Day 1
Date: 9th August 2014
This was our travel day and we flew from East Midlands Airport to Venice with Ryanair. Once we arrived in Venice we got onto a bus for an hours drive to the main drop off point of Venice. We had no idea what to expect as Venice has no roads, so we got dropped off and the bus driver pointed us in the general direction we needed to go!
So there we were, we had our rucksacks and were walking around the streets of Venice trying to find our hotel. We were staying at a place called Bed and Breakfast Room in Venice, not the most unique name so it took us hours to find it. Everywhere we turned we saw more alleys. The whole of Venice is full of narrow streets and we already understand why the number one tip when visiting Venice is to “get lost”. We would have been happier being lost if we were not carrying our bags.
Eventually we found our room. The room was really lovely and the family who run the place were really helpful. She gave us a map but also said that most streets don’t feature on the map, so maps are of little use! She asked what time we would like breakfast and gave us some tips on where to eat. We had a shared bathroom, but never saw anyone else.
We were hungry ans as we were in Italy…Pizza. We followed our hosts recommendations to a small pizza place in a quiet square. The Pizza was amazing. We also got a carafe of wine, of course. It was time to start exploring Italy!
We then went is search for Piazza San Marco, it took a while to find with our map which was the least reliable thing in the world! Now we had dropped the bags off getting lost was more fun and interesting. We found the square and we saw Saint Mark’s Basilica, Doce’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs and San Marco Campanile. We sat at the edge of the square people watching for an hour or so. We looked at one of the cafes in the square, the prices were so high that we decided not to bother.
The bridge of sighs was very creepy looking in the night. This bridge connected the prison with interrogation rooms and just seemed really sad. The square was really pretty at night with lights on. We also saw the Grand Canal with the hundreds of gondolas parked up. Here we decided to drink Aperol Spritz which became my drink of the holiday.
Food and Drink
Dinner: Vegetable Pizza and Ham Pizza
Drinks: Aperol Spritz and Wine.
The Highs
We are in Italy so the high had to be the pizza and wine on the first night. Best Pizza I have ever tasted so far.
The Lows
Finding our bed and breakfast was a nightmare as the streets were so hard to find without cars. It took a water taxi and a lot of walking to find the room. This low was due to the temperature and the fact we were carrying our bags. Strangely this became a high once the bags were dropped. Over the next few days we loved getting lost as we were finding new and interesting things to see.
Day 2
Date: 10th August 2014
We were woken up by a knock on the door at around 8am. Mike got up to answer and came back in with a huge tray full of our breakfast goodies. We are this and started to get ready. We decided not to take the map with us today. After researching all the things to do in Venice everyone recommended getting lost. That was the plan. We started walking down the narrow streets passing colourful buildings and stopping on bridges to look at the different canals. There were a few times that we got to the edge of a canal and couldn’t go any further so had to turn back and try another way. It reminded me of a hedge maze! It is a very pretty place but after a few hours we did feel like it all looks the same.
We went passed houses that had boats outside and sat debating how on earth they got into their houses and whether the house gets damp or cold in the winter because of all the water. It was a really strange thing to watch as it just looked as if the whole place was flooded. We turned a corner and saw that we were on the opposite side of Piazzo San Marco. We didn’t realise we had walked that far. I think this is one of the best views of the San Marco Campanile and Doge’s Palace.
We were outside of a large Church with huge domes on top which we decided to go in and have a look around. It was called Basilica Di Santa Maria and the inside was really colourfully decorated, the floor had a large pattern and there was so much light coming through the windows around the dome. We really wanted to go on a gondola ride while in Venice but did not want to fork out 80 euro for the experience. We read online that you could get across the Grand Canal for a few euro. We decided to find one of these places and check it out. The gondola ride did only cost 3 euro as it is paddled by trainees. This is a great option if you don’t want to pay the money. We were so glad that we did this as it was not relaxing! Another reason we did not want to go in the normal gondolas is because when you look at the canals they are full, nearly back to back in some places and therefore you are not getting that romantic vibe you see in the films.
We changed for the evening and made our way to Piazza San Marco where we went up the Campanile just before the bells rang. The bell inside the tower is massive, especially when someone is underneath it. The views from the top of the tower were amazing, because there are no roads the city seems really small. It’s nothing I have ever seen from up high, without roads it looks like the buildings are on top of each other.
