Back from Venice, Florence, Rome & London stopover

[WillTravel]

I'll start with the costs, because this is one of the major concerns most of us have when deciding to travel or not.

Costs for the trip, from Dec. 25 - Jan. 10:

Transport
* $837 Canadian for the YVR-LHR flight (Vancouver to Heathrow)
* 52.40 pounds for the LHR-VCE flight on BMI (Heathrow to Marco Polo airport near Venice)
* 34.49 Euros for the CIA-LGW (Rome Ciampino to London Gatwick) flight
* 5.10 pounds for the London TravelCard one day pass Zones 1-6 (or was it 5.30?)
* 16.73 Euros for train travel from Venice to Florence (I couldn't get the next Eurostar, so had to take a route through Bologna, because I didn't buy tickets in advance)
* 29.40 Euros for train travel from Florence to Rome (nonstop on Eurostar)
* 8 Euros for Terravision coach from Termini to Ciampino
* 16 Euros for Rome transit pass (CIS)
* 9.70 Euros for Florence 3-day bus pass (a mistake, because I only took the bus twice)
* 22 Euros for Venice 72-hour ATAC pass (good for bus trip from airport and vaporettos)
* 10.50 Euros for additional Venice 24-hour ATAC pass
* 17 pounds for National Express trip from LGW to LHR

Accommodation
* $113.72 USD for two nights stay at Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel (one night at the beginning and at the end)
* 190 Euros for stay at La Forcola (4 nights) in Venice
* 172 Euros for stay at Casa Santo Nome di Gesu in Florence (4 nights) (the dinner is lumped in with my other expenses at the end)
* 250 Euros for stay at Hotel Julia in Rome (5 nights)

Prepaid tours and tickets
* Performance at La Fenice 22.40 Euros
* Scavi tour 10 Euros

Other tours
* Enjoy Rome, three tours: Ancient Rome, Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto, Vatican. 21 Euros each, so 63 Euros

Other lumped together expenses for all attractions, food, postcards, etc. for the entire 13-night stay in Italy:
* 650 Euros (give or take a few cents)

For my one half-day and two mornings in London near the airport:
* 20 pounds

I've put the prices in the original currency.

This method of going through London worked well for me, given the prices that I would otherwise have to pay for direct travel to Italy, the fact that these would involve early-morning flights which I really dislike and quite likely with two connections, and the fact that I like to visit London even for brief periods when I get a chance.

If you see anything I left out, let me know.

I had private rooms for this whole trip. If I had stayed at hostels instead all the way, my estimate is that I would have saved about 25 Euros per night. So multiply by 15 for the whole trip.

If I had been really strict with food and avoided restaurants, I could have saved about 15 Euros per day. So multiply again by 15 for the whole trip.

I have item-by-item breakdowns for some of the days if anyone is interested.

[WillTravel]

Reviews of accommodation. I'll start with Italy, and do the London airport hotel in a separate post.

La Forcola, Venice
www.laforcolahotel.com
I stayed there Dec. 27-31. I booked it at 47.50 Euros per night through www.ryanairhotels.com . It's a 3* hotel with 24-hour service and a lift.

My single room was small, but very clean. It had matching wallpaper, chair upholstery, and bedspread. It had hardwood floors. There were matching dark wood wardrobe, desk, chair, and bed.

The ensuite bathroom might be a bit quirky for American preferences, but it worked fine for me. As in many European hotels, there's not a separate shower enclosure, and I've found these a bit of a challenge in the past. But I figured out that if you shower while standing over the bidet, the water will not leak into the bedroom (plus I rolled up a towel and put it outside the bathroom door, although that turned out not to be necessary). The bidet and toilet are actually combined, and you lift the bidet cover to use the toilet. All in all, a clever use of limited space.

The breakfast was very good compared to what I have read of typical Italian breakfasts. There were fresh rolls, croissants, tortes, fruit cocktail, butter, jam, nutella, different selections of yogurt, juice, coffee, and cappucinos available on request. As throughout much of Italy, they played English-language pop music during breakfast. I seem to recall hearing several Beatles Christmas songs among others.

