Tag Archives: Italy

A Walking and Driving Tour of Rome

07 Tuesday Aug 2018

Posted by in Europe, History, Italy, Tour Companies, Uncategorized

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A Tour of Rome, 1980

It is a scorching July day in Rome in 1980. The dry heat takes its toll on the group, eyes deflecting to water bottle vendors in close proximity. My Mum, however, raised in land-encased regions of Northern India, remains unfazed by such heat and so she sits solo on the Spanish Steps at Plaza Espana, the afternoon blaze above her, in quiet amazement of the ancient city she has found herself in.

Armed with his Pentax armoury, my Dad shuffles around his lenses and equipment, rummaging between the wide angles and the zoom to determine which would be most suited for this quintessential Rome moment. International leisure travel has always been for the elite, the aristocracy, the icons of the Bollywood world. That they have found themselves on holiday in continental Europe is a blessing they embrace tightly, each landmark an achievement, each step they take a privilege in its own right.

Rome tour reviews

Theirs was a generation when it was on trend to smile at the camera and not away from it. With one flash and the sound of the timeless “cheeeese,” she smiles, the moment crystallised in time, the misty mauve glaze of their Italian snaps, nowadays reborn a vintage filter.

Nearly forty years later, I copy my Mum’s pose. It is me this time, sitting on the Spanish Steps, much less stoic in the heat than she had been. “Photo, photo” she yelps as a gap emerges between the masses and this time, it is Mum behind the camera, the “camera” now a telephone. We swap places and my parents sit side by side once again, a little older, a little wiser but no less appreciative for the experience than they had been first time around.

Rome city tours

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​Which is the Best Cinque Terre Village to stay in?

07 Monday Nov 2016

Posted by in Europe, Italy, Scenic

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I read many an article about Cinque Terre, Italy before I finally booked my visit and with each colourful clifftop photograph and each glimpse of the small boats cluttered along narrow harbours in the sunshine, my urge to visit heightened. I couldn’t quite grasp what was so special about Cinque Terre, the UNESCO listed cluster of little villages in the La Spezia region of Liguria – but I knew I wanted to be there to find out.

Cinque Terre Vernazza views

The most confusing part, though, was deciding where to stay because I simply wasn’t able to find a consensus. In a place so enchanting, it is not surprising that you develop an inherent bias and compelling affinity towards the village you based yourself in and here I am, aware of this, yet falling under the same spell.

Cinque Terre travel guide information

It is true that each village comes with its own sense of character and vibe, some miniature and sleepy, some more pulsatile and energised but in truth, it makes little difference which one you stay in since travelling between them is quick and easy – so how exactly do you go about choosing which Cinque Terre village is best to stay in?

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5 Reasons why Cinque Terre is So Special

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Destinations, Europe, Italy, Parks, Scenic

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In the last couple of years, spurred on by a desire to make the most of each precious, free moment and a habit of putting my rambling tendencies into prose, I have carved out my own tiny space here on the web, centred around making the most of my annual leave. Pumpkin and I usually invest the bulk of our leave into long-haul travel with just long weekends spent in Europe but this summer, we headed to Italy for a full ten days, a country that stole my heart when I first visited at the age of fourteen.

Cinque Terre Vernazza views

After a cosy one night stay in Pisa and prior to heading onto Florence and Venice, the first stop for our Italian adventure was Cinque Terre in Liguria. This region of northern Italy is so fondly spoken about by all those I know who have been there before me – but what exactly is all the fuss about?

What is so special about Cinque Terre?

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Alternative Sights and Experiences in Florence

21 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in City Break, Culture, Europe, Food Markets, Italy, Parks, Scenic

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We arrive at Santa Maria Novella station in Florence. We weave in a serpentine fashion trying to bypass the equally dehydrated crowds, the agile wheels of my micro-case menacingly meeting with the hurried heel of a fellow traveller. The small boutique hotel that awaits us faces the Duomo, affords us a view of its magnificence under moonlight. When we gaze at it at night from the window of our room, we acknowledge its proximity to the tourist hub of Florence.

