topic Re: Hello from Italy in Community Spirit

Hello from Italy

chewill-8708 — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:21:39 GMT

Springy one here but darned if eBay will let me sign in. I know I have the right password but it wants to send a text number to verify. But will only send to my land line.
I am here under Facebook log in which has given me its own name and number 87 something or other. Where it came from I don’t know.

we are in Como. Very pretty but the trip is trying my husband. Too much walking and he is struggling so today is a free day and he has been resting rather than rushing out to a boat trip etc

London was good but very crowded, very busy and very expensive.
My fav place was the Cotswolds.

Re: Hello from Italy

countessalmirena — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:35:04 GMT

Springyzone, it sounds wonderful (except for the bit with your husband struggling a little with the walking). Could you hire a walking frame / rollator? It might make it easier.

Oh, the beautiful Cotswolds - one of the places where I’d love to be.

🌳🦌🌳🌼🪻🐔🐴⛪️🔔🐑🌾

Re: Hello from Italy

nicnacs_4u — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 22:20:57 GMT

Morning Springy,

Good to read that you are having a good time but sorry that your hubby is having some problems. Please keep us updated on your trip. many thanks.

Re: Hello from Italy

padi*0409 — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 03:48:56 GMT

@chewill-8708 wrote:

My fav place was the Cotswolds.

I can relate to that Springy, I was born in a small village in the Cotswolds. Sadly it been overtaken by the 2 towns (cities now) on either side of it.

Ah the joys of early childhood growing up in the country.................

Re: Hello from Italy

domino-710 — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:28:51 GMT

So good to hear from you Springy.

Take it easy and just do what you really want to - England is very quaint - from the lanes to the haystacks. lol

I do recall the beautiful snow in London - it lasted about 2 hours then became muddy slush.

Have fun & keep us up.

Re: Hello from Italy

chewill-8708 — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:02:42 GMT

@countessalmirena wrote:
Springyzone, it sounds wonderful (except for the bit with your husband struggling a little with the walking). Could you hire a walking frame / rollator? It might make it easier.

Oh, the beautiful Cotswolds - one of the places where I’d love to be.

🌳🦌🌳🌼🪻🐔🐴⛪️🔔🐑🌾

Can’t hire anything as on the move in a coach. In Como now but Venice later today. Things will be easier once the cruise starts on Saturday.

i would post photos but system says too big and I am not sure how to change to a smaller size on phone and of course my computer isn’t with me.

we have been lucky with the weather everywhere so far.

but I do appreciate how good things are in Australia.

Re: Hello from Italy

domino-710 — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 07:40:36 GMT

Oh dear goodness - if you don't post a pic of you and OH in a gondala. 😉

Just drifting....................

Re: Hello from Italy

chewill-8708 — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 13:13:31 GMT

Haha 4 of us. Price the same for one person or five

we were told 90 euro but that only went 20 metres and back so we paid double and went for about 45 minutes.
I will post pics when I get home for sure

husband had great trouble getting in and out though. Needed help

Re: Hello from Italy

countessalmirena — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 20:22:18 GMT

I have a few emoticons that I created 3 or 4 years ago, based on the subject of travel.

One of them strictly speaking isn't about travel - but he happens to be a gondolier!

Not one of my creations... and not the sort of cruise ship upon which you'd like to sail, but it's the only ship emoticon I have...

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 18:58:32 GMT

@padi*0409 wrote:
elate to that Springy, I was born in a small village in the Cotswolds. Sadly it been overtaken by the 2 towns (cities now) on either side of it.

Ah the joys of early childhood growing up in the country.................

While we were in England, we went on a 2 day Rabbie's tour which took us to Windsor and Bath, with an overnight stay in Bath, plus we saw Oxford and Stonehenge.

I won't bother posting photos of places like stonehenge as everyone has seen photos of it before, and way better ones than my photography, but I will show you a couple from the Cotswolds area.

These were at Castle Combe.

It is quite picturesque but what you're not seeing is the absolute crush of cars and buses in this little town. Our driver said it was not as busy as usual!

