PONR's May-June 2007 Trip Report!

[pointofnoreturn]

I have to give thanks to the people of this forum for giving me some good ideas for my trip. I've been to Europe before but I never really planned a trip by myself so it was extremely helpful with all the advice that was given to me. I originally planned to go by myself for a month from May 4 - June 4, 2007. But when a good friend of mine heard what I was doing, she immediately jumped on board so here goes.... P.S. I'll continue to add a post for each city when I have the time to do so and a run-up of my budget/expenses for future travellers!

Paris: May 4 - May 8, 2007

We flew with Zoom Airlines, a respectable charter airline that flies between Canada and the UK as well as France and limited service to the US/Caribbean. We got a really good deal - even with the increased fuel taxes. We paid $720 CDN all-in to fly Montreal-Paris and return London-Montreal. I would definitely recommend them for I have nothing for praise for them. We always landed early and the staff was extremely helpful and polite. We purchased a combination pass of RER B + metro for €8.10 that got us fairly quick to our hotel. At CDG airport, we also bought a carnet of 10 metro tickets for €10.90 as well.

We spent 4 nights in Paris, 3 of which at Appihotel which is located in the 2e arrondissement on rue Saint Denis. We picked this place out of location and price even though it was in a red-light district. To be honest, we are not dorm people and have peculiar sleeping habits so it was just better to get a private room. This place had fairly good reviews and a great price so why not? The area's not so great and there are indeed prostitutes hanging around but it's more of like a "Mind your own business and we'll do the same" attitude with them. I didn't feel unsafe or in danger - even at night time. The hotel was clean, bright, comfortable and spacious although I can't say the same for the bathroom. It was extremely small but came equipped with a private shower, toilet and sink. For $35 CDN per person, the twin private ensuite room we booked was a steal.

Our first day, we didn't do too much. After checking in and having a lunch, we took a short nap (jet lag, people!). We decided to go to the Eiffel Tower for the weather was much better and we though it would be nice to see the sight before sunset. We got there around 5 PM and was shocked to see the amount of people in line but neverless, we waited just under an hour in line. We paid €4.50 to take the elevator to the first floor for the stairs were closed by the time we paid for our tickets. While we were walking around the 1st floor, there was a huge protest group full of Kurdish/Turkish people protesting about their country. A riot police group quickly came up and detained them - albeit the group had just thrown thousands of flyers from the 1st floor all the way to the bottom of the tower. I pity the clean-up people who'll have to spend hours picking up flyers! I really enjoyed the Eiffel Tower and I got a couple of pretty nice shots.

The second day consisted us visiting Opera Garnier (€4), the Paris Catacombs (€2.50) and Jardin des Plantes/Menagerie (€5). I was really taken with Opera Garnier. It's absolutely beautiful but be warned, if you're a shutterbug, you might not be able to get great pictures here. The light levels are very low and it's hard to get a good shot so you might want to save your film and just buy a postcard at the boutique. The Paris Catacombs were really interesting but if you're not keen on climbing stairs or you're claustrophobic, you might want to re-consider. Photography is allowed but only without a flash. I learned my lesson the hard way (they don't really put up signs telling you whether it's allowed or not) but the guards were very nice and understanding. But I enjoyed Jardin des Plantes the most of all this particular day. It's right next to a zoo which is kind of fun no matter how old you are! I'm a keen ornithologist so it was fun looking at some birds. Cities nowadays are just full of house sparrows so it was a nice change.