The staff was friendly. The location was walkable to anywhere if you wanted to do so, or you could walk about 100m to a vaporetto stop (San Marcuola). Of course there are tourists everywhere in Venice, but I found this area in Cannaregio had a pleasant mix of locals and fewer tourists. The grocery store Billa was not too far (and it is open - I think there was controversy about that before I left).

The only reason I would stay elsewhere would be to try a different neighborhood of Venice.

[WillTravel]

Casa Santo Nome di Gesu, Florence
Piazza del Carmine 21
www.fmmfirenze.it
I stayed here from Dec. 31-Jan. 4. The winter curfew time is 11 PM, but with my sedate tendencies I didn't find this a problem. They did make a special exception for New Year's Eve, and you could stay out until 1 AM, but I didn't make use of that.

I had wanted to try a convent to see what it was like. This is a lovely old palazzo, with very high ceilings. It has a library, albeit mostly with religious books in Italian and French. I did find a few tourist-oriented books, although none in English I don't think. But I suppose someone could donate a few. There is a common TV room, but once again all the options were Italian.

My room was very spacious by budget accommodation standards. Furthermore, the ceilings were perhaps 15-16 feet high (5m or so). There was a radiator in the room that has a cup attached that you put water in, presumably to prevent the air from getting too dry. There's a tall shuttered window that you can open and look out over the piazza. I found I could store some cold food between the doors to the shutters and the actual shutters (hope the design is clear). My only complaint is that the room did get cold at night, despite the radiators, presumably because of the high ceilings.

There is no lift, and it is 42-43 steps from the ground floor to the first floor. I think it's about the same from the first floor to the second floor. The floors have terracotta tiles. The place is very clean and bright.

The bed was very comfy. I had an extra blanket and pillow in the attached closet.

I chose not to have a private bathroom here to save a few Euros. I did have a sink in the room. There were always bathrooms available, and the showers and water pressure were fine. I had two fresh towels per day. These were of a material that I associate more with dish towels (although fluffier and more absorbent). They worked fine, though.

Breakfast was a bit more spartan than where I stayed elsewhere. There were regular rolls, croissants (I think), butter, jam, Nutella, apples, coffee, milk, and juice. But all nicely presented and the apples were a good touch.

Some of the sisters spoke English, although not all. They also speak Italian and French.

Every morning at breakfast I was given a dinner menu to fill out if I wanted to stay for dinner. For 14 Euros per night, I had a four-course dinner, although dessert was on the simple side (like fruit). Furthermore, I typically was given the option to have an "encore" for all of the courses. I purchased one bottle of wine for 7.50 Euros and used it up over the course of the four nights. Dinner is optional, but it was obvious to me I couldn't get a better deal in Florence and it was so easy and comfortable to eat there.

The location is in the Oltrarno, right next to Brancacci Chapel and Masaccio's famous frescos. I walked from the convent all over the place. I had posted an inquiry about taking the bus before I left. Most posters suggested not walking from the train station. So I did take the bus there, although I walked back uphill (about a 20-minute walk) on depature. I also took the bus from Piazzale Michelangelo after having walked up there. But otherwise I didn't take the bus anywhere, and walked from Brancacci Chapel to San Marco to Santa Croce and all over Florence. It just didn't seem worth it to try to wait for the bus.

The center of Florence was very crowded while I was there, and the area where I stayed was considerably less so. It seemed like a very pleasant area.

The only disadvantage is the lack of a phone, which I had elsewhere. I got phone cards and phoned my family from phone boxes.

[WillTravel]

Now onto Rome.
Hotel Julia, via Rasella 29
www.hoteljulia.it
I stayed here from January 4-9. I paid 50 Euros per night, which was pretty good considering part of my stay was during high season. I had a single room with an ensuite toilet and sink and hairdryer, and a bathroom down the hall that was to be for my "exclusive use". As it turned out, I think someone else used the bathroom a couple times even if they weren't supposed to. But this was a minor detail, as I only needed the shower, which was perfectly comfortable in my case (not small as described in other reviews). They could put an extra lock on the bathroom, though. Towels and toiletries were generous and replenished daily. The room was clean, and had a single bed, small wardrobe, chest of drawers, table, chair, and TV that was ceiling-mounted. Of course it was on the small side but you expect that in Europe for budget accommodation, and I felt very comfortable taking a break there and sleeping there. There was rarely any noise from the street and my sleep was never disturbed.

