Cruise has been great! This is first chance I´ve had to send any emails. All the ports have been terrific! The following is a short rundown on my visits until now:
Sunday, 11/7/10 - Palma de Mallorca, Baleric Islands, Spain - Really lovely city/town with charming old town area. Decided to take Hop-On Hop-Off bus around town to visit all the sights. Visited Bellver Castle which overlooks the city. Walked around old city for rest of day before going back to the ship.
Monday, 11/8/10 - Alicante, Spain - Been here before so decided to go to small fishing village recommended to me by another passenger from the ship. Took three trams (Trains) to get to this village (Denia). Took about 2.5 hours to get here & spent an hour before heading back. Train coming back was a bit late and i was worried that I would miss the connection but connection waited for us & I made it on the ship right on the deadline. If I missed connection I probably would have missed the ship. Whew! Got to stop cutting it so close.
Tuesday, 11/9/10 - Malaga, Spain - This is also a very lovely city with a great old town. Visited the Gibralfaro Castle on top of the hill in the morning. Large site but not too many rooms to visit only super view of the city. Was going to visit Mijas, which is a village in the hills about 1.5 hours out of Malaga. You need to take a train then a bus to reach this village. Decided to only take train & survey the situation. I didn´t want to cut it too close for getting back to the ship. Worked out great. Headed back to town & visited the Alcazaba (Arabic fortress) which is a Moorish fortification of the 8th century, was buit on a hill in the center of the city, in the middle of the 11th century for King Badis of Granada. Next I visited Malaga's Cathedral, built in between 1528 and 1782. Influenced by the baroque styles and the renaissance, the interior is richly decorated with the 17th century choir stalls of mahogany and cedar wood. Walked around some of the old streets & explored the Flower Market & Central Market which was super. Got back to the ship in plenty of time today.
Wednesday, 11/10/10 - Day at Sea. Great day to recuperate from rush past few days. Ship is really lovely. Food is great. Public areas elegant. Fellow passengers very cordial & friendly. Cabin is lovely & staff are superb. Have met several wonderful people on board. Really having a great time.
Thursday, 11/11/10 - Funchal, Madeira,Portugal - Had another great day today! Have been here before so decided to just wander around the city. I took the Teleferrico up to Monte where there is a Tropical Garden. It is huge & I spent a couple of hours here. There is so much to see but it is situated down the hill so had to climb back up before I took the Tobagans down to mid level. These are wood chairs, somewhat like a basket & they run down a street with two guys on the back guiding you. Took a public bus back to center of town before exploring the Central Market. Wonderful fruit, interesting fish & an overall lovely, old market. Walked around the Old Town before heading back to the ship. Got back at the deadline again. I was last passenger to board.
Friday, 11/12/10 - Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain - Had an absolutely lovely day here. Was able to join two other passengers for a cab excursion to Teide National Park. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site & is spectacular. It is located in the center of the island & is the only subtropical alpine area in Europe. It consists of an immense caldera 17 km across. It also has an active volcano. The landscape is unique & resembles the moon. It is also know for a it unique 3 m Teide bugloss which displays hundreds of tiny bright red blossoms in springtime.
We also visited a few villages. One of the towns we visited on the way was Puerto de la Cruz & there was a wonderful tropical nature park, Loro Parque, here that was spectacular. It has dolphins, parrots, penguins & other wildlife along with a replica of a Thai village. We didn't have time to visit but did go to entrance & take some pictures. This is a coastal town that has the feel of Palm Springs.
Leaving today for 7 nights at sea aboard ship so will not be able to communicate until I get back to NY.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Basque Country - Pre-Cruise - San Sebastian & Barcelona
All is well & visits to all of the cities in past days have been really wonderful. Weather has not been as good. Mainly cloudy with rain & heavy winds but still able to have a great time. Monday is All Saints Day here in Spain and a national holiday so all business´s & shops are closed. I decided to hang around San Sebastian for Saturday & Sunday before venturing out to my other planned visits. Here goes ...
Saturday, 10/30/10 - Left Bilbao for short 1 hour bus ride to San Sebastian. As I mentioned before, I was able to find a room in an apartment in Gros which is a suburb of San Sebastian. It is a 15 minute walk into the old town or about a 5 minute bus ride. The woman that owns the apartment was a real delight! She only spoke Spanish but couldn´t have been more gracious or cordial. She kept the apartment spotless. The bathroom was a sort distance away from my room & didn´t present any problems. It was very quiet, almost like being in the countryside. She didn´t like to keep the heat up & it was about 66 degrees except toward end of my stay (5 nights) she did put up the heat but it wasn´t a real problem. Again, she was a highlight!
San Sebastian is a lovely town. Tourist Office was great help is my planning for visit to this area. They also turned me on to a transportation card that you purchase for 2.60 euros & charge it up as you need. It gives a significant discount for travel, e.g., .74 euros against 1.25 euros for a single trip. It also works on the regional buses. Walked around the old town late afternoon & evening to get oriented. This really a super city.
Dinner time is usually celebrated here by going from place to place eating Pintxos (the Basque version of Tapas). What a great way of having dinner! I went to several places to sample their wonderful dishes. Most of my visits were from recommondations in Rick Steve´s Guidebook and they were right on. One of the places, La Cuchara de San Telmo, was from my sister-in-law´s friend, who visited the area about 2 week ago. This was the best of all but the other places were also very good & each place has its own specialties. Another popular place is La Mejillonera, which features fried seafood & steamed mussels. One of the specialties of this area which I really love is seared Foie Gras! Ummm, delish! At about 3.30 euros each, this is a bargain compaired to New York standards. Other places visited & really good were Borda Berri & Gioz-Argi plus there were a couple of others I tried. There are also large varieties of fish ¨Pintxos¨ that utilize shrimp, crab, smoked salmon & cod. All of them yummy! The only problem with this event is by the time you get finished you are both very full & have spent more money then you expected but se la vie!
Sunday, 10/31/10 - Took bus this morning to a funicular that scales up to Mount Igeldo. The funicular was built in 1912 & runs along a track and is fixed to overhead steel cables. It consists of two wooden carriages that take the passenger on a 320-meter trip over a 160m drop on a 33% incline. The funicular links Ondarreta Beach with the Igeldo Amusement Park at the end of the line and is one of the most famous landmarks in the city. The Amusement park is a bit kitchy but would be fun for the kids. Views are spectacular from atop the hill.
Afterwards, I walked along the bayfront & stopped for picture stop of the Palacio de Miramar. It was built by Queen María Cristina upon the old site of the San Sebastián monastery. The palace was designed by architect Selden Wornum and constructed between 1889 and 1893. This palace imitates the style of English country houses, but incorporates neogothic features, a local tradition. The entire palace is surrounded by large gardens, offering wonderful panoramic views of the bay.
My next stop was La Perla. This is a very exclusive spa located on the bay & is well known for it ambiance & health treatments. Got a price list & then continued along the bay through to the port. Visited the Aquarium-Palacio del Mar which is very well designed and layed out. Has a historical area before getting to the sea life displays. The complex opened in 1928 and was completely refurbished before re-opening to the public in 1998. Rest of day was wandering around the town both old & new.
Wanted to have sitdown dinner this evening but opted for going back to Pinxtos bars since it is so much fun & food is sooooo good!
Monday, 11/1/10 - Today was the holiday so I took excursion to three cities that were recommended by the Tourist Office. First place I visited was Hondarriba which is a border town with France that has two parts: the lower port town & the historic, balcony-lined streets of the hilly & walled upper town. The highlight of the upper town was the Army Plaza where Charles V´s austere, oddly squat castle is located & is now a state run Parador (inn). Tourist Office here was also very helpful with great suggestions.
Walked the old town walls & winding streets before heading down to the port & taking a small ferry boat that takes about 10 minutes to go to Hendaye, the first border town in France & gateway by rail to rest of French destinations. Weather was very blustery with high winds & after ferry ride walked to Atlantic Ocean where there were several people kite surfing and regular surfing. It was quite a thrill to watch them get set up & then glide along the shallow surf & waves with their kites. The center of town was a bit away from this area so just decided to head back to Hondarribia.
This is where an event of my day turned ugly & worrisome. I took a bus to Irun & then a train to reach another really beautiful medieval village called Donnibane. I have a Dorada card which gives a discount on Renfre trains in Spain. I took out my wallet & when i put it back, I guess I didn´t do a good job. Later that afternoon I realized I had lost my wallet. I was really distraught since all my debit cards, credit cards & ID except for my passport was in this wallet. Lesson - always split up your cards! By the time I realized what had happened it was too late to do much. I wanted to call my credit card companies collect but it is almost impossible in Spain unless you know the special numbers. None of the Tourist Offices or hotels that I asked could tell me how to go about doing this. It was a very frustrating attempt.
Back to my excursion. Donnibane is situated along an inlet to the ocean & hugs the waterway with heavy stone buildings & fortifications. It is also the location of a home of Victor Hugo, the author. The visitor´s center is located there & they have a free short, audio presentation on a day in the life of Mr. Hugo. The young fellow at the visitor´s center was also extremely helpful & gave me some good ideas for other visits in the area. It was already dark when I took a small 3 minute ferry across the inlet to San Pedro where I caught a bus back to San Sebastian. Went to Pixtos bars again for dinner. Several were closed but was still able to fill myself up with goodies! I decided to go back to Irun by train to see if anyone had turned in my wallet. Was able to go & return before last train back. Unfortunately when I arrive, all offices were closed. Was a very unnerving evening.
Tuesday, 11/2/10 - Well off for my adventure to France. There were three cities I wanted to visit here. First was Bayonne, which was really quaint & charming with it´s old town & small (touristic). Les Halles (market). It is noted for establishing Europe´s first whaling industry and inventing the bayonet. It is also famous today for it´s ham & chocolate. There are several chocolate shops throughout the old town. Town was really great to wander.
