Venice after Cruise

The Rialto hotel was our home for two nights before coming home. Disembarking off the ship we walked quite a way to the water taxis to get our ride to the hotel and also a return ticket to the airport on Monday. The boat ride was picturesque weaving in and out of the waterways. The taxi stop was right outside the hotel. Kay and I find it hard stepping into a moving boat and not much better stepping out again. I try and get in and out quickly and glad when the exercise is over.

Kay was given a room on the first floor and Bec and I had to wait two hours for the room to be cleaned. We were in for a surprise when after negotiating two flights of stairs we were shown into a room with a great view of the Grand Canal. The room was on the fourth floor but strangely the lift only came to the second floor, hence the two flights of stairs.

      

                                                 Our "room with a view" 

The three of us crossed over the Rialto Bridge which is half under construction and not photogenic at all. We made our way through the masses of people who were crossing or taking photos down the Grand Canal. There are a few shops as well on the bridge that we took a look in after we had lunch. 

        

                                     The Rialto Bridge early morning before the crowds.

       

    

                                            Shops on the Rialto Bridge

       

                               Lunch near the hotel

        

                                               Our room

Unfortunately, the weather in Venice was dull and we had some rain during our stay. It didn't stop us doing anything though and Kay booked a Vavaldi concert close to the hotel in a church which she enjoyed. 

We enjoy walking through the streets of Venice and coming around corners to find a piazza or square that was new to us. We have enjoyed many a meal throughout Italy at little outdoor places and had a lovely last meal in a family run trattoria.

         

                                                 Cosy Trattoria 

         

Our Europe holiday was over. Good memories to last us for years to come. We packed up for the last time and caught the water taxi to Venice airport. A ten minute walk to the terminal from the water taxi and we were getting boarding passes and soon on our first flight Venice to Dubai a five hour trek. The plane was only half full and we knew the next 14 hour flight would be full.  We weren't very happy when we found that the three of us weren't sitting together . Bec was further to the front whilst Kay and I got stuck with a elderly Arabic man who spoke no English and seemed confused.  Not a happy end to our wonderful trip.

Fourteen long hours later we made it into Sydney and pleased to see John and Nathan waiting for Bec and I.

Kay did a wonderful job of being our travel guide, map reading, organising tickets on public transport etc. I wouldn't have seen all that I saw if not for her passion for the cities we visited.

My favorite city was Paris, followed by Rome and Venice. My favorite accommodation  was in Balleseede Castle in Ireland.

Already missing the beautiful sounds of the church bells in Italy and Paris. 

                                                                         Open my heart 

                                                                          And you will see

                                                                         Graved inside of it

                                                                                   Italy

                                                      

                                                                          (Robert Browning)

                      

                            

                  

MSC Lirica

             

 

   

I was so looking forward to our cruise. We arrived on the water taxi along with cases and thankfully we had paid to have our luggage brought down from the hotel to the boat and loaded on by the porter. At the other end a strong man on the dock helped us and the luggage off and then we were ready to board the ship. We were on by lunchtime and had a look at our cabins on Bellini deck. Bec and I have a balcony cabin 10095 and Kay is only a few cabins down the hall in an Ocean View one. They are both lovely cabins but would recommend anyone to go Puccini deck one level down as we are under the bistro and outdoor eating area. We can hear chairs scrapping along the floors in the early hours when they are cleaning. Not a big problem but something to be avoided.

       

Leaving Venice at 5pm unfortunately the weather was not on our side, however the vista made up for it. We sailed past all the elegant waterfront centuries old buildings and out to the open sea. 

                                             Beautiful Split, Croatia

The dining room on the Lirica is very nice and the friendly staff welcome us every evening. The meals are tasty and luckily the portions are not too filling as we seem to graze most of the day.

We had only booked two excursions, one on Split, Croatia and the other in Santotini. Our first port after leaving Venice was Split. Until I had looked at the itinerary I hadn't heard of Split but we were in for a pleasant surprise. Buses met the ship at the harbour and our local guide was a jolly smiling lady who entertained us with the history along our drive out along the sea front and through a beautiful canyon to morning tea stop by the riverside at an old mill in Omis. Morning tea was ham, cheese, bread and wine. Different, but the local custom. 

After that we drove back into the old town and had a walking tour through Split's historic walled town area. We all enjoyed hearing the history and looking at the great facades. It didn't allow for a lot of time to shop as we had decided to go back to the ship, but we managed in ten minutes to grab a few souvenirs. 

                

  

After Split we had a day at sea until our next excursion, Santorini. That day was relaxing and allowed for us to look over the ship a bit more and of course to eat our day away. Kay went up on the pool deck for an hour and also visited the gym. Bec and I met up with her for a coffee and a chat later. We have a card issued to us to use while on board and everything we buy like drinks and the onboard shops are credited to our cabins to be paid up before we disembark

.

Tender boats were waiting to transfer us to the port in Santorini. As the island came into view I thought it was snow on the mountains, but realised all too soon it was the Greek architecture of all white buildings all clustered together.

