Best activity: wine tour
Best weather: Sunday in Venice/Florence after the rain
Best food: Spaghetti with fruitti di mare, Grand Canal, Venice
Best gelato: any
Worst weather: Rain in Venice on the first day
Most uncomfortable: On the vaporetto to Lido
Most relaxing: Cafes in Florence/beach in Lido
Most out of character: Sleeping in without an alarm 2/3 days. Nice! and still go to see plenty
Most educational moment: Understanding the DOCG in Tuscany from Illaria, our guide
WTF moments: 1) passport control at CDG 2)any Italian bathroom
Funniest: 3 for 5 at glass shop on Sunday in Venice
Most pleasant surprise: Hotel on first night (Dona Palace). Most decadent hotel I've ever stayed in for a fraction of the price. When have I ever had a STUDY in my hotel room?!?!?
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A week's worth of observations...September 4, 2009
***Could not believe the international out pouring over Ted Kennedy's death. Absolutely astounding.
***Would do a wine and food tour in Tuscany any day - it was fantastic! Traveling in a minivan all over Tuscany as part of a six woman group - priceless!
***Italy smells of leather and pizza and I could be fine if those were the only smells I experience for the rest of my life
***Limiting gelato to once per day is very difficult
***Not sure if I'd fly Alitalia again. Kinda sketchy. AirFrance has more of a chance, but the plane cannot compare in any manner to Virgin Atlantic - the best -that's it.
***Someday, maybe sooner than I expect, I will cash in my FF miles and fly first class - I've been amassing miles for almost 10 years with very little to show.
***I think the guy who say next to Jesse and I when we went to Paris in January 2008 is on the plane - in an exit row - of course, all those miles he accumulated from his uber-exclusive job.
***The flight is late going back to the US - one of the first times we've been this late in all my years
***My bruise from falling at the Duomo in Florence is ridiculous. Of course I would fall on my face in a dress
***Leaving Venice in a water taxi is hands down the best exit from a city. It was almost James Bond like. I could not believe that we arrived at the airport (Marco Polo) in 20 minutes. It made up for not taking the gondola ride in the city.
***Lido is the best. When I return to Venice, I'm going back to Lido and renting a cabana all afternoon - it was fantastic - the sand was so soft, the water so warm. Perfect beach day - such a fan!
***Prosecco or Bellini--love them both. Not sure which I prefer, though partial to the Bellini...
***Shopping, wine, gelato, and chocolate make for the best times on womens vacations...
***Flying transatlantic alone is just not fun. It's much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to about the food with and to make the time go by much faster.
***This has to be my last trip to Europe this year! Twice in one year is incredible. No more trips unless the US dollar tanks even further.
***I really, really want to fly Lufthansa after all the hype I've heard. Is is really as good as its passengers proclaim???
***Finally have made it to Italy, but need to get to Rome. Where else on the list? Austria, Scandinavia, have to think about the rest...
***So glad Raegan and I rented cell phones. It made it much easier to separate. Thank goodness I got the charger to work at the Una Hotel
***Loved all three hotels: Dona Palace, Hotel Brunelleschi, and Una Hotel. All were what we needed in good locations.
***Would stay in Carneggio again. Loved being able to walk to the touristy spots, but with the relaxed vibe of the neighborhood.
***Will wear dresses and skirts when it's hot on vacation. So easy and much moe comfortable than shorts.
***Loved the market in Florence. Loved shopping with Raegan. We had the perfect girls getaway.
***Would do a wine and food tour in Tuscany any day - it was fantastic! Traveling in a minivan all over Tuscany as part of a six woman group - priceless!
***Italy smells of leather and pizza and I could be fine if those were the only smells I experience for the rest of my life
***Limiting gelato to once per day is very difficult
***Not sure if I'd fly Alitalia again. Kinda sketchy. AirFrance has more of a chance, but the plane cannot compare in any manner to Virgin Atlantic - the best -that's it.
***Someday, maybe sooner than I expect, I will cash in my FF miles and fly first class - I've been amassing miles for almost 10 years with very little to show.
***I think the guy who say next to Jesse and I when we went to Paris in January 2008 is on the plane - in an exit row - of course, all those miles he accumulated from his uber-exclusive job.
***The flight is late going back to the US - one of the first times we've been this late in all my years
***My bruise from falling at the Duomo in Florence is ridiculous. Of course I would fall on my face in a dress
***Leaving Venice in a water taxi is hands down the best exit from a city. It was almost James Bond like. I could not believe that we arrived at the airport (Marco Polo) in 20 minutes. It made up for not taking the gondola ride in the city.
***Lido is the best. When I return to Venice, I'm going back to Lido and renting a cabana all afternoon - it was fantastic - the sand was so soft, the water so warm. Perfect beach day - such a fan!
***Prosecco or Bellini--love them both. Not sure which I prefer, though partial to the Bellini...
***Shopping, wine, gelato, and chocolate make for the best times on womens vacations...
***Flying transatlantic alone is just not fun. It's much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to about the food with and to make the time go by much faster.
***This has to be my last trip to Europe this year! Twice in one year is incredible. No more trips unless the US dollar tanks even further.
***I really, really want to fly Lufthansa after all the hype I've heard. Is is really as good as its passengers proclaim???
***Finally have made it to Italy, but need to get to Rome. Where else on the list? Austria, Scandinavia, have to think about the rest...
***So glad Raegan and I rented cell phones. It made it much easier to separate. Thank goodness I got the charger to work at the Una Hotel
***Loved all three hotels: Dona Palace, Hotel Brunelleschi, and Una Hotel. All were what we needed in good locations.
***Would stay in Carneggio again. Loved being able to walk to the touristy spots, but with the relaxed vibe of the neighborhood.
***Will wear dresses and skirts when it's hot on vacation. So easy and much moe comfortable than shorts.
***Loved the market in Florence. Loved shopping with Raegan. We had the perfect girls getaway.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Summer 2009: lots of traveling with the green backpack
So this summer, my backpack accompanied me to Austin, Texas for a few days in August, and then to Italy: Venice and Florence for a week in late August-early September. Since nothing has been posted since my Amstel obsession of July 2009: here's proof that it really did travel this summer. This was taken when I was packed up in Florence, ready to train it back to Venice. So...more to come...just been a slacker since I got back two weeks ago...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
the countdown begins...
3 months from today my backpack and I are off to Italy. Venice, Florence, and wherever else the journey takes us for the week before Labor Day. Can't wait to go. The tickets are booked, just the hotels, trains, and activities left...lots of ideas, but so little time. still can't believe I'm finally going...
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