Italy!!

Our flight from Paris landed at 8:30pm so we decided to stay the night in Treviso, and go to Venice the next morning. We stayed at the Hotel Continental in the center of Treviso. Right next to the train station. Great old hotel, had kind of a “Shining” vibe but was cool.

Took the train from Treviso to Venice (half hour) and then, because we tend to make life that much more complicated, Andy and I voted to not take the crowded vaporetto ride (there was such a line!) but instead to walk to our hotel. Supposedly the walk from Ferrovia (the train station) to Piazza San Marco (the landmark that our hotel is right behind) would be a fascinating 40 minute walk, according to our European travel guru, Rick Steves. And it was. It took a little longer because we had the bags and weren’t moving so swiftly. It was also very crowded in places, such as the Rialto bridge, and pretty much everywhere from there to San Marco. But the signs on the buildings that point to San Marco were very clear and frequent, and Andy asked me if I’d been there before (I hadn’t and he knew that) because I followed them and found our way so easily. We had trouble only toward the end, in actually locating our hotel because we hadn’t bought a map yet, so I asked two old Venetians who were fabulous and lovely and said a lot of things I didn’t understand, and ultimately we followed there instructions but still didn’t find the place. But, finally, we did.

Venice is a city where you really need a map to know where you are going. Otherwise, you are bound to get lost, again and again. All (tiny, alleyway-like) streets lead to squares, for the most part, but you find yourself turning onto a “street” (again, they are often so small and narrow that they seem more like an alleyway), thinking it’s a dead end, until you see people come around the corner, and then you know that it actually leads somewhere. The only way Andy and I feel is appropriate to describe it, is a tourist-filled crazy funhouse labyrinth, where you might even see the same people over and over… everyone is wandering the streets, looking at maps or just exploring… it’s wild. I don’t think anyone knows where they are going. There are pretty reliable and frequent signs that point to the Rialto Bridge or San Marco, so that’s helpful, but otherwise you just need to enjoy yourself. And we did. It was wild. The whole place is full of tourists, but again, you just need to appreciate Venice for all this, and enjoy it. It seemed pretty safe, and we had a good time.

We rode the vaparetti, which are essentially water buses; we ate wonderful food (make sure to check out our pictures!) and drank great, cheap wine from a wonderful enoteca (Alla Botte right by Calle della Bissa – not the Osteria... just pass by it and turn left). We followed our buddy Rick Steves’ advice on a bunch of restaurants (Trattoria da Giorgio ai Greci on Ponte dei Greci was the best!! We had the most amazing gnocchi with salmon for two, and the freshest and most succulent mussels ever. See pictures!) and had a blast. I will say, that many recommended places (cafes, restaurants) in both Venice and Paris are closed in August for vacations, so that was kind of sad, though I’d been warned about that in Paris. I scoffed, but now I see it’s true. Funnily enough, Rick Steves is a very common resource in Venice especially… I saw no less than 8 other tourists carrying his book, and several in Paris as well. It was hilarious to realize that Andy and I are not the only Rick Steves’ worshipping freaks out there.

We were in Venice from Wednesday until Saturday and we really just wandered, ate and relaxed. We were absolutely beat from Paris, and luckily Venice is small enough to handle easily. We were successful at getting lost several times, off the beaten path and away from the mobs of tourists that roam between Rialto and San Marco. We also each bought a 12 hour vaporetti pass and rode the boat as often as possible, all over Venice. This included a great ride to the island of Lido, which had a very beachy feel. Little did we know that, after eating lunch there, and then walking the 5 blocks or so to the other side of the island, there WAS a beach there… and it was great! The water was warm, the sky and water were so blue and beautiful. We also were shocked to see (in our sweet and innocent and proper American ways) that women were sunbathing topless! What a scandal! But really, it was a great little break and very chill.

Of course, because it was our vacation, it rained a good deal. But we were able to hide in various places, including the arcades around San Marco square. We stood on the covered walkways, drinking wine from our bottle purchased at the enoteca and just watched people. It was a really nice trip.

Saturday came, and we were, by that time, ready to get back to our home in Prague.

We took the vaporetto to the train, to a bus, to a plane, to a bus, to a subway, to a car to home. What a trip!

Venice pics 1

Venice pics 2

From Paris to Italy

I have always wanted to go to Italy. And I have never known what to expect. And I loved it! Venice is crazy, but great.

We flew into Treviso from Beauvais Airport in France. Beauvais is about 90 minutes from Paris and we had to take a bus there. The airport is so far away because we flew RyanAir, which is a European budget airline, which I’d only heard about but never flown. The tickets from Paris to Venice (well, Treviso) were 40 Euros for the both of us. I decided it was okay to fly at this low rate only after I’d heard from several reliable (and alive) sources that they had flown RyanAir, and their experiences were fine.

