Venice
Drinks at Cafe Florian
Piazza San Marco
Our favourite restaurant
From our hotel room
Gondolas near the Grand Canal
Crowds as far as the eye can see
Canals in Venice
A glimpse of Ponte Rialto
Lunch in Piazza San Marco
Jean loitering at the front of the hotel
On our trip to the train station
Ahhhh, Venice
Piazza San Marco from the water
Gondoli
Farewell Londra Palace
Negotiating the canals

Arriving in Venice

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After a 4 hour train trip from Rome, we arrived in Venice. The only train station I’m aware of with a canal running past its front. There to greet us was Alaria. She had organised a water taxi which took us and our bags through the canals of Venice, eventually reaching the Londra Palace. Our home for the next 4 days.

It’s a lovely hotel which has, in one guise or another, been receiving guests since 1857. It has both a bar and restaurant with terraces that look over the water.

If you are planning a trip to Venice then this could well be the relaxing retreat from the summer madness you are looking for.

Arriving at the hotel and our room with a view

Out and about in Rome

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We spent a day wandering around Rome – visiting some places we’ve seen before and adding a few new ones to the list.

We also took our first selfie – not sure why.

The Trevi Fountain
Crowds at the Trevi Fountain
First selfie – hmmm
Second selfie – better
The back streets of Rome
The Pantheon – recently a charge was introduced to manage the number of visitors
Fontana delle Pantheon
The missus, a picture of elegance in a sea of worn sneakers and ill fitting t-shirts
Piazza Navona
Bernini fountain in Piazza Navona
Third selfie – winner
The queue to enter the Pantheon – not sure if the new charge has worked.

The train to Venezia

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We are travelling. We are on our way to Venice by high speed train, a trip of around 4 hours. I received the email below just after leaving Rome.

Clearly timekeeping matters.

Our room in Rome

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Hotel rooms in Rome are often slightly weird. Because they have to work with the existing building layout there can be some unusual layouts. Ours is long and winding, but the plus is the outside terrace and what comes with it.

Given the 30 degree heat, the sauna didn’t offer a lot of value, but the rest of the terrace was priceless.

Room 43 Hotel Barocco Rome – trashed but ours.

Trains, planes and automobiles to Rome

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After many hours travel we arrived in Rome yesterday. Everything went as it should – we made our connections, our bags arrived and all our transfers when smoothly although the final leg – a train from Milan to Rome and a taxi to the hotel was done with us largely asleep as the local time of 8pm meant our bodies had some catching up to do.

It was great to sleep in a real bed at Hotel Barocco – despite waking at about 6am with an overwhelming desire for dinner.

So soon after, we sat down to a three course dinner masquerading as the Barocco breakfast – pastries, cheeses and cold meats, fresh fruit, eggs, rolls and the inevitable cups of cappuccino.

The perfect way to start a day in Rome.

The view from our terrace – early morning in Rome.
Hotel Bernini Bristol made famous in the book The Da Vinci Code
Our first breakfast in Rome
More breakfast in Rome
A great way to start the day

On the train from Milan to Rome – bored and tired at 157 km/h

And the holiday has begun

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With our out-of-office notifications turned on, and bags and clothes strewn around our spare room the holiday is underway. We are in the middle of a weekend of packing. On one hand packing our bags. On the other, packing the girls off to their holiday retreat.

Our itinerary

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I’ve had a few requests for the itinerary for our Italian odyssey. So here goes:

  • 24 July – Depart Wellington
  • 25 July – Arrive in Rome, stay 3 nights
  • 28 July – Train to Venice, stay 4 nights
  • 1 August – Train to Florence, collect rental car, drive to Camogli, stay 7 nights
  • 7 August – Drive to Radda in Chianti, Tuscany, stay 5 nights
  • 12 August – Train to Naples and then driver to Positano, stay 3 weeks
  • 2 September – Train to Rome stay 4 nights
  • 6 September – Depart Rome for home
  • 8 September – Arrive in Wellington – recover from jetlag

So there you have it – 7 weeks in 9 lines. Simple.

Return to Venice

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We last visited Venice in 1999. That would be 24 years ago.

Although the memories have blurred with time, we have evidence of the trip in the form of the the photographs taken – with a Nikon 35mm film camera – as iPhones weren’t invented until 8 years later.

Looking at these shots, clearly neither of us have aged a day since then.

We are looking forward seeing the city again.

We will be back there is a fortnight and are staying on the Island at the Londra Palace. We have trips to both Murano and Burano planned and we may even spend a day at the Lido if the pull of a beach day becomes too strong.