On the third day, we activated our 2-day Paris Museum Pass (€30) this day. We visited the Louvre, Conciergerie, Notre-Dame and Centre Pompidou - all of which are included in the Pass. Funny enough, there were no lines at Louvre even at 10 AM in the morning! I enjoyed this museum immensely even though the crowds were huge. I loved the Napoleonic art so that was a highlight of my trip. Conciergerie was a HUGE let-down. It's not even worth visiting even if it's included in the Pass. I'm interested in anything that has to do with French Revolution history and seeing Marie-Antoinette's cell was the equivalent of watching paint dry. There's nothing of importance here - just a bunch of renovations and mannequins. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone planning a trip to Paris. Our guide-books told us that the Notre Dame Towers closed at 6:30 but the Museum Pass note says that it closes at 7:30. Neverless, we showed up around 5:15 hoping to go up to the Tower but alas, it closed at 5:30 - it was too late. A worker told us that there were misprints in every guidebook so a lot of people were confused. We took pictures of the towers from the outside but other than that, that was another letdown. Centre Pompidou was another story though - it's a modern art gallery close to our hotel in the 4e arrondissement. I definitely enjoyed the Kandinsky and Picasso works of art and would recommend this place as well. They also have free internet (30 minutes) but you need to wait in line at the library to get an access code.

Our last day in Paris consisted of us checking out of Appihotel, depositing our bags at Gare d'Austerlitz then buying a round-trip ticket to Versailles (€5.50) on RER C5 which took 30 minutes. I think aside from Conciergerie, Versailles was another big disappointment. Parts of the exterior facade of the chateau is undergoing renovation so I had to settle for taking pictures of it complete with scaffolding. The Hall of Mirrors had just been re-opened but portions of it are still undergoing renovation but you can walk through it anyway. A lot of tour groups happened to just show up so it was a day full of pushing, shoving and rude behaviour from these groups. I thought it was a waste of my time and I wouldn't go back here unless it was completely free of renovations and restorations.... We left around noon and returned to Paris. We visited Musee d'Orsay (absolutely wonderful!) and Musee Rodin (a must-see!) and Napoleon's Tomb (worthwhile if you're a history buff and I am a HUGE Napoleon fan). All of these places were also included in the Paris Museum Pass so we didn't pay any additional fees and all of these are worthwhile visits.

We picked up our bags from the train station and took the metro (Line 7) to Villejuif-Louis Aragon (end of line) around 9 PM. From there, we took a bus (No. 285) to Orly airport which was a short bus ride and much cheaper and more convenient than the costly RER trains. We had an early flight with easyJet (7 AM) to Rome that required us to check in at 5 AM. We didn't feel like spending money on a hotel so we decided to sleep in the airport. Actually, it was pretty good. On the second floor near the chapel area, there's a lounge with lots of comfy arm-less chairs that can be slept on. There were a few people there (old and young) that also had the same plan as us. There were no problems although a guard came by around midnight and asked to see our passports but we gladly obliged and he wished us a good night's sleep (LOL)! So sleeping in airports isn't all bad as it's cracked up to be!

Thoughts about Paris

• I don't think I would return to Paris again. Most of the people were unfriendly and kind of rude. I got ripped off twice at restaurants simply because I was a tourist even though I demanded the original price of my meal to be reinstated.
  
• I absolutely loved the art galleries. I was originally going to major in Fine Arts and Art History for university but changed my mind to another major but it was a dream to see some of my favourite pieces.
  
• The Paris Museum Pass is definitely worthwhile. We did not have to stand in line once and we got our money's worth with all the places we visited.
  
• If I had the choice to visit Paris again, I wouldn't do so. I would only return for connections for flights. I had a great time with the galleries but the atmosphere was just difficult and not the kind I'm used to!

EDIT - Sorry, I am taking so long to post my reviews.... Things have been hectic and I'll do my best to catch up on the rest of my trip LOL!

[crystal]

Hey PNOR
I know exactly what you mean about a wierd atmosphere in Paris. I felt the same way. I loved everything I saw but something did not quite 'click' with me in this city. I also encountered a lot of unfriendly and rude people. I know you shouldn't tar all Parisians with the same brush but it really put me off.

oh BTW "peculiar sleeping habits"

I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip I'll look forward to the other cities reports.

[pointofnoreturn]

I know I've been neglecting this thread for quite some time. Work got me busy all summer and I'm in the process of moving to a new apartment! I'm going to change the layout of the report and sort them by category - which should make it easier to read!