Since I was in France I thought maybe I would have better luck making a collect call here. I have Travelex travel insurance & one of their benefits is help when there is a problem. I was able, with their instructions, to get through to them & they would transfer me to any of my card, free of charge to me. I think this is a great service. They also gave me some good recommendations. I contacted one of my debit card to put a hold on the account. I was hopìng they would send me a replacement card to Barcelona but they are unable to do this. They will only send to current cardholder´s address. Real bummer.
Well, back to my sightseeing. Nothing stops me!! Took a local bus from Bayonne to Biarritz. This is a very upscale resort town in France. Decided not to spend much time here, only about an hour. It is also very lovely & the beaches & views were superb.
Took another bus to my final city on my itinerary for the day, St Jean de Luz. I can´t believe how beautiful & different each of the town´s/cities I have visited since being in Spain can be. This is a gem of town. The church is where Louis XIV & Marie-Therese were married. There is a famous baker here that is know for their macaroons - Macarons Adam. They still bake these tasty delights that Louis XIV enjoyed during his visit. The streets meander through this old town. Their is a stone wall breakfront that separates the town from the beach. You can walk along it as a prominade.
Upon leaving St Jean de Luz I decided to head to Irun & it´s tran station to see if anyone turned in my wallet since I know I lost it either at the station or on a train. I took a French train to the border town of Henadye & then the Spanish train to Irun. I checked around at the ticket counter´s & all to no avail. One of the agent told me to go to the superintendent´s office. I went & when I inquired he asked me if my name was ¨Cory Lynn¨ & then handed me my wallet! I was amazed & very thankful. Believe it or not I asked & was given permission to hug this guy. I was so very happy to get back my wallet. After examining it I realized that about $100 in cash was gone & one debit card & one credit card. Everything else was still there. I don´t believe I have been so happy or relieved for a long time. It would have been a great hardship & huge hassle if the wallet wasn´t found. I guess I´m blessed. I was able to call collect again & get my debit card reinstated & also cancel the two that were missing.
I went to a local restaurant near where I´m staying for dinner. It was OK but uneventful compared to the Pinxtos that I have been eating throughout.
Wednesday, 11/3/10 - Kind of an easy day. Decided to do laundry at local Wash n Dry. Cost was expensive. 12 euros ($17) for wash & dry. Know I could have done it cheaper in Barcelona but did it here anyway.
Took suggestion of fellow in Visitor´s Center in Donnibane this afternoon to visit two other towns. Fist I went to Victoria-Gasteiz which was founded in 1181 by the King of Navarre, Sancho VI as 'Nueva Victoria' on the hill where the old settlement of Gasteiz was. The old town is on the upper portion of a hill. It is know for the Church of Santa Maria which is curently under construction. Very interesting structures abound & was really worthwhile visiting here. I visited an old stagecoach inn - El Portalon that was several floors of rich woods & decor. It is currently an upscale restauant that serves local cuisine. The tourist map that was provided to me by the office in San Sebastian was extremely helpful in directing & explaining the main sights.
While checking my emails received one from my roommate for cruise. He is having very bad back problems & canceled his trip. Looks like I´ll have my own cabin on the ship & rate was better than I expected. I guess in his delirium he decided to contact the hotel & tell them he was canceling. It was my reservation with my guarantee & he was only an add on so I cannot for the life of me understand why he would contact the hotel instead of me. Anyway when I called the hotel, of course, they informed me that the reservation was canceled but I was able to get it reinstated. The trials & tribulations of travel, Oh My!
I took bus back to San Sebastian & got on another local bus that took me to Oiartzum which is a very small village near San Sebastian (30 minutes by bus). Also set on top of a hill. This village is small & unique with a huge church and lovely town square. Got here very late so didn´t stay too long. Went back to San Sebastian for dinner again at my favorite Pinxtos bars. Had Iberico Pork Short Ribs, Foie Gras (of course), & several seafood dishes. Only went to couple of places since food was soooo good again. I have to get up early so headed back to room.
Thursday, 11/4/10 - Took 15 minute bus ride to train station for my 6 hour trip @ 7:48am to Barcelona. Trip was pleasant & uneventful. Train was very comfortable & scenery varied on this trip. Arrived in Barcelona on time & headed to Hotel. Stayed at Hotel Coronado. Have stayed here several times on previous visits. Prices very good & location not too bad. Everything fine. Walked around a bit & went to Caracoles Restaurant (one of my favorites) for chicken. Place is a bit pricey but very good & amazing atmosphere.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Basque Country - Pre-Cruise - Bilbao
Arrived on Monday morning after an uneventful flight from New York through Lisbon on TAP Portugal airlines. Took total of about 11 hours with connection. Airline very good including food & service.
Bilbao is a lovely city. A good combination of old and new. My hotel is located (although up a hill) 10 minute walk to prime sites. It was very nice for the price of 29 euros per night. I originally planned to stay here for 3 night but changed it to 5 nights. So much to see & do in the area.
Transportation system here is really great. Very modern Metro (cell service throughout), Tram, Rail & Bus system. Reasonably priced and easy to use.
Tuesday, 10/26/10 - Decided to go to San Sebastian to find hotel for my stay there. Good thing I did. Took the slow train (2.5 hours) there which was a nice trip. There is a holiday on Monday (All Saints Day) so the town is relatively full. Had to go to several places before I found a room with a lovely woman in Gros which is 15 minute walk from the historic old town district. This is an upscale city & prices are quite a bit higher. Was able to find this place for 30 euros per night. Walked around a bit before taking bus (1 hour) back to Bilbao.
Wednesday, 10/27/10 - Took La Union bus (all buses leave from Termibus Station which is a modern complex with several busses to all parts of Spain & Europe) to Pamplona in the morning. This is also a lovely city which is famous for the Running of the Bulls & association with Papa Hemingway. Followed Rick Steve´s walking route all around town & also visited the excellent Tourist Office. He made recommendation to buy pastries at Beatriz along the route & this was a wonderful recommendation. Really yummy desserts! Place is classic & bought about 7 euros worth of assorted goodies. Headed back to Bilbao by bus in the afternoon.
Friday, 10/29/10 - Took another excursion today to visit two lovely cities that are nearby plus I also visited one of the only UNESCO Structural sites in the world. Took the EuskoTren first to Bermeo which is a port city about an hour & a half outside of Bilbao. It was recommended to me by the Tourist Office in Bilbao. Very lovely little city with a large fishing harbor & historic upper town. Spent several hours here before heading to another historic Basque city, Guernica. This city is the symbolic heart of Basque Country & was almost completely leveled during the Spanish Civil War. Was able to just get into the Peace Museum before it closed & then walked up to the Assembly House and Oak Tree (unfortunately it was closed due to siesta time) but was able to see the remains of the tree which was the Basque Assembly meeting place since the Middle Ages. Took a short break & had some Pintxo which is almost same as Tapas but better. Also had some of the famous wine from this region - Txakoli by Itsas Mendi which is the vintner recommended by Tourist Office here. Was really good. Very light but has a kick. Took the train back to Bilbao & then got on the Metro for 30 minute trip to the Bizkaia Suspension Bridge that has a transporter carriage that takes people & vehicles across the river between Portagulate & Areeta. This is really a special bridge & I´ve never seen anything quite like this before in all my travels. You can also take an ascensior up to top of bridge & walk across. The weather was raining & high winds so I´ll have to do this another time but the ride on the transporter was great. Came back into Bilbao & had one of best dinners so far. I´m leaving Bilbao for San Sebastian on the bus in the morning so will write again when I get a chance.
Food has been great so far but prices are high. Usually spend about $40 for dinner & they are not fancy places. The siesta period during the day (1:30 or 2:00 pm til 4) is still a pain in the butt. Same as Italy. All stores & attractions close during this time but you work around it. Got a phone here. Had to buy a phone since mine is locked & couldn´t get unlock code from Boost. Only cost about 19 euros & it works fine. If anyone has to reach me, my number is 652403706. You probably have to put a +34 for country code before dialing.
Weather has been on cold side but sunny for first 4 days. Got some overcast & rain last few days. Temperature has been in 50´s during day & high 40´s at night.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Last Leg of Journey - Now in Rome, Italy
I'm back where I started in Italy & have had a wonderful adventure!! On my last email I was in Bari. The following is an update on what has happened since.
6/6/10 - Left Bari on 6+ hour train ride to Bologna. Got a terrific rate on hotel in Bologna & it turned out to be the best hotel I stayed at during my entire trip. Great room, best breakfast & good location for 30 euros/night. Bologna is an old & big city. It is know for its streets with covered walkways throughout. It is kind of a dirty city but also fascinating at the same time. I took several day trips from here so really didn't get to see all the city. Caught the main highlights. Piazza Maggiore & Neptune's Fountain which was created by Giambologna in the late 16th Century. Also, the Duomo which is huge & saw the Due Torre (2 towers). Took buses throughout the city & it was easy to get around. Walked around every night to see the city & crowds.
6/7/10 - My first excursion was to Parma which is generally reckoned to have one of the highest standards of living in Italy. I originally planned to take in two cities per day so that I could spend some additional time in Bologna. This didn't happen. There is so much to see in each of these cities that I wound up spending at least 6 hrs. at each. This city is also know for it's production of prize ham - prosciutto. There were several shops that sold hams & local cheeses that were over 100 years old. I really enjoyed my day here.
