My longest vacation so far! It spanned for 15 days, including travel time.
Until today, I still have to pinch myself. I could not believe my trip to Italy is real. Sure it is in my bucketlist but I could not imagine it realized too soon.
My travel buddies, Ann-Ann from Singapore and Tita Cleo from Chicago, proposed a trip to Europe in May 2018. I was reluctant to join considering the cost involved. But then my other travel buddies, Ruth and Jun, decided to join with their kiddos. Then came May 2018 when we already have all flight and room accommodations booked and the Shengen Visa approved.
Me, Ruth and her 3 boys, Marti, Tristan, and Eu, boarded the Turkish Airlines flight and landed at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport 9 hours later....
Rome (May 26-30, 2018)
Ruth and I never thought that the Marriott Hotel we chose was located quite far from the city center. We patronized the Uber in our city trips.
Despite the jetlag, we started our day 1 tour of the ancient city of Rome. We agreed to meet at the Trevi Fountain. But the crowd was too unbearable for us that we decided to do our own tour without Ann and Tita Cleo.
Ruth hired a horse drawn carriage for the kids to enjoy and we hop on and off at interesting spots like the Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, and Pantheon. Then they decided to go back to the hotel leaving me alone hoping to meet Ann and Tita Cleo along the way.
I just walked the whole stretch of a main tourist road where on one end was the Piazza del Popolo and on the other was the Piazza Venezia. Going further the piazza was the ancient city highlighted by the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
Inside the Gran Caffe Martini e Rossi, there I met Ann-Ann and Tita Cleo as agreed. We savored a sumptuous dinner of steak served by a Filipino chef, with Colosseum as our background.
Amalfi Coast (Ravello, Amalfi and Positano)
Our second day tour was to the mountains, valleys then the seas. The road to Amalfi Coast was long and winding to reach the Ravello, and then down to the seaside where cities of Amalfi and Positano are located.
Indeed an expensive experience during the summer where Europeans go to the beach.
On May 28 our next destination was supposedly the St. Francis of Assisi Church, but the pick-up bus was a miss, and the trip was a mess. It was ruined by an old non-English speaking driver who did not exactly know what to do and where to bring us to. After the hellish ride, going out and in the expressway, we decided to go back to the hotel and demanded the tour agency to refund. It was indeed fully refunded.
Vatican
Our fourth day was the experience of a lifetime. As a Christian, a visit to Vatican is an ultimate dream and opportunity. We started our full-day walking tour at the Museum, then to Sistine Chapel, and to St. Peter's Basilica. We exited through the St. Peter's Square.
Then Ruth and the kids, tired from a back-aching trip, decided to go back to the hotel. I was again left to reunite with Ann and Tita Cleo. While waiting, I roamed around the Castel Sant' Angelo, St. Peter's Hill, and the Sta Maria de Trastevere church. When reunited, we passed by the Palatine Hill on our way to Sta Maria de Trastevere church where we spent dinner.
Orvieto and Civita
I come to know these Italian towns perched on hills only when I was actually there. I did not do any research because these spots were chosen by our travel buddies, Anneth and Tita Cleo. When we were actually onsite, I was amazed by the architecture and town structure of middle ages.
One very interesting place however is the Civita di Bagnoregio. I am proud to be able to set foot on a Medieval Town, perched precariously on a hill. It landed on a list of destinations around the world that one must visit before they disappear.
I can relate to this travel blog about Civita, https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/italys-civita-di-bagnoregio-jewel-on-the-hill
Florence (May 31 - June 5, 2018)
Our transfer to Florence from Rome via the express train was smooth and fast. It was disappointing however when we discovered our expensive apartment to have no elevator and our rooms are at the top floor. I ended up so exhausted hoisting all our heavy luggage climbing the skimpy ladders. Since the first night, our AC has malfunctioned and no one tended our request for checkup or repair. Anyway, we endured this inconvenience for the days and nights we were there.
That afternoon of the first day, Ruth and I left the kids and bought groceries to cook foods for her picky children. When in Florence, we ate most meals at the apartment. I strolled around before nightfall to check the city center. I was amazed by the huge Cathedral, old market and palace, and the Piaza della Signoria.