Food and Drink
Breakfast in bed, the choice was amazing and included cereal, yoghurt, jams, bread, croissants and filled pastries. We were also given juice, tea and coffee. We loved getting this little tray in bed every morning.
Drinks: More Aperol spritz
Snack: Coconut gelato which was super tasty.
The Highs
The opposite of yesterday, getting lost in Venice. We took so many turns and were getting to the end of streets just saying right or left. I don’t know how we found our way back to the room or the main part as we walked and got lost for hours. There is so much detail in the buildings, boats and canals.
The Lows
The gondola was a very disappointing experience and not what I expected after watching it in films and seeing it on postcards. Will not be doing it again.
DAY 3
Date: 11th August 2014
We woke up for another amazing breakfast in bed delivered to the room around 8am. We are as we packed and then made our way to the train station. We were sad to leave our room as we had such good service and it was clean and comfortable. On the way to our water taxi we went past Rialto Bridge which was really grand.
We arrived at the train station, booked some tickets on a large touch screen computer. Two tickets from Venice to Florence on a high speed train and payed an extra 10 euro for more leg room (which was music to Mike’s ears, being over 6ft), WiFi and comfy seats. Money well spent! The tickets cost us around 100 euro for two tickets and the journey was really good and we couldn’t believe how efficient the public transport was.
We arrived into Florence around 3pm and started the hike to our hotel. Again we got lost as we could not navigate the streets and the directions given were a little vague and missing key bits of information out. We got there in the end, however when we checked in we were told that they had overbooked the hotel and we would have to stay in a building on the next street. We walked with the receptionist and was shown into a building with 3 rooms downstairs and a bathroom upstairs. It was a really strange set up, the room had a bed and that was it. We would still be able to get breakfast from the hotel.
We dropped the bags and went out to explore. On the way we stopped for pasta and wine in a small cafe. Food was lovely, could really get Used to Italian cuisine! We made our way over to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Wow! This Cathedral was beautiful, made out of white, green and pink marble and shined in the sun. We walked inside for a look, it was so nice and cool out of the sun. The inside was not as impressive as the outside. When we walked around the side of the Cathedral we could see the huge dome on top. This was also rather impressive in size and height.
The Highs
How easy the public transport system is in Italy, the train was clean and comfortable and on time. The WiFi worked really well and we had so much leg room for an extra 10 euro.
The Lows
The mix up with the hotel as now it felt that we were staying in a dungeon/basement! Luckily we only had a few nights in the room before moving onto the next city.
DAY 4
Date: 14th August 2014
Today was an early start and long walk to the train station to find our tour. We booked the tour through Viator which cost around £80. Money well spent as the day was brilliant. We got on the bus and drove out of Florence towards Sienna. The views were so pretty with the hills and vineyards a total contrast from Venice. Once we got to Sienna we went on a walking tour of the town. When walking through the town we saw huge flags with an animal on. We were told that it was for the “Palio” which is a horse racing event. Every district represented a different animal and has one horse in the race. The square was getting ready for the race in a few days time, sand was being put down. Every new district we saw new animals and new colours, there were flags and banners everywhere. you could tell something was coming up as there was an excited feeling walking around, kind of the same before a festival.
We then walked up to the cathedral, where was another beauty. We had tickets to go inside included with the tour. The inside was just as impressive with its black and white marble. The Cathedral was also decorated with the flags ready for the horse racing. It was beautiful inside and out, but very busy.
We then drove towards the Chianti wine region, the part of the tour we were really looking forward to. We had a tour of the vineyard first where we saw how the wine was made, stored and bottled. After the tour it was time for wine tasting and lunch. We were sat on a terrace overlooking the vineyard and the hills of Tuscany. Lunch was delicious and each course was served with wine. We tried a red, white, sparkling and desert wine. We were sat with a German couple and after we had our food we all noticed that there was loads of wine left at the other side of the table. The German couple asked if anyone was going to drink it and if not could then pass it down! At the end of the meal we were talking about the desert wine being so strong so we all decided to drink it quickly as a shot! Let’s just say we tasted plenty of wine and even went to the shop to buy more to drink at the hotel.
The next stop was San Gimignano which again was a lovely town set on ta hill. We didn’t have very long to explore and we were rather sleepy, probably too much wine and sun…mainly wine. We were told that they had the famous gelato shop which serves the best gelato in the world. We knew instantly we wanted to go there. We ordered a vanilla and pink grapefruit. It was amazing. We walked back to the bus on the outside of the town where we could see the view of the surrounding area.