There is a lift and 24-hour service.

Breakfast was very good by Italian standards. I hope I recall everything available, but there were croissants, baguettes, jams and marmalade, cream cheese, butter, nut spread, yogurt, cornflakes, tortes, ham or salami, canned peaches, tea, coffee, real orange juice, other mixed juice, coffee, milk, tea, and cappucinos and other such hot drinks on request. No problems with quantity or quality and this was a great start to my day.

The staff were very friendly.

The location seemed ideal. It is close to the metro stop for going to St. Peters and the Vatican. Otherwise, I found it an easy walk to the Trevi, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, and more. I did take the metro to the Colosseum, but that was more for a chance to take a slight break from walking. This hotel is about 100m from Piazza Barberini, so I can definitely recommend staying at the bottom of the Via Veneto. I enjoyed walking up the VV to the Villa Borghese one morning, and then back.

[WillTravel]

The flight over to London was as noneventful as could be considering I was feeling far from perfect. I had my dispensable books to read. I hardly slept and couldn't eat much. The plane arrived at Heathrow, and fortunately this time the wait for a gate was not too long. Everything went smoothly and quickly through immigration. I was feeling weak with managing the luggage (I did carry-on only again), but I held up surprisingly well considering I was still feverish. I was happy I had made a practice of walking four or five miles home from work several days per week. One problem I find with traveling in the winter is that when you wear a coat, it's a nuisance to deal with indoors when you have lots of other stuff to manage. For that reason I was rather hot by the time I got to the Central Bus Station. There is some distance and some steps involved in getting there from Terminal 3. All the time I was drinking lots and lots of water (which I had to carry with me). I bought a one-day pass into central London. I got a bus quickly to my airport hotel, Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel (booked through Priceline). I got a perfectly nice, but small room.

I lay down for a bit, and contemplated whether I should just stay there and rest. But even being feverish, I thought that was too boring. Plus that would be wasting the money I had spent on the tube pass. But I decided against trying a London Walk. I'd try to go to the Dickens Museum and St. Paul's Cathedral evensong. I went to the lobby, got an expensive and not too great cappucino, and then proceeded on my way. I took a bus to the nearest tube station, and went into London.

Now I still wasn't quite with it, and had forgotten to take the address of the Dickens Museum. I knew I had to get off at the Russell Square tube stop. I asked one of the tube workers how to get there, but she didn't know the address. She gave me a little map though. I went outside and noticed a Tesco's across the street. This was great, and I went and bought some water and juice.

I also noticed a sign leading to the Dickens Museum. So I followed it and got to the end of a dead-end street. There was no indication of which way to go now to get to the Dickens Museum. I tried going one way for a block or two. Still no sign. I tried going the other way for a block or two. Still no sign. I gave up and went for a walk around Bloomsbury. Then I noticed another sign for the Dickens Museum. I followed that for a while and still no sign of the museum. I was thoroughly fed up by this point. When I get home I check the map and see that the signs are indeed very poorly posted, and it would be a miracle if anyone found the museum using them.

So I decided to head over to St. Paul's to listen to the evensong, which I knew was supposed to be at 5 PM. I did so, and noticed a lot of people expectantly waiting. But the doors didn't open. By 5:15 PM, people had given up in frustration. I walked around, and noticed the schedule. I noticed that for whatever reason, evensong was now at 3:30 PM (or possibly it was 3:15 PM). I was resolved not to be too frustrated. I had a good look at the outside at St. Paul's and there is little scaffolding on it now, and of course it looks quite beautiful. But in all my trips to London, I still haven't gotten inside, so I resolve to do that next time.