Our tour in Santorini included Oia, a mountain top village featured in all the travel advertisements. Lovely little all white washed  buildings; the blue dome topped churches, add the clear waters of the Mediterranean and you have the picture perfect tourist venue. Little alleyways featuring tasteful Greek products caught our eye. We were given time to explore before heading off to another beautiful vista of the sea at a winery. Another chance for souvenirs. Then a rush to get to the cable car and wait in a queue for the cable car back to the ship. 

Mykynos was the next island on the Itininary.  We all decided not to get off the ship after our day in Santorini as Mykynos was that same evening. We saw the waterfront buildings at sunset from the ship, I think a lot of people went partying before we set sail in the early hours of the morning.

Kay,Bec and I had a quiet morning on our fourth day at sea. We are happy that we have no excursions planned at the next two ports. We will discover things for ourselves.

We have got to know our waiters quite well, Sudiana a Balinese man and Jessica from Brazil. It is Jessica's first contract so she is just leaning and smiles all the time. Sudiana is married and is waiting for the news that his first baby is born. Roberto is our cabin boy and very pleasant. 

Dubrovnik was our second last port. Lucky for us we found free WiFi in a cafe to use while we had a coffee. There has been a bad storm at home and we hoped everything was ok after hearing of four deaths and wild weather. I sent off an email and FB message to John but time difference meant it was the middle of the night so no hope of getting a reply and once back on the ship our next wifi will be at the Venice hotel after leaving the ship on Saturday. 

The three of us caught the shuttle bus into Dubrovnik after the ship docked and spent a couple of hours walking around the old walled town. It is a lovely seaport city.

Local souvenir shops kept us interested for a time. 

Today our last port, Ancona, Italy. Kay and Bec went off the ship to have a look around the port, however I stayed back as it looked a good walk into town from the port. I heard someone say it was siesta time and most of the shops were shut.

                        

                                                        Sailing back into Venice.

Venice before cruise

The Globus bus arrived in mainland Venice after a four hour drive from Florence. Our bags were loaded onto a conveyer belt straight into a waiting open boat while our group were transferred into two water taxis. The weather was dull and looked like rain but certainly our spirits were bright as we motored along and the beautiful vista of buildings came into view. I have always wanted to visit Venice and also to sail on a cruise ship from Venice. This wish was at last been realised.

Our small group have got close over the past few days, even though we haven't attended every optional tour with them. Along with another two Australians, the rest are   Americans, a mix of sisters,a family. two couples and two good friends. Our lovely guide Fabiola added warmth and style to the mix. 

        

                                  Fabiola

        

                       Our Globus friends

Venice lived up to all the photos I have seen of Saint Mark's Square and its romantic looking centuries old stately facades. 

I was a bit hesitant getting in and out of the water taxi but managed with help to step onto the pavement. I tried to forget we have another few trips in water taxis before going home.

Our hotel was just outside St Marks Square. It was very old world and we were sorry to have only one night there as we leave the tour early to join the cruise. The Rialto Hotel is booked for two nights on our return from the 7 night cruise before we fly home. 

We found a little restaurant in one of the laneways for dinner after a walking tour of St. Mark's and the Doge's palace with a local guide. We also went into the prison and inside the Bridge of Sighs, an added bonus we thought. I loved hearing the early history of Venice. 

Bec and I had a water view from our window, we are hoping on our return after the cruise that we might get sunny weather. Bec managed to fit in a gondola ride along with a singing gondolier before the rain came with some of the group.  She was very glad she had the experience. 

All too soon it was time for a farewell drink with our new friends in the Square with promises of keeping in touch via email and Facebook.

We had booked a private water taxi to take us to the MSC Lirica. Our next part of our holiday was about to begin.

On tour with Globus

                                   

Kay,Bec and I moved from our hotel over to the hotel neat the Vatican to join our Globus tour"A Taste of Italy"

Bec and my room overlooked the street again, another busy bustling tourist area of cafes, gelato shops and souvenir stores. Kay bought a beautiful leather handbag while we were staying over near the Trevi Fountain. I have only collected a few bits and pieces to take back as yet. I'm sure over the next week or so I'll find some more goodies.

Taxis have cost us a lot of money around each city if walking is not applicable. I have done more walking in three weeks than I have done in six months at home. Joining the Globus tour meant walking guided tours along with bus tours. We were two nights in Rome, walking up to the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica, also the Sistine Chapel where we viewed Michaelangelo's masterpiece. 

We have done lots of sightseeing ourselves and returned to some areas again. We didn't book into every optional tour, the one we enjoyed was to the walled town on our last afternoon in Florence where we spent two nights after Rome. 

Meals have cost us a bit of our holiday money as well. However we have tried local restaurants in towns and mainly sat outdoors if the weather was favourable. We have really experienced some true Italian meals.

A visit to the Collosseum and the Forum was on the itininary our last morning in Rome before heading to Florence. We passed the ruins of the Emporer of Rome's palace near the Colosseum and stepped back into the brutal history of the early inhabitants during the guided tour. I decided not to do the Forum tour. 