Our last stop on the day was in Pisa, as we drove through the city we couldn’t help but notice all of a sudden the beauty of Tuscany was behind us and the area of Pisa did not look quite as nice. We got off the bus and headed towards Cathedral Square where we saw The Leaning Tower of Pisa. This area was so busy and full of people trying to get that perfect shot of the tower. There were people standing on the bollards, walls and railings around the tower. We took our photos and then sat on the grass people watching. Then it was back on the bus for the long drive back to Florence. The tour was a long day but so worth it, we loved every minute. We were glad that we did Pisa in a day as we didn’t like the feel of the city while we were walking around. There also didn’t seem to be a lot to do. We were so tired after another long day, when we got back we went straight to bed.
The Highs
All of Tuscany, what a beautiful place. Everywhere we looked there were hills, vineyards and in the distance small towns. It was postcard sights all day and we cannot wait to come back. We decided that one day we would want to come to Tuscany and stay on one of the vineyards.
The Lows
Pisa was a little disappointing as everyone is there for the tower, which we knew would happen. However once we were there people were crowded taking photos everywhere.
DAY 5
Date: 13th August 2014
Today was our day to explore the city and we were so excited. We researched in the room where the ‘must see’ areas were and went on our way. Our first stop was to look inside the Cathedral, we waited in line for ages and I was given a kind of scarf to cover my shoulders. The Cathedral inside was nice, however it was a little bare compares to the one in Sienna that we were in yesterday. Again as it is a major tourist attraction it was rammed with people and parts were so crowded you could only just move. We really wanted to climb up into the dome to get the views across the city but the line was too big, maybe next time.
Next on the list was to see the famous statue of David Michelangelo (replica). This again was busy with people trying to get their photo with the statue. We walked on through the small streets to climb up to Piazza Michelangelo. which we read to have the best views of the city. On the way to the steps we could also see the Ponte Vecchio. I couldn’t believe how this bridge doesn’t fall over! There are so many buildings that look like houses stuck to the bridge it looked crazy. This was a long walk up a steep hill with lots of steps, in the heat it made it twice as hard. The view at the top however was totally worth it. We grabbed some waters and a gelato and sat to watch the view.
We then headed back down the hill and walked over to Palazzo Pitti. This was a lovely place to sit and people watch and we grabbed a takeaway pizza to pass the time while sat in front of the huge building. We wasted a few hours sat here people watching. We needed to head back to the room to pack up ready for the next adventure tomorrow. On the way back we managed to catch the sunset over the city which was stunning.
The Highs
The views from the top of Piazza Michelangelo were amazing. We highly recommend grabbing some gelato and enjoying the views. We were glad that we decided to go up here rather than going up the dome.
The Lows
There were no lows today that I can remember. It was a lovely relaxed day walking around a breath taking city.
DAY 6
Date: 14th August 2014
Today we were up early and back to the station to catch the train to Rome. We were so excited this is what the trip was planned for, The Colosseum and all the other tourist things to do and see in Rome. We arrived just after lunch and decided to get a taxi to our hotel, learning from arriving and getting lost in Venice and Florence. We were staying at Ripetta Rooms which was our favourite room of the week. It was modern and clean but the best of all…it had AC and a private bathroom! It was so nice to not have to creep across landings when going to the bathroom early in the morning. The air conditioning was a life saver too, after a week of sleeping in stuffy rooms with fans constantly on, I was looking forward to going to bed in silence. The room also had a mini bar which did come in handy towards the end of our few days in Rome!
We spent the evening chilling out in our room after so much travelling the past few days. We drank the wine we had bought in the vineyard and ate some of the chocolate from the mini bar. We then decided to go for a walk to find the Spanish steps. Rome was so much busier that the other cities we have seen in Italy, there were people everywhere. There were also people selling things everywhere such as roses, light wands and postcards, they were rather pushy and followed you trying to put things into your hands. Though most of the time a firm NO! would get them to leave us alone. We got to the Spanish steps and were not prepared for the amount of people. We couldn’t get a great photo as there were too many people. We people watched then headed back to the room for a good nights sleep.