Rome: May 9 to May 13, 2007 (5 nights)

Transportation[/u]
- Checked in at 5 AM for a 7 AM easyJet flight from Paris Orly to Rome Ciampino. We landed just before 9 AM. Much to our surprise, it was completely baking outside - more than 30 C! After landing in Rome, we were one of many (and I stress many) people waiting for the COTRAL bus that would take us to Anagnina metro station. We couldn't get on the first bus because there were a few people that were rude enough to push in front of me and my friend to get on the bus. But a second one came 5 minutes later and it felt like we were in the middle of a cattle call! Tickets are €1 payable on boarding the bus. The ride is very short and you are dropped off at the lot above the metro. From there, you'll have to purchase a metro ticket (€1) at a ticket dispenser. We took the red line to Termini station.

- If you're planning to see certain sights and use the metro/bus system a lot, buy the Roma Pass at Termini. It costs €20 and you get free entry to the first two sights you visit (more info below) and discounts on the remaining sights. You also get three days' worth of free public transportation as well. It's very cost-effective and if you visit the 2 most expensive sights first, you'll break even on the first day!

- The metro system is very easy to use albeit a bit crowded. I didn't have any problems with pickpockets but there are a few beggars that roam the cars and ask for money. Just keep an eye on your belongings and act like you know what you're doing.


Accomodations[/u]
- We booked a twin room with the Beehive on their website at one of their apartments, the Acacia. We booked 3 months in advance and the room cost €70 altogether (€35/person). The main Beehive office is a short walk from Termini but we couldn't check in till 3 PM so we dropped our bags off and went back to the train station to eat some lunch.

- It was a nightmare dragging our bags from the office to the apartment (5 minutes walk to Termini on the other side) because it was just so hot and we were still dressed in layers from the cool days in Paris! Thankfully, our apartment building had an elevator and we were on the 5th floor. It was really nice - we even had an extra bed! We had a balcony in our room unline the others. The bathroom was MASSIVE and the kitchen was well-stocked and had a stove, toaster, fridge, etc for everyone to share. Aside from our room, there were 3 other bedrooms as well. There's a MAC computer with free internet for everyone to share as well.

- I would absolutely recommend booking an apartment room with the Beehive, esp. if you're travelling with another person or 2 people. It's so cost-effective and you have privacy and a bit of R&R to go with it! The area is actually much nicer than I thought it would be and there are plenty of restaurants, laundromats and tiny stores.

Palatine Hill/Colosseum[/u]
- This was the first place in Rome we went to. This is part of the Roma Pass and costs €10-11 (can't remember) per person for both places. We knew that it was better to go to Palatine Hill first because there are no lines and it's far less crowded. Boy, were we glad! There wasn't a single soul in sight and it was only 10 AM! I loved Palatine Hill - it's so photogenic and very relaxing. We spent quite a bit of time there, maybe about 2 or 2-1/2 hours wandering around and taking in the pretty sights. It's also quite shaded and gives you a bit of a break from the hot sun. We had a good laugh when we were walking out of Palatine Hill and saw a tall blonde guy walking barefeet on the hot cobblestones!

- After we finished exploring Palatine Hill, we walked over to the Colosseum. On the way there, we saw a gladiator approaching us. Thankfully I had done my research and knew that we should avoid him otherwise he'd make us pay $$ for taking a picture with him. I actually felt sorry for a herd of Japanese tourists who were forking over euros since they fell for the tourist trap!

- The line for Colosseum was massive and we thought we'd never make it in! But I noticed that there was a special line for pass holders so we asked if the Roma Pass was included for that line, and yes it was! Cue the two of us walking pass furious people who had been waiting for quite some time! I didn't particularly enjoy the Colosseum as much as I did with Palatine Hill. It's very crowded and loud. But it was really spectacular to be standing in a monumental building that was the home to brutal fights and executions. I did not spend as much time here - maybe 45 minutes top.

