Month: January 2023

Venice

On By Travels with MelindaIn VeniceLeave a comment

Venice is a one-of-a-kind experience that takes you to a place where water and walking dominate. No room for cars on those narrow alleyways and bridges-pedestrians rule and believe me, there are a lot of tourists visiting this beautiful place no matter what time of year you go!

We left our ARBNB in Florence for a quick weekend trip to Venice in late September, taking a two-hour train ride through the lovely Italian countryside and arriving right on the Grand Canal at the Venice train station. Grab a Vaporetto, which is Venice’s water bus system, and ride around the canals to get to your hotel if you don’t want to walk or want a fun way to get acquainted with Venice.

You really only need two days in Venice unless you want to see it all-Doge Palace, museums and side trips to Burano (colorful houses and lace-making shops) and Murano (glass blowing) islands nearby. Our favorite thing to do in Venice, however, was just wandering around the less crowded back alleys and traversing the 150+ little bridges over the canals. Stunning views everywhere you look and charming shops to peer into as you walk by.

For us, Venice was all about walking here, there and everywhere. Luckily, though rain was forecast, it was lovely, and we were able to walk nine miles on Saturday and six miles the second day before boarding the train back to Florence. We went down alleyways and tried to stay away from the busy paths by the Grand Canal. Not knowing if the weather was going to turn on us, one of our first priorities was to experience a gondola ride so we found one with no wait just for the two of us (later we saw lines of people waiting later in the day). It’s a “must do” experience in Venice!

Hoping in near the Rialto Bridge, we quickly went under the bridge and got great pictures from mid-canal. Our gondolier wasn’t chatty but did point out a few sites like the Bridge of Sighs that we floated under. It is truly amazing how all the boats, whether a gondola, water taxi, speedboat, or water bus, share the canals without incident, at least none that we saw. I only saw one gondolier who was female. Hmm. How does one become a gondier? Family legacy or is there a school? Are they union or need a license? They definitely need some diversity.

Some of our best moments are stopping to look around and just appreciate where we are at the moment and take it all in. We look up at the buildings and Thom usually finds a local leaning out their window to capture in a photo. “Always look up!” is his motto and has led to many lovely memories of what we saw when we did. I always notice the animals as we walk around. Lots of dogs in Venice! I only saw one cat roaming. Speaking of cats, I bet there are quite a few hanging out at the Rialto Fish Market. We didn’t make it there, but I hear that it is quite the experience if you get up early enough to watch the fisherman bring in the catch of the day. Do try seafood at the cafes in Venice as it is fresh from the market and delicious.

Of course, you have to check out St. Mark’s Basilica with the elaborate Byzantine exterior. If you have time, go inside and check out it out. Very ornate and gold.  Also note – the Basilica is closed to visitors until 2pm on Sundays while mass is taking place. You can still access the Basilica Museum from where you access the second floor terrace. As you can imagine the views are wonderful.

Aspirationally, I wanted to go to the Venice Jazz Club one night. When we walked to find it in the daylight so we were prepared, we happened to run into an employee who was coming in and he said they were sold out that night. I had emailed them (email or phoning them is only way to make a reservation) but he seemed sure I wasn’t on the list after I told him my name. Walking back to the hotel, we decided it was good that we weren’t going because getting around Venice in the dark and in the rain wasn’t a great idea at least for us. The club later emailed us and verified we did indeed have reservations after all but it was too late by then to go. We had settled into resting up at the hotel with bakery items after walking nine miles. If you do want to run around Venice at night, you might want to bring a small flashlight if you don’t want to use your phone flashlight and kill the battery. A paper map of Venice is a good idea to have too in case the phone GPS isn’t working well. Next time we visit, I’m definitely going to the jazz club!

Shopping in Venice, other than the tourist stands, is fun. Lots of art galleries, vintage shops and jewelry stores. We even ran across a local garage sale in a church courtyard when we were on a remote canal. Everything from real fur coats to glass items and vinyl. We only do carry-on so I had no room for large items and shipping internationally can be difficult, as I found out last year when I tried shipping wine home from Italy. It took months and some bottles didn’t make it. The winery actually no longer ships to the US because they have had too many issues. So back to Venice, we had fun browsing and I got a lovely very small Murano glass plate that can hold jewelry on my bureau back home. Of course, I have bought several jewelry items so far on our trip to add to my extensive collection including cute Murano glass earrings. So little time, so much jewelry!