6/8/10 - Today was an hour train ride (guidebook says 30 minutes) to Ferrara. This is another small city that is very charming. It was the residence of the Este dukes, an eccentric dynasty that ranked as a major political force throughout Renaissance times. At the end of the 16 Century, the Este were forced to hand over the city to the papacy since there were no heirs to pass title. There is a huge bulky, moated Castello Estense that was built in late 14th Century where the Este court thrived & supported most of the artists of the area. Most of the churches & palaces have wonderful frescoes that have remained or are being restored. Also spent a day here even though I though I could get by with a few hours. Visited the Museo Archeologico which was well presented in an old villa. Another fine example of grand Ferrara palaces is Palazzo Schifanoia which translates to "Palace of Joy". This is where the Este family liked to party.
6/9/10 - Today's journey took me to Ravenna. This city is only a few kilometers from the Adriatic coast & is renowned for the set of mosaics of Byzantine art. Eight of Ravenna's building are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Dante was from here & his tomb is located near San Francesco church. This city's biggest draw is the Basilica di San Vitale which was begun in 525 under the Roman Emperor Theodoric & completed in 548 under the Byzantine ruler Justinian. I also got to visit the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (House of Stone Carpets) which is the remains of a palace from the late Roman-early Byzantine period. It is know for its intricately crafted floor & wall mosaics. This medieval town was very different from the others but had a similar layout. The history is such amazing in these villages it is mind boggling.
After visiting Modena I headed back to Bologna & was able to wander around for a couple of hours since this is my last night here. I really enjoyed my stay in the Bologna area & would still like to come back and explore more of the area.
6/11/10 - Took the regionale train & connected in Arezzo to Perugia. I'm leaving the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy & going into the Umbria provence. Perugia is the provincial capital & the gateway to the hill villages plus it is the largest of the hill towns. I sort of made a mistake in selecting a hotel near the train station since it is a 10 minute bus ride to the top of the hill & center of Perugia. I thought I would be taking the train to most of my excursions but it works out better to take buses to the surrounding hill towns & it is also a 10 minute bus ride to the terminal. Hotel Astor was directly across from the train station & not bad. Room was nice & staff were some of the best I've encountered. One of the managers (maybe an owner) spoke great English & was very helpful. There is also a coop market right near the hotel which was great.
I took the Minmetro, which is new & consists of small cars that run on a rail that takes you up to the top of the town. When I got to the top I walked around. Very medieval with narrow winding streets that lead down. There are a couple of main squares & the anchor buildings of each were amazing. Piazza Italia is main bus location on top of hill. From there you can take an escalator down to Piazza Partigiani where the urban Bus Terminal is located & where I took buses to outlying towns. The views of the surrounding countryside is striking & spectacular!
This afternoon I took a local bus to the Perugina Chocolate Museum which is located in the suburbs about 30 minutes from the city center (San Sisto). It was a bit of a hike & the factory is closed for tours but they do have a museum. They also give out free chocolate (I kind of pigged out here). The company was bought out by Nestle a few years ago but still keeps the name. This is where Bacci chocolates are made & the history goes back to the beginning of the century. Got a little bit lost trying to find bus back to center but finally got it.
6/12/10 - Went to the Bus Terminal in Piazza Partigiani & took bus to Gubbio. I read that this was a super town that is set up a hill & has lot of history & interest. My guidebook wasn't wrong. It is considered one of the most thoroughly medieval of the Umbrian towns. I first visited the Palazzo dei Consoli which houses the Museo Civico & the famous Eugubine Tablets which were discovered in 1444 by an illiterate shepherd & consists of 7 bronze tablets. These tablets are the only extant record of the ancient Umbrian language. There were also great archeological items in this museum. Unfortunately I could not take any photos (heh heh, what a sneak -- I did). Afterward I visited the Duomo & the Palazzo Ducale. The art work, especially the frescoes, were amazing. I wandered around the town a bit & found the funicular that goes up to the top of this hill to visit Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo. The funicular was a kick. It is a standup funicular that hold 2 people & has fabulous views as long as your not afraid of heights. There were great views of the town from top of the mountain. This is a really neat town that also specializes in ceramics. The displays are super. I spent several hours here before returning to Perugia by bus.
The night before, I checked out a restaurant (Dal Mi Cocco) that was listed in my guidebook & made a reservation for tonight. This place is one of the best meals I've had in Italy. There is no menu they serve a different main course each night plus an appetizer, 1st course, salad, second course & dessert for 13 Euros. Tonight was roast meats which consisted of slice of lamb, pork, chicken & sausage (ummm). The food & service were outstanding. They bottle their own wine & sell a bottle for 5 Euros which you can take whatever you don't drink (brought the empty bottle home with me). Great experience & the owner served me. Place was packed. It was also Saturday evening & town was jumping. Had a great day.
6/13/10 - Today's journey took me to Assisi. Took a bus again which drops you off at top of town. This is also a hill town. I followed Rick Steve' Guide for this town that gave a walking tour & it proved to be pretty good. This city is packed with history & most famous for the Basilica di San Francesco. This is where St. Francis lived & practiced & where the Franciscan order was founded. There was a Teatro Romano here plus a Roman Forum. The Temple of Minivera was built over the Forum. I also took a hike up the mountain (whew!! I'm still huffing & puffing) to Rocco Maggiore which is a huge castle with super views. I agree that one of the most spectacular sites in Italy is the Basilica. It is huge with an upper & lower church. The frescoes tell the life of St. Francis & span a century of artistic development. Giotto was primary artist for the frescoes in the upper Church. Again no picture taking & they really watch you. Decided to stay later here & took 6:30pm bus back to Perugia. Ate at lovely Restaurant del Sole which has a commanding view of the countryside. Food was also outstanding here.
6/14/10 - My last hilltop town was Spoleto. This time I took the train which was more convenient. There is a music festival held here every year that fill up the town. Highlights were the Duomo, a 12th Century church (Sant 'Eufenia), & of course another huge castle - the Rocca. Got stuck here a bit late because of scheduling of train. Didn't get back to Perugia until 8:30pm. Had an ordinary dinner before walking around town for last time. Again, really enjoyed my stay in the Perugia area.
6/15/10 - The day before I had the hotel do my laundry. They didn't have it ready until this morning & only charged me 5 Euros to do my clothes. Got it, packed & walked across the street to the station after checking out. Took my seat & about 6 minutes before train was leaving for Rome & realized that I left my passport & money in the hotel safe. I ran back & got it & luckily one of staff from hotel took my heavy bag & we ran back to the train. Literally jumped on board & 1 minute later the train left. That was a close call & I was sweating for 10 minutes before I could calm down. Ah, the trial & tribulations of travel!!
Got into Rome & went back to hotel I stayed at before. They gave me a nice room with air conditioning. The weather for the past 2.5 weeks has been in the 90's every day. Some rain but not too bad.
Well it is time to say goodbye to Rome. I'm leaving tomorrow morning & will be back in NY in the evening. I'll follow up on my adventures today when I get back. Had a wonderful trip!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hello from Bari to Bologna Train, Italy
Believe it or not I'm still having a great time!! Feet are getting much better. Weight is questionable, although my pants still fit. Every night I have pasta, salad & a main course plus wine. Food has been wonderful throughout. Fish, meat, pasta, wine - Buonissimo!!! So far there isn't too much chicken in this part of Italy.
Here is my adventures since my last email...
5/29/10 - I took a short local train from Lecce to my next destination - the hillside town of Ostuni. I booked a B&B on the phone that I found in my guidebook. There is a bus that meets the train & takes you the 6km up to town. The train was late so no bus. I called Georgio (mgr of B&B) who picked me up from the station with his Smart car (tiny, just enough room for me & bags). The B&B was located up the hill from the old town & on top floor of the bldg (whew! Did I get my exercise here). Stayed here 4 nts. & thanks to Georgio's help was able to rent a car for 2 days @ 30Euros/day. Had lots of places I wanted to visit & car is only practical way.
1st afternoon took a bus to small town of Martina Franca. All the towns in this region have an old "centro storico" or old city. Their streets are narrow & meander around. Very quaint & charming. spent a few hours here.
5/30/10 - Spent morning exploring old town of Ostuni. Most of building are whitewashed & of course there is a Cathedrale. Very lovely but was able to see everything in a few hours.
Decided to take a train to Bari in the afternoon to scout for hotel later in the week. Bari is one of bigest cities in area & the guidbooks don't give it much attention. I was there on a Sunday so streets were really empty but I really liked this city. Found a place for 1 nt when I leave Puglia. Visited some of centro storico & Castello Normanno-Svevo which was the site of an earlier Roman fort built by Frederick II. It is huge. Headed back to Ostuni & had one of best dinners in old town there.
5/31/10 - Was picked up at my B&B with my Fiat Panda rental car arranged by Georgio. A father & son have a repair garage in nearby town & rent some cars. I filled out paper work & was on my way. No credit card needed, just pay them when I return the car.
Had a busy & great day! Visited the small towns of Cisternino & Locototondo before heading to Alberobello. This town is noted for it's collection of trulli's which are cylindrical, whitewashed buildings with grey conical roofs & are used mainly as dwellings. Spent a few hours here wandering around. Stumbled on a trulli where owner invited me in along with few other people. Very interesting. Left a small donation. He was real nice but only spoke Italian. There was a couple from France & young couple from Rimini. They spoke great English & translated for me.
Decided to make a trip to Matera & secure my B&B there. Got another one from my guide book that is located next to Piazza Duomo which is highest point in the Sassi (I'll explain latter). What a fabulous city situated on two hills with a revene in between. Made my reservation & headed back to Ostuni. Had dinner at small place in Cisternino. Got back about 10pm. All in all had a super day.
6/1/10 - Had an event packed day planned that also turned out great. Left from Ostuni & headed along the beaches of the Adriatic Sea. Lots of small villages with resorts & fish restaurants. Heard about the ancient city of Egnazia. It was first settled in 5th century BC. Was later colonized by the Greeks & Romans in 244 BC. It was finally abandoned in 10th Century AD after much turmoil. It was very interesting site & ruins were easy to view.