The following day, we joined a walking tour which started at Plaza San Marco, entered the Galleria dell' Accademia to meet personally the original "David" sculpture as masterpiece of Michelangelo, then wandered around the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, and reached Ponte Vecchio before dispersing for lunch. That afternoon, I personally marveled at the wide collection of arts and sculptures inside the Gallerie degli Uffizi by the then Medici empire.
Cinque Terre
On our third day in Florence, we went on to a Cinque Terre day tour. I knew this place to be colorful and expensive. We joined a big group tour and we rode a bus and train to get to 3 of the 5 lands (thus called Cinque Terre). My first impression of this well-renowned place when I set foot at Riomaggiore, was that it's overrated. The colorful houses that appeared to be multi-colored puzzles was not that impressive, they looked fading and dilapidated. The next impression I felt when I roamed around Vernazza was that it's overcrowded. These small villages received hoards and hoards of tourists day in day out. Only when I reached Monterosso that I appreciated the place. It was the whole bottle of red wine that impressed me and the swimming after lunch that cooled me down.
Swimming with kids, Marti, Tristan and EU, was so enjoyable that we almost missed the call to board the boat on to the next destination - Porto Venere.
I love Porto Venere! This majestic tourist hub is strategically situated in Palmaria Island, dotted with beaches and caves. The Gothic-style Church of St. Peter sits atop a rocky headland; so picturesque. Nearby is the centuries-old Castello Doria, an imposing clifftop fortress with views of the Gulf of Poets, which I tirelessly climbed.
Tuscany (Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena)
Tuscany is another wonderful Italian region. There was where I experienced Italian wines 🍷and Fine dining 🍽 very high-end. It was here that I reached and saw postcards come to life: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the ancient Walled City of Gimignano, and the community of Siena. It was here that I tasted Palagetto's various wines: white to accompany the appetizers, red during the main course, sparkling and sweet wines served with desserts. It was funny because we were 7 in our group: 4 adults and 3 kids, then each of us occupied a seat and served with wines. But then there was only me who drink wine, so I gulped up all their shares and ended up a nap at Piazza del Campo in Siena to cool down the body heat.
Bologna
We only got one free day and so Tita Cleo, Anneth and I embarked on an unplanned tour to Bologna. As a break from the organized tours, the three of us decided to leave Ruth and kids at Florence and made a DIY Bologna tour. We enjoyed the whole stretch, from taking the express train from Milan, to breaking fast at the nearest coffeeshop upon arrival at Bologna, strolling around the Piazza Maggiore up to the Neptune Fountain, climbing the Santuario di Madonna di San Luca up the hill by riding a tram, walking under the longest porticos, and lunching at Quadrilatero while witnessing the Due Tori, where one tower is leaning like that of Pisa.
Milan (June 6-9, 2018)
It's funny because we were at the train station an hour before the estimated departure time but we were left by our train with number 9570. There was a delay in the arrival of the train bound for Milan which caused a confusion in the platform. Me, Ruth and kids waited at the originally assigned bay and so we missed the train which assigned platform has changed.
So I complained at the customer desk. The lady assisting me was kind enough to accommodate us in the next train available. This time it would be number 9572 scheduled to depart at 1145am. But we have to pay extra because we got a discounted ticket plus a €10 penalty for no show each. And we said fine, we’ll pay for as long as we’ll reach Milan that day. We were charged a total of €105. She assigned me one seat only and the train checker will assign the rest.
On board the train 9572, the checker arrived and inspected our tickets. I told him we missed the other train so we asked to take the next which is this. He just nodded and struck his stylus on his e-pad, then went passed us. We initially thought he would come back to bill us the difference and the penalty as spelled out by the lady in the kiosk. There were three stops and Ruth and Tristan were transferring from one seat to another because newly-boarded passengers were pre-assigned to their seats. Until we arrived at our stop, the Milan Garibaldi Station, but the checker or collector never came back.
The Holiday Inn we checked in is located close to the train station but we still hired a taxi because of the large luggage we have.
The thing the excited us the most, most especially the children, was the Jollibee in Milan. Although it is a fastfood, which originates from the Philippines, but at least we could finally eat Filipino foods. It's main store is strategically located at the city center; a walking distance from the Milan Cathedral.
Venice
There's no other way into the city of Venice but a boat ride. It is indeed a floating city and the world renowned gondola ride was waiting for us to hop aboard.
