Izmir, Turkey

Izmir itself was such a disappointment but we still had a fantastic day exploring because that’s what you do when you’re on a European adventure of course!!  The train to Ephesus was shut down (train mechanical issues seemed to be an unfortunately common problem in several of the cities we visited).  Taking a cab to Ephesus would have been $150 or so each way.  So, we decided to explore Izmir for free and return to Turkey another time to see some of the bigger cities.  Izmir was pretty lame (there’s not a ton to do) but we had a goofy day and took the tourist tram all around the city for free thanks to some friends.  The best part was that we were the only tourists on the tram!!  I would not recommend Izmir but I’ve heard really great things about traveling to Ephesus from the port for a day there.

Where to stay: Munchen (Munich)

The view from our room!!!

Our first night we stayed in Motel One Munchen. This is a chain hotel throughout Europe.  I couldn’t even believe how nice it was for the price.  Budget 80 euro to be safe.  I’m not sure how much more it would be during Okoberfest or something but it’s probably twice that.  August, when we went, is one of the higher seasons though so it must be lower in the winter and spring.

 

The hotel is large, super modern and colorful (by colorful I really mean it’s got  a lot of neat blue accents).  The staff that assisted us were extremely friendly and efficient.  The lobby is gorgeous and sophisticated; as are the rooms.  The rooms are spacious enough with simple chic decor (the bathrooms are actually the nicest part) and there is a glass door instead of a window which you can open to where there is only a half-door sized plank of glass on the bottom and it’s completely open on the top.  Kinda freaky but it so completely cool if you have a good room because the view of the city is gorgeous.  The odd numbered rooms on the 7th floor are facing the city center; I’m guessing it’s the odd numbered rooms on every floor but I’d ask for 6th floor or higher to get a good view since there are tall trees next to the hotel below.

Amenities: There are flat screens with basic cable (all German except two British channels) but who needs TV when you’re in Europe for goodness sake right?!  The cool part about the TV is that it acts as an aquarium on the wall… pretty neat.  There is wifi but make sure to ask about the code when you’re in the lobby before you head up.  The lobby has a bar and small bites but it’s pretty expensive and we preferred eating at some other local places.  Showers are incredible and they provide shampoo/body wash and a hair dryer.  Breakfast is 7,50 euro.  I was told by the hotel staff that the breakfast is basic but that it would cost more to eat elsewhere.  They could be right if you choose to sit down for a fancy brunch somewhere instead but since we were only interested in a quick bite, it wasn’t worth it for us.  I walked by in the morning and saw the breakfast looked like the typical continental breakfast.  I would have tried it if it were included but we opted for some quick affordable bavarian pastries at a local bakery.

I think that about sums it up. I will definitely stay in a Motel One in Europe again!

 

Novotel Munchen Messe

As you can see, this hotel room was also extremely nice.  Very clean and well decorated; great service and close proximity to the train station.  Unfortunately it is not at all close to most tourist attractions in the city; it is more of a hotel for people to stay at while on business.  However, it worked for us on our last night since we just came in on the train from Prague, went out to dinner and dessert, and woke up early the next morning for a flight.  Great price and overall highly recommended (but not if you want to be close to all the action).

Venezia, Italia

    

Venezia is one of the most amazing cities in the world.  And, supposedly, now is the time to see it because who knows if it will be here in 500 years 😉  The canals bending around every block make you feel like you’re working through a maze, in a good way.  Venice is EXPENSIVE but worth a several days; try to be there for more than one!  We loved what little time we had there and we will definitely go back to see more.  We were there during the Venice film festival but since we were there during the day twice, we missed any film screenings.  We also missed seeing George Clooney (whose name I yelled out for from the water taxi in hopes he would hear me from wherever he was in the city preparing for the screening of The Descendants).

Even without George, we had a blast!  We toured this city with our new friends from the cruise ship.  I wish so desperately that I could tell you the name of the restaurant that we found there; it was one of those hole-in-the-wall-we-could-barely-find-our-way-back kind of places.  Regardless, you will find some incredible pizza and pasta most any place you go there I’m sure.  It was finding a reasonably priced place that was more challenging.

We stopped at a cafe in St Mark’s Square where they make a mean cappuccino.  When you’re getting off the water taxi at the St Mark’s Square exit,  it’s right in front of you.   If the church is on your right, the cafe is in front of you on the left hand side of the square.  From there, we went down that side street on the left side of the cafe and got completely lost exploring.  I love getting lost in a new city!!

There is so much shopping, so many tourists, loads of pasta, and plenty of gelaterias.  Take your pick!

The Rialto Bridge is famous; I don’t get.  I just don’t get it.  Such a tourist trap in my opinion.  I was far more interested in the colorful buildings practically stacked on top of each other along the serene water.