It must be hell to live in that village as it would be hard getting in and out and there would be little to no privavcy as literally hundreds of people wander the street.

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:12:09 GMT

@domino-710 wrote:
Oh dear goodness - if you don't post a pic of you and OH in a gondala. 😉

Just drifting....................

😁I wish I could!

The image you have in mind didn't exist, unforunately.

The gondola could take 5 people. My friend and I hopped on and sat together at the back. Her husband came next and had a side seat and my husband came last as he needed help to get in and he sat on the seat closest to where he got on as he could not manage more, he was unsteady on his feet.

All the same, it was a good experience to drift slowly along some of the small canals and the first time it felt stress free, away from the crowds.

Make no mistake, Venice is grossly overcrowded with visitors. It is so busy in the San Marco section near the piers that you can hardly walk at times.

The thing I noticed in Venice is there are no seats to sit down. None at all. There are hundreds of seats but all in cafes and restaurants and I believe it is a deliberate ploy for the tourist dollar. Or euro.

It is an interesting city, full of little laneways but it is very much a tourist city.

That was our driver? ferryman? He said his name was Elvis but unfortunately he didn't sing.
He also said his dad had the same job, apparently it is common for it to pass along the family. The women don't tend to do it though.

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:21:43 GMT

I have had to blank out the faces as I don't like to post public photos of friends without their permission.

I am the one in pink and the one in blue is my husband. The other two are friends we went with.

It was very peaceful on the gondola.

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:42:14 GMT

Some other photos and random observations.

Firstly, glad to have seen these places but it has made me appreciate Australia a lot more.

It is just as beautiful here but in different ways.

We don't have the old churches and buildings or the quaint alleyways from centuries long past.

But we have everything else. We have great scenery and beautiful spots, our food is as good, our public toilets are a class above anything in Europe. For some reason in Europe, they think it is a good idea to put toilets at the bottom of 2 or 3 flights of steps. I saw mums with prams having to be helped down. Occasionally they might have a lift but more often, not. And you usually pay at least a couple of dollars for the privelege.

And some of the places renowned for their beauty, I don't know how to react actually. Take Mykonos and Santorini. Interesting places to visit, but basically located on barren, rocky and dry islands.

Santorini is hundreds of steps, through alleyways that contain tourist shops. There's a cable car to take you to the bottom and the scenery looking out to the ocean is lovely, but Santorini itself? Basically a tourist centre and not that lovely.

These are the sorts of laneways you wander through, but the days we were there, there were 4 cruise ships in port. Our guide said there had been 3 the day before. They are crowded places and in some ways it was stressful being with a guide as she went ahead quickly and we had trouble keeping up. My husband doesn't do stairs easily/ We actually lost her and had to keep asking directions up to the cable car so missed the chance to really linger and explore the shops.

This is what these cyclade islands look like. Apparently celebrities pay thouands to stay here. We kept being told they came for the beauty of the islands.
All I can say is-Australia, you're in with a chance.

If you're wondering what that is, it is a vineyard. The vines are never watered, they get moisture from humidity overnight. They grow low to the ground to avoid wind.
We sampled ouzo and water on Mykonos (not my drink of choice as it is sort of aniseed, not my fav) and 3 wines on Santorini, which did enjoy. I didn't buy any-just too bulky & breakable to try to carry home.

Re: Hello from Italy

domino-710 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:00:42 GMT

Wow Springy - what a wonderful way to begin my day - cup of coffee - and - a lovely journey.

Thank you.

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:11:30 GMT

We started our holiday with a couple of nights in Dubai.

These people think their city is the best in the world.

That everything they have is the biggest, best, most valuable or most beautiful.They tell you so.

There is a haze sitting over the city, part pollution, part climate. From what i could see, the city revolves around cars and gold. The city itself is not that beautiful. We stayed in a 5 star hotel and that WAS nice. Best breakfasts I had on the whole holiday. Interesting stuff to try.

We took a private tour around and my fav part was Old Dubai and the markets.