Availing of guided day tour in Venice was very disappointing, time-consuming, and worthless. The tourguide spent the whole while talking about everything historical in front of Doge's Palace, then walked few meters toward St. Mark's Basilica, and then another few meters to the center of Piazza San Marco, and she's done.
When Ruth and the kids were settled in one of the outdoor tables of a pizzeria, Tita Cleo, Ann and myself went to the glass museum where we bought souvenirs before grabbing our lunch. Our tour closed with my most memorable experience --- obviously the gondola ride along the Grand Canal.
Until today, I still have to pinch myself. I could not believe my trip to Italy is real. Sure it is in my bucketlist but I could not imagine it realized too soon.
My travel buddies, Ann-Ann from Singapore and Tita Cleo from Chicago, proposed a trip to Europe in May 2018. I was reluctant to join considering the cost involved. But then my other travel buddies, Ruth and Jun, decided to join with their kiddos. Then came May 2018 when we already have all flight and room accommodations booked and the Shengen Visa approved.
Me, Ruth and her 3 boys, Marti, Tristan, and Eu, boarded the Turkish Airlines flight and landed at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport 9 hours later....
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| Ruth & the boys (L-R: Tristan, Eu & Marti) |
Rome (May 26-30, 2018)
Ruth and I never thought that the Marriott Hotel we chose was located quite far from the city center. We patronized the Uber in our city trips.
Despite the jetlag, we started our day 1 tour of the ancient city of Rome. We agreed to meet at the Trevi Fountain. But the crowd was too unbearable for us that we decided to do our own tour without Ann and Tita Cleo.
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| Trevi Fountain up close and personal |
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| Expect this place to be packed with thousands of people everyday |
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| A foreigner wanting to pose with the boys in Roman helmets |
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| What better way to roam around this ancient city than a horse-drawn carriage? |
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| At the Spanish Steps |
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| At Piazza Navona |
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| At the Pantheon |
Ruth hired a horse drawn carriage for the kids to enjoy and we hop on and off at interesting spots like the Spanish Steps, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, and Pantheon. Then they decided to go back to the hotel leaving me alone hoping to meet Ann and Tita Cleo along the way.
I just walked the whole stretch of a main tourist road where on one end was the Piazza del Popolo and on the other was the Piazza Venezia. Going further the piazza was the ancient city highlighted by the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
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| At Piazza del Popolo at one end of the walled city |
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| Piazza Venezia at the other end |
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| Used to be the ancient public market |
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| Of course, the famous Colosseum |
Inside the Gran Caffe Martini e Rossi, there I met Ann-Ann and Tita Cleo as agreed. We savored a sumptuous dinner of steak served by a Filipino chef, with Colosseum as our background.
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| Reunion of Travel buddies (Ate Cleo from US, Anneth & Jea from SG) |
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| Sisterhood with Travelbugs |
Amalfi Coast (Ravello, Amalfi and Positano)
Our second day tour was to the mountains, valleys then the seas. The road to Amalfi Coast was long and winding to reach the Ravello, and then down to the seaside where cities of Amalfi and Positano are located.
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| Birds eyeview of Positano |
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| I was there at Positano |
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| Madam Ruth was there at Positano |
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| A stop at Ceramic Shop |
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| Expensive view of Amalfi Coast |
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| At Ravelo Town atop the Italian mountains |
Indeed an expensive experience during the summer where Europeans go to the beach.
On May 28 our next destination was supposedly the St. Francis of Assisi Church, but the pick-up bus was a miss, and the trip was a mess. It was ruined by an old non-English speaking driver who did not exactly know what to do and where to bring us to. After the hellish ride, going out and in the expressway, we decided to go back to the hotel and demanded the tour agency to refund. It was indeed fully refunded.
Our fourth day was the experience of a lifetime. As a Christian, a visit to Vatican is an ultimate dream and opportunity. We started our full-day walking tour at the Museum, then to Sistine Chapel, and to St. Peter's Basilica. We exited through the St. Peter's Square.
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| The zigzag route for the Vatican Tour |
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| At the collection of stone-carved busts for some Roman dignitaries of old times |
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| A preview of Sistine Chapel because photography is tabooed inside |
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| En route to St. Peter's Basilica |
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| At St. Peter Square |
Orvieto and Civita
I come to know these Italian towns perched on hills only when I was actually there. I did not do any research because these spots were chosen by our travel buddies, Anneth and Tita Cleo. When we were actually onsite, I was amazed by the architecture and town structure of middle ages.