From there I went to Calstellana Grotte which is caverns that are suppose to be some of the best in Europe. Unfortunately due to "siesta mode" was not able to visit so I went on to Castel del Monte. A hugh fortification built by Frederick II (remember him from the Bari fort) which is considered the finest surviving examples of Swabian architecture. He really got around. This castle/fort is situated on top of a hill overlooking the entire countryside. It is kind of a ripoff to see this castle. They will not let any cars up the hill so they charge 4 euros for parking & the shuttle. It was free since I'm over 65.
After this I decided to visit Altamura which is another medieval town that is considered the bread capital of the region. Tried to find the tourist office & got a bit lost. Talked with this older gentleman who owned a carpet store & he walked me to the tourist office which was about 5 minutes from his store. He only spoke Italian but was so nice & when we got to the office it was closed so he took me to another. That is the kind of people in these small towns. Found an antica forno (old bread oven) & bought my loaf of super bread for 1 euro.
Headed back to Ostuni & had dinner in Alberobello at another lovely restaurant on the main street going out of town. Another wonderful day. I'm so glad I had the car. My GPS got me lost a few times & even took me on dirt roads but I got home safely.
6/2/10 - Today was a National Holiday in Italy so everything was closed & running on Festivi schedule. Took my car back to turn it in & when I got there it was all closed up. Kind of got worried & tried to call them but had no service on my phone. About 10 minutes later the father came out of a house across from the garage. He called his son & we settled up and the father drove me to Ostuni station. He took the scenic route & pointed out friends houses along the way. What a great experience from this family.
It still amazes me how the Italians can function here with the policies on midday breaks & weekends. There is a separate train line that covers this part of Italy & it is not part of Trenitalia. Ferrovia Apulano Lucane does not operate trains on Sunday or holidays but they do have a bus.
I had to take the train to Bari & then catch a bus to Matera since the local train line didn't run on Sundays or Holidays. I found out where to catch the bus (4 euros) & off I went. The bus stopped in several small towns before arriving in Matera. I was counting on my GPS to take me to my B&B and it let me down a bit. It tried to take me all over town but luckily I visited the place when I made reservations so I figured out how to get there. It took about 35 minutes to walk with all my bags but I made it. The place was amazing. I had a room that was in the mountain overlooking a whole section of the city. I had a refrigerator, hot plate & utensils so that I could make eggs the next morning. These are the first eggs I've had for breakfast since I've been in Italy. There were 3 steps up to the bedroom. Rate was highest I've paid so far (55 euros/nt) but I loved it. The owners were nice but not very helpful & they never cleaned, made up or changed linens during my 3 night stay. Se la vie!
6/3/10-6/4/10 - The old town of Matera dates from the Middle Ages is built on the Sassi - literally stones - an intricate series of terraced caves. There are 3 main areas - Civita or the old city; Sasso Caveroso; & Sasso Barisano. Both of the Sasso's are divided by a ravene. You walk in a big arc to all area & then head down into the ravene. I wandered around for 2 days & saw most of it. The churches are also amazing here. Unfortunately it rained 1 day very hard so it somewhat stopped me but got to see most of it. Ran into a travel agent in town that spoke perfect English & she was great help to me. Matera is amazing & my favorite city so far! even though I did like Lecce a lot!
6/5/10 - Left Matera in the morning. B&B said I had to be out by 10am. Was able to find a bus part of way up hill back to train station. Was able to take the train to Bari instead of the bus. Much better trip. Arrived in Bari & wandered around through the old town & visited the churches here. This time it was during the week & the city was bustling. Had a great dinner at a fish restaurant near the Statione Maritima. Fish was wonderful. There was a rock concert in the main plaza for the old city and I stopped for short time to listen to the music. Went back to the B&B I booked which was not my favorite but conveniently located 2 blocks from the train station for my early morning train to Bologna. I'll cover Bologna & rest of journey in my next email.
Here is my adventures since my last email...
5/29/10 - I took a short local train from Lecce to my next destination - the hillside town of Ostuni. I booked a B&B on the phone that I found in my guidebook. There is a bus that meets the train & takes you the 6km up to town. The train was late so no bus. I called Georgio (mgr of B&B) who picked me up from the station with his Smart car (tiny, just enough room for me & bags). The B&B was located up the hill from the old town & on top floor of the bldg (whew! Did I get my exercise here). Stayed here 4 nts. & thanks to Georgio's help was able to rent a car for 2 days @ 30Euros/day. Had lots of places I wanted to visit & car is only practical way.
1st afternoon took a bus to small town of Martina Franca. All the towns in this region have an old "centro storico" or old city. Their streets are narrow & meander around. Very quaint & charming. spent a few hours here.
5/30/10 - Spent morning exploring old town of Ostuni. Most of building are whitewashed & of course there is a Cathedrale. Very lovely but was able to see everything in a few hours.
Decided to take a train to Bari in the afternoon to scout for hotel later in the week. Bari is one of bigest cities in area & the guidbooks don't give it much attention. I was there on a Sunday so streets were really empty but I really liked this city. Found a place for 1 nt when I leave Puglia. Visited some of centro storico & Castello Normanno-Svevo which was the site of an earlier Roman fort built by Frederick II. It is huge. Headed back to Ostuni & had one of best dinners in old town there.
5/31/10 - Was picked up at my B&B with my Fiat Panda rental car arranged by Georgio. A father & son have a repair garage in nearby town & rent some cars. I filled out paper work & was on my way. No credit card needed, just pay them when I return the car.
Had a busy & great day! Visited the small towns of Cisternino & Locototondo before heading to Alberobello. This town is noted for it's collection of trulli's which are cylindrical, whitewashed buildings with grey conical roofs & are used mainly as dwellings. Spent a few hours here wandering around. Stumbled on a trulli where owner invited me in along with few other people. Very interesting. Left a small donation. He was real nice but only spoke Italian. There was a couple from France & young couple from Rimini. They spoke great English & translated for me.
Decided to make a trip to Matera & secure my B&B there. Got another one from my guide book that is located next to Piazza Duomo which is highest point in the Sassi (I'll explain latter). What a fabulous city situated on two hills with a revene in between. Made my reservation & headed back to Ostuni. Had dinner at small place in Cisternino. Got back about 10pm. All in all had a super day.
6/1/10 - Had an event packed day planned that also turned out great. Left from Ostuni & headed along the beaches of the Adriatic Sea. Lots of small villages with resorts & fish restaurants. Heard about the ancient city of Egnazia. It was first settled in 5th century BC. Was later colonized by the Greeks & Romans in 244 BC. It was finally abandoned in 10th Century AD after much turmoil. It was very interesting site & ruins were easy to view.
From there I went to Calstellana Grotte which is caverns that are suppose to be some of the best in Europe. Unfortunately due to "siesta mode" was not able to visit so I went on to Castel del Monte. A hugh fortification built by Frederick II (remember him from the Bari fort) which is considered the finest surviving examples of Swabian architecture. He really got around. This castle/fort is situated on top of a hill overlooking the entire countryside. It is kind of a ripoff to see this castle. They will not let any cars up the hill so they charge 4 euros for parking & the shuttle. It was free since I'm over 65.
After this I decided to visit Altamura which is another medieval town that is considered the bread capital of the region. Tried to find the tourist office & got a bit lost. Talked with this older gentleman who owned a carpet store & he walked me to the tourist office which was about 5 minutes from his store. He only spoke Italian but was so nice & when we got to the office it was closed so he took me to another. That is the kind of people in these small towns. Found an antica forno (old bread oven) & bought my loaf of super bread for 1 euro.
Headed back to Ostuni & had dinner in Alberobello at another lovely restaurant on the main street going out of town. Another wonderful day. I'm so glad I had the car. My GPS got me lost a few times & even took me on dirt roads but I got home safely.
6/2/10 - Today was a National Holiday in Italy so everything was closed & running on Festivi schedule. Took my car back to turn it in & when I got there it was all closed up. Kind of got worried & tried to call them but had no service on my phone. About 10 minutes later the father came out of a house across from the garage. He called his son & we settled up and the father drove me to Ostuni station. He took the scenic route & pointed out friends houses along the way. What a great experience from this family.
It still amazes me how the Italians can function here with the policies on midday breaks & weekends. There is a separate train line that covers this part of Italy & it is not part of Trenitalia. Ferrovia Apulano Lucane does not operate trains on Sunday or holidays but they do have a bus.
I had to take the train to Bari & then catch a bus to Matera since the local train line didn't run on Sundays or Holidays. I found out where to catch the bus (4 euros) & off I went. The bus stopped in several small towns before arriving in Matera. I was counting on my GPS to take me to my B&B and it let me down a bit. It tried to take me all over town but luckily I visited the place when I made reservations so I figured out how to get there. It took about 35 minutes to walk with all my bags but I made it. The place was amazing. I had a room that was in the mountain overlooking a whole section of the city. I had a refrigerator, hot plate & utensils so that I could make eggs the next morning. These are the first eggs I've had for breakfast since I've been in Italy. There were 3 steps up to the bedroom. Rate was highest I've paid so far (55 euros/nt) but I loved it. The owners were nice but not very helpful & they never cleaned, made up or changed linens during my 3 night stay. Se la vie!
6/3/10-6/4/10 - The old town of Matera dates from the Middle Ages is built on the Sassi - literally stones - an intricate series of terraced caves. There are 3 main areas - Civita or the old city; Sasso Caveroso; & Sasso Barisano. Both of the Sasso's are divided by a ravene. You walk in a big arc to all area & then head down into the ravene. I wandered around for 2 days & saw most of it. The churches are also amazing here. Unfortunately it rained 1 day very hard so it somewhat stopped me but got to see most of it. Ran into a travel agent in town that spoke perfect English & she was great help to me. Matera is amazing & my favorite city so far! even though I did like Lecce a lot!