The Highs
Arriving in Rome, which is a city I have wanted to visit for such a long time, especially after watching the film Angels and Demons! Every time we watch that film now we sit there and say ‘been there’, ‘seen that!’.
The Lows
The amount of people in Rome and in particular within the tourist spots. I expected it to be busy but I think the areas are rather small and therefore feels even busier.
DAY 7
Date: 15th August 2014
Today was the ultimate day of touristy things. Our first stop was The Colosseum, we stopped on the way in a bakery to grab pastries for breakfast. We left the room early in hope to beat the crowds and we already had our tickets so could walk straight in. This was helpful as it was already getting busy. We decided to get an audio guide which was great and told lots of facts about The Colosseum. It was so hot inside, which was magnified by all the stone and concrete. It took a good 3 hour walk around the whole of The Colosseum and see the small exhibits within. You do not expect it to look as big as it does inside and it’s amazing that it is still standing. At one point of the walk you can see the tunnels and rooms below the main floor, this is where the animals and gladiators would await their flight. This was a major thing ticked off the bucket list.
It was around lunch time when we left and headed back to town. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk to The Colosseum from the centre. We walked back into town looking into the Roman Forum on the way past. We decided to try a restaurant by our hotel called Antica Osteria Brunetti. This place was amazing for food and the best we have tasted since being in Italy.
We then walked to the Trevi fountain to throw a coin in and make a wish. Little disappointing that it was under constructions so you had to throw your coin into a smaller pool of water. There was a lot of workers and noise coming from the back of the fountain, which spoiled the mood a little! The next stop was the Pantheon which is a Church in the centre of Rome. It is a huge building with all the pillars on the outside, makes it look really grand. What is amazing is when inside the dome looks huge, however you cannot see the dome from the outside of the building. Once inside the feature that we looked at the longest was the hole in the roof letting in a beam of light. The hole is the roof is the only light within the church. I think I stood and looked up in awe the whole time I was inside, wondering what happens when it rains and how the dome stays up.
The Highs
We really enjoyed looking in the Pantheon. I think it took us by surprise on how long we needed to stay and look around. It is in the middle of small streets and then all of a sudden there is this huge Church.
The Lows
The price of things in Italy are starting to sling. We are currently running low on funds! Hopefully we get through the next two days!
DAY 8
Date: 16th August 2014
This was our last full day in Rome and Italy. We went to the Vatican today. I am so glad we pre booked our tickets as the line went all around the whole outside wall. It was the longest queue we had seen for the week! We were excited to see where the Pope lives! It took a while to walk to the Vatican and our feet were sore from all the walking over the last week. Once we got inside and through security we spent a few hours looking around the exhibits and the museums. I didn’t realise that this is where the art work and other things are stored by the Vatican. It was interesting to see all the different things on displays.
We hadn’t researched anything before arriving and was a little disappointed that I didn’t learn about the Catholic Church and what the Vatican does on a day to day basis. It felt very secretive and hush hush. We then walked through the Sistine Chapel which was chaos. It was so full you had to move with the crowd, you couldn’t stop to see the famous ceiling so just walked while looking up. The Vatican museum is a beautiful place with decorated high ceilings and lots of gold. I’m glad we went as it is a once in a lifetime experience but would probably not visit the museum again.
We then went to the St Peter’s Square which I loved. It is another place to sit and people watch and just looks beautiful. It is all white and looks very clean. It is crazy to think that Vatican city is its own country and therefore the police and security look different to those in Italy. We also went inside the Basilica, which had heavy security and took a while to go through the metal detectors and for bags to be searched. The inside was amazing and so shiny. We overheard other people saying that Angels and Demons had to build a replica of the Vatican as they were not allowed to film there!
We then went to Tastevere KmZero for lunch. We found this place on Trip Advisor and decided to give it a go. It’s a really small farm shop that doubles up as a cafe. It doesn’t have a menu as such, we went up and ordered a taster board with a few glasses of wine. There are few places to sit. The food was really good. After lunch we walked around Rome for our last day and then went back to the Vatican to watch the sun set. On the was back we went to the same restaurant as yesterday…unimaginative but we loved this place.
The Highs
Vatican City was my favourite place for the whole week of travelling to Italy. However, I can’t say why. It seemed so peaceful and was a great place to sit and chill out…once you got out of the crowds.
The Lows
Our last day in Italy was perfect and we didn’t have any lows except the pain in our feet from walking so much.