Borghese Gallery[/u]
- I had been looking forward to this for a long time! Prior to this trip, my sisters and I were fans of "The Bachelor" in which one of the recent ones was a descendant of the Borghese family so naturally, I had to visit this place! Don't worry, I'm an avid art fan as well so it's not all cameras and lights! I reserved tickets a month in advance online with the official website. The tickets cost €6.50 plus a €2 reservation fee per person. Our reservation time was for 5 PM and we were due to check in with them at 4:30 PM. When we arrived, we were surprised that the Roma Pass also covered the reservation fees so no payment was required at all (Borghese Gallery is covered under the Roma Pass)!

- We took the metro to Spagna (there are a few exits) and were dismayed to find that we had to walk a great deal from the station to the gallery and even had to cross Villa Borghese in the process! We just barely made it in there in time to get our tickets!

- The Borghese Gallery was definitely a favourite of mine. I love the intimate atmosphere and I am a huge fan of Bernini's sculptures. I really enjoyed the "Apollo and Daphne" and "Persephone" sculptures. Sadly enough, the gallery does not allow photography whatsoever. I would absolutely recommend this gallery to anyone visiting Rome. It's a great way to spend an afternoon and you have exactly two hours to visit.

- We were NOT going to walk back to the metro stop. I saw a bus stop on the edge of the Villa and asked a local (using bad Italian of course) if it stops near Spagna. She said more or less in English, "Take Bus no. 491 and it should drop you off near Spagna". We used our Roma Pass to board the bus and it did indeed drop us off near Spagna!

Vatican City[/u]
- I guess we must be in the middle of a heatwave in Italy because it felt like 35 C and it wasn't even noon! We took the metro to Cipro Musei Vaticani and from there, it's a short walk to the front to the Vatican Museums. We got to the entry at 10:30 AM and was amazed at how long the line was! It was already extending around the walls and around the block as well! Surprising, it was fast moving and we had already bought our tickets by 11 AM. We paid the student rate (€8) and you need to show ID that you're a current (student card from your school or ISIC).

- I quite enjoyed the museums, especially the Egyptian section even though it was completely packed. I won't go on and on because people have different interests. The Sistine Chapel was all the way at the end of the museum and boy, was it crowded! There's nowhere to sit and you'll most likely stand for a long time with your head arched up to the ceiling. Michelangelo's work of art was more beautiful in life than I've ever imagined. It was a shame because many people were snapping pictures and being loud and boisterous much to the dismay of the guards. People, please, have respect for your fellow travellers and abide by the rules!

- We spent quite a few hours at the museums and after doing so, we walked to St. Peter's after having a late lunch at a bistro. Again, we were shocked at how many people were already standing in line to enter the church. It wasn't even orderly and many people were cutting in front of each other! It was kind of like a bottleneck effect and we eventually made it inside, but not till I saw I was burned slightly from the hot sun. We were tired so we didn't explore the church as much as we wanted to. Rather than pay €4 to climb the dome, we opted to take the free tour of the underground tombs of the popes. This is definitely a must-see and not to mention, I was so awe-struck to be standing in front of John Paul II's tomb. Just wow, is all I can say.

Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain[/u]
- Pantheon: (Free) Take metro to Spagna and walk past the Spanish Steps and Trevi fountain to get here. It's actually quite cool although people may find it disappointment. There is a tomb of Raphael located inside the Pantheon but I did recall reading somewhere in Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" that he was buried elsewhere... While stopping here, make sure you visit one of the many gelato places around the Pantheon - they're among the best I've ever had and should probably cost €2 for a decent size.

- Spanish Steps: It's one of these "Must See Just 'Cause I'm in Rome" places. Nothing too great about it. It's a tourist mecca among designer shops (Gucci, etc) but it's a nice place to stop on the way to Trevi and Pantheon. P.S. Seriously, is bathing allowed in the fountain in front of the steps? Yuck!