6/5/10 - Left Matera in the morning. B&B said I had to be out by 10am. Was able to find a bus part of way up hill back to train station. Was able to take the train to Bari instead of the bus. Much better trip. Arrived in Bari & wandered around through the old town & visited the churches here. This time it was during the week & the city was bustling. Had a great dinner at a fish restaurant near the Statione Maritima. Fish was wonderful. There was a rock concert in the main plaza for the old city and I stopped for short time to listen to the music. Went back to the B&B I booked which was not my favorite but conveniently located 2 blocks from the train station for my early morning train to Bologna. I'll cover Bologna & rest of journey in my next email.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Hello from Lecce, Puglia, Italy
Been very busy & having a great time. Internet access is not that great & I do have it on my cell but it is very cumbersome to use. Covered a lot of ground since I last wrote.
5/19/10 - The friend of people I met on the ship who lives in Rome (Michael) invited me to join him for a picnic birthday party for one of his UNESCO friends. It was at a lovely park near the Colosseum. Nice group of people. Most of them work for the UN. Later that evening he invited me to join some other friends for dinner at a pizzeria. All in all it was a very nice day.
5/20/10 - I took a train & bus to small hilltop village called Calcata. I read about it in National Geographic Traveler magazine. It was a great journey & I really enjoyed this small village. They don't get many visitors on weekdays so I practically had the village to myself. Met one of shop owners that filled me in on the town. Had a bit of scare because I wanted to take a 3pm bus back to train station & went early as recommended to stop. There was a bus that pulled up 20 minutes early & didn't get a chance to ask if it was the right bus. Thought I missed my bus & would have to wait for 2 hrs before last bus from the village but luckily the bus I was waiting for arrived 20 minutes later than schedule, whew, was I happy. Turned out to be a great day.
5/22/10 - Today I made an excursion to an area near Rome know as Castelli Romani. This is one of the wine districts near Rome. There are thirteen towns in the area but I decided to only hit one of them due to logistics. Went to Frascati which was a somewhat worn town but still fascinating. There is lovely Villa Aldobrandini which is situated at top of a hill overlooking the main square, Piazza Marconi. The Baroque palazzo was designed by Giacomo della Porta at the turn of the 16th Century. The entrance had a grotto on the other side of it that was decorated with statues set in different scenes. It was really something to see.
5/23/10 - My friend (Michael) from Rome recommended that I visit one of the beach areas near Rome. He said Sperlonga is one of the best. I took a train to Fondi then a bus takes you to Sperlonga. The town is perched on a hilltop & and is another delight. Filled with shops, restaurants, and narrow winding alleyways. There are 2 stairways down to the beach areas. There are several beach clubs/restaurants that separate the long, sand beaches. One of the issues with traveling in Italy is the midday break. Most everything closes at 1-1:30 pm & doesn't open up again til about 4:30pm. This also affects the local (urbano) transportation systems. I got into Sperlonga at 1pm & the first bus out was 4:15pm. I wasn't sure how I was going to pass the time but I did a lot of walking & saw most of the town & beach areas. Michael was right, it is really a beautiful spot.
5/24/10 - Spent my last day in Rome visiting some of the churches, San Giovani in Laturno including the Scala Santa which are the knealing steps. The weather was very nice for several days except at around 5pm lightning, thunder & rain would come through for about 20 - 30 minutes. My 10 nights in Rome really flew by. I still believe it is a great city.
Food has been great throughout. Have had wine every night & ice cream almost every day. I've been spending between $30 - $45 per night for dinner but every meal has been very good to wonderful. Cheapest part of meal has been the wine. Pizza is also really great here.
5/25/10 - Took the train from Rome to Lecce. There is a problem with repair on the tract so we had to take bus for an hour then got on another train before arriving in Lecce. Trip was about 6 hours but wasn't too bad. Eurostar trains are really great. I booked a B & B online that indicated it was near the station which is what I wanted since I planned to do day trips from Lecce. Boy did I make a mistake on this one. It was a 16 euro cab ride to this B&B that was in a remote residential area. Place was a home that was very nice but they didn't provide me with towels & breakfast consisted of coffee from espresso machine with no milk & packaged rolls. It took me 30 minutes to walk into town & 35 minutes to walk from train station back. There was a bus nearby but it stopped running around 8pm. I was suppose to say 4 nights but left after first night. Found original B&B that I wanted to stay at & it is really delightful. Big room great breakfast & only half a block for the train station. Same price as other place, 30 euros per night. A real bargain & the young couple that run it are delightful.
5/26/10 - Yesterday I took the advice from the great young girl at the tourist office & went by urban train (you really have to see this operation like in the movies) to Otranto which is a seaside port town. Very charming & interesting with a Castel & Duomo of course. Met a woman on train from Connecticut & we hanged out together for the day. Also met a couple that bought a home in Lecce 10 years ago & come here every year for few months. They are both professors from Florida State. They gave us some super info on the area. Really nice ancient town. Train ride was a trip.
5/27/10 - Today I planned to stay in Lecce & go to Gallipoli tomorrow but found out there was a strike set for 5/28 so went today. Again on local urbano train. They took us by bus to a station about 25 km. away & then we boarded a train for Nardo. Changed trains there for Gallipoli. This is another lovely port city which was originally a Greek city. The old town was a maze of meandering & twisting street. Had lunch at Il Bastione Restaurant that overlooked the water and was recommended in one of my guide books. Had the gamberi rossi crudi (raw red shrimps & langostine) that this area is famous for. Was expensive but very good. Then took train to another old town, Galatina, which is known for the church of Santa Caterina di Allesandria. This church has stunning 14th century frescoes covering its interior walls & ceilings. Also maze of meandering streets that behold some wonderful examples of Baroque architecture. This was also a wonderful day. Very sunny & warm. I was told they don't get any rain here during this time of year.
Well it is getting very late & the town closes up early so I'm going to sign off for now. Next place is Ostuni which I'll be at on Saturday.
5/19/10 - The friend of people I met on the ship who lives in Rome (Michael) invited me to join him for a picnic birthday party for one of his UNESCO friends. It was at a lovely park near the Colosseum. Nice group of people. Most of them work for the UN. Later that evening he invited me to join some other friends for dinner at a pizzeria. All in all it was a very nice day.
5/20/10 - I took a train & bus to small hilltop village called Calcata. I read about it in National Geographic Traveler magazine. It was a great journey & I really enjoyed this small village. They don't get many visitors on weekdays so I practically had the village to myself. Met one of shop owners that filled me in on the town. Had a bit of scare because I wanted to take a 3pm bus back to train station & went early as recommended to stop. There was a bus that pulled up 20 minutes early & didn't get a chance to ask if it was the right bus. Thought I missed my bus & would have to wait for 2 hrs before last bus from the village but luckily the bus I was waiting for arrived 20 minutes later than schedule, whew, was I happy. Turned out to be a great day.
5/22/10 - Today I made an excursion to an area near Rome know as Castelli Romani. This is one of the wine districts near Rome. There are thirteen towns in the area but I decided to only hit one of them due to logistics. Went to Frascati which was a somewhat worn town but still fascinating. There is lovely Villa Aldobrandini which is situated at top of a hill overlooking the main square, Piazza Marconi. The Baroque palazzo was designed by Giacomo della Porta at the turn of the 16th Century. The entrance had a grotto on the other side of it that was decorated with statues set in different scenes. It was really something to see.
5/23/10 - My friend (Michael) from Rome recommended that I visit one of the beach areas near Rome. He said Sperlonga is one of the best. I took a train to Fondi then a bus takes you to Sperlonga. The town is perched on a hilltop & and is another delight. Filled with shops, restaurants, and narrow winding alleyways. There are 2 stairways down to the beach areas. There are several beach clubs/restaurants that separate the long, sand beaches. One of the issues with traveling in Italy is the midday break. Most everything closes at 1-1:30 pm & doesn't open up again til about 4:30pm. This also affects the local (urbano) transportation systems. I got into Sperlonga at 1pm & the first bus out was 4:15pm. I wasn't sure how I was going to pass the time but I did a lot of walking & saw most of the town & beach areas. Michael was right, it is really a beautiful spot.
5/24/10 - Spent my last day in Rome visiting some of the churches, San Giovani in Laturno including the Scala Santa which are the knealing steps. The weather was very nice for several days except at around 5pm lightning, thunder & rain would come through for about 20 - 30 minutes. My 10 nights in Rome really flew by. I still believe it is a great city.
Food has been great throughout. Have had wine every night & ice cream almost every day. I've been spending between $30 - $45 per night for dinner but every meal has been very good to wonderful. Cheapest part of meal has been the wine. Pizza is also really great here.
5/25/10 - Took the train from Rome to Lecce. There is a problem with repair on the tract so we had to take bus for an hour then got on another train before arriving in Lecce. Trip was about 6 hours but wasn't too bad. Eurostar trains are really great. I booked a B & B online that indicated it was near the station which is what I wanted since I planned to do day trips from Lecce. Boy did I make a mistake on this one. It was a 16 euro cab ride to this B&B that was in a remote residential area. Place was a home that was very nice but they didn't provide me with towels & breakfast consisted of coffee from espresso machine with no milk & packaged rolls. It took me 30 minutes to walk into town & 35 minutes to walk from train station back. There was a bus nearby but it stopped running around 8pm. I was suppose to say 4 nights but left after first night. Found original B&B that I wanted to stay at & it is really delightful. Big room great breakfast & only half a block for the train station. Same price as other place, 30 euros per night. A real bargain & the young couple that run it are delightful.