From what we hear Venice will be crowded, with an inundation of day trippers. Hopefully the evenings will be quieter – and we can, once again, enjoy an aperitivo at Caffe Florian in Piazza San Marco listening to the music.

 

A short video using footage from our 1999 visit to Venice.

Goodbye Cathay, hello Emirates

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Photo sourced from emirates.com

Prior to Covid our route to Italy was well trodden. Cathay Pacific to Rome via Hong Kong with a taste of Air New Zealand on the trip home – the last leg being a code share between the two airlines.

Given our combined height of 373 centimetres we like a bit of extra leg room – so when we have the opportunity we fly premium economy. Apart from the legroom, the bonus is a quieter cabin and nicer food and drink. All this for a price pitched midway between economy and business.

But when we came to book our trip this year things had changed.

Some routes weren’t being flown – so no Cathay leg from Hong Kong to Rome – and the prices of the alternatives had gone up – a lot. Some fares had almost doubled.

Enter Emirates and their new Premium Economy service which offered all we needed. The price also seemed reasonable when compared to the other options available.

We’ve read good things about it in various reviews so are looking forward to trying it – in two weeks time.

Italy calling

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It’s the shortest day of the year. Our place is devoid of sun, the weather is damp and things are truly bleak. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

We are only 5 weeks away from our first overseas holiday in 4 years. We are going back to Italy – for 6 weeks of summer sun, food and drink.

Expired passports have been renewed, new suitcases have been purchased and an itinerary that includes Rome, Venice, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast has been finalised.

As we sit here in the winter darkness and cold, the lure of long hot summer evenings, days by the pool, and all the hospitality that Italy has on offer beckons.

We have friends to catch up with and familiar places to reacquaint ourselves with.

We cannot wait.

It never rains in Positano?

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As we move from August to September the weather in Positano shifts slightly. The temperature is still late 20s, the days can be humid and “close” but there is a bit of rain about.

Since our arrival the locals have been bemoaning the lack of rain. Too dry for too long is the general feeling. Well that has changed in the last few days.

We have seen some stunning displays of lightening and thunder in the evenings – but with no rain – until Tuesday afternoon when it rained. Not just a few spots here and there, it was a full blown tropical downpour.

It lasted about an hour and then normal transmission resumed – the sun came out, the water dried up and we went to dinner, sitting outside under the stars.

Back to Arienzo Beach

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Yesterday we went to our local beach – Spiaggia Arienzo. I blogged about it before in 2011 when we last visited it. In particular, the blog mentioned the number of steps from the road down to the beach – 239. Easy on the way down, not so much climbing back up.

Although the price for a lounger, umbrella and place on the beach at the Arienzo Beach Club has gone up from 9 to 20 Euros in the last 8 years, it’s still worth it with table service to your lounger being a winning idea. Lunch at the beach club was great and it is still amazing they can produce such good food, in such quantity, so quickly for lunch from a kitchen the size of a closet.

At the end of the day the 239 steps up to the road felt a lot steeper than 8 years ago and this old man needed a couple of stops along the way. Ideal breaks to grab a glance at the luxury villas that cling to this part of the coast.

 

A slightly blurred moon over Positano

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If you have ever wondered why a tripod should be part of a photographers travel kit – here’s the reason.

Last night there was a fingernail moon over the bay as the last of the evening light faded. A perfect shot – but without a tripod it was a succession of ever so slightly blurred shots. No amount of ISO pushing or aperture opening could bring the shutter speed down to avoid camera movement.

The camera was braced, I was braced, but the result was always the same.

Note to self – next time pack the damn travel tripod.

Positano watching

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We have been in Positano for a week and life has now settled to a gentle ebb. As yet we haven’t done any Superyacht spotting – but that changes now.

Last evening what can only be described as Darth Vader’s Superyacht slid in the bay and moored up. In the twilight it was dark and slightly menacing. This morning it left but not before I grabbed some pictures.

A quick check on Google showed the boat – call Main – is owned by Georgio Armani. It was built in 2008 and cost around $US60M to build. This article provides some details.

From the sublime to the ridiculous – yesterday also saw the arrival of Roma 9902. It looked like a converted tugboat and has no listing anywhere that I can find. So maybe not a Superyacht – more a Supertug if there is such a thing.

Finally our favourite. Nameless because we haven’t been able to read the name on the side – but with its classic lines and retro feel, it would suit us to a tee.