Lunch on the canal as gondola glides by with a saxophone playing passenger.

As we enjoyed our last meal in Venice by the canal, we heard a sax playing and then saw a guy with his family in a gondola floating by us. The guy was just belting it out on his sax playing a free water concert for us. I wonder how far he travelled with his saxophone just to have this experience of a lifetime in Venice on a gondola. Definitely living his best life. Shouldn’t we all do that too? If you could do anything anywhere what would it be?

Top sites to see in Venice:

Doge’s Palace Palazzo Ducale | Doge’s Palace | Venice (visitmuve.it)

Basilica of San Marco St. Mark’s Basilica (basilicasanmarco.it)

Murano Island Murano – Wikipedia

Burano Island Burano – Wikipedia

DaVinci Museum Leonardo da Vinci Museum Venice – EN

Guggenheim Museum Peggy Guggenheim Collection | The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation

Rialto Fish Market Rialto Fish Market (Mercato di Rialto) – What To Know BEFORE You Go | Viator

Tours:

Local Tour: https://www.withlocals.com/experiences/italy/venice/

Night Tour: https://livtours.com/tours/private-venice-night-tour-with-exclusive-entry-into-st-marks-basilica/

Mask-Making Class: Venice Carnival Mask-Making Class 2023 (viator.com)

Restaurants:

We usually wander and find a café to grab a bite. Try seafood, Venice’s specialty. Here are some highly rated places to try:

Cantina Canaletto Restaurant – Venice

Bacaro and Restaurant since 1448 in Venice | Winery Do Spade (cantinadospade.com)

Gio’s Restaurant Venice – Italian & Venetian Cuisine (giosrestaurantvenice.com)

HOME – Impronta Cafe Venice (improntarestaurantvenice.com)

Main Home EN – Osteria Oliva Nera

Staying in Venice:

We stayed at a Marriott propery, AC Hotel, which is new and not on a canal. However, it was reasonably priced by Venice standards, which are crazy expensive. I didn’t care about a canal view and we like a hotel with modern amenities like updated electrical from this century, comfy large beds and smart TVs. A roomy bathroom with a waterfall shower and great water pressure as well as an expansive breakfast buffet are always appreciated. So AC Hotel worked well for us and was two blocks from a canal, cafes and the train station. If you want that “historic” experience, look into one of the many little old hotels around Venice but make sure you understand how you will get there with luggage from wherever you land. Also, ask any hotels if they have elevators, as most don’t and you end up hauling your luggage up steep stone staircases. They don’t do it for you. Trust me.

GETTING AROUND VENICE

Vaporetto aka water bus

While walking is the easiest way to get around Venice, taking the water bus is inexpensive and efficient. Buy your ticket at the various water stations where the bus stops or at tabacchi/newstands around town-look for the ACTV logo. A 75 minute ticket costs under 10 euros but you can buy multiple day passes starting at one day for 20 euros. Make sure to “validate” your ticket by swiping or tapping them on machines located at the water bus boarding entrance or on the boat. If you don’t validate and a security person checks your ticket, you will get a hefty fine due on the spot. It happens-I’ve seen it! Hours for the water bus run from 5 am to midnight with a few running all night because Venice does like to party. At high tide when Venice floods (plan your trip accordingly), there can be restricted service. Key routes include: #1 on the Grand Canal-good for a tour around to see the sites. Route 12 will take you to Murano and Burano islands.

Gondola

A “must do” in Venice, expect to pay 80 euros for a 30 minute Gondola ride, more in the evening. Take exact change in euros. You can get up to about 6 people in a Gondola to share the cost but we enjoyed our ride for two very much. Don’t expect your gondolier to speak English or sing to you, though it could happen. Our gondolier spoke a little English and said he would charge more to sing. We were cool with no singing and just wanted him to focus on navigating the narrow canals without incident. There are gondola stations all over Venice-if you see a line waiting just walk on by and find a gondolier that is ready to go.