- Trevi Fountain: It's absolutely MASSIVE! I loved the Trevi fountain! It's so beautiful albeit over-crowded. But it's a must-see if you're in Rome. I didn't throw any coins over my shoulders though!

Villa Gregoriana (Tivoli)[/u]
- My friend wanted to go this place and I was skeptical because I've never heard of it. But we took the metro to Ponte Mammalo and hopped on a COTRAL bus to Tivoli (€1.60). Entry is €4 and Villa Gregoriana was just recently re-opened to the public after a massive restoration job. It's more beautiful than what I expected and completely the opposite of Rome. There are no crowds (just an odd tourist or two), it's completely covered in vegetations, and there are waterfalls, grottos and views of the Tivoli countryside.

- Wear sturdy shoes because the stairs and slopes are still being repaired and the rocks often crumble underneath you. I can't count the number of times I've fallen down (once, nearly off a cliff!). Bring a packed lunch with you and have a nice meal in the cool breeze next to Mermaid's Grotto!

- It's quite a walk back to the main Tivoli bus stop and you can get lost easily. There are Tivoli buses (CAT) that can take you back to the depot but I really have no knowledge on these local buses so won't comment on them. You can hop on a COTRAL bus to Rome from there (buy a second ticket at the Ponte Mammalo station in Rome so you don't have to worry about it later).

Daytrip to Naples: Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii
- This is definitely a LONG daytrip, esp. if you're on a budget. We booked tickets on a Regional (yes, 3-1/2 hours!) train from Rome to Naples. From there, we took the Circumvesuviana train to Ercolana Scavi.

- We just missed the bus to Vesuvius so we chose to pay for a taxi rather than wait 2 hours for the next one. It cost €10/person plus a €6.50 fee for entry to the crater. The driver was absolutely crazy. I've never met someone as rude and gritty as he was and I seriously thought I was going to die as he drove us up to the 1000-ft mark! He dropped us off, gave us vouchers for entry and told us that we should be back in an hour for him to take us back to the train station. I was thinking, "Seriously, an hour? What are we, sprinters?!". Neverless, we trudged on up to the summit! We were stupid enough to take walking sticks at the start and I'll tell you why soon...

- The crater was a large disappointment. Rather than a sea of bubbling lava, it was just a hole with gravel in it. Nothing more, nothing less. But the view of Naples from the top was unbeatable. Just amazing. I noticed that we only had 20 minutes to get to the bottom to make the taxi so there we were... sprinting down the 30-degree sloped paths and falling over like idiots in order to make the cab. Note: It takes 30-45 minutes to walk to the top and 25 minutes to the bottom. When we reached the entry, we had to tip the old lady for the walking sticks and she was quite rude. "1 Euro? That's it? Phooey!" *sigh*

- Once we got back to Ercolano Scavi (minus a pit-stop in the middle of Naples so the driver can kiss his daughter when he spotted her on the street), we bought tickets to Pompeii Scavi so we could see Pompeii. We were happy to see that we got free entry to Pompeii because it was the start of Culture Week.

- Unfortunately, the downside of Pompeii is that there is NO shade anywhere. Bring sunscreen and water or you're going to literally die. Entry to Pompeii comes with a free detailed guidebook on each part of Pompeii so that was very useful. I liked Pompeii but I would have preferred to go to Herculaneum because I heard it was better preserved. It's kind of like one of these "I like it... but I don't like it" moments. It was alright but I'm glad the admission was free otherwise I would have been disappointed in spending a bit of money. After leaving Pompeii, we took the train back to Naples then another regional train back to Rome and we didn't get in till 9:30 AM. It was a long day but well-deserved. The next morning... a train to Florence!

[WillTravel]

PONR, thanks for starting on this. It sounds like Rome was hot, but you made the best of it. I'm happy to hear about the Beehive apts - definitely an option I'll consider on my return.