   

Transportation:

Gondola rides: WHAT A WASTE.  I cannot imagine ever spending my money on a gondola ride.  Sounds cool right?  Does it sound $150 cool?  Personally, we didn’t think so.  And I don’t think we ever will.  Since you get around Venice by water anyway, why not pay the $ water taxi fee (almost cheap by comparison) to get around 5 times faster and not make a spectacle of yourself.  I would say that’s the definition of efficiency; cheaper and faster.  Logistically, carrying luggage around in a gondola does not work as well anyway.  Basically, I know that doesn’t really align with the “do as the Romans do” philosophy… but don’t waste your time or your money.  There are better ways to spend the precious time you have in Venezia!

My short stint in Africa: Tunis, Tunisia + comments on Palma de Mallorca + Ajaccio, Corsica

Tunis, Tunisia^

Tunis was a really neat place to visit.  I wouldn’t spend a whole lot of time there but it was a pleasant short visit.  The best part was taking a tour of the Roman Baths.  There were many vendors out if you want to do some local shopping and there are so many picture-worthy sites as you walk around.  Funny enough, my favorite memory of Tunis was when we had soda out of the coca cola cans in arabic at a little shop and relaxed on the porch for a while as a family.

 

  

Ajaccio, Corsica^

   

 

Palma de Mallorca^

Palma will most likely be on your itinerary if you go on a Western Mediterranean cruise.  I’ve been there twice and it is a relaxing port; not one where you have a ton to see.  That was very welcome on our last trip after spending three weeks of intense touring/sight-seeing.  So, we bought an excursion through the cruise (one of the only times we’ve done so) for about $25 each which included transportation and access to the beach and lounge chairs.  It was worth it in this case in comparison with the other options just to have a day where we could get off the boat and rely on the ship staff’s knowledge to find a good beach.  More importantly, they guided us there and we didn’t have to worry about being back on time or paying for individual transportation.  You may be able to do the beach for cheaper, this was just the one we want to go to and it was one of the only times we paid for convenience while there (very against my typically thrifty manner).  You can just wander around Palma, go shopping, etc. if you aren’t interested in the beach.

Where to eat: Winter Park, FL

People-watching, gorgeous walks and delicious restaurants.  For these reasons and more, we are so grateful to have access to beautiful Winter Park. It’s becoming increasingly more well-known after being featured nationally in travel magazines and by airlines.  The truth is, there is hardly anything casual about WP; you just have to sniff out the more reasonably priced lunch menus, keep tabs on restaurant.com certificate availability, sign up for restaurant email lists, and check out happy hours.  We save the fine dining for special occasions and almost always try something new.    Check out my post on happy hours in the area here.

 

Chez Vincent/Hannibal’s $$$

Chez Vincent is tied with Hillstone for our favorite restaurant in Winter Park.  No, in all of Orlando.  However, since Hillstone is a chain, Chez Vincent takes the cake!  This is a fancy pants place; somewhere we’ve only been for special occasions and boy does it deliver.

The service is impeccable and every inch of food on every plate is cooked PERFECTLY.  It’s located in the heart of Hannibal Square which is an up and coming  stretch of WP with hot spots like Armando’s (yummy Italian and reasonably priced humongous calzones), Fresh (see below), Dexter’s (don’t get why their brunch is so popular but it’s a “thing”), and Tomatina (excellent all-you-can-eat-paella special on weekends).

The decor/atmosphere is fabulous in both rooms but I much prefer the front room with the bar and pianist because the back room is a little too snobbish for my cheap arse.

We’ve been here with the restaurant.com gift cards which takes $25 off a $50 meal. Definitely check to see if there is one available for purchase online before going in.  Therestaurant.com certificates don’t expire and can even be exchanged from another restaurant.

Hillstone $$$

This place is wonderful all around.  Their grilled artichoke appetizer is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten and I am determined to make it at home.  Everything anyone in my family has had there has been delicious and the servers have not made one mistake that I can recall.  The place is packed every night of the week so make a reservation but on a weekday the wait is not all that long.

This is a wonderful spot for a celebration dinner like a Birthday.  If you have a chance to book far enough in advance to sit outside (pending decent weather under 90 degrees in Orlando), you can watch the sun set over the lake behind the picturesque dock.  It is a beautiful spot for a special occasion.

Some other favorite  dishes are: jumbo shrimp appetizer, salmon entree, sautéed cabbage side, and all other menu items 😉

 

Smart Coffee HD $
Great little coffee shop and eatery off Park Ave across from Burgerfi and near Park Plaza Gardens.  Love the smart theme with their sizes; i.e. “geek” for a small and “genius” for a larger size.  The “medium” is pictured below:

Seriously!  That’s their version of a medium!  The other neat part of their theme is that they have ipads available for customer use at each table; so unique!  Great staff and clean, modern atmosphere.  Coffee is really decent (much better than another local favorite: Austin’s).  Only complaint: they’re only open during the days so we can really only visit on weekends when they’re open until 8.  Not enough people know about this place; check it out!