This building is the one they say is the most beautiful in the world. It is certainly striking but the 'most beautiful' is a matter of opinion. It is shaped like a big doughnut. It is the museum of the future. We went inside it but not through it.

Then on to England, which is crowded but beautiful and very expensive.
We then joined a coach tour run by Trip a deal. Awesome people on the tour & good guide, very caring and helpful.

But with a coach tour, you are on a timetable. It wasn't too rushed. We stayed at a variety of places, some great and some we dubbed the worst yet. My husband had trouble with some of the beds (bad back).

I really, really missed having an electric jug in the room or a fridge.

We went through France (okay, not as nice as London but I can't claim to have seen enough to really judge, just my impression), through Switzerland-awesome scenery, dirtiest public toilet I have ever seen in my life & definitely not cheap.

Great cheese though.

That was the scenery from the hotel we stayed at.

The hotel public areas were nice but the rooms themselves-smallest ever & very basic, glad to only have one night there.

Then on to Venice where we started our cruise.

We were on MSC Lirica. When we booked, only balcony rooms were available and we ended up in a balcony suite. OMG, best room ever on any cruise I have been on. Usually we get the cheapest, which is invariably an inside cabin.
This room had an entrance with table, it had a dressing table/desk area, it had the couch area as you can see and it had the balcony, which I used a few times, just to sit with feet up having a drink of water.

The food was okay, but there is a sameness across Europe.

For breakfast they tend to do cold cuts and salad plus maybe eggs and bacon and cakes. Yes, white chocolate cake and such for breakfast.

There were times I longed for dubai and the fried rice and curries.

On the plus side, the ship made great basic pizzas. The hamburgers were ordinary though.

This was at another place we stayed at before the cruise. Not a hotel, a villa. The rooms were quite quaint too but with nice ensuite facilities. Apparently the place had belonged to some noble family but had been converted to guest rooms. The rooms had these enormous, heavy keys.

It was an interesting trip, tiring at times.

Long plane trip home. Off the ship Sat morning, to Venice airport (what a shemozzle that place is, very poorly signposted) to Dubai stop in transit (Dubai airport is amazing, well signposted and state of the art transport-buses at the plane to take you to the airport proper, train to take you to different parts of the airport. First class)

Then on to Melbourne and home in the small hours of Monday morning.

We had beautiful weather throughout the trip and some people keep saying they are sorry we came home to aweful weather but Melbourne is fine. great mild temp, sunny skies. Happy to be home.

Re: Hello from Italy

domino-710 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:21:47 GMT

Welcome home.

Re: Hello from Italy

nicnacs_4u — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:30:30 GMT

HI Springyzone,

Good to see you are back in Melbourne and thanks for the pics. Nothing is better than been at home😉

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 21:31:04 GMT

Just an extra photo.

I have spoken about how crowded it was so I thought I'd show an example.

This was either mykonos or santorini and nope, we weren't group 16.

We were about group 11 but they were all long gone as we couldn't keep up.

The side alleys were quieter but the main alleys were like this quite a bit of the time.

Re: Hello from Italy

countessalmirena — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 06:31:38 GMT

That’s terrible.

Do you know whether there are days and times when those areas are not bulging like a sausage factory?

Re: Hello from Italy

springyzone — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 19:40:42 GMT

To be fair, it is mainly like that on the direct route up, not so much the side alleys.

But yes, it is pretty much like that, apparently, every day of the season.

So the guide said.

The season does not last all year. I forget when it starts but the guide said it finishes in about mid November.

At that time a lot of locals close their shops, businesses and homes and go away on their holidays etc

I have read of some places being over run by tourists and it being a problem but had not seen it in action. I am afraid Venice (the island) is like this, but on a different scale.

Myknonos and Santorini are not like this in the outlying areas but in the main bits where tourists are likely to go, very crowded.

And something to remember. We were there in October, which is not the height of the season (which is apparently about June-July, though why anyone wants to be there in searing heat, I do not know. I prefer milder weather myself)