We decided to take a bus from Paris to the airport, and that was 13.50 euros each, so that jacked up the overall travel price just slightly. Although we had had no problem bringing both our bags as carry-on when we flew into Paris (all that was checked was the physical size), RyanAir weighed our bags and because one was over 10kg it had to be checked. And we had to pay 20 euros to check it. This was especially upsetting because I had shampoo, awesome almond-milk French body wash, AND a wine opener in the bag I carried on, and they were all confiscated. We should have put them in the other, checked bag, dammit! Oh, well, it was our own stupidity. (I will say anyone should check out these French bath products if given the chance – Le Petite Marseill – the packaging is so French and cute I really just wanted to save that! They’re available at grocery stores and Bon Marche department store.)

Anway, Beauvais is a really small airport and there seemed to be only three flights leaving from it. There’s only one wing area with three gates. There was no line; it was kind of a free for all. It was a little bit of madness. As I get older, chaos causes me slight alarm, and tension as well. I took an anti-anxiety pill (prescribed to me for flying since I get a little anxious) but it didn’t help, especially because as we waited to board the flight a huge amount of rain and hail – that’s right, hail – started coming down. And we had to walk outside to get onto the plane. So as everyone pushed their way through the line to get out the door we had to run – run – to the plane, getting soaked and pounded by hail. It was terrifying. It was a movie that can only end badly.

RyanAir doesn’t assign seats. Luckily Andy and I got two together. It was a little bit of madness - again, that tension and alarm causing madness – while people found their way to seats. An awkward Italian pre-teen girl loudly proclaimed her unhappiness about not sitting with her family (and as soon as the seatbelt light went off she was sitting on daddy’s lap, in the seat in front of me).

We took off as the hail and rain died down around us, and the flight was fine. There were a couple of bumpy moments, but it was fine. RyanAir was fine… though with the additional fees of the bus ticket and checking a bag, and the pain of getting to the airports, I don’t know that I would fly them again. I think I am getting a little fancy in my old age, and want a seat assigned, and proper lines to wait on. Regardless, we landed at Treviso in an hour and 20 minutes. We stepped off the plane and it was warm and balmy, a bit unlike Paris’ rainy, windy, occasionally sunny weather we had had for the past week. We survived the flight (not without a few tears of utter fear from me) and we were in Italy!

About the next trip

We are leaving on Tuesday afternoon for Paris. We will be there for eight days, then we go to Venice. We will be there for four days, and then will return to Prague.

I am very excited about going to Paris. I was there once before – four years ago, I think - with good ole Edith. We went in April and it was great. I am excited about going back. I am also excited because Andy has not been there and I cannot wait to show it to him. I have been practicing my French, preparing for what I will have to say at various times on our trip. I am hoping my French will come back to me, since I have taken about a total of 6 years of it, over my dicey high school and college years. Ah, Monsieur Hosford, I think of you now as I prepare for this journey! (and Madame Morey, though not so fondly!)

We are staying in the Latin Quarter (named for the original language spoken, as the Sorbonne and its scholars were there), which is not an area I am so familiar with. Edith and I stayed in the Rue Cler last time, and had an amazing time. Nearly everything we needed, in terms of food, and there’s really little else, was available to us there. Of course, we ventured out, but that neighborhood was great. However, it’s a little pricier now than it was then, so we went with another Rick Steves’ suggestion, and are staying near the Sorbonne at the Hotel Cluny Sorbonne hotel. This is quite near the Luxembourg Gardens, which I am eager to explore and near the Seine and the bridge to the Ile de la cite, which is a quick walk to the Ile St Louis and the Berthillon ice cream shop, which we visited last time and was great. I just wish I could remember where that fondue restaurant was, Edith?!

Anyway.

Then on to Venice… I have no idea what to expect, though have done a good deal of research, and of course have my trusty Rick Steves guidebook to help me through. I love this man. If you don’t know who he is, and you are planning a trip anywhere in Europe, I sincerely suggest you pick up his guidebook, above any others. He’s got wonderful suggestions and lists very reliable restaurants and hotels. He also has wonderful self-guided walking tours that are interesting and easy to follow. I’ve used his suggestions in Paris, Vienna and Prague and all have been great. We’ll see how he is in Italy!

It’s unlikely I will be posting anything on this trip, unless the hotel has wi-fi, which I doubt. But I will take loads of pictures and post when I return. Please, if anyone has any suggestions for sights or places to check out on this trip, let me know!!

Cheers!