Briarpatch $$
Best brunch in WP; hands down.  They are only open for breakfast and lunch and on the weekends they are super popular and therefore crowded.  Their specials are always unique and nommy.

I don’t really have a go-to on the menu because I always change it up; you can’t go wrong here, people.  Here are some favorites: omelets (esp. the brie/apple combo), salads (yes, all of them), and the bacon cured burger is my sister’s favorite burger in the world.

Here is the unfortunate thing to keep in mind: while the food is an A+, the service varies dramatically and the seating is often cramped and somewhat uncomfortable. I can’t believe in all the years they’ve been around they haven’t figured out a more efficient and organized and more professional way to get people seated and to get food out to guests.  No joke, they have everyone line up right around the entrance/exit of the restaurant and wait there standing in front of the bar and in the way of customers and staff going in and out.  It is uncomfortable, claustrophobic, and obnoxious to constantly have the wait staff requesting to get through with plates fulll of food to bring to their customers outside.  Such a flawed system.  If only they could figure out the service and wait side of things, this place would dominate my list because the food is spectacular.

310 Park South $$
One of our date night go-to’s.  I am all about trying new places so if I go somewhere over and over, it’s gotta be good!  They have a nice variety of menu options and pricing.

Brandon loves the sandwiches and we are both obsessed with their salads.  They give you a huge portion even with the half salad (which you can order in multiple styles for a reasonable price) is definitely entree size.  The fulll size is enough to split!  Just add a protein and you’re set.  Their salmon and chicken are both amazing.  I’m not a big fan of the seafood salad personally but I love the 310 garden salad.  The pasta dishes are also delicious but heavy.  I also like the vegetable tower sandwich for lunch and my husband likes the Park South Club.

We love that we can stop here for huge, reasonably priced salads on a date night or spend a special steak-worthy occasion there.

Also check out restaurant.com gift certificates for this place!  They do not let you use them on fridays/saturdays so beware!

Prato $$$
This is a place that every foodie in Orlando must try once.  Beyond that, I think it’s delicious, high quality ingredients, great service, and the ambience is fantastic.  However, it is also overpriced with fairly small portions.  It’s upscale and only worth it for a rare treat.

Taps $
Our top casual joint in WP!  This is our go-to spot for watching sporting events since we are cable-less.  They have a unique American tapas menu and an assortment of delicious bruschetta combos and salads fit for a foodie!

Our favorite salad is definitely the Far East Coast.  It’s an ahi tuna salad with wasabi dressing; delicious asian fusion. When we are craving a big salad, we head straight to Taps.  Their salmon salad is my other favorite  and then the other salads like the Skypoint caesar are also good.  My least favorite is the chicken pilliard because it comes on a plate separated per item like a tapas dish with about 1/3 of the food as the other salads give you for the same price.  The other salads are just far more hearty.

I can’t think of anything we didn’t like at Taps but the least favorite I can think of is the nachos; huge portion but just so-so for a bar with otherwise high-quality items.  The service has improved recently with manager/ownership changes but it’s nothing out of this world.

Taps offers a unique setting because the front room is extremely casual with bar and stools and tonsss of beers on tap and in stock.  The back room is more formal (I personally don’t get the one-boob-out photos decking the halls; what gives?).  But the seating is very comfortable, the big screen is great for catching a game, and there are self-pour wine dispensers across two walls to sample wine if you choose to go that route.  

They used to have a beer connoisseur that was really helpful in providing customers with recommendations to pair with their meals.  We love the Tommyknocker Maple (a very dark nut brown ale made near Denver that comes bottled) and the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. Beware that often times there is something on the drink menu that is not currently available.  There is also live music on weekend evenings and they are open late.  

The outdoor eating area is relaxing and aesthetically pleasing and it doesn’t hurt that it’s feet away from the movie theater and other great restaurants if you just want to grab a drink at Taps and do dinner elsewhere.  But I wouldn’t 😉

Fresh Cafe $$
We really love this place.  The location is great (also right off Hannibal Square on New England); the atmosphere is industrial vintage (my favorite), and the food represents the name well.  Fresh, organic, local.  This place is the epitome of “casual” WP dining.  Everything is fantastic.  My favorites so far: the pear salad, tofu scramble, and the organic peaches and homemade vanilla ice cream dessert!

Winter Park Fish Co. $$

Overall amazing!  The food is delicious and the service is great.  The prices are high because everything is high quality and FRESH.  And let’s face it, seafood is expensive (even in FL).  We love their clam chowder and they have a great ahi tuna chili (sounds weird but it tastes like turkey chili).