Walking

Look for signs on the corners of buildings as you walk to get your bearings and get pointed in the right direction. These directional signs for the “big” sites like St. Mark’s Square are everywhere on main thoroughfares. On the smaller streets, you may wander down one way and dead end at a canal with no bridge and have to turn around-part of the experience. Be aware that there are very few benches on which to rest pretty much anywhere in Venice. In the larger squares, you just go to a cafe and pay for pricey drinks during off meal hours. If it is close to meal time, they won’t let you take up a table without ordering food too. The considerate way to get a seat at a café is to find a waiter or maitre d’ and ask to be seated. Sit down without permission at your own risk because you will get a good “talking to” by staff and perhaps even be asked to leave. Best to ask first and then, once they tell you it’s okay, order something and enjoy a rest.

Public bathrooms are scarce. Usually in almost any city I’m visiting, I walk into a hotel and use the lobby facilities as if I am a guest staying there but in Venice they are mostly tiny hotels so that was not an option as the lobbies are overseen closely by the front desk clerk. The train station is very centrally located so if you are nearby I’d use that as an option. It was very clean and cost 1 Euro coin. Or buy something at a café and use their facilities.

Accessibility is an after thought in Italy and especially Venice. We did see one bridge retrofited with ramps over the steps but all the rest had no ramps. Everywhere you go in Venice requires crossing one of the 150+ bridges over a canal. If you are physically challenged, plan ahead how to navigate Venice during your trip.

Seeing people struggle with their luggage all over Venice, plus navigating the many bridges and the dense crowds made me very happy that all we had was a light backpack for our weekend trip. If you arrive by train or air, you can take a water taxi which charges by the minute and is private so can take you right to your hotel if it’s on the canal. We also saw luggage porters you can hire who will take your luggage on a cart to your hotel. From what I have researched, this service can cost about 50 euros so it’s not cheap but if you need help, negotiate with the porters, which can usually be found outside the train station and major water bus landings waiting for clients with cash.

Getting to Venice

There is a Venice airport (you can take a water taxi from the airport to the city but it’s expensive) and, at least for now, the cruise ships stop there though there is talk that they might cut those back due to overcrowding issues. We took the train to Venice from Florence using the Trainline site to buy tickets: Trains in Italy | Buy Italy Train Tickets | Trainline (thetrainline.com).  It’s just four hours from Rome to Venice by train. Of course, you can also catch a bus or drive a car but, if you drive, parking will have to be outside the city, so I don’t recommend it.

Boboli Gardens

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Think of Boboli Gardens as Florence’s open-air museum with a view. Located directly behind Pitti Palace in the heart of this busy city, these gardens are an escape into 111 acres of fabulous landscaping and art. The Medicis created this Italian garden style oasis in the 16th century, which became a model for many European gardens. Open to the public since 1766, there are statues, grottos, fountains, pavilions, and even a Porcelain Museum to explore. So much to see! In between visiting all the fabulous Florence museums, Boboli Gardens is a much-needed nature break. Stroll the many paths and work your way up, up, up to experience 360 views of Florence and Tuscany.

Bring a compact blanket, picnic lunch and water and you’ll be all set to relax. Boboli Gardens could be an all-day outing depending on how much time you have in Florence. At the end, you can take the north exit to visit Fort Belvedere (see my blog post of the Fort here) or the southwest exit to visit La Specola which houses the Museum of Zoology and Natural History. Or maybe it’s time for an aperitif, in which case there are many cafes ready to serve you right outside Pitti Palace. If you leave through Pitti Palace, you will probably see Morgante, the court dwarf riding the back of a turtle. Give him a pat for me!

ENTRY DETAILS

Boboli Gardens Boboli Gardens Tickets & Tours 2022 | Florence Best Deals 8:15-6:30 daily but check online before you go because opening hours change with the seasons. You can get a daily ticket for $10 euros. We got the 5-day pass for $38 euros each where you have to get your timed entry to Uffizi first and then you have five days to also go to Boboli Garden, Pitti Palace and the Archaeology Museum. We went to them all! You have one paper ticket to hold on to and show at these places to get in and skip the ticket buying line. It’s very convenient and the way to go if you want to visit all these places, which I highly recommend.

St. Ermin’s-Best Hotel in London

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Bee lovers, history buffs, dog lovers and those who appreciate over the top hotel service will love my favorite hotel in London-St. Ermin’s. I’ve travelled all over the world and this is my pick for best overall hotel. Hands down. A historic property set in a private courtyard, it exudes charm but most of all I love the consistently world class customer service I’ve received every time I stay there. Their staff is well trained, friendly and go out of their way to make you feel special. Another bonus is the location, which is easy walking distance to many sites such as Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben, Hyde Park, St. James Park, Churchill War Rooms, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, etc.