5/26/10 - Yesterday I took the advice from the great young girl at the tourist office & went by urban train (you really have to see this operation like in the movies) to Otranto which is a seaside port town. Very charming & interesting with a Castel & Duomo of course. Met a woman on train from Connecticut & we hanged out together for the day. Also met a couple that bought a home in Lecce 10 years ago & come here every year for few months. They are both professors from Florida State. They gave us some super info on the area. Really nice ancient town. Train ride was a trip.
5/27/10 - Today I planned to stay in Lecce & go to Gallipoli tomorrow but found out there was a strike set for 5/28 so went today. Again on local urbano train. They took us by bus to a station about 25 km. away & then we boarded a train for Nardo. Changed trains there for Gallipoli. This is another lovely port city which was originally a Greek city. The old town was a maze of meandering & twisting street. Had lunch at Il Bastione Restaurant that overlooked the water and was recommended in one of my guide books. Had the gamberi rossi crudi (raw red shrimps & langostine) that this area is famous for. Was expensive but very good. Then took train to another old town, Galatina, which is known for the church of Santa Caterina di Allesandria. This church has stunning 14th century frescoes covering its interior walls & ceilings. Also maze of meandering streets that behold some wonderful examples of Baroque architecture. This was also a wonderful day. Very sunny & warm. I was told they don't get any rain here during this time of year.
Well it is getting very late & the town closes up early so I'm going to sign off for now. Next place is Ostuni which I'll be at on Saturday.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Hello from Rome, Italy
Arrived in Rome on the 15th at end of cruise. Rest of trip was also wonderful. Really enjoyed my port days. After Gibraltar we arrived at:
Alicante, Spain.
Took a ship excursion to Guadalest which is a medevial hilltop town 1.25 hrs from Alicante. It was a very scenic drive with beautiful villages and countryside on the way. Guadalest is really small, quaint & charming. We visited a four level house & then views from the terraces around the town. There is a dam below that created a small lake which is small & charming. Plenty of small shops & other places to visit. Were there for about an hour before heading back to Alicante which is also a lovely city. Great esplanade & old town area plus I took ascensior to top of hill and the old fort for super views of the city & surroundings. Weather was bit overcast & some rain but I was lucky because when I went to Avignon it was sunny & beautiful. When we were on this ship the sky opened up & rained hard for abut 45 minutes. We were very lucky with weather throughout this trip. Next day went to:
Barcelona, Spain
Been here many times before & really love this city. A couple of years ago I met a guy there who was from Chile. We became friends & I visited him in Chile in '07. He is back in Spain & we met for the day to run around Barcelona. Covered a few new neighborhoods & several old ones before going back to ship. Got caught in showers a couple of times during my day here. Very little sun here also. Next stop was:
Marseille, France
This port doesn't have good transportation from port to town. It is about 4 miles & taxis try to rip you off (40 euros for 4 mile trip). Ship had shuttle but originally was not suppose to start until 8:30 am which was 1.5 hours after we docked but they started earlier (8am) so I took it. Wanted to go Avignon. Took Metro to train station & just missed the local train that I wanted which would have arrived right near center of town. I found out that there was an accicent on the tracks & only trains operating were on TGV High Speed which arrives in station 15 minutes by bus to centre. Avignon is really great city. Best know for Palace of the Popes. This was residence of papacy in 14 Century. Pople was afraid of invasion from Turks so relocated here. Place is enormous but mainly empty rooms. Spent about 1.5 hours here before visiting famous bridge that the French song was named for. Sorry but forgot name. Rushed back to bus then train into Marsaille. Walked around for short time mainly from train station to Vieux Port where I picked up shuttle back to ship. Was very surprised to see majority of population around Vieux Port was Muslim. Didn't see many French walking the streets.
Last stop before Civitavecchia was:
Livorno, Italy
5/15/10 - Arrived in Civitavecchia early in the morning. Stayed onboard until about 10 am. Really enjoyed the ship & was sorry to be leaving. It was raining quite heavily & was a bit chaotic leaving ship with my bags but was able to get a shuttle to beginning of port with only a 15 minute wait after navidaging through wheelchairs & people trying to get on the ship for the next cruise before boarding the shuttle. Walked to statione & got the train into Rome Termini.
I checked my bags at the station & walked around to find a room for next 10 nights. Hotel service at station only had rooms starting from 90 euros which was way over my budget. Went to 4 hotels before finding one that wasn't too expensive. Negotiated rate of 52 euros/night which is pretty good for Termini area. Had to change rooms a couple of times but all OK now. Breakfast good at hotel. Lots of pastries, yogurt, coffee, rolls, cheese & cereal.
5/17/10 - Met my friends from ship & spent day together. They have brother of a friend who is living in Rome & we walked around before we all went out to dinner in Trastevere at a great place. He was super in showing us some areas before/after dinner.
5/18/10 - Walked around a bit yesterday & found discount electronics store where I bought GPS. Brand is Mio which was cheapest. Will try for few days. In Rome you can exchange but no refunds. Also got a SIM Card when I arrived for phoning & internet but had problems configuring. Company I used, Wind, is low priced but poor support. Will not support from store but will from calling but little or no English. Was finally able to find office that had someone that helped me.
My number again is: 3273124102 if anyone wants to call.
Rome is still one of my favorite cities but still having problems with my feed but getting better. This is a terrific walking city.
Alicante, Spain.
Took a ship excursion to Guadalest which is a medevial hilltop town 1.25 hrs from Alicante. It was a very scenic drive with beautiful villages and countryside on the way. Guadalest is really small, quaint & charming. We visited a four level house & then views from the terraces around the town. There is a dam below that created a small lake which is small & charming. Plenty of small shops & other places to visit. Were there for about an hour before heading back to Alicante which is also a lovely city. Great esplanade & old town area plus I took ascensior to top of hill and the old fort for super views of the city & surroundings. Weather was bit overcast & some rain but I was lucky because when I went to Avignon it was sunny & beautiful. When we were on this ship the sky opened up & rained hard for abut 45 minutes. We were very lucky with weather throughout this trip. Next day went to:
Barcelona, Spain
Been here many times before & really love this city. A couple of years ago I met a guy there who was from Chile. We became friends & I visited him in Chile in '07. He is back in Spain & we met for the day to run around Barcelona. Covered a few new neighborhoods & several old ones before going back to ship. Got caught in showers a couple of times during my day here. Very little sun here also. Next stop was:
Marseille, France
This port doesn't have good transportation from port to town. It is about 4 miles & taxis try to rip you off (40 euros for 4 mile trip). Ship had shuttle but originally was not suppose to start until 8:30 am which was 1.5 hours after we docked but they started earlier (8am) so I took it. Wanted to go Avignon. Took Metro to train station & just missed the local train that I wanted which would have arrived right near center of town. I found out that there was an accicent on the tracks & only trains operating were on TGV High Speed which arrives in station 15 minutes by bus to centre. Avignon is really great city. Best know for Palace of the Popes. This was residence of papacy in 14 Century. Pople was afraid of invasion from Turks so relocated here. Place is enormous but mainly empty rooms. Spent about 1.5 hours here before visiting famous bridge that the French song was named for. Sorry but forgot name. Rushed back to bus then train into Marsaille. Walked around for short time mainly from train station to Vieux Port where I picked up shuttle back to ship. Was very surprised to see majority of population around Vieux Port was Muslim. Didn't see many French walking the streets.
Last stop before Civitavecchia was:
Livorno, Italy
Again, ship got us for shuttle into town. Cost was 5 euros which wasn't too bad. Met a great couple on ship earlier in week who joined me for day to Pisa & Lucca. We took bus to train station then train to Pisa. Walked around for awhile & really had lovely time. Decided to go to Lucca but this wasn't my best decision. When jumped on train tried to validated ticket before boarding but had difficulty so just got on train from Pisa to Lucca. Conductor wanted to charge us 40 euro each for failing to validate but she was nice & only charged us 40 euros total for all three of us. Spent around 45 minutes in Lucca before trying to catch a train back to Livorno. Had to buy fast train ticket in order to get back to ships shuttle on time unfortunately trains were running 30-45 minutes late so we missed our connection. Didn't get back to Livorno til around 6pm & took cab to ship. Whew!! Just made it with 15 minutes to spare. My travelmates were very understanding & great with all the agita we were experiencing. All in all was a good day.
5/15/10 - Arrived in Civitavecchia early in the morning. Stayed onboard until about 10 am. Really enjoyed the ship & was sorry to be leaving. It was raining quite heavily & was a bit chaotic leaving ship with my bags but was able to get a shuttle to beginning of port with only a 15 minute wait after navidaging through wheelchairs & people trying to get on the ship for the next cruise before boarding the shuttle. Walked to statione & got the train into Rome Termini.
I checked my bags at the station & walked around to find a room for next 10 nights. Hotel service at station only had rooms starting from 90 euros which was way over my budget. Went to 4 hotels before finding one that wasn't too expensive. Negotiated rate of 52 euros/night which is pretty good for Termini area. Had to change rooms a couple of times but all OK now. Breakfast good at hotel. Lots of pastries, yogurt, coffee, rolls, cheese & cereal.
5/17/10 - Met my friends from ship & spent day together. They have brother of a friend who is living in Rome & we walked around before we all went out to dinner in Trastevere at a great place. He was super in showing us some areas before/after dinner.
5/18/10 - Walked around a bit yesterday & found discount electronics store where I bought GPS. Brand is Mio which was cheapest. Will try for few days. In Rome you can exchange but no refunds. Also got a SIM Card when I arrived for phoning & internet but had problems configuring. Company I used, Wind, is low priced but poor support. Will not support from store but will from calling but little or no English. Was finally able to find office that had someone that helped me.
My number again is: 3273124102 if anyone wants to call.