We also love their taco Tuesdays!  $2 fish tacos that are delicious and unique; try the one with the mango slaw with blackened fish! Nom!

Their stone crab is awesome as is every fish we’ve tried.  We really like the cajun/blackened seasoning they have.  I think that a key to a good restaurant is excellent sides; and these sides do not disappoint.  I’ve tried almost every one and they’re all delicious, especially the sweet potato fries.

Four Rivers BBQ $

Why would I try BBQ when on vacation in Florida?

Because it’s the best darn barbecue around and it’s right up to par with any Texas BBQ joint I’ve ever been to (and I lived in TX for 8 years).  Considering what I said earlier about side dishes, this place is not only incredible because of the full flavored and perfectly cooked meat, but because the sides are all mouth-watering too.  I’m a vegetarian and I even crave this place!

Their baked cheese grits, fried okra, and stuffed jalapenos are my personal favorites but most go for their Krispy Kreme bread pudding (I’m just not a donut person; weird, I know).

Cask & Larder $$$

This place is really popular for good reason.  Unlike my experience with Ravenous Pig (their sister restaurant), C&L is worth the extra $ for a nice brunch or night out.  We love their brunch on Sundays! Especially the “Bakeshop on a Board” and the waffle sampler.  My husband enjoys the Nashville Hot Chicken w/ white bbq sauce but you should know that this meal consists of an entire 1/2 a chicken!! Plus mac ‘n cheese. Lastly, their homemade ice cream is superb.  Great southern-sourced concept and atmosphere.

 

Where to stay: Roma

We stayed at Hotel Papa Germano the first few nights before our cruise at a rate of only 55euro (cash).  *Always check to see if there is a lower cash rate* In this case, we saved 20 euro by paying cash rather than card!!

Papa Germano is located close to Roma Termini (the main rail station) which was convenient since we took the train from the airport and took the train on our way from Rome to the cruise port as well.  However, this is not the best part of town; it’s pretty ugly and supposedly higher crime because of all the easily targeted tourists like us walking with their bags from the station.  We didn’t mind though; worth every penny we saved by not being in the nicer part of town and the hotel was great!  We got a room with a shared bathroom (which also helps you save money in Europe) and we never once had to wait or share the amenities and it was busy season.  We did not opt for the breakfast there because I was eager to get a true Italian cappuccino ASAP 😉  I recommend this hotel; friendly, helpful staff, close to Termini, decent rooms, clean, and computers with wifi in lobby.

We usually try to find a hotel closer to the station/airport because of the simple fact that cab drivers ramp up their rates to pick up from those sites.  So, if you can walk to your hotel with your bags (especially if it’s close enough to walk at night) that’s nice because cab rides from the hotel to other parts of town will be cheaper and it’s easier to make those long walks or take public transport without your suitcases for the rest of the trip.  We hardly ever pay for a cab; we like learning how to navigate public transport in new cities (even though it can be a pain… that’s part of the adventure!)

The Beehive:

Also located near train station, the Beehive is a lovely hotel/hostel with many different budget-friendly options and a highly rated and healthy restaurant.  Checkout their website for booking: www.the-beehive.com

We stayed there for 80euro for one night in a double bed room with shared bath.  Once again, no issues at all with the shared bath.  They have more shared spaces like a single bed in a dorm style room for much cheaper that looked nice too.

Other hotels we looked into that are also highly rated and reasonably priced:

• Hotel Parlamento – quoted $120/nt *quoted prices were at the time of our last trip*
• Hotel Nardizzi Americana – quoted 100euro/double; private bath & breakfast
• Suore di Santa Elisabetta -quoted 85euro/double bed
• Albergo Sole – near pantheon; quoted 120euro w/ private bath
• Hotel Paba = WONDERFUL guest and ricks steves reviewd; quoted 135euro breakfast included;  www.hotelpaba.com
• Hotel Golden – close to transportation; unknown price
• B&B Smart in Rome – near Termini; unkown price

Where to eat: Roma, Italia

So this is one of the most important decisions of any Italian adventure: WHERE TO EAT?

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My hope is that you will take lengthy carb-filled traditional meals, try something NEW, and that you go off the beaten path to find the best spots!

For all meals, I highly discourage eating at one of the restaurants in the main piazzas.  They are nice for people-watching and entertainment/art is rampant in the evenings but these restaurants are much more expensive and less traditional in our experience.