Caxton Bar & Grill/St. Ermin’s Bees/Afternoon Tea

The formal lobby serves as an elegant gathering place for the afternoon happy hour with free wine/nibbles most days and a fine place to have a cup of tea. Everyone but especially kids (who may never have seen such a relic let only used it) seem to be fascinated with the typewriter available with paper to type out a review of the hotel. Just off the lobby there is the Caxton bar and restaurant where the morning breakfast is served. Upstairs, there is a lovely room for Afternoon Tea that is served daily. Featuring sweet and savoury treats from the hotel’s rooftop garden and bee garden, you can’t ask for a more quintessential British tradition to enjoy during your trip to London. Make reservations here for Afternoon Tea well in advance of your visit. It’s popular! After taking your tea, go upstairs to the third floor and visit the St. Ermin’s bees. Safely behind glass, you can watch them go about their daily business of making honey.

While Thom and I have stayed at St. Ermin’s several times on both business and pleasure trips, I didn’t stay there on my Ladies Trip recently because we needed the added space of an ARBNB. However, we did visit after our Parliament trip to soak up the warmth of tea served in the bar and take advantage of the grand staircase to pose for pictures with a kind staff member serving as our photographer.

Perks that we loved at St. Ermin’s:

  • Free wine and canapes for happy hour Monday to Thursday 5:30-6:30
  • 24 hour gym
  • Free water and candy in room minibar-handy to refuel after a long day of walking
  • International breakfast buffet free with made-to-order omelettes (with Marriott Platinum status)
  • Mailed my postcards to US for free
  • Typewriter in lobby that you can use to leave reviews of hotel-kids are fascinated by this device
  • Amazing front veranda where you can relax, eat takeway food or drinks or get lobby service from hotel bar
  • Concierge service-lent me a new electric adapter when mine failed to work
  • One block to St. James tube station-so quick to get around London
  • 10 minute walk to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Hyde Park
  • Starbucks, Pret-A-Manger and pharmacy one block away
  • Grand staircase in lobby for photos you’ll want to share
  • They allow pups-who doesn’t love a pet friendly place!

St. Ermin’s History

St. Ermin’s is built upon the site of a 15th century chapel dedicated to St. Ermin (thus the name!). The building was converted into a hotel in 1899. Famous for a meeting held here by Winston Churchill in 1940 with founding members of the Special Opertions Executive (SOE) also known as Churchill’s Security Army. This elite group formed the basis of the SAS and took over an entire floor of St. Ermin’s as its headquarters during WWII while the M16 were stationed two floor above. Churchill was known well in the hotel’s Caxton Bar during this period. History buffs will love staying here and walking over the Churchill War Rooms for a tour.

After WWII, a “Division Bell” in the hotel lobby was rung to signal MPs that they had eight minutes to get back to Parliament to the House of Commons to vote. Now the bell now longer rings but you never know who you might meet at the hotel because it is located within the “Westminster Bubble” very close to government buildings. It is rumored that MPs could use a secret tunnel to get back to Parliament, running from under the grand staircase in the lobby to the House of Commons. Hmmmm….who doesn’t love a British mystery?

Westminster Abbey Evensong

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I’ve been to London several times but always on business trips. While I was able to work in a little sightseeing on these trips, I definitely hadn’t been able to fully experience all that London has to offer. This time visiting, I worked remote with flexibility to journey out with Thom during the day while the US slept. First up, we checked in to the beautiful St. Ermin’s hotel (separate post on this hotel because it’s so special!) and then we went for a stroll around the neighborhood.

One reason we like to stay at St. Ermin’s is that it is only blocks to Big Ben, Westminster, etc. We were so happy to see that Big Ben had all the scaffolding down from work being done and it was shining brightly for picture-taking. As we walked by Westminster Abbey, which we had never been in, we saw people going in even though it was 5 pm and you might expect it to be closed.

Turns out there was an Evensong program about to start so off we went! The door guard explained that it was free, an hour long and that we would need to stay for the entire program, and no pictures were allowed. There was only a small group attending along with the church choir and organist. What an awesome way to experience this magnificent site for FREE! Yes, my husband doesn’t obey rules well, so he got off a few great pics even with admonishment from the clergy walking by. Oops. All in all, a wonderful memory that I won’t soon forget and that I highly recommend.