Florence is about a three hour drive from Rome and after a stop on the highway for lunch halfway into the drive we arrived into historic Florence. A local guide took us for a visit to the Fine Arts Galley to see Michaelangelo's famous statue David which is the original one. Another copy is in the square. The original was exposed to the elements in the square for four hundred years before been moved into the Gallery.

Bec bought herself a new leather jacket in the recommended leather shop. Some of our tour passengers also purchased jackets and handbags in the Misure shop. 

           

Today we left Florence and are on our way to Venice where we will leave the bus group tomorrow for our cruise.

     

Our Rome Experience

I Kay and I flew Alitalia to Rome and arrived before Bec at the airport. We got over to her terminal well before her plane landed and we found the transport shuttle girl before I saw Bec coming out of arrivals. She didn't have a good flight on either plane. The first flight from Sydney to Dubai struck bad turbulence unfortunately and after a three hour lay over the second flight was about 7 hours to Rome. Poor Bec was very tired but after us all booking into the hotel we got settled in and went out exploring the local area.

Our hotel was in a narrow cobble stoned alley way with gelato, cafes and souvenir shops, a bustling by way to the Trevi Fountain which is under renovation and the fountain isn't working. A bit disappointing since we were looking forward to seeing it in all its glory. Large crowds of tourists were still milling around to view this magnificent structure and take the usual photos.

At every turn we were amazed at the large churches and statues in the Piazzas. There are lots of tourists in Italy, as summer approaches they will keep coming. We all found it hard to make our way through the crowds.

Day two, we found a fountain Bec had seen on the Internet then after breakfast near the Spanish steps, we looked around the Pantheon area again and took a taxi out to the Catacombs where we spent an interesting couple of hours learning about the early Christian burials. We had to go down fifty stairs into the deep underground and of course fifty steps back up again.

       

    The Catacombs are on the fringe of the city, lovely to see some country side

      

The following morning after our breakfast we decided to take a horse and cart ride into the hilly area and up to a beautiful panoramic view over the city with St Peter's Basilica in the background. 

       

     

      

 In the day we packed up and moved to the hotel where we joined our Globus tour bus. 

Paris in Springtime

The Eurostar was a very pleasant experience for both of us. We were served breakfast onboard the two hour ride from St Pancras to Gare de Lyon. It was really closer to lunch but we both managed to eat everything.I had always thought that the time in the tunnel under the English Channel was longer than the 15 minutes that it took. 

A taxi ride to our hotel was scenic and for me to see the Louvre for the first time as we passed it was a bit unreal. The lovely Architecture that defines Paris was all around us. 

We were aware of the fake taxi drivers who accost you as soon as we got off the Eurostar as we had heard they charge a lot more than the average taxi service would. We queued up at the taxi rank for half an hour or so but it was worth it to get the legitimate service.

Our hotel the Belloy St Germain was in a busy part of town but luckily off the Main Street. Our small room was on the fourth floor overlooking the street but the doors and windows were double glazed as once they were shut the traffic noise debated considerably. The bathroom and toilet had been renovated nicely and the staff were lovely. The hotel held a happy hour everyone afternoon with champagne and treats where we relaxed a couple of afternoons after our sight seeing. 

The first afternoon we took a walk down to the beautiful Notre Dame Church close to the Seine River. We joined a queue which was surprisingly short and admired the beautiful stained glass windows, statues and ceilings that have made it a popular tourist attraction

Kay and I then walked over the bridge again and found the famous bookshop Shakespeare and Company for a quick look inside and an outdoor photo shoot. Since it was still light and rather warm we found the Luxembourg Gardens and enjoyed a few moments with the Parisians taking the last rays of the day near the lake. After a long cold winter they are after all the sun they can get. We took notice during the next couple of days of the locals lying on the river bank and the parks getting those precious rays.  

We did a lot of walking our first full day in this beautiful city. Down to the Louvre for a photo and then into the pretty Tuileries Gardens. From there there is a view down the Champ Élysées to the Arc d' Triumph. In two weeks time I'm guessing Paris will be wearing it's spring coat in full bloom. Now the trees are bare with just a hint of green buds. We walked over the Pont Neuf one of the oldest bridges. We took a taxi over to the Montmartre area to have lunch and see the historical Sacre Clloure church and a hilltop view of Paris.

        

That same afternoon we were on a canal trip on the Seine. It's a great way to experience the locks systems along the river. It was a first time that Kay had been through locks as I had been on the Murray River at Mildura one year. 

       

We found a nice African themed restaurant opposite the hotel for dinner for the first night in Paris, the second night we found a Morrocan restaurant close by,

          

Our last day we were booked on a Versailles tour. The Palace is splendid, opulent and over the top but a great insight into the lives of the French kings. It was very crowded in the rooms and pleased when we got out the n the fresh air again. 

        

          

         m

 

Back into Paris, we had lunch on the Champs Élysées in view of the Arc d'Triumph. Our last tour was the Illumination tour of Paris by night starting at 10 pm!  How pretty to see all those lamp posts brightly lighting up the night sky all over the city. A great end to a memorable visit.

Both of us were very tired as we got to bed it long before 1am and found it hard to get up and book out of the hotel for the taxi ride to the airport.

Looking forward to seeing Bec soon