Duomo Cathedral Museum Florence

Like so many before us, we have come to see David and the Duomo, to walk across the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge Florence

But on this, my second visit to city, I came looking for more and if you have a bit of time to spare beyond the main squares and galleries,  why not head to some of these alternative sights in Florence instead?
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Stylish Accommodation in Pisa at Guerrazzi Bed and Breakfast

08 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by in City Break, Europe, Hotel Reviews, Italy

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My father has always told me that education is more than just books, which I always found so ironic coming from a man so pro-books, who would sit patiently and teach me about the planets in our solar system when I was five years old. (I loved this topic so much that whenever he tried to bring in something new, all I ever wanted to do was go back over the planets.)

pisa monument sunset

Another one of my father’s pearls of wisdom has always been his belief that money does not buy class and character, a value that resonated loudly when we arrived at our stylish accommodation in Pisa because I certainly did not pay much money for the sheer charm that drips like animal fat from every corner of this place.

Guerrazzi Bed and Breakfast Pisa

Let me tell you more.

number 1 rated bed and breakfast Pisa

Our first stop on our Italy trip this summer was Pisa, as this is one of the closest international airports to fly into to reach Cinque Terre and unsurprisingly, most tourists in Pisa make a stop to one glaringly obvious, leaning landmark.

waterside river views Pisa

It is rarely sensible to book accommodation in European cities at short notice but that was exactly what we did. The issue was finding stylish but good value accommodation near the Leaning Tower of Pisa that still retained that special Italian allure but wasn’t panned in reviews.

leaning tower pisa pose

It was Pumpkin’s maiden visit to Italy and I had warned him about European shoebox sized hotel rooms and costly fares but as he so often does, he went and proved me wrong by booking us into this cute establishment, only a twenty-minute walk away from the Leaning Tower.

Leaning Tower Pisa accommodation review

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Finding the Best Cicchetti in Venice on a Food Walking Tour

25 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in City Break, Europe, Food Tours, Foods & Feasts, Italy

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Those who know me well will attest to the fact that I am not a fussy eater. I don’t eat beef, I have never warmed to mushrooms and do not even get me started on Marmite! Beyond this though, I am fairly flexible and usually comfortably settle into the gastronomic backdrop of destinations and restaurants without much ado. That’s not to say that I don’t have my favourites though, which include South East Asian, Middle Eastern and from my most recent travels, Italian cuisine.

anchovy bread Cicchetti

As we boarded our flight to Italy in June, I was already sniffing out the aroma of Tuscan truffles, yearning to locate the chocolate chips cocooned inside Sicilian cannoli and seeking out the velvety feel of a grandmother’s flawless gnocchi. In Venice though, I had no idea about local specialties. What were the hallmarks of Venetian cuisine and were there any foodie experiences I must not miss in this canal-laden city?  Continue reading →

A Gondola Ride Gift Experience in Venice with Tinggly

17 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by in City Break, Culture, Europe, Italy, Scenic

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Considering I am a cliché hopeless romantic, I sometimes find it funny how I ended up with a man on the polar opposite end of the spectrum. Mr Practical (AKA Pumpkin) is not a creature who will whisper sweet nothings into my ear, pen love poems in my absence or assemble candlelit, petal strewn dinners. He is, however, a man who spent most of last weekend constructing a dressing table for me, as a surprise, because he had noticed I put my make up on in a corner of our room with dim lighting; he is a man who senses from my texts when I have had an emotionally charged day at work and leaves a Creme Egg on the kitchen table as a much-needed, sugary pick-up; and he is the life-saver who insisted on staying up with me till 5am, bleary eyed with laptop in hand, the night before our early morning flight a few years ago when a technical glitch meant I was on the verge of losing a year’s worth of hard work.

Why Waste Annual Leave travel blogger Venice

Pumpkin is practical to his very core and shows love through selfless actions. As for the red roses, soppy messages and Eiffel tower kisses, he is quite content with leaving such gestures to the Matthew McConaugheys of the world.

Perhaps you can imagine, therefore, what he made of my suggestion to fork out on a gondola ride in Venice this year. We all know Venice is renowned for being costly and gondolas, love them or hate them, are undoubtedly one of the most expensive activities you can experience there. After a few mumblings referring to “value-for-money”, Pumpkin remained sceptical and politely opted out.

Venice gondola ride gift experience

Fortunately for me, the fairy Godmother over at Tinggly sensed my desire to try out this quintessentially Venetian tourist activity and kindly invited us to try out a gondola ride gift experience in Venice, leaving Pumpkin firmly out of excuses! Continue reading →

A Florence City Tour of David and the Duomo with Walks of Italy

06 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by in City Break, Culture, Destinations, Europe, Italy

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It’s fairly obvious from my blog title that I do all my exploring in the days and weeks afforded by my annual leave, meaning that my trips are rarely longer than a fortnight and often shorter. Whilst this isn’t how everyone would choose to travel, it’s a rhythm that works for me but it does mean I need to use my time wisely if I’m headed somewhere with  lot to see and do. Duomo Cathedral Florence