[pointofnoreturn]

WillTravel - I think a self-serve apartment with the Beehive is a fantastic deal. It was very easy on our pockets and there's plenty of supermarkets (main one at Termini) to buy food for dinner, etc. All in all, we really saved a lot of money and stress. We didn't see too much of the other residents in the apartment. I didn't have any problems with the computer - everyone travels at their own pace and you'll often find the place empty most of the time, so no waiting to use the Internet!

Florence - May 14 to May 17, 2007 (3 nights)[/u]

So here we are - the birthplace of Renaissance! Out of all the places in Europe, we truly enjoyed Florence. It's very laid-back and has a relaxing atmosphere. Not to mention, the city itself is small and compact which worked great for us. During our 3 nights in Florence, the weather was lovely - around 35 C and sunny everyday. I'm not going to list every single place we went to but rather the highlights and possibly some hidden gems if necessary. Aside from mix-ups with my reservations for tickets (read later!), I'd love to come back to Florence again and perhaps explore more of the countryside.

Transportation[/u]
- We didn't know when we'd feel like leaving Rome for Florence so instead of buying tickets the day before, we bought them the morning we left for €14.90 each on a 9:15 AM Regional train.

- Florence has no underground system. Locals rely on the ATAF bus system. You can purchase tickets at SMN train station or at tobaccanists for €1.20/each but if you buy on board, it's €2. Keep some tickets on you and when you board the bus, you'll need to validate it. The only problem is that the buses run on a honesty system and many people save money by not validating their tickets at all. I don't recommend this because there'll be agents in plain clothes doing checks and if you're caught, you'll be fined heavily.

- The best way to get around Florence is to WALK! Try it, it's not that hard!

Accomodations[/u]
- We booked a double room with B&B Maison. That would mean we'd have to share a bathroom with 1 other room for the remaining 2 rooms (1 dorm room and 1 private room) had their own ensuites. That was okay because we didn't really care. I can't remember how much we paid per person but I think it was $40 CAD per night per person for our room. That includes breakfast as well. Not too shabby because our room was beautifully decorated - wrought iron beds, wardrobes, satin sheets, etc. You get the point. The only downside to our room was that it was facing traffic. That doesn't bother me at all but for my roomate, the noise kept her up all night! The breakfast was adequate - nothing too fancy but consisted of Italian bread, cakes, coffee, etc.

- The owner and the manager were so friendly that they're always sitting down with the guests to share a bottle of wine. We met an older couple (in their 50's) from Denver, a girl from Canada and a guy from the US. It was great to have a sit-down and chat with them and catching up with current news.

- I am not sure I would want to stay here again. There were many problems with the main bathroom. For starters, the water pressure was as if I was standing underneath a leaky tap and there weren't always enough hot water. There was a distinct smell coming from the toilets and it's kind of crappy.... mind the pun Next time, I'll spend a little bit more money and go for a more upscale place closer to the heart of Florence because the B&B is a 20 minutes walk from the Duomo in the Piazza della Liberta area.

Uffizi Gallery[/u]
- Being the meticulous traveller I am, I booked reservations 3 months ahead of time over the phone for the 15th at 9:30 AM. However, we had a blonde moment and showed up on the 16th thinking it was the 15th (I am very bad at dates). The agent says to us, "Sorry... these were for yesterday?" and I replied, "No, today is the 15th!". I felt kind of stupid after she spoke clearly it was the 16th, not the 15th. I was so devastated because I looked outside and saw that the line for the Uffizi was MASSIVE. I don't mean like 20 people, I mean like 200 people! The ticket agent lady took pity on us and gladly gave us tickets for 9:30 AM anyways. Thank God, otherwise I'd have a coronary! A huge relief was that the tickets were free because of Culture Week so no money was required. Somewhere out there, my pockets are breathing sighs of relief!