For more details on Evening, check out the website before you go for dates and time: Evensong | Westminster Abbey (westminster-abbey.org)

UK Parliament

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Last time Thom and I were in London, Parliament was in session, so we had the opportunity to observe the House of Lords. This was nirvana for two political junkies like us. It was fascinating to see another government in action with their debates and loud interactions. Lots of standing up and down, shouting “Hear! Hear!” and jeering the opposition party. Very lively indeed!

We saw a different perspective in September as Parliament was out on break, so we got to take a self-guided audio tour throughout the entire Parliament building, including a leisurely wander through both the House of Lords and House of Commons. It was awesome to see Margaret Thatcher’s statue in her heels standing tall among all the men who have run the UK government, truly highlighting the gender gap amongst past leaders. However, they did name a new female Prime Minister, Liz Truss, while we were there. Liz ended up not lasting very long (44 days-a record) and a new male PM, Rishi Sunak, was announced after we left Europe. Truly a time of turmoil for the UK. Wondering if Liz will get the honor of a statue or if her short tenure won’t earn her one. The brutal British press ran a picture of Liz next to a head of lettuce while all this was going on and asked which would last the longest: Liz or lettuce. Lettuce won.

One of the coolest aspects of our time at Parliament was walking around the floor of the House of Commons. Thom enjoyed talking with one of the staff stationed there to ensure visitors didn’t do any damage. When he found out Thom was originally from NYC, they chatted about his trip there and that his lasting memory of NYC was a hot dog. Merits of a NYC “dirty dog” ensued. Next trip, he said he wanted to go to Durango and take the Silverton train, which we have taken twice so we told him it was worth the long trip from London. Just a few hours after we left, some climate protestors went on a similar guided tour and glued themselves to the PM seat in the House of Commons and the police locked it all down. I felt pity for the kind staff member we had spoken to for after we left, he ended up having a helluva day ahead of him peeling the protestors off the furniture.

Two months later…

I was back in London again, this time on a Girls Trip and we got to experience Parliament up close and personal again this time. Parliament was in session, and we were first in line to see the House of Commons debate. Because we were there early, we were allowed to queue up and see the opening ceremonial Speaker’s Procession walk. This procession is very pomp and circumstance with various officials including the Speaker moving past the public and into the chamber. With police along the route monitoring, the public must stand, take off any hats and be silent as the procession moves by. No pictures are allowed. Now, as we were right up front and center for this event, when the Speaker walked by, I gave him a big smile and I got a wink in return. My moment of infamy interacting with UK leadership. I would highly recommend getting there early to see this iconic UK experience.

IF YOU GO

For history and information on the UK Parliament, check out their Wikipedia page here: Parliament of the United Kingdom – Wikipedia.

Check online to see the Parliament calendar in advance of your trip Lords Recess dates – UK Parliament. This will determine whether you can sit in the gallery and watch the proceedings or, if they are not in session, you can take a tour and see all the chambers.  Both experiences are very interesting, and I highly recommend.

Tower of London

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A London “must see” is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tower of London. This huge site, encompassing 12 acres in Central London on the River Thames, includes the historic castle, palace, and prison all overseen by a witty band of Beefeaters. Now, I’ve been to London many times but have never managed to fit this “must see” site into our typically packed schedule, probably because it is huge and requires many hours to explore properly. Finally in September, I’m super glad that we were able to dedicate a whole day to checking it out.

We’re not huge fans of taking guided tours but we’ll take them occasionally if we feel that we would benefit from a download of background information while taking it all in. So, we booked the opening ceremony Tower of London/Crown Jewels/Tower Bridge tour (details below). Our small group only included 12 people and the guide. Perfect size for us! Meeting the group at 9 am at the designated spot near the Tower of London entrance, we walked right in and were greeted by a friendly female Beefeater (one of only 3 females out of the 32 in this elite group). Yes, I asked her about the Beefeater gender breakdown, which didn’t surprise me given the strict requirements.

Also known as Yeoman Warders, these Beefeaters are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. The Beefeaters are all retired British Armed Forces members who must be former warrant officers with at least 22 years of service and hold the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. It’s a very competitive post to achieve. They all live on the grounds with their families. There were humorous stories galore shared from our Beefeater about her fellow guards and life at the Tower. One guard had teenagers that tried to sneak out of the walled grounds, but it didn’t go well when they tried to get back in after the gates were locked at night. Our Beefeater walked us through the history of the opening ceremony with the guards and the keys and then we got to experience it. If you are going to take a tour of the Tower of London, go early and include the keys ceremony. It is unique and well worth the cost and getting up early to get there.