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| At Albornoz Fortress |
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| At the Church of San Giovenale |
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| At the Town Hall |
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| At the Cathedral |
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| At the abandoned Tourism Office and Viewdeck |
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| A view of the town from the arrival area |
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| The Chapel of San Donato |
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| A pose with one of the oldest but preserved houses |
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| The mandatory Friendshop Pose |
Florence (May 31 - June 5, 2018)
Our transfer to Florence from Rome via the express train was smooth and fast. It was disappointing however when we discovered our expensive apartment to have no elevator and our rooms are at the top floor. I ended up so exhausted hoisting all our heavy luggage climbing the skimpy ladders. Since the first night, our AC has malfunctioned and no one tended our request for checkup or repair. Anyway, we endured this inconvenience for the days and nights we were there.
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| What an imposing architecture of the famous Florentine Cathedral |
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| The sit of Forentine government in history |
That afternoon of the first day, Ruth and I left the kids and bought groceries to cook foods for her picky children. When in Florence, we ate most meals at the apartment. I strolled around before nightfall to check the city center. I was amazed by the huge Cathedral, old market and palace, and the Piaza della Signoria.
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| Where to find the collection of medieval arts and sculptures |
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| I dreamt of David after I saw him up close and personal |
The following day, we joined a walking tour which started at Plaza San Marco, entered the Galleria dell' Accademia to meet personally the original "David" sculpture as masterpiece of Michelangelo, then wandered around the Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, and reached Ponte Vecchio before dispersing for lunch. That afternoon, I personally marveled at the wide collection of arts and sculptures inside the Gallerie degli Uffizi by the then Medici empire.
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| Look at the butt cheeks: Impressive piece of art by Michelangelo |
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| Ponte Vecchio means Old Bridge |
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| View of Ponte Vecchio from Uffizi Gallery |
Cinque Terre
On our third day in Florence, we went on to a Cinque Terre day tour. I knew this place to be colorful and expensive. We joined a big group tour and we rode a bus and train to get to 3 of the 5 lands (thus called Cinque Terre). My first impression of this well-renowned place when I set foot at Riomaggiore, was that it's overrated. The colorful houses that appeared to be multi-colored puzzles was not that impressive, they looked fading and dilapidated. The next impression I felt when I roamed around Vernazza was that it's overcrowded. These small villages received hoards and hoards of tourists day in day out. Only when I reached Monterosso that I appreciated the place. It was the whole bottle of red wine that impressed me and the swimming after lunch that cooled me down.
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| My pose at Riomaggiore |
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| Group picture at Riomaggiore |
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| My pose at Vernazza |
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| Vernazza |
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| Monterosso |
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| We stayed for a while to dip in the cool waters at Monterosso |
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| A view of Monterosso from the departing boat |
Swimming with kids, Marti, Tristan and EU, was so enjoyable that we almost missed the call to board the boat on to the next destination - Porto Venere.
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| Church of St. Peter |
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| Castello Doria ruins |
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| Gulf of Poets |
I love Porto Venere! This majestic tourist hub is strategically situated in Palmaria Island, dotted with beaches and caves. The Gothic-style Church of St. Peter sits atop a rocky headland; so picturesque. Nearby is the centuries-old Castello Doria, an imposing clifftop fortress with views of the Gulf of Poets, which I tirelessly climbed.
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| My pose atop the fortress |
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| A view of the gothic church from the top |
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| Ruth and kids photo op at the bayside |
Tuscany is another wonderful Italian region. There was where I experienced Italian wines 🍷and Fine dining 🍽 very high-end. It was here that I reached and saw postcards come to life: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the ancient Walled City of Gimignano, and the community of Siena. It was here that I tasted Palagetto's various wines: white to accompany the appetizers, red during the main course, sparkling and sweet wines served with desserts. It was funny because we were 7 in our group: 4 adults and 3 kids, then each of us occupied a seat and served with wines. But then there was only me who drink wine, so I gulped up all their shares and ended up a nap at Piazza del Campo in Siena to cool down the body heat.
