Southern Europe - Italy

Christmas 07 (warning if there are some typos please ignore didnt have time to correct these)

Its my company policy to take 3 days off so i was left with 12 days potential travel any where between christmas and new year.

Small internet search for good deals , Most of the flights at this time where expensive but i decided to go some where anyway

Another Solo trip

Visa sorted out trought manchesters italian embassy .You would require the return tickets,accomodation details and insurance for the whole trip.

Trip plan

To explore italy and a bit of catalan(spain)

Land in Pisa (leaning tower )- Florence(Frienza) - Venice(Venezia)- Verona- Rome (Roma)
-Possibley Naples and fly to Girona via Roma - Barcelona - London
Number of days 12 approx

Tips
Get a Eurorail pass it would be useful especially trying to cram north and southern italy.I went for a 3 day rail pass which entitles 3 days worth or journey anywhere in italy (subject to checks).I used my pass for 5 days since i played the dumb tourist trick once , Careful not everyone can get away with it!!!! there is a hefty fine if its a strict ticket checker

Note: Italy irrespective of weather u have a pass or not u have to pay a small reservation fees for long journeys and punch the reservation urself on a yellow machine in the platform (otherwise u will be charged).

AND




All the city names are spelt in italian so its better to know them when u are taking a trains .Otherwise there are friendly animated italians ready to help u out even tough they cant speak much english.

Exceution
Landed in PISA minor flight delays seems like every one wants to get to vatican during christmas. NO idea on how to get to PISA centralee (city centre station) from airport.Took a train came down to the city centre


Directions for the leaning tower - got some blank stares, Dumb sharads time had to show them my hand leaning bingooo they directed me ......

Sights and sounds of Pisa over in about 2 hours .I was making my way back when 2 gorgeous Mexican girls approached me to see if i understood english (they had the same language problem) .Plus they didnt have hostel reservation

Me because of my visa requirments and prior internet search found out that there were not many Hostels around Pisa so they came with me to Florence .Think its a 2 hrs train journey (didnt check my tickets or get a resvervation)heheh

Hostel Santa Monaca
Via Santa Monaca 6
Florencep. +39/055/268338
f. +39/055/280185
e. info@ostello.it
Superb hostel a bit pricey but nice clean rooms and quiet central as well

Yummy Pizza for dinner and some pasta and tasty Wine from tuscany , behold guys Pizzas in Italy are heavenly and wines compleatly complements it.
Next day the mexican were off to Roma and me was exploring Florence when i met a Portugese girl in a CAFE :) Joys of solo travelling . We headed off to see florence sights like Ponte Vecchio some churches musems , fort etc very beautiful .

Let me say, U get the essence of italy and its people from Florence and its cobbled streets , small alleyways and nice morning markets filled with tourists. Surpisingly the palace of florence(forgot the name ) which is at a relatively higer place was desolate so we had the privilage of ariel view of Florence to ourselves.

Moving onn some where in this cobbled streets when i asked the girl to take my fotograph . Between holding her hand bag, Her camera , MObile Phone , Gloves and trying to use my camera at the same time she dropped it with the lens open!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh y do girls have so many things to be held in one small hand at the same time

Gutted i was but u cant really do much .

All she said for the next 15 mins was Desculpe (sorrry in portugese) but being a nice girl she bought me a disposable camera , Memory stick for my mobile camera fone and Gelato (these are goergious icecreams that u can have in italy ) again very delecious and it did cool me off .

From now onn i could only take photos in my mobile.............


After a day of exploring the next day i left to Venice .Eurostar this time so took the reservation 15 euros !!!!!!!

Reservation ticket (billetto) has the following

Carrazo(carriage/compartment) Number and the seat number Sit on the right one otherwise u will be entertained to animated movements from italians tell u to move to the rite one

The ticket checker checked my pass and told me to write the date on my pass and threatned to fine me!!! .Pretended that it was my first time and didnt know anything so he let me off (a bit of italian helped me ) so always learn a couple of words atleast u never know whom you can impress and get out of trouble!!!!


Onwards to Venice .There are two stations Venezia mestre(station in italian mainland) and Venezia Santa Lucia (or something) be sure to alite at the St Lucia otherwise u will end up quiet far away from the touristic venice.


Landing in Venice just prior to Christmas was a very wise (fluke ) decision made by me .Altough the town was desolate with not many tourists around and a bit cold . I got to see the Real bare naked beautiful Venice AND my god was i Impressed ,I dont think any other city can match its the charm of this floating city.

Piazze St Marco


The desolate street ,Preety canals and neverending stream of building inbetween cramped spaces ,and all the city seemingleee perqueriously floating with 2 entrances to a
house

One for the boat and one to walk in kind of like a garage or a carpark.


Preety couple getting married in one of the most romantic of places ,The big square St marco where there where more piegeons than tourist (the square shown in the movie italian job) was overly impressive.

Met an Impressive American Traveller Tyler whos was going to india next after 4 months of travellin Europe and 2 morrocian girls
Stayed in a Cheap place

Hotel Marte Biasin
Type: Hotel *
Address: Cannaregio, F.ta di Cannaregio 338 - Venice, Italy
Telephone No.: (+39)041/716.351 or 717.231
Fax No.: (+39)041/720.642
E-mail: info@hotelmarteebiasin.com

Desolate Venice canals

Wouldnt really suggest this but Is certainly cheapest accomodation i could find .