So my next resolve was to head to Trafalgar Square and see the Christmas tree that Norway gives to Britain every year in memory of Britain's help in WWII. I got off at Leicester Square, and saw a fairly promising restaurant - Caffe Uno. I decided I'd go back there, and in the meantime check out the concerts at St. Martins in the Fields. A woman was outside handing out pamphlets to the concert at 7 PM. So no problem I thought -I'll go eat dinner at Caffe Uno and then come back and buy a ticket. Then after the concert I'd finally see the tree.

I was still battling a loss of appetite and not feeling well. But I had some roasted vegetables, and vegetable soup, and salad. This all went down really well, as I can usually tolerate vegetables if nothing else. I rarely go to sit-down restaurants in London, but in the circumstances I felt I had to. This was pretty reasonably priced for London even being on the main drag.

So off I go to St. Martins in the Field to buy my ticket. Oops, in the interim they've sold out. Hmm, not my day so much in London. So I go over and take a look at the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. I was looking forward to seeing something really festively decorated, but it's just a tall tree with white lights. I've read somewhere that Londoners don't do that much Christmas decoration and it's true I didn't see too much (once again this was Boxing Day, Dec. 26).

At this point, I decide it won't hurt if I get an early night. So back I head to the hotel. It is freezing cold. I phone the desk and complain. They immediately offer to send up a space heater. I ask to be moved to a room that has heat. They say that all the rooms are like that. I also ask for several blankets. I get the space heater and blankets. I put on a T-shirt, nightgown, sweater, cotton pants, and wool socks. Admittedly the fever might have made the heat problem seem worse than it was. I put on the space heater and everything does indeed heat up, helped by the smallness of the room. I get a call from home, and fall asleep.

I wake up before 4 AM (Dec. 27 now), and turn on the TV. I'm feeling reasonable, considering I still have a fever. Then I start seeing news of the tsunami. I had only vaguely noticed that earlier, because there was a silent TV in the lobby. I don't think I had discussed it the previous night.

The room is not bad now, and I turn off the space heater. I take a shower, etc. Then I discover the hair dryer doesn't work. Oh, I am somewhat ticked off at this point. I call the desk and they send someone up who agree it doesn't work. I ask for a separate working one. They don't have one. Poor me is going to have to go out in the freezing rain with a fever and wet hair. But by the time I leave, my hair is mostly dry.

Then I proceed to repack. Oops, when I was sick my husband had stuffed in a whole bunch of extra stuff he thought I might need, plus some more clothes, plus some fruit leathers (which I actually don't like). I can't get everything to fit, and I'm feeling tearful and frantic. Plus, this effort is making me later than I want to be to catch the plane. In desperation, I grab a plastic laundry bag and throw the extra stuff in there. This actually works fine. I get on the bus to the airport. It takes 10 minutes and I'm in line at BMI by 9:15 AM for my 10:50 AM flight. That's later than I like, but it turns out not to be a problem. Within about 15 minutes, Venice people are pulled out of the line into a separate one. I check in smoothly, and am given an exit row seat (although this has little if any advantage when I try it out).

Once I'm past security, I pick up some breakfast at Pret a Manger, a cappucino and a smoked salmon sandwich. I can just eat the salmon and vegetables, and can't handle the bread at all. I got cappucino instead of my usual cafe latte, because I couldn't handle the thought of that much milk.

At this point, it might sound like it's been pretty miserable, but actually it wasn't that bad. I had the feeling I was improving, and things would only get better.

So I get on the flight to Venice, and it proceeds fine. BMI serves a turkey sandwich, which I actually hope to be able to eat. Oops, only a small bit of it is edible, given my appetite. I do drink lots of juice and water. I'm in an aisle seat, but I notice the small islands of the lagoon as we are descending. I'm a bit worried by the forecast of intermittent showers.

I deplane at Marco Polo, which is a nice modern-looking airport. In a short time, I figure out where to buy the 72-hour vaporetto/bus pass. And then I figure out where to catch the bus to Piazzale Roma (which is also covered by this pass). I have to wait about 15 minutes, but I am feeling much more confident. In the short walk to the bus, I feel the last raindrops that I am going to feel during my whole trip.