Budget: I recommend budgeting $50/day per person for food/drink if you’re willing to strike a compromise between thrifty and indulgent.  Our compromise (pretty much everywhere we go in Europe) involves a quick, cheap breakfast on-the-go. Another compromise is we go out of the way so that we are satisfied with a reasonably priced meal that we already researched on TA.  We still eat sit down meals for most every lunch and dinner on vacation and even leave $ for dessert and coffee pit stops. Not drinking alcohol saves us a ton of money as does splitting appetizers or pizzas.

Tips:

• There is a fee for the bread they set down at the beginning of a meal.  The bread charge, or “pane e coperto” will come on your bill for a couple extra euro but you CAN refuse it and therefore avoid the fee.
• There is often a service charge; unavoidable.  I consider this part of if not the whole tip depending on the service.
• Tipping is not expected as it is in the states.  Cab drivers and waiters will more likely expect it from you since you’re American but you do not need to feel obligated to pay 20% like you do here.
• When you go to an Italian cafe for coffee, you will pay two to three times as much to sit down as you would if you just stand at the counter and down your coffee while standing.

Breakfast: I unfortunately did not pay enough attention to actually memorize or record any of the delicious breakfast stops because they were quick and all about the same.  It’s easy to find a good pastry and coffee joint in this city.  Or, let’s be honest, you can find amazing pastry cafes anywhere on the continent!  That is one thing I think is wonderful about Europe but would also get me and most Americans in serious trouble if we had access to it on every street corner 😉

Lunch: Most days in Italy we did pizza for lunch and pasta and caprese for dinner!  For pizza, we love the margherita or diavolo (we like spicy).

 

Dinner: 

Dar Poeta (Trastevere): This came highly recommended by Frommer and Rick Steves’ guides back in ’11 but I honestly can’t believe it!  It’s also highly rated on TripAdvisor.  The bread was typical for Italy (and that is not a good thing).  First of all, they charge you extra for it; yes, for bread.  That whole soft herb-enriched Macaroni Grill thing is a sham; Italian appetizer bread is hard as a rock!)

Miscellenea: Located right next to/behind the Pantheon, it can be somewhat hard to find if you’re looking for the street name.  Look at the Pantheon from the front and go to the right back side of it and the restaurant is within a few hundred feet of the iconic structure.  We loved every bit of this meal; the service, the pasta, the “sexy wine”.  This goes down as one of our top favorite meals of all time!

 

Cremi gelateria: Dessert here was fantastic!  We became gelato-spotting experts quickly.  It’s a gift 😉  Believe it or not, there is such a thing as bad gelato.  I look at how wavy/layered the tall gelato stacks are and the quality of the toppings.  Usually the crappy places also have really artificial colors like the mint is way too fake-green and things like that.

Other highly recommended restaurants that I have not yet tried but would have if we had more time:

• Antica Birreria Peroni- near piazza venezia for dinner
• Maccheroni – near pantheon for lunch
• La Montecarlo – near piazza navona
• Da Enzo – trastevere for dinner
• Franchi – tavola calda (to-go/picnic style) in Testaccio for lunch
• Gelateria all scala – Piazza della Scala (gelato)
• Ciccia Bomba – west of Piazza Navona
• Via Dei Serpenti – About 4 blocks from Colosseum

What to do: Roma, Italia

Gracious, we love Italy.  Could never live there; but we love Italy.  When I went to Rome with family previously, we stayed in a much nicer part of town and then the last time we went we stayed in hostels and saw the not-so-nice parts of town.  It really opened my eyes this time around; it’s not as magical as I had remembered it.  This post will include only information from our latest trip to Rome (in 2011).

Rome is full of life and culture and delicious food.  But it’s also filled with mass amounts of tourists, thoughtless line-cutters, smelly public transit, sketchy cab drivers, and dirty streets.  I still absolutely love visiting because there is so much to see (and so much to eat!).  However, I now much prefer the smaller Italian cities that aren’t quite so overrun.

What you do in Rome should depend entirely upon how much time you have (and energy!).  We fit a whole lot of activity into just a few days because we like to go-go-go (thanks to many espresso stops) in between lengthy carb-filled meals.  If you are limited on time in Rome, I’d recommend you prioritize the Vatican, Forum, pay extra to do the Colosseum as a tour, piazza Navona, Pantheon, and lots of pasta and espresso.

There are so many ways to see this city and it really depends on where your hotel is located.  We stayed at Hotel Papa Germano the first few nights before our cruise at a rate of only 55euro (cash).

This is the itinerary we created (half planned, half unplanned) based on the location of our hotel and how much time we had in the city (less than 2 days):

Night 1:

• We lugged our rolling suitcases to the hotel and dropped off our things (Bragging rights*: We fit a month’s worth of European adventure attire into one rolling bag each that we didn’t have to check one single time; snap!)
• Dinner at Dar Poeta in Trastevere *I do not recommend this one but it was still highly rated by others including Frommer and Rick Steve*
• Cremi gelateria for dessert – yum!

