The Grand Tour

 

Venice

               

After surfing the world wide web I thought it was time I booked something and go there in reality rather than virtual reality! Everything on this trip was booked on the internet.  I flew Go to Venice and then travelled by train to Levanto, Monarola, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Florence, Rome, Naples, Capri, Brindisi and finally took  the ship to Patras, Greece, where I visited Loutraki, Paros, Antiparos, Mykonos and Syros  flying back to the UK with Easyjet.

Venice was not what I thought it would be, first of all it was huge and secondly it was a maze to get around.    We stayed in the Hotel Locando Sturion a hotel by the Rialto Bridge which is well embedded in my mind especially for its 68 steps up to reception and no lift!.  The water buses which cover a network of canals were easy once you got the hang of them and even better when we had managed to buy a three day pass.

We ventured out to several islands Burano and Murano which are a fair way out from Venice.  Burano was quite a trek out and needed two boats but was well worth it.  There were lots of small shops selling lace work but on the whole nothing we felt we had to buy.  There was a main square with little restaurants and gelato shops, we sampled the gelato here of course in the interests of this page and can report back that they were delicious!.  The fact that no cars were allowed on the island was very noticeable and very pleasant.  This is one of the little canals running through Burano, instead of cars they have their boats parked outside their houses.  We had a picnic lunch here of huge rolls filled with cheese and tomatoes.

 

The houses on Burano were painted in bright colours so that the fisherman when out to sea could tell where to steer their boats to.  This one was particularly bright and up an alleyway - how a fisherman would have spotted this from the sea  Lord only knows!  The island seemed to have a working community and everyone seemed to know everyone else.  A lot of people were just day trippers but on the whole you did feel you were visiting a working island.
 

Murano was about 30mins away by boat and on the outside seemed a bit deserted, it didn't have the crowds that Venice had and things seem much quieter.  We were able to watch a demonstration on glass blowing and were not pressurized into buying anything.  We then walked along the main shopping canal and looked in all the shops displaying wonderful mirrors, figures and chandeliers .  One or two shops had contemporary stuff which included wonderful necklaces made of glass.  I thought everything was quite good value for money and they shipped it home if you wanted them to.
Back on the main island of Venice we visited the Fortuny museum which was lovely, all those pleated dresses and beautiful lamps.  

San Marco featured heavily on our visit as there does not seem to be any system to their streets and as they are no cars these streets are sometimes very narrow and lead up dead ends.  We ended up lost back in San Marco Square more times than we cared, it was crowded with pigeons and tourists, neither of us were tempted to sit down to one of the cafes around the edge, but we did stop and listen to the live music.
We also visited the Guggenheim Museum, which made me very cross.  My small handbag was confiscated by some student upstarts who ran the entry reception.  Reason given:  they were worried that it might scratch one of the paintings!

Levanto

 

Leaving Venice we took a five hour 1st class train journey to Levanto and the west coast - train travel in Italy is not like the UK it is affordable, and the difference in fares between second and first class was very little, so given the choice we spent the extra and went First.  Levanto was chosen so we could see the Cinque Terra (five villages) that everyone raves about.  Levanto was a very small town which was mainly made up of a large piazza a private beach and lots of little shops and restaurants around it.  We stayed at Villa Margerita which was lovely even though we had terrible trouble in finding it.  This was the little terrace where in the morning you could have your breakfast.  Squirrel and I had our breakfast here on the first morning much to the annoyance of another guest!! there are only one table and two chairs, I think she got up very early the next morning!

 

From here we were able to get the train to the five villages, Monterosso, Monarola, Corniglia, Riomaggiore and Vernazza.  The Americans raved and raved about these villages and whilst we thought they were nice we did not rave about them too - sorry!  Riomaggiore was our favorite place, we found a pizza shop selling nothing but slices of pizza which we brought and went and ate them on the tiny harbour.  Monarola was very nice but I felt a bit too touristy.  I think the best views were from the train.  We didn't do the coastal walk - cannot think why!

 

 
  The famous village of Monarola, which is so pretty from a distance, there was a main street running down the centre of the village which was lined with one or two restaurants and places to sit and watch everyone go by.

The view from Riomaggiore - there are two ways to the five villages, one is the train and the other is walking along a path which you can see here, the five villages take about five hours to complete - guess which route we took?
 

 

Florence

 

Beloved Florence, we loved Florence.  Nice and flat lots to see and the FOOD!!! Fabulous!  We stayed at the wonderful Hotel Morandi alla Crocetta an old converted convent which was very near the Accadamia Museum.  After arriving by train and then taxi we dumped our luggage and rushed out to see David, the famous statue.  He was a bit of a surprise as I didn't realise how large he was.  After that we had some of the best gelato from a shop recommended on the net and then rushed round to the Ufizzi after an hour of queuing which apparently is quick we ascended the six flights of stairs I was exhausted.  Was not in awe of the pictures but I think after Venice things start to pale.  

We walked over the Ponte Vecchio and went to visit the Boboli gardens which were rather nice.  There was a short queue to get in but they reminded me a lot of Chatsworth House but with an Italian theme.  It was a very hot day and there were very few benches to sit on.  Squirrel did actually find one! at this point she was getting difficult about having her picture taken so I foxed her by pretending to take the large head instead.

This was also inside the Boboli Gardens but was closed to the public, I stuck the camera on zoom and hoped for the best, the ceiling is really lovely.  There were loads of wonderful shops in Florence and the food was the best.  We ate two of the best meals we have ever had in our lives. The bakeries around the City were also fantastic plus they seem to specialise in fancy biscuits again we didn't buy as we didn't want to have carry them round, I don't think they would have lasted very long anyway.
 