Intresting things

Taxi and bus service in this city between islands is using boats bit like city buses with numbers etc .A bit wierd but in venice thts the mode of transport.

Went to a BAR called BRA BAR yep heard it rite BRA bar.A Jazz bar The cealing of which was compleatly covered with BRAS i first didnt notice this but later when the girls pointed out it all felt a bit strange!!!!!!

Bra Jazz or should i say Bar Jazz

Midnight Mass at St Marco was impressive but sadly i was too tired to sit trought the whole thing.

Came back in the night to collect the keys for my room a wished the Grandma at the Check in desk BON NATLIE (Merry Christmas) , She was over the moon first I was a indian second I was speaking italian .She came over from the check in desk, Hugged and kissed me as if i was her Son !!!!

Some times its just small things like this that really move u .Its not that i had traved so far and long alone and all that shit .Just being able to speak 2 words in the local language got me this and the next day she had told me a list of things including

where to get cheap breakfast
What not to miss - couldnt get most of this since the medium was italian but hey wht the heck that poor lady tried

Sadly had to leave the next day and the lady taught me how to wish happy new year in Italian But will be Spain by that time.

Onwards to Verona and the Train to Roma

This was pretty intreasting as i didnt want to pay 20 euros reservation fee for the EUROSTAR and wanted to meet some real middle class italians So opted for the cheaper intercity Express

Venezia SL - Venezia ME- Blogona Via Frienza - Roma

It was a 7 hour journey after the first interchange . In Bologona my Cabin was full none of them could speak english and all i manged to communicate becs of my brown skin is Moi Indianoo and Tourismooo

Thats it apart from the christmas and new yr stuff . This seemed to impress two old blokes from Napolie and an italian lady and the next thing u know was they were sharing their food and beer with me

Never say NO to free booze and food

After 7 hrs of animated action packed (yep had to draw a imaginary map of india to show where i came from ) becs all they knew was Mumbai and Himalaya !!!!!

ROMAAAA
this is wht i taught it would be
City of Gladiators,Collosium, Julieus Ceaser And the Great Roman Empire

And it was
City full of people in Moped and scooter driving like Lunatics, Traffic in absolute anarchy I even saw a couple of guys cut the signal !!!!

Stayed in
Hostel Asterisks
Via Montebello
47Rome
p. +39 3292059018e
asteriskshostel@hotmail.com

This is the worst dump of an hostel i have ever stayed in .I would not recommend this to anyone else unless u have nothing left in Rome ,which is very rare.There are lots of hostels please go elsewhere...

The person who owns this i think is called Tony(dont remember his name) , looks like he is on estcasy all the time and the same for his 2 assistants.Breakfast contains a slice of bread and some jam thrown around if his associates get up on time...

Still When in Rome there is lots more to see .City was brimming with Tourists and every corner has a piece of history

In order to understand wht difference just one artist could make on a empire u have to see this city
Michelangelo has his touch virtually every where including the Vatican

Dont miss the statue of the Moses and others

The Highlights are

Trevi fountain - Tossed 2 coins and i am already back in this country thrice !!!! not in rome tough but next time i will make sure i will flip 10 coins!!!!!!

Collosium - A magnificent piece of Art a must see for all Engineers

Vatican - this was extra special because u get the feeling of going to a country within a city with its own post office and all .AND its fantablous no one can argue that this view is beautiful and some illegal snaps of the Sisten chapel (u are not supposed to but rules are ment to be broken rite!!!!)
there are lots to see in this city . 3 days for me was not enough Looking back i would spend a bit more time in this city.

Tips

Collisium Usually has a long qeaue of people trying to get in .You will have to wait for Hours like a moron otherwise there is a way out

Spanish steps Collisium

Go to the Pantheon which is 10 mins away from the Collisium here u can get a combined ticket to visit both and u just head straight trough to the collosium entrance . This is because a lot lesser people visit the Pantheon and a lot more people dont know about this combined ticket deal.

Or

Every hour (approx) there is a guided tour in the collisium if u book urself on to that u will cut trough the line direct (a bit of a wait) and u pay about 10 Euros more with a guide. Not a bad offer

Vatican - No matter when u go there is bound to be a big queaue . So is there a way out of it YES, there is Before standing in the queaue hordes of people will come and ask if u want to join for a guided tour .If u join them again for some extra price u will cut the waiting time by about 70% and get a bit of history as well.Needless to say it was a run up to the New yr and loads of people and i took it.This guided tour i got to know tht the romans where quiet liberated in terms of exposure but when these statues where imported to the vatican the key places(knobhead and stuff) had to be cover in mapel leaf!!!!
All this time i was having have gorgeious pizza sold by weight , Pasta, Spagetti bolognese or Tagatelli combined with Cafe Machiatoo (a very strong italian coffee)

Didnt have time to Visit Napolie so that to be done next time .Now onwards to the Gaudi city Barcelonaaaaaa

Sisteen chapel(llegal snap of course)
on top if St Pauls Catherdral
Vatican

Flying out of Rome

Here i come Barca