After the opening ceremony, we went immediately to the Crown Jewel room (no pictures allowed and this time Thom behaved after a stern lecture from our guide that anyone trying to take pictures would be thrown out). Crowns, necklaces, and other jewelry of epic proportions were in secure glass enclosed cases that you walk around and gawk at while lots of guards watch and make sure you don’t touch anything. I’m glad we were able to see the jewels and absorb the history of how they are used for coronations, such as the 12th century golden eagle ampulla that holds oil that pours from it’s beak into the gold anointing spoon for the royal coronation ceremony. Sadly, the Queen passed away while we were still in the UK. We will be watching with great interest as King Charles wears the jewels we saw on our Tower of London tour during his coronation ceremony in Spring 2023. It will be much more interesting knowing the history behind this ritual that doesn’t happen very often. Of course, Prince William hopes it happens again sooner rather than later.

The rest of the Tower of London had LOTS of really old lethal weapons, torture tools and armory, all needed to protect London from various invaders in the past. I liked the dragon sculpture fashioned out of weapons. Very menacing!

Note-this tour is not for the physically challenged. We climbed 17 flights of stairs that day and walked 6+ miles. At the end of the tour, we walked up to the top of the Tower Bridge, which was quite the hike but the great views made it worth it. Almost. Then we walked across the bridge to the other side of the River Thames, bid adieu to our guide and proceeded to Borough Market for a well-deserved lunch break.

TOWER OF LONDON ENTRY DETAILS

We took this tour: VIP Early Access – Opening Ceremony Tower of London & Bridge with Crown Jewels 2022 (viator.com) Be advised there is a lot of walking and stairs in this tour, so it is not for everyone. There are many different types of tours so check them out and see what suits you best before booking. You can also just buy entry tickets and explore on your own: Tower of London official site: Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces (hrp.org.uk).

Lucca, Italy

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I’ve always wanted to ride a bike around the ancient wall that surrounds Lucca, Italy and, in 2022, it finally happened. Visiting Lucca for us was a day trip from Florence, which was our base in September for a few weeks. I highly recommend checking out Lucca-it’s a very special place!

Upon arrival, we headed toward the city wall that is directly opposite the train station. You can veer left and go through the city gates or go straight forward and climb some steps to get up to the top of the wall. There is a smooth concrete path for walking and bike riding that loops around the city atop the wall. We walked for awhile and then found a cafe on the trail to get water and use the toliets. Then down a ramp to the M bike rental where you could get bike carts or single bikes, both electric and manual. The carts were cute but the dream was to pedal a bike so we got them for $4 euros for an hour and off we went with the map they provided. If you don’t stop at all, you can pedal around the wall one time in about 30 minutes. But, of course, along the way there are so many beautiful buildings and countryside vistas that you’ll want to stop and take pictures. They do send you off with a bike lock if you want to secure the bike and leave it for awhile.

Equipped with my handy bell to warn walkers as I passed them, we safely maneuvered all the way around the city enjoying every minute of this special experience. After turning in our bikes and getting back Thom’s drivers license that they kept as security to guarantee you would return the bikes, we wandered off down Lucca’s quaint streets. Every building was beautifully preserved and picture worthy. In addition to the usually tourist stores, there were high end shops and vintage stores. Be prepared to shop!

Finally stopping for a bite to eat and rest our feet, I saw an unusual pizza shaped item which turned out to be chickpea flatbread, which is vegan and glutenfree. My version was onion but they had onion and zucchini too. Paired with the always good and cheap house wine, it was delicious and I can’t wait to recreate it when we return home.

If you are thinking of going to Lucca and are a lover of music, they have a summer music festival featuring a wide variety of global and local artists. I’m sure Lucca gets really crowded and all housing sells out during this festival but, if you book in advance, it could be magical. More info here: Summer Festival (luccasummerfestival.it)

GETTING THERE

It’s a quick two-hour trip by train from Florence to Lucca. I would never rent a car in Italy (cost, crazy drivers, narrow roads-so many reasons why!). Travelling by train is so easy and fun. Bring a snack and let the conductor do all the driving while you relax and gaze at the beautiful Italian scenery. More train details here.