Rome is still one of my favorite cities but still having problems with my feed but getting better. This is a terrific walking city.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
My Cruise Critic Review - Crown Princess - 5/1/10 - 5/15/10
Crown Princess Cruise Review by Sweetd
Home > Reviews > Member Reviews > Crown Princess Cruise Review by Sweetd
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| Great Transatlantic Voyage on Crown!! |
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| * Background Information: I'm a single, 66 yo seasoned, cruiser. 25 cruises in past 5 years. Live in NY. Really enjoy Transatlantic voyages & this was one of best. * Hotel Info (if any): Stayed couple of nights in Ft. Lauderdale before cruise at Riverside Hotel. What a lovely place. Got it on Priceline.com & it was great. * Travel To Port of Embarkation: Enjoyed my 2 days in Ft. Lauderdale area before cruise. Always go couple of days early before cruise leaves so there are no issues. * Ship Info: The Crown Princess is a really lovely vessel. Very clean & well maintained also well appointed. Plenty of room in public areas & on decks to roam. Quality of fellow passengers was also great. Everyone was very pleasant, interesting & friendly. One really nice touch on this ship was automatic doors on all areas leading from interior of ship to outside decks. Haven't seen this on any other ship. This was Transatlantic voyage with 9 nights at sea. I was a bit concerned because of so many nights at sea but turned out to be wonderful. Longest time at sea in past was 7 nights on QM2. * Activities: Enjoyed Movies with the Stars on pool deck except a bit cold a few nights. Cruise Director & staff were very good. Would have liked more cooking demonstrations. There were many activities available during sea days. Crew made every effort to keep us busy & happy. * Service: Excellent throughout voyage. Staff was very friendly & always accommodating. I attribute this to the Captain. He was great & funny. Not stuffy at all. Staff seemed very happy & showed it to the passengers. * Port & Shore Excursions: Ports were very good. Two were new for me so I really enjoyed them. Took one of ships Shore Excursions & it was very good. Handled professionally, although slight bit disorganized. Really wish shuttles at ports would be built into cost of cruise. Only way to get into town at some of the ports was by shuttle. Didn't have a choice so would have been better if included. * Stateroom: Well appointed & comfortable. Cabin Steward was great. Took super care of me & listened to my requests when I first got on board. Had problem with my balcony door opening on its own. He provide a great solution. Would like more light in bathroom but it was OK. * Dining: Really enjoyed the Open Choice Dining. Ate in the Da Vinci Restaurant every evening. Never had to wait for a table & had very good to excellent food & service throughout. Breakfast was in the Horizon Court/Cafe Caribe. Found it was better than dining room although dining room was fine. Also enjoyed the Vines Restaurant/Bar in lobby for sushi & International Cafe for their chicken salad & shrimp. The coffee on this ship was great. The cookies were also better than other ships I've been on. * Entertainment: Very good to excellent throughout. Productions show were very well done & cute. Comedians were great. Most of musical guest performers were also great. Lounges also had very talented entertainers & venues. * Disembarkation: It was raining when we disembarked. Exit from ship was one of fastest I've experienced but had a jam up leaving from baggage area. Only had one way in/out & people were trying to get on while we were leaving. Caused a bit of a mess but worked out fine in the end. * Summary: One of best cruises I've experienced. Ship, staff, food, entertainment, ports & fellow passengers were memorable & outstanding. Would definitely travel on this ship in the future. |
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=69287
Port Reviews
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/portreviews.cfm?EntryID=69287
Monday, May 10, 2010
Hello from Gibraltar, UK
Just arrived here after 10 days at sea. Has been a wonderful voyage! Ship is super! Food is terrific! Passengers and staff are wonderful! Having a great time. Seas were very calm all the way across the Atlantic. Will be in Alicante tomorrow. A bit rainy here in Gibraltar. Walked around, went up on the "Rock" & went to Europa Point (lighthouse).
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Start of Transatlantic Voyage to Europe - 2010
Got a great deal on 14 night Crown Princess Transatlantic from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome leaving from Florida on 5/1/10. Just got my cabin assignment & they upgraded me to a Balcony cabin (whoopee). 9 nights at sea (whoa!), before visiting Gibraltar, Alicante (Spain), Barcelona, Marseille, Livorno (Italy) & ending in Rome. Plan to spend 10 nights in Rome before visiting the Puglia area of Italy (Southeast). Suppose to have small, baroque, lovely towns/villages. Then will head to Bologna/Venice/Padua area before heading back to Rome for few nights. Will return to NY mid June. I will be emailing when I get a chance but won't be able to communicate while at sea.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Excursion to Phuket area including Similan, Surin, Raya, PhiPhi Islands & Ao Nang
1/27/10 - Flew into Phuket for visit to this area. Want to do lot of snorkeling in this part of Thailand. Using Patong Beach as my base for this area. It is about 45 minutes from Phuket Town. Very touristy but OK. Lots of restaurants in area plus beach is very nice. Found a travel agent here and set up several excursions.
1/29/10- Went to Raya Island for an overnight. Package included stop at small island before heading to Raya. Had lunch then went snorkeling. There was bit of misconnect with operator and almost missed snorkeling trip but all worked out. Met real nice guy here that was attending wedding of his sister. We met at pier and talked for awhile. Ran into him couple of times and also took boat back to Phuket together. He and his wife are from Canada.
1/31/10 - Went on Excursion to Surin Islands.
2/1/10 - Went on Excursion to Phi Phi Island. Met Tamer who is officer in Turkish Air Force and is stationed in Seoul, Korea.
2/2/10 - Excursion to Similan Islands.
2/3/10 - Left Phucket by ferry to Ao Nang. This is the beach resort area of Krabi. Really lovely place. Only stayed here one night but wish I was staying longer.
1/29/10- Went to Raya Island for an overnight. Package included stop at small island before heading to Raya. Had lunch then went snorkeling. There was bit of misconnect with operator and almost missed snorkeling trip but all worked out. Met real nice guy here that was attending wedding of his sister. We met at pier and talked for awhile. Ran into him couple of times and also took boat back to Phuket together. He and his wife are from Canada.
1/31/10 - Went on Excursion to Surin Islands.
2/1/10 - Went on Excursion to Phi Phi Island. Met Tamer who is officer in Turkish Air Force and is stationed in Seoul, Korea.
2/2/10 - Excursion to Similan Islands.
2/3/10 - Left Phucket by ferry to Ao Nang. This is the beach resort area of Krabi. Really lovely place. Only stayed here one night but wish I was staying longer.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Excursion with Ron Taguba to Malaysia
Ron is my friend who has been spending the past 8 months in Thailand. He had to go on a visa run and asked me if I would be interested in meeting him in Malaysia and we could take this trip which he scouted out for us. I said "why not" and here we are! Had an exciting 7 days in Malaysia. We took a 3 day/2 night package to Malaysian Borneo for a very special snorkeling/diving trip to Sipidan. This is one of the top ten dive sites in the world.
1/21/10 - Left Bangkok for flight to Kuala Lumpur and connected to flight for Tawau, Malaysian Borneo. We had a transfer (taxi) that took us to Semporna. We overnighted here at Dragon Inn Resort. This place looked rather nice at first since the rooms are over the water at the harbor. There was air conditioning but bathroom was outside the room on a porch. There was a sink, toilet and shower hose. Was kind of expensive for what it was but it worked out OK.
1/22/10 - Met tour operator in the morning to pay and head out. A boat took us to Mabul Island where we would stayed for the next 2 nights. This was the most basic accommodations I've ever stayed at in my life. We were situated on a pier. Room didn't have air conditioning but did have a fan. Window looked out onto the most beautiful coast you could imagine. The bathrooms were around the corner from the living room. Our shower consisted of a bucket and a scoop. There was a sink but no hot water. There were 3 stalls with toilets. All meals were outside on the veranda that overlooked the sea. Food was good and other travelers were very nice. There were two women that were divemasters who ran the place along with rest of staff (3). This was a guesthouse. We went out in the afternoon for some snorkeling (Ron was diving throughout). Stayed in local area and was very nice coral and fish. Ron was having some trouble here. Developed hives and had a few outbreaks. Gave him some antihistamines that helped.
1/23/10 - We had very special excursion today. Went to Sipidan Island. This is one of 10 top diving spots in world. They only allow 120 people here a day. This was island that was attacked by Phillipine terrorists in 2000 where they held several resort passengers hostage for several months before releasing them. The Malaysian government restricts this island to visiting the reefs in the area now. You cannot walk around the island and access to beach is limited to very small area. The coral and fish here are spectacular. I rented a camera for day and got some good pictures. Ron had a bad outbreak of hives today. There was a couple of doctors that were with the university here to perform circumcisions on some of the young islanders at the church. We went there to have them check Ron out. They were great and gave him some medications.
1/24/10 - Left Mabul Island & went back to Semporna. Decided to stay in Tawau for night so that we would be closer to airport since we were heading back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. Stayed at one of best hotels on trip. This was 3-4 star hotel. Had good dinner here.
1/25/10 - Left Tawau and went to Kuala Lumpur. Ron had to leave the next day so we had a foot massage in the afternoon which was great and then walked over to the twin towers.
1/26/10 - Tried to go up the towers but all the tickets were gone at 9am when I arrived. Took the hop on - hop off bus here and really enjoyed seeing the city. That evening had one of best dinners on whole trip at Seri Angkasa Restaurant which was in the Menara (tower) Kuala Lumpur. Views were super and so was food.
1/21/10 - Left Bangkok for flight to Kuala Lumpur and connected to flight for Tawau, Malaysian Borneo. We had a transfer (taxi) that took us to Semporna. We overnighted here at Dragon Inn Resort. This place looked rather nice at first since the rooms are over the water at the harbor. There was air conditioning but bathroom was outside the room on a porch. There was a sink, toilet and shower hose. Was kind of expensive for what it was but it worked out OK.