I'm going to get on to the good stuff soon, I promise!

[LHR02]

Sheesh!!!
Come on...get to the good stuff! ;D

[dumbdiety]

And pictures! I need to live vicariously through you! ;D

[WillTravel]

My Internet connection was down for a while yesterday, and then I was nodding off way early in the evening. But the photos - soon . And more of interest, soon!

[WillTravel]

Here are some pictures. They should be in more or less chronological order, although I had to stop taking pictures at nightfall, so you can't see my nocturnal wanderings. Also I notice at least a few are oddly out of order for no apparent reason. Let me know if the links don't work.

Venice:
share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAOGTZi3cNmzv4

Florence:
share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAOGTZi3cNmztw

Rome 1:
share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAOGTZi3cNmzpg

Rome 2:
share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAOGTZi3cNmzro

Rooms and bathrooms:
share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAOGTZi3cNmzwA

[WillTravel]

Dec. 27 - 3:30 PM or so
So I arrive at Piazzale Roma, after a pleasant bus ride. Almost immediately I find the vaporettos. I can't remember which one I'm supposed to take, but a worker tells me to take #1. Three stops, and I'm at San Marcuola. I had worried I wouldn't be able to find my hotel - but it's very easy. Check-in goes smoothly, and the clerk gives me a map of Venice. This is very good - much better than the guidebooks.

Off to work - more later.

[LHR02]

Thanks for sharing the pictures! We've walked many the same street my friend. I think I've spent too much time in these cities....way too often I could visualize precisely where you were standing when you took this or that shot. ;D Fabulous trip down memory lane.

Looking at them I can pretty well tell what you did manage to get to and what not. Anxious for further reports!

ging

[dumbdiety]

Those are wonderful pics!
EEK! Teacher's looking at me...back to class...

[LHR02]

Thankfully you are not there this week:




Gondolas stuck as Venice waters recede



VENICE, Italy (Reuters) -- Gondolas are running aground and hotel docks hang in midair as Italy's lagoon city Venice, more commonly awash at high tide, dries out because of good weather and an unusual combination of planetary influences.

Only the Grand Canal, Venice's biggest and most famous waterway, can still take water traffic, and the falling canal levels have given rise to terms such as "ghost town" and "desert" in local papers.

"The phenomenon is due to low pressure, that is, the good weather that coincides with the syzygy, the alignment of the moon, earth and sun," said Venice's tides office.

The new moon this week has helped push water levels to their lowest point in more than a decade, nearly 2.5 feet (80 cm) below sea level, it said. The lowest fall on record was 4.1 feet (1.21 meters) below sea level in 1934.

The city assured tourists that water levels would soon start rising again, restoring the romantic look they expect.

[Tracie]

I particularly liked the photos of Florence's Duomo.
This brings back so many good memories!! Now I want to go back.

[WillTravel]

I think jetlag is hitting me harder than it did on other trips. Is it the lack of winter sunlight or is it old age? Last night I could hardly stay awake until 9 PM.

Dec. 27 - I walk along Nuova Strada, visit a grocery store, visit a small shop and get some meat, and proceed to see the Rialto. I'm struck by how many expensive designer shops there are in the area around the Rialto and St. Marks. I take a water bus all around the Grand Canal and Giudecca, but it is better to do this when there is light, because there's less to see at night. I visit St. Marks Square at night and find I can't see much either. I walk back to my hotel and on the way have dinner at a place on Nuova Strada - salmon/seabass salad, grilled vegetables, bread, panna cotta, and white wine. It's pretty good, but more expensive than I'd normally go for, but given I'm still feverish, I don't want to be wandering around too much.