- The Uffizi truly deserves its place among the finest galleries in the world. The artwork was spectacular and I was enthralled with the Boticelli and Carravaggio works. While we were there, we were disappointed to see that the Prints gallery was under renovation. It wasn't as over-crowded as I would have thought. I was actually shocked to see some tourists who had canes that attempted to poke at the paintings as if they were pointing out something. Ridiculous! Don't they know the value of these masterpieces?!

- I must point out that while I made reservations for the Uffizi, we also made reservations for the Accademia in the late afternoon for the 16th. But after touring the Uffizi, we were too tired to see another gallery and ended up missing it completely during our stay in Florence. We don't regret it at all because we know we'll be back soon eventually!

Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, Ponte Vecchio[/u]
- We got free entry into Palazzo Pitti and the Gardens (Culture Week). It was already noon and the heat was unbearable so I didn't feel like exploring the palace. Instead, I split off from my friend and explored the gardens a little bit. It was a big let-down. Honestly, there were barely any flowers! The views were really nice but that's about it. I wouldn't really recommend going here unless you're one of these medieval enthuasiastics.

- Since I was disappointed in the Gardens, I told my friend I'd be going to Piazzale Michelangelo which was a 20 minutes walk away. She agreed and told me that she'd meet me back at the front of the palace. No problem - I take off for a leisurely walk and I'm so glad I did this. This is truly the best spot in all of Florence for it has breathtaking views. I did actually come back here with my friend during the nightime and it was even better! Hands down, I would totally recommend this. It's one of the highest points in Florence and deserving of your time despite the long climb up.

- Ponte Vecchio: Wow.... this place is similar to a cattle call. I had a great time exploring the (expensive) gold jewerly shops and just taking in the atmosphere. I think visiting here at nightime is much better because you have awesome views of the neighbouring bridges during sunset. Bring your camera for sure.

Duomo and San Croce
- I won't go in too much details because some people like churches, some don't. I much preferred San Croce than the Duomo. But visit both if you have the time!

Bargello and Mercato Centrale[/u]
- I really enjoyed the Bargello (free during Culture Week). While it doesn't have the same grandness as the Uffizi or Accademia, it's certainly worth your time. Like I said before, I used to study art history and I enjoyed looking at Donatello and Michelangelo's works. There's more of the former than the latter. It has smaller crowds and has a more laid-back atmosphere.
- Mercato Centrale: Inside a great building is the food market and outside there's millions of vendors selling anything from clothes to wallets to jewerly. My number one tip regarding this is to BARGAIN (not for food obviously, but for goods).

Off to Milan and Athens... more to come!

[madamtrashheap]

PONR, great to read about your travels (so far - looking forward to the next installment!) and so very happy you enjoyed Florence so much - and that you got to one of the hidden treasures, the Bargello Museum.

Shame to read that you didn't enjoy Paris so much. I do, however, recall the first time I went there and it did have a "disjointed" feel to it, but the next time (and consequent 107 times since...bless work!) I felt more aclimatised and it's now one of my favourite European cities. If you do ever have the chance to go back, don't hesitate, it can grow on you like a fungus! For your next trip, see if you can spend some time in the countryside, around Lyon/Macon/Beaune, Normandy, Provence, Reims, Bescancon - you might like the pace and feel a little more than Paris.

A heatwave in Rome is never good at the best of times, and least of all for Canadians...turns you into little puddles! Now, that fountain in front of the Spanish Steps (most overrated sight in Rome, except in May when it's full of azaleas) is called the Fountain of Fertility...and bathing isn't allowed...like that ever stops anyone! You're meant to drink from it for fertility, can't see that happening now everyone has their feet in it, blech. And you didn't throw coins into the Trevi...how will you ever be able to go back?!!

Good to see that you got to experience the chaos that is life around Naples. The maniac drivers (taxis, motorini, cars, all mental!), the old lady on Vesuvius with the walking sticks (you could have given her Euro10 and she would have mumbled!), the searing heat that is Pompei...un casino! Did you get into Ercolano as well or just Pompei? And did you get to see anything of Naples (that didn't whiz by in a taxi window)?

Awaiting the next installment!