1/22/10 - Met tour operator in the morning to pay and head out. A boat took us to Mabul Island where we would stayed for the next 2 nights. This was the most basic accommodations I've ever stayed at in my life. We were situated on a pier. Room didn't have air conditioning but did have a fan. Window looked out onto the most beautiful coast you could imagine. The bathrooms were around the corner from the living room. Our shower consisted of a bucket and a scoop. There was a sink but no hot water. There were 3 stalls with toilets. All meals were outside on the veranda that overlooked the sea. Food was good and other travelers were very nice. There were two women that were divemasters who ran the place along with rest of staff (3). This was a guesthouse. We went out in the afternoon for some snorkeling (Ron was diving throughout). Stayed in local area and was very nice coral and fish. Ron was having some trouble here. Developed hives and had a few outbreaks. Gave him some antihistamines that helped.
1/23/10 - We had very special excursion today. Went to Sipidan Island. This is one of 10 top diving spots in world. They only allow 120 people here a day. This was island that was attacked by Phillipine terrorists in 2000 where they held several resort passengers hostage for several months before releasing them. The Malaysian government restricts this island to visiting the reefs in the area now. You cannot walk around the island and access to beach is limited to very small area. The coral and fish here are spectacular. I rented a camera for day and got some good pictures. Ron had a bad outbreak of hives today. There was a couple of doctors that were with the university here to perform circumcisions on some of the young islanders at the church. We went there to have them check Ron out. They were great and gave him some medications.
1/24/10 - Left Mabul Island & went back to Semporna. Decided to stay in Tawau for night so that we would be closer to airport since we were heading back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. Stayed at one of best hotels on trip. This was 3-4 star hotel. Had good dinner here.
1/25/10 - Left Tawau and went to Kuala Lumpur. Ron had to leave the next day so we had a foot massage in the afternoon which was great and then walked over to the twin towers.
1/26/10 - Tried to go up the towers but all the tickets were gone at 9am when I arrived. Took the hop on - hop off bus here and really enjoyed seeing the city. That evening had one of best dinners on whole trip at Seri Angkasa Restaurant which was in the Menara (tower) Kuala Lumpur. Views were super and so was food.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Bangkok, Thailand after GAP Adventures Laos Tour - 1/17/10-1/20/10
After leaving GAP group I visited a few sites.
1/18/10 - Went with John and Chowarawat by private car to Muang Boran (Ancient City) which is one of the 'must-do' side trips in Bangkok. It is the largest outdoor museum in world with 116 scaled-down replicas of Thailand's most historically significant structures built on 320 acres of land. It is configured like the map of Thailand. The originators are the couple, Khun Lek and Khun Prapai Wiriyapan, both of whom long passed away. Their heirs have succeeded and been running this enterprise, focusing on improvement and preservation of what the couple started. We spent several hours there and it is a spectacular place to visit. It is privately held without any government funding. A wonderful excursion!!
1/19/10 - Took excursion to Ayutthaya by van up to visit to Pang Pa-in Temple, ruins of Ayutthaya and cruise back to Bangkok.
1/18/10 - Went with John and Chowarawat by private car to Muang Boran (Ancient City) which is one of the 'must-do' side trips in Bangkok. It is the largest outdoor museum in world with 116 scaled-down replicas of Thailand's most historically significant structures built on 320 acres of land. It is configured like the map of Thailand. The originators are the couple, Khun Lek and Khun Prapai Wiriyapan, both of whom long passed away. Their heirs have succeeded and been running this enterprise, focusing on improvement and preservation of what the couple started. We spent several hours there and it is a spectacular place to visit. It is privately held without any government funding. A wonderful excursion!!
1/19/10 - Took excursion to Ayutthaya by van up to visit to Pang Pa-in Temple, ruins of Ayutthaya and cruise back to Bangkok.
- 07:45 hrs. : Depart Bangkok by air-conditioned coach
- 09:00 hrs. : Arrive Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. Previously lived in by many Thai monarchs from 17 th century. Bang Pa-In has a captivating collection of marvelous pavilions in a variety of Thai, Chinese, Italian and Victorian architectural styles, encircled by lush beautiful gardens and lake.
- 10:30 hrs. : Arrive Ayutthaya the world heritage city. Ancient Capital City of Thailand. Visited Wat Phra Sri San Phet, the largest temple in Ayutthaya that was built in the 14 th century and used as the Royal Temple-cum-palace by several kings; Viharn Phra Monkol Bopit; Wat Chai Wattanaram built in 1630 by King Prasat Thong, a replica of Angkor Wat with a huge prang surrounded by smaller ones, symbolizing mount Meru, the abode of the heavenly gods.
- 13:00 hrs. : Welcome on Board to the Grand Pearl at Wat Chong-lom Pier (Nonthaburi). A buffet lunch was served which includes a variety of oriental and western cuisines. I relaxed and enjoyed the fascinating scenery on the River of Kings. The boat passed Nonthaburi province before reaching BANGKOK CITY
- 15:00 hrs. : There was a coffee break while enjoying the enchanting sights along the river banks such as the Royal Barges, Thammasart University, the Royal Grand Palace and the graceful Temple Of Dawn.
- 16:00 hrs. : Arrived at the River City Shopping Complex Pier. There was a guide with us throughout the day. Another great day!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
GAP Adventures Roam Laos
| 1 | Arrive | |
| 2 | Jan 7/10 | Lac Sao |
| 3 | Jan 8/10 | |
| 4 | Jan 9/10 | Vang Vieng |
| 5 | Jan 10/10 | Vang Vieng |
| 6 | Jan 11/10 | Luang Prabang |
| 7 | Jan 12/10 | Luang Prabang |
| 8 | Jan 13/10 | Pakbeng |
| 9 | Jan 14/10 | Chiang Khong |
| 10 | Jan 15/10 | Chiang Mai - Train |
| 11 | Jan 16/10 | |
| 12 | Jan 17/10 | Depart |
Day 1
Hanoi
Arrive in bustling Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) or Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and Museum. The Mausoleum houses the remains of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of the unified Vietnam (the mausoleum and museum is closed in October-December). Or take a walk through Hanoi's Old Quarter – a maze of street, each one traditionally devoted to a different product or industry. There are no planned activities for today but please check at the hotel for the time of your welcome meeting - usually at 6pm.
Day 2
Lac Sao
Today is a long travel day (approx 12hrs). We travel through spectacular mountains before crossing into Lao.
Lac Sao is a sleepy border town with a great local market. The pace of life is dramatically different from Vietnam. We’ll arrive in the evening with a chance to walk through the market before enjoying a cold Beer Laos.
Day 3
Vientiane
A 4-5 hour drive takes us to the capital city.
There is a wealth of cultural delights to discover - on foot, by bicycle or, for the less energetic, by songthaew. Visit Laos' most important national monument, Phat That Luang, or meander down the dusty riverside tracks to find villages full of friendly children, dogs and chickens. A visit to Vientiane's vibrant, colorful morning market (which incidentally is open all day!) is worth it to find plenty of local treasures. A great way to round off the day is to enjoy a spectacular sunset over the Mekong at one of the many stilt restaurants along the riverbank.
Day 4
Vang Vieng
A 4 hour drive north takes us to beautiful Vang Vieng. This quiet town is set along the Nam Song River amidst rice fields and limestone karsts. Explore some of the caves by bicycle, or float down the river in a tire tube stopping off for a cold drink and zip line ride at one of the numerous bamboo bars. In the evening, soak in the beauty of Vang Vieng as the sun sets over the river, rice fields, and limestone karsts.
Day 5
Vang Vieng
Day 6
Luang Prabang
Today we take the bus from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang (approx 7 hours)
Luang Prabang has a magical feel about it. Nestled in the hills of northern Laos on the confluence of the Mekong and Khan Rivers, it is studded with ornate temples and French colonial architecture. A visit the Royal Palace Museum, which has remained untouched since the royal family departed in 1975, is sure to impress.
Day 7
Luang Prabang
We will also have an option to hop on a songthaew to the beautiful Kuang Si Falls, where pale turquoise waters cascade over limestone formations.
For a small additional cost there is also the option, for those who feel active and want to stretch their legs, to take a 3 to 4-hour walk through the countryside to the falls (in wet season it may be too slippery).
Day 8
Pakbeng
We board our boat for the 2-day journey up the mighty Mekong River to Chiang Khong. The journey is relaxed, as we experience the slow pace of village life and the breathtaking scenery along the river. We dock at the small town of Pak Beng to spend the night (approx 8 hours). The standard of accommodation in this trading port is basic but comfortable
Day 9
Chiang Khong
The following morning we re-board our boat and cruise leisurely up the river before arriving at the Laos/Thai border and crossing in to Chiang Khong in the late afternoon (approx 7 hours).
Please note that the river boat is of a basic standard. Your leader will help arrange the purchase of food and drinks for the boat journeys. It can also be quite cold from November to February so make sure you have some warm gear packed!
Day 10
Chiang Mai/overnight train
Leaving Chiang Khong in early in the morning we drive to Chiang Mai (approx 5 hours). You'll have the afternoon to explore. In the evening, we board our fan cooled overnight train for Bangkok (approx 12 hours).
Day 11
Bangkok
We'll arrive early in the morning to Bangkok, Thailand's capital city. The day is free to explore the many sights of Bangkok. The Grand Palace, Wat Po, National Museum, and Jim Thompson's House are just a few suggestions. A trip along the Chao Praya river and through the canals (or Klongs) gives you a different perspective of daily life in this busy city. In the evening we'll say good bye as we enjoy a Thai meal, some of the world's best food!
Day 12
Depart Bangkok
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