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| I was leaning at the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
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| The Cathedral of Pisa |
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| Family jump-shot inside the Ancient Walls of Pisa |
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| Striking a pose at the Angelo Caduto |
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| I am proud to be drunk at Palagetto Winery |
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| Gellato is authentic and a summer fun at San Gimignano |
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| Siena Cathedral |
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| People's Plaza in Siena |
Bologna
We only got one free day and so Tita Cleo, Anneth and I embarked on an unplanned tour to Bologna. As a break from the organized tours, the three of us decided to leave Ruth and kids at Florence and made a DIY Bologna tour. We enjoyed the whole stretch, from taking the express train from Milan, to breaking fast at the nearest coffeeshop upon arrival at Bologna, strolling around the Piazza Maggiore up to the Neptune Fountain, climbing the Santuario di Madonna di San Luca up the hill by riding a tram, walking under the longest porticos, and lunching at Quadrilatero while witnessing the Due Tori, where one tower is leaning like that of Pisa.
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| The Fountain of Nepture |
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| The Basilica di San Petronio |
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| The war memorial of 8th August 1848 |
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| The tram from Piazza Maggiore to Santuario di Madonna di San Luca |
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| The twin tower of Bologna which one is leaning |
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| At the Scalinata Del Pincio |
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| The longest portico in the world aka Portico de San Luca |
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Milan (June 6-9, 2018)
It's funny because we were at the train station an hour before the estimated departure time but we were left by our train with number 9570. There was a delay in the arrival of the train bound for Milan which caused a confusion in the platform. Me, Ruth and kids waited at the originally assigned bay and so we missed the train which assigned platform has changed.
So I complained at the customer desk. The lady assisting me was kind enough to accommodate us in the next train available. This time it would be number 9572 scheduled to depart at 1145am. But we have to pay extra because we got a discounted ticket plus a €10 penalty for no show each. And we said fine, we’ll pay for as long as we’ll reach Milan that day. We were charged a total of €105. She assigned me one seat only and the train checker will assign the rest.
On board the train 9572, the checker arrived and inspected our tickets. I told him we missed the other train so we asked to take the next which is this. He just nodded and struck his stylus on his e-pad, then went passed us. We initially thought he would come back to bill us the difference and the penalty as spelled out by the lady in the kiosk. There were three stops and Ruth and Tristan were transferring from one seat to another because newly-boarded passengers were pre-assigned to their seats. Until we arrived at our stop, the Milan Garibaldi Station, but the checker or collector never came back.
The Holiday Inn we checked in is located close to the train station but we still hired a taxi because of the large luggage we have.
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| Milan's massive gothic cathedral |
The thing the excited us the most, most especially the children, was the Jollibee in Milan. Although it is a fastfood, which originates from the Philippines, but at least we could finally eat Filipino foods. It's main store is strategically located at the city center; a walking distance from the Milan Cathedral.
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| The high-end shopping center adjacent to Milan Cathedral |
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| The Statue of Vittorio Emanuele II fronting the Milan Cathedral |
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| Tomba di Manzoni or the monumental cemetery of Milan which is a massive ground and strange looking for a cemetery |
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| The Old Tram |
Venice
There's no other way into the city of Venice but a boat ride. It is indeed a floating city and the world renowned gondola ride was waiting for us to hop aboard.
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| Gondola and me |
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| I have been to Venice! |
Availing of guided day tour in Venice was very disappointing, time-consuming, and worthless. The tourguide spent the whole while talking about everything historical in front of Doge's Palace, then walked few meters toward St. Mark's Basilica, and then another few meters to the center of Piazza San Marco, and she's done.
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| View from the Bridge of Sighs |
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| Saint Mark's Basilica |
When Ruth and the kids were settled in one of the outdoor tables of a pizzeria, Tita Cleo, Ann and myself went to the glass museum where we bought souvenirs before grabbing our lunch. Our tour closed with my most memorable experience --- obviously the gondola ride along the Grand Canal.
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| Ruth and the boys on a gondora ride |
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| St Mark's Belfry |
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| Me at the St. Mark's Square |
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| Tita Cleo and me (insert Ann who's holding the camera) and the gondolier |
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| Photoop with doves (Me, Tita Cleo and Anneth) |
I now could proudly claim: "I have been to Italy!"