 

Rome
 

We both hated Rome.  I think we didn't give it enough time.  We did a coach tour of the city and then caught the Metro to the Coliseum.  It was huge, walked round and joined the queue yet again to gain entry.  While we waited we were serenaded by a violinist and people selling postcards.

You can just see the gladiators standing on a stone plinth, it was late in the afternoon and they were getting a little niggly re having their picture taken and at one point they were all huddled in one of the arches complaining - well the pitch used in complaining is an international language is it not?!

Inside the Coliseum - we climbed yet more stairs and were able to look down on the main area and were able to see the little rooms where the animals and the gladiators were kept.  Its hard to imagine how it was but thanks to the new film "Gladiator" it makes it a lot easier.

The famous Trevi Fountain - I was amazed where this fountain is situated, it seems to have been plonked in a tiny square surrounded by buildings.  In case you are guessing I did not throw a coin in!  After we visited the fountain we went off looking for the famous Grotti Cafe which we found and to be honest was ok but not great.  
If you think we hate Rome then here's were it redeems itself because next we visited the Vatican only really to see the Sistine Chapel and the famous pointing fingers which Melvyn Bragg made famous!  WOW with capital letters we were both amazed.  Firstly I was amazed because Sophia ejected two Russians who pushed in in front of us in the queue by prodding them with her finger and speaking the international language of get to the back of the line!! and secondly because the paintings and richness this place has is just out of this world.  We had lunch here as well, in a little courtyard with plastic tables and chairs not the best of surrounding - they need a few tips from the National Trust who always get their tea shops just right plus I feel slipping in what could be a nice little earner!  There were signs for the Sistine Chapel from the moment we got in but after I was told 4 miles we eventually hit the chapel and the famous ceiling - have to say it was a bit of an anti climax.

Squirrel in one of the many many rooms inside the Vatican.  What did strike us was outside the walls were people begging and inside the walls was the most fabulous wealth - if God came down today is that the message he would want??
 

 

Capri
 

After Rome we caught the train to Naples and then the ferry to Capri, very upmarket ferry which was fitted out with TV and plush seating.  The journey took about 40 mins.  When we got to the other end we had to catch the funicular up to the top of Capri Town.  No cars are allowed inside the old part, but on the corner of the town is the bus stop and taxi rank which has the most unusual topless cars with little canvass roofs.  The island as a whole is the most wonderful place, so clean, so colourful, so pretty and the people so nice.  It is expensive but no more than anywhere else.  We stayed in the most wonderful Hotel Minerva

 

Everywhere in Capri they have the most wonderful tiles and flowers. Above is  the balcony in the hotel reception and this one is Squirrel on our room balcony.  Which we could see the sea from.  The room was huge and the people here were lovely.  We also ventured down to the beach which was a huge trek but once down there was no rush to go back up.  We turned up with one school towel complete with name tag in and one RAF issue towel from WW2 imagine our horror when all around us were people with mobile phones, Prada beach bags and champagne cooling in buckets needless to say we spent a lot of time actually in the sea.

The famous blue Grotto.
After spending three lovely days in Capri we travelled on to Brindisi by train via Naples.  The journey was 7 hours on the train - all the trains we had been on had had lovely buffet cars and trolleys selling water and crisps etc.  As we were both getting tired at this stage and our cases were becoming a pain we decided not to bother buying any food or water as we would spend the last of our Lire on the train!  BIG BIG mistake this had to be the only train that would not have either!  I then started worry as we wouldn't get into Brindisi until 7pm that evening and we did not have any reservations for the ship.  I needn't have worried because as soon as we got off the train there was one main road leading right down to the Port with lots of travel agents selling tickets.  We ditched Corfu at this point and booked two deck spaces on the 11pm Blue Star Ferry.  Next stop MacDonalds

Greece
The crossing is not one I will forget in a hurry especially having to spend the next twelve hours stuck in a white pinic lounger with a bottle of water and a packet of biscuits.  We were also blessed with having a family who were without a doubt the new contestants for the Olympic snoring event.  Little sleep was had by either of us.  After we hit Patras we stayed in Loutraki and then hit the islands.  Tom had flown out with Easyjet and we headed straight for Paros.
After a few moments on Paros soil we immediately got the local ferry to Antiparos where we had booked into the Asteras Hotel.  When we arrived we could not believe our eyes, the only person I know who would have enjoyed the night life would have been David Attenborough.  After not sleeping the night we de camped to our usual Hotel Artemis but we could only stay one night.  Next day we had the impossible job of finding another hotel.  In the end due to desperation on our part we booked into the Hotel Yira on Paros.  The only plus side of this hotel was the little snack bar on the beach and two Australians called Ross and Marie.
Anti-Paros - Hotel Artemis
After a run in with a taxi driver who ripped us off we spent one night at Porto Paros which was a complete dump and from the angry voices next morning we were not alone with those thoughts.  The only upside was the little boat ride arcoss to Naoussa a working fishing port.  The little port at night is bursting with nightlife and bars which leave very little between them and the edge of the docks.

Naoussa Port on Paros
We returned for one more night on Anti Paros and then headed for Mykonos where we stayed at the Belvedere Hotel which is actually in the Town.  It was quite nice not quite 5* but an improvement on the others.  But when it came to breakfast this hotel surpassed itself - one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten.  I wish now I had eaten in their restaurant.
Hotel Belvedere, Mykonos
After Mykonos we caught the ferry to Syros where we stayed at the Possidonion Hotel.  Very clean water and a lovely atmosphere hotel with mostly Greeks staying. The lunches at this hotel were wonderful, all home cooked and tasted home cooked too.  The best bit was it sat right on the beach.

We then took the High Speed back to Pireaus and then the train to Loutraki.  The next day we flew back with Easyjet.  Of course nothing being easy about them!  Wouldnt fly with them again in a hurry.