Day 1:

• Quick breakfast at a local cafe traditional Italian standing-at-the-bar-style *Don’t sit down or you’ll be charged extra!!*
• Walk to the bus station to get BIG 24 hour pass (although rather unnecessary technically since they never check your ticket)
• Smelly busride to the Colosseum. Wait in line long enough for the tour guides to lower their price to our budget (that is the trick, people!  don’t seem interested at first and a million and one will come up to you and eventually they’ll need “just two more people” to add to their group before they can start and they’ll be willing to go very low so they can get the tour rolling – it’s better turnaround for them so they don’t want to be stuck looking for a party of 2 or 3 for too long; they want to get going!)  We loved getting to see the Colosseum and the tour really is worth it if you get a good deal (tickets were about $30 for us for the Roma card which includes the Colosseum and Forum and tours)

   

• Forum and Palatine Hill (this one you go through with a tour guide and it is well worth it to stick with the group; we learned so much!  Keep in mind they are used to getting tipped at the end.  I would give yourself 4-5 hours to do the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine Hill experience in light of long lines

  

• Walk toward piazza Navona and the Pantheon by the way of the Circus Maximus. This is about a 30 min walk if you’re wandering and soaking it all in.
•  Take a lunch break (and splurge on pizza – I recommend the diavolo) at a ristorante on a side street.  I highly discourage eating at one of the restaurants in the main piazzas.  They are nice for people watching and entertainment is great in the evenings but they are much more expensive and less traditional in our experience.
•  Walk 5-10 mins to quickly see the Pantheon (free; hours are Mon-Sat 8:30am-7:30pm & Sun 9am-6pm).  The architecture is so amazing and worth your time.  On the way there is a fabulous espresso cafe; great for a quick stop!

• See Fontana del Quattro fiumi
• Head east to the Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps and Villa Borghese

I find the Trevi fountain completely overrated; it’s so unbelievably crowded and loud and you can hardly get up close to it (without getting huge whiffs of BO and sweaty pushes).  Be especially careful about pick pocketing around areas like this.  I think it’s best to get in, get a quick snapshot, and get the heck out.  It’s much nicer at night and if you eat at the restaurant recommended below, it’s a short walk to return in the evening!

• Trek back to the Pantheon for dinner at Miscellenea *highly highly recommended*

  

• Dessert (obviously gelato) in a nearby piazza.  Enjoy the nightlife – there are so many entertainers and artists to enjoy.

Day 2:

• Quick cafe breakfast
• Vatican! $24; Ask for student pass even if you don’t have your student id’s with you (at the time we were still grad students)
• Head straight to the Sistine chapel and after seeing the Raphael rooms, gallery of maps, etc, exit through the “tour groups only” door which takes you directly to St. Peter’s Basilica.  This saved us so much time as tourists are just sooo unaware of what they’re doing most of the time and hover around the exits without letting people out.

*Note: You cannot wear shorts, tank tops, etc.  Check the dress code* There are dressing rooms behind the main steps into the church.  Don’t worry about seeing the cupola.

If you take a taxi, beware that some cab drivers will try and charge you a fee for going in and out of Vatican City – this is a hoax! Ask them/look for their driver id # and the customer service line and that will most likely stop them from trying to con you.  They assume you won’t know better and will pay whatever because you’re a clueless tourist. But you don’t have to be 😉

   T

After visiting the Vatican/Sistene Chapel/St Peter’s Basilica, we had to catch a cab back to the city to pick up our bags at the hotel and get to the train station.  We left here for Civitavecchia (the cruise port).

However, if we had more time that day, we would have:

• Left the Vatican and walked across the river to wander through Centro Storico and market square Campe de’ Fiori for lunch.
• Take a “passeggiata” (stroll) to wherever (no agenda!)
• and/or Galleria Borghese
• Trastevere for an “aperitivo” (happy hour)

*Note: Most museums are closed Mondays*

July-September there’s a nightly jazz fest in Villa Celimontant (www.villacelimontanajazz.com)

There’s also Roman Summer – Estate Romana- www.estateromana.it which is an ongoing cultural shindig with concerts.

Enjoy every moment in fascinating Roma!!

What to do & where to stay: Praha (Prague)

Prague is now one of Brandon’s favorite cities in the world.  We arrived late at night (not intentionally but that’s what happens on an adventure!) at the Hlavni Nadrazi train station.  This is the central station in Prague.  Be sure not to get off at the first Prague station and wait for Hlavni if you’re staying in the heart of the city.