Seeing David and the Duomo, Florence

Florence is the perfect example. I made my second visit there recently for just a two night break after visiting Cinque Terre and as Pumpkin had never been, he assumed I would be the perfect guide. The problem was this: having previously wandered around the galleries and monuments in Florence with only a few fleeting glances thrown at my guide book,  I could remember very little of the history. And this was exactly where the Walks of Italy David and the Duomo Florence city tour came in.
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Five Travel Destinations I Dream of Rediscovering

06 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by in Africa, Animals & Wildlife, Argentina, Argentina, Asia, Blog link up, Blogging, City Break, Destinations, Europe, Foods & Feasts, North America, South America, Tanzania, The Maldives, Travel Styles, USA

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When it comes to home, London is the city I love. It stays with me through the highs and lows. It earns my loyalty and companionship. It tires but never bores. I nurture and cherish it. Perhaps one day, I will feel an urge to depart but it’s been thirteen years and so far, no sign.

When it comes to travel though, an alter ego arises – one always on a voyage to discover new lands, hear new languages, see new cultures. It is almost a taboo to admit you just want to go back to somewhere you love so when the friendly folk at Booked.net asked me to select five locations that I would love to rediscover as part of their Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go There campaign, it forced me to think about which destinations have had that magnetic pull on me. (It felt almost brutal making the cut and I could have easily doubled this list!)

New York City, USA

Hands down, this was the easiest answer to any travel question I’ve ever been asked. I first met with this electric city at the tender age of 3 and fantasised about it for the rest of my days. I’ve been twice in the last six years, re-visiting many of the same sites as well as seeing new ones and my crystal ball is hoping for a return trip within the next year or two (one can hope!)

Times Square New York City night light viewThe Maldives

I’ll be truthful and confess that when we were planning our honeymoon, this was one destination that we didn’t even consider. I love beaches and islands but I had so many reservations about somewhere so hyped up. It was only when we were headed to Sri Lanka anyway that Pumpkin astutely pointed out how nearby it was. As soon as we arrived in The Maldives, we realised just how wrong we had been.Kurumba Maldives turquoise waterThe islands of The Maldives are spectacular with the most glorious beaches I’ve ever seen. We were so awestruck that we didn’t need to do anything other than snorkel in the warm water, gaze at the incredible marine life and nestle our feet in the soft sand. It has only been a year and we’re already hatching a cunning plan to return….maybe even in a water villa (I’m hoping Pumpkin is reading this and digging deep in his pockets).

Tanzania

I think you always have a soft spot for the place you honeymoon, at least if the honeymoon overall went smoothly. For me, there was the added magic of it being my first experience on African soil and my first safari. The wonderful wildlife, habitat and animals were mesmerising but what really made the trip for us was the warmth, sincerity and kindness of the Tanzanian people. We both dream of returning one day and seeing more of this incredible country.giraffe safari Selous TanzaniaFlorence, Italy

For a long time, I proclaimed Florence was my favourite European city after I went there on a Mum- daughter trip a few years ago. I am now torn between Florence and Ljubljana but there is no doubt that the charm, magic and intimacy I felt towards Florence has left me wanting to return there to experience it all again and to take Pumpkin with me this time. Memories of the indoor food market, the ornate, century-old pharmacy, the abundance of irresistible gelaterias and open piazzas hold a fond place in my heart.florence duomoBuenos Aires, Argentina

I finally headed to South America earlier this year and felt an instant affinity with Argentina’s glamorous capital city. I can’t even say that I would consider it one of the more beautiful cities I have visited aesthetically it but I felt as if it was a place I could live in (if my Spanish were a little better that is!)Casa Rosada Buenos Aires pink buildingIn some ways, it very much reminded me of London with numerous parks, markets, eclectic bars and restaurants, fashionable but not pretentious and yet it had the benefit of the obvious continental European influence with open squares, cafe culture and creamy gelato (are you spotting a theme?) If I returned to Buenos Aires, it wouldn’t even be to see the sights but rather to have more time to walk around and soak up the atmosphere of this buzzing city.

You’ve heard my choices. Now I’d love to hear yours so feel free to leave a comment and let me know where you dream of revisiting!

And as the final part of the challenge, I nominate these fabulous travel bloggers to write about their 5 chosen destinations to return to – looking forward to reading your responses!

Mrs Ayla’s Adventures

Slightly Astray

Taylor Hearts Travel

Katherine’s Travels

Travel with Molly

 

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