Uffizi Gallery

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A “must see” in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the largest and best-known art museums in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. Thanks to the Medici family who eventually lost power in the 1500’s, their art collection was donated to Florence to start the museum and now we can all enjoy it!

To prepare for your trip to the Uffizi, go online well in advance and book your tickets (see my “how to” details below). Then, once you arrive and work through the entry process, you will reach the top floor where all the galleries are located. You could spend a whole day just immersing yourself in art but don’t forget to look out the windows at the end of the first corridor for great views of Florence.

We did not do a guided tour but that is an option that many people do. We listened on our mobile devices to previously downloaded Rick Steves audio guides to the Uffizi-the free option to get some history and background of what you are seeing, which is how we like to roll. We like to go at our own space and skip places too crowded for comfort. We saw all the highlights, which include paintings and sculptures by Boticelli, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael and Michelangelo.  The long hallway with multitudes of statues and paintings was lovely with benches along the way to sit and admire all the art.

You exit through the top floor cafeteria where you can sit on the outside patio or inside and get some refreshments. As you exit, navigate away from the crowds and take the small alleyways to find your way home. This is our favorite part of Florence. Beautiful doors, buildings, archways, and wine doors can be found wherever you look. We even had a horse and carriage travel down the small street we were on, depositing presents on the cobblestones that we had to watch out for as we strolled. Eventually, we found the bridge over the Arno near our place and off we went for Sunday lunch.

HOW-TO GUIDE TO VISITING THE UFFIZI GALLERY

BOOKING ONLINE TICKETS

To visit the Uffizi Gallery, go to their official website and pick your ticket-a single ticket to visit the gallery or a five-day pass to also visit Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. We got the five-day pass because we were in Florence for two weeks and wanted to visit all three. It was $38 euros. Online, you pick the date/time you want to visit the Uffizi (you have to do this visit first and pick up your pass ticket) and you are ready to go.

ENTRY PROCESS

With our ticket confirmation email on our phones (no, you don’t need to print it and bring it like the online site says-they need to update that process) you go to the Uffizi and ask one of the officials at the many entrances to direct you to the appropriate place to pick up your online tickets to the Uffizi. Once there, it was easy to show the ticket booth person our email with the order number and they gave us our tickets. Now, out the door to the courtyard again and to the back of the line to get into the Uffizi during our time booked (15-minute window) and then we were climbing up and up the multitude of stairs. There may be an elevator somewhere, but you’d have to ask for access as it is not signed or suggested. Everyone went up the stairs-hope you are in good shape! When you get to the top floor (and only then) they tear off part of your ticket and you are off on your own (unless you came with a tour).

Forte di Belvedere

On By Travels with MelindaIn FlorenceLeave a comment

When we were recently in Florence, a friend told us to check out Forte di Belvedere, also known as Fort of San Giorgio. So, as we were climbing down from the top of Boboli Gardens, we saw a sign to exit via Forte di Belvedere and decided this would be a great detour to take. A cheerful guard waved us in and asked if we were there for ‘the view”. Sure! He gave us free tickets for the patio (there is a cost to tour the fort) and we navigated some very ancient ramp steps upward to find a lovely patio overlooking the city with stunning views, comfy furniture, bathrooms and table service for drinks from coffee to booze and snacks. What a lovely place to rest after walking all over Boboli Gardens!

Here’s the lowdown on this historical site that was built in Florence in 1590 at the request of Grand Duke Ferdinand I. In the late sixteenth century, the Medici’s were in power but decided they need a fortress to protect them from possible external and internal attacks. The fort could be reached by the Medici family, in case of emergency, from their Palazzo Pitti through the Boboli Gardens. Sounds like they were a little paranoid and probably rightly so.

But, despite the possible threat to their safety, the Medicis had to enjoy those views! Not only of the Duomo but you get 360-degree views from the patio and back grassy area. What a beautiful place for a wedding or concert! I’ve been to Florence before and researched our trip extensively this time and never knew about this fabulous place until a friend told us so I’m happy to pass on this hidden gem so that you can check it out next time you visit Florence. Arrivederci!