Since we arrived late (with bags in hand), I was opposed to walking all the way to the hotel.  Although it is only 2.3km away, Prague is full of hills and it is not busy enough at night to be safe, especially when rolling along our cumbersome luggage.  We asked the taxi driver how much it would be for a taxi rather than walk (I think it was about $20).   It was a weird atmosphere; we figured the city would be much more lively at 10:30pm.  We are pretty brave when it comes to taking walks in unknown places, even with baggage, but to get from the station to Hotel Louren (where we stayed) I would seriously discourage someone from taking that walk.  Too sketchy!

Hotel Louren

The hotel was great.  The lobby is clean and inviting; the attendant at the front desk, Roman I believe, was extremely nice.  Unfortunately, the elevator stopped working when we got in on the first floor and I panicked because it is the smallest elevator one could imagine for 2 people and 2 rolling suitcases and it would not let us OUT!  He did not know what to do but thankfully we got ourselves out.  After that, we had to carry our luggage up to the sixth floor.  I was so surprised that he didn’t offer to help us considering we were on the top floor but, again, he was very nice.   You’re probably wondering “wait, I thought you said this place was ‘great’?!”  They quickly made up for the elevator issue.

After burning way too many calories, we arrived at our pleasant room. The bathroom was even nicer.  There is a thermostat, phone, free wifi, hairdryer, TV (I don’t think there are any english channels but we don’t waste time TV while in EUROPE!  You can open to windows to adjust the temperature also which was nice; however, we ended up having to close them because there were some loud people screaming on the street.  These were likely some intoxicated people bickering; it was not a loud part of town by any means.  Other than that one time, the streets were very quiet in that area.  It is a decent location but not right in the center of the tourist sites.  It is right next to the TV Tower and a short tram or metro trip to the tourist sites.

Breakfast was spectacular!  This increased the value of the hotel greatly for me.  They had fresh delicious baguettes, cooked eggs and brats, an assortment of cut veggies and whole fruits, a muesli/granola/fruit/yogurt parfait bar, cheese, prosciutto and other meats that I guess are meant for breakfast sandwiches, and other condiments.  You can even order omelettes or another style of eggs if you’d like.  Coffee, tea, juice, milk, water, and iced tea is also available.  The servers were very kind.  Excellent coffee!  Best included hotel breakfast I’ve ever had.

To get to the tram, exit the hotel and turn right on the hotel’s street Slezska; turn left at the next street (Ripska) and right at the one after that.  The tram station is in the middle of the street a little down that road (Korunni).

To get to the metro, come out of the hotel and head right on Slezska; take a right at the next street Ripska and head over to that nice park with the church right and the station is right there; basically, you can head towards the TV Tower and you’ll find the metro stop Jiriho z Podebrad.

Lastly, there are often promo codes for this hotel so search for one before booking.

What to do in Praha:

This was our itinerary.  It was not intentional and it was not the perfect order but our first full day there was one of the best days of my life sooo I’d say it is worth trying this route if you are flexible and willing to walk long distances.

We walked from our hotel (off Slezska) down Narodni, stopped at the park with and the TV Tower.  We then walked to the museum and past that to the main road where vendors were selling paintings and some were making crepes and other goodies.  Then we walked via Vaclavske Namesti to Old Town Square.  The crepes there looked even better.  All of the sudden when you get to this square, you realize where all the tourists have been hiding.  It’s a little chaotic.  It reminded me of Piazza Navona if you’ve been to Rome.

    

Next we went winding through Old Town toward the Charles Bridge.  Charles Bridge is terrible in my opinion.  I much prefer the view from the land or the other bridges off the Vitava River next to Charles Bridge.  It is super crowded with tourists and vendors much like Ponte Vechhio in Florence and Rialto in Venice – I just don’t get the big whoop about these famous bridges.  Maybe they were beautiful before they became so popular.  Now they’re overwhelmed with people and pretty dirty.

After crossing the bridge, we made our way up to the Castle little by little.  We stopped at Cafe 22 to have lunch because we could not wait any longer after all the walking.  You can see my review elsewhere on the restaurant itself but there are plenty of places to eat in that one section.  I would go off a side street to find a better and cheaper place.  Most places serve traditional Italian or Czech food.  There is so much to see and we took our time wandering through side streets, stopped in St Nicholas Cathedral, and took a tour of the Wallenstein Palace Gardens off of Letenska.  These gardens are beautiful, filled with peacocks, and not crowded at all.

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It was surprising to me how few people were up at the top at Prague Castle; as if we left half of the crowd down at Old Town Square.  I was surprised most of the time, actually, by how small the crowd was in comparison with other popular tourist cities like Rome or NYC.  I should keep in mind that we were there on a Sunday which I believe has a lot to do with it.  However, there were WAY more tourists in Old Town Square in comparison with Prague Castle, which was bizarre considering it was the highlight of our experience of Prague.  It gets congested up by St. Vitus Cathedral because of the limited space and the queue to get in but the square by the Castle entrance was wide open.  There is actually a Starbucks at the most perfect, picturesque spot on top of all of Prague.  It cracked me up; of course Starbucks would snatch that spot.  The Starbucks is downstairs but they have seating up there and you are free to walk in there to take pictures without buying a drink or anything.