Dec. 28 - I'm feeling much better, and have an enjoyable breakfast at the hotel. When I step out of the hotel, I notice there is acqua alta. There's no way I can get off the step of the hotel without going through a huge puddle that is at least a couple of inches high. Luckily I have my waterproof Rockport boots, and I step through the puddle and onto some stairs. They have the platforms set up all over the place - I always tend to call them "picnic tables" because that's what they look like, although they have a concrete base. I walk into the area of Cannaregio that's leading to the train station. I want to check out the location and hours of a laundromat for later use. I notice that all the Venetians have green rubber boots on. Some tourists have some purple plastic covers for their shoes. There are storefronts where people are pumping water out of their shops (you can barely see this in the first few Venice photos). I find the laundromat, note the hours, and then proceed out to do my main sightseeing.

I've decided I'll proceed to see Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Santa Maria Gloriosi dei Frari, which is very close by. I take the vaporetto from San Marcuola to the other side of the Grand Canal almost directly opposite (San Stae) and decide I'll walk the rest of the way (I think I could also have taken a traghetto, but it worked out the same). When I'm walking down to San Marcuola, I have to walk on the platforms, but there's an area at the end where I have no choice but to go through a bit more water. Boots to the rescue again!

There's a grand place (possibly St. Eustachio's church?) almost right at this stop which is having an exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. This would have been fun to see, and I take a quick look inside (would have had to pay 6.50 Euros to see the proper exhibit), but I want to get on to the other stuff.

I have a very enjoyable walk through the San Polo sestieri (district). Venice has six sestieri, each with its own characteristics. I generally point myself in what I think is the correct direction, and periodically check on my map. I really enjoy walking in Venice - seeing things almost becomes secondary. I notice lots of local touches: Christmas lights and decorations strung up between buildings, clotheslines, elderly ladies dressed in mink and pumps with their wheeled shopping baskets, private boats in the side canals, and so forth. There are lots of steps and bridges, but these steps are very gentle.

I can tell when I'm getting close to a tourist site because I start hearing a hubbub, and sure enough when I get around the corner there is an obvious cluster of tourists. I don't mind, because after all I'm a tourist, but it was sort of funny.

I see the outside of Scuola San Giovanni Evangelista, but don't go in. As usual, everything takes longer than expected, so it's already later than I was planning.

I then visit the Frari. This is a grand, lovely church following the typical pattern of one main aisle with two side aisles and numerous chapels. As with so many other churches, there are a fair number of people buried here, with magnfiicent tomb monuments, like Titian and Canova. I forget to get the audiophone, but there is a lot of information available anyways around the various parts of the church. But elsewhere I do get the audiophone and it is helpful. www.basilicadeifrari.it/

I then proceed to Scuola Grande di Rocco.
gallery.euroweb.hu/html/t/tintoret/3sanrocc/
The scuolas are interesting charitable institutions. This building features the work of Tintoretto, almost exclusively, although there is at least one Titian (of the Annunciation). I get the audiophone which has lots of information about the history of the place and about Tintoretto and his paintings. There's the hall on the ground floor, and then upstairs there is a small chapel, and also a large room that includes some magnificent ceiling paintings, plus walls crammed with other Tintoretto works. There's a grand staircase also, of course. I think it is Titian's Annunciation which to me features a surprisingly masculine-looking Mary. Michelangelo whose works I later see also had masculine-looking women.

Going through just these two places takes hours. There really is an embarrassment of riches, which is almost overwhelming. I still don't feel as if I did them justice, but I have to move on at some point. I think I could visit the Scuola every day for a week and it would still be a new experience each time.

I head to the vaporetto stop San Toma. This one is quite a distance from San Stae, but I've walked the intervening distance in the course of sightseeing almost without noticing it. I can't remember where I get off, but I think I go to Rialto. I go into St. Marks Square which looks rather busy. I find a chocolate shop that sells some hot chocolate for 2 E. This is sort of like drinkable pudding. It's a great restorative. I find St. Marks looks a lot better in daylight, because I can see the painting on the front for one thing.

I head back to my hotel, get something to eat, but realize I should hurry out again, because I have to pick up my opera ticket before 6 PM. I walk to the Rialto and find the place (the Hello Venezia office although they didn't say that in the email) and get my ticket with no problems. I then walk over to La Fenice so I'll know where it is, although it's still too early to go in.