#travel #florence #italy #travelblogger

Versailles, France

On By Travels with MelindaIn France, Paris, VersaillesLeave a comment

On our recent adventure to Paris, we finally made a side trip to Versailles. We hadn’t been able to fit it in on previous trips but I’m glad we reserved a day to check it out. The Versailles experience is something to behold–gold everywhere and so many paintings and sculptures that it makes you wonder how many artists were employed to get it all done. We opted to wander around with ear buds playing a downloaded Rick Steves guide on our mobile devices to allow us to spend as much time as we wanted in each room versus the group tours with a live guide, which is certainly a popular option for many people.

With our 9 am “first in” tickets purchased online, we broke to the left while everyone else ran to the Hall of Mirrors. This meant we had the apartments all to ourselves to meander through in awe of the over-the-top decorations illustrating how the mighty royalty lived their lives. Must not have been all that great though because Marie Antoinette had a whole village built on the property to escape to experience the “simple life” when she needed a respite from the royal life.

We did make it over to the Hall of Mirrors eventually and it was pretty spectacular. Mirrors at the time it was created were very new and cost plenty so this was a huge showoff room for the royals to declare “hey, we’ve got mirrors!” Lots of chandeliers too. Always look up-the ceilings are masterpieces.

The most fun all day was renting a golf cart ($38 euros) for an hour. They give you a map of the route all the way around the extensive grounds (you leave your driver’s license with them, so you don’t take off with the cart-it’s happened!) and if you go out of bounds, the car shuts off (it’s electric) and you have to back it out to get back on the approved pathway. It’s bumpy over the stone paths but with a very low speed limit, it’s manageable. You can park and get out and walk around but it takes about an hour to go all the way around the paths and, if you go over your hour, you pay a hefty fee for each 15 minutes over the hour. Assign someone to be the timekeeper!

In addition to golf carts, you can rent bikes (though you have to walk miles to get to them deep into the property by the grand canal) or boats (by the bikes on the grand canal). They also have a tram you can take which rides you around and is a great option if you are either physically or time challenged. Believe me, you could spend weeks walking the property. Lots of beautiful gardens and nooks and crannies to explore. There is a restaurant (by the bikes/boats/canal) and gift stores. As always, we went off the beaten track and managed to wander into the “working” area at the back of the palace and saw the kitchen garden loaded with tomatoes, some very old and not so glamorous back rooms, and had to step over the “keep out” tape to get back to the exit out of the palace.

When I look back on our visit to Versailles, I will remember the opulence and the many huge paintings and sculptures but, most of all, the golf cart ride! One trip to Versailles was enough for us but you could definitely take days to explore the Palace and Gardens if it’s your thing.

TRAVEL FROM PARIS TO VERSAILLES: (3 ways to get there-don’t even think of renting a car due to limited parking, intense traffic and crazy drivers) Versailles is 11 miles from Paris.

  1. TRAIN: RER C train (many stations throughout Paris) Round Trip Ticket about 10 euros. About 30-60 minutes. Destination will be Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche. Buy round trip ticket in Paris to save time. Make sure to “validate” your ticket or you could get a stiff fine (we saw someone get fined 50 euros for not validating their ticket).
  2. BUS: Versailles Express Bus departs from near the Eiffel Tower and takes about 30-45 minutes. About 24 euros.
  3. TOUR: The Tour Guy offers package that includes transportation.

WHEN TO GO:

  • Go to the museum palace first and be there before it opens with tickets already printed from online purchase.
  • It’s closed on Monday. Tuesday is busiest day and also weekends are busy. Pack a picnic because there is very limited food to purchase in Versailles. Take your picnic and eat in the Garden.

TICKETS

Passport tickets can be purchased online on the official site here. This $27euro ticket gives access to the whole estate of Versailles and guarantees access to the Palace within half an hour of the selected time. It includes:

In order for you to make the most of the Estate of Versailles, the Gardens are open from 8 am, the Estate of Trianon from 12 pm, the Gallery of Coaches and the Sculptures and Mouldings Gallery from 12:30 pm. Always check the official website before going just in case there are changes to scheduled hours.

  • Printed ticket-go to Entrance A directly (can use Paris Pass: $124 two day to $199 six day)

PALACE

  1. Hall of Mirrors is beautiful and the WWI treaty ending war was signed here. Light is beautiful in the afternoon.
  2. Gallary of Battles
  3. Empire Rooms

THE TRIANON AND THE QUEEN’S HAMLET

  1. King and Queen went here to “get away” from the Palance
  2. Estate of Trianon is separate ticket-two smaller palaces

GARDENS