After exploring the castle, cathedral, and the palaces, we went down on the Lesser Quarter side down side streets and landed in the cutest little cafe (Doka).  We then went down to Narodni divadlo and got on tram #22 which takes you alll the way to the edge of the city.  Not the edge of Old Town or Lesser Town… the enddd of the city, including the residential quarter.  This was really cool for us because we are always curious about what it is REALLY like to live in some of these places.  For example, people often think if you live in Orlando that Mickey is your neighbor.  The residential part of Prague was UGGGLY.  Industrial. Filthy. Boring. Tacky.  Sad, honestly.  Because the beautiful part of Prague is overrun with tourists like us and those that live and work there live in a very different city.

One evening, ideally right before going to Hemingway since the location is perfect, go sit by the water off of Masarykovo nabrezi to look at the gorgeous view of Prague Castle.  You could also take a paddle boat ride by walking over to the mini island across the street from the Goethe Institut and heading to the end of the park where there is a popeye sign for paddleboat rentals.

Where to eat: Prague, Czech Republic

Doka Coffee Cafe is off of Uvoz; they serve local wine (55kr = $2 and change) from the vineyards only a few hundred meters from there as well as delicious coffee beverages (45-65kr) and sandwiches.   They have free wifi, free restrooms (a commodity in Europe), delicious drinks, relaxing ambience, and great service.  I couldn’t say a negative thing about this place; I wish we had this exact same spot back home.  It’s tucked away but it is worth navigating!  It’s also very close to the electric bike rental shop (I Like Ebike) which I’ve heard is popular so you could always kill two birds with one stone by heading over there.  You’re also getting the opportunity to see the Lesser Quarter/Lesser Town which many tourists miss and is pretty quiet.

 

Lunch @ Cafe 22

This place was just a conveniently located stop; nothing special.  The salad had far too much dressing and the whole meal was overpriced in comparison with any other restaurant in Prague.  We were looking forever for another restaurant that was highly recommend.  We gave up and sat down at this place just for the view and because it had vegetarian options.  The baked goat cheese was good but I was sure it would have crackers or something with it so I was disappointed but improvised and added the cheese, berries, and arugula to the salad.  Brandon had an average burger and tried their dark beer which was the local Budweiser (NOT the American Budweiser).  My water was 45kr (about $2) for only ,75ml because they didn’t have tap water.  There was also a service charge which was somewhat expected.  This was the most expensive meal we had in Prague but it was very close to the Prague castle and had a good view.  650kr total ($22 ish) which is not bad at all in the US for a beer, appetizer, and 2 entrees.  The people next to us had sandwiches which looked much better than what we got so, if you go, try one of those instead.

Hemingway was incredibly neat.  As expected, the drinks were fancy shmantz.  My husband and I read reviews online and it was pretty much exactly what the reviews have said.  We sat at the bar, as a few suggested online, and that was the best part.  Each drink is so intricate and time consuming.  Watching him make the drinks was better than the drink itself.  It was not the best drink I’ve ever had, but it was the most unique drink I’ve ever had.  The bartenders are much different than the typical American bartender hoping to bank as many tips as possible.  They seemed to genuinely care about making each drink perfect and they wanted each person to have a good experience.  My husband and I each got a drink; we reviewed the member (which is like a Cheesecake Factory menu of cocktails) and then the bartender asked us to tell him about the type of drinks we usually like.  He then gave us a suggestion of what he thought we’d like and we went with it.  Mine came in this fun jar with lots of shaved ice and limes; he seriously put 14+ ingredients in this one drink!  Each drink has a neat little decoration, too.  He then let us try a little extra of someone else’s creme brulee drink when he heard us talking about it which was extremely good.  It looks like a smaller quantity but it doesn’t have any ice in it like the other drinks so it’s probably about the same.  And, again, there must have been 15 different things in there.  The bartender was practically a chemist; it was a cool experience.  Make sure you sit at the bar!  Oh, and the drinks are STRONG so be careful 😉

Dinner @ U Kroka

This place was really great!  A little challenging to find (and go earlier in the evening if you can so you’re not searching the nearly empty streets in the dark).  But, once we got there we found many other travelers and locals.  Delicious food and great service; nice atmosphere.  Brandon had the wings and something else and I had the vegetarian platter (it was like a big plate of grilled veggies and cheese) and a tiramisu-like dessert.  It was great that for this meal we were able to see the last corner of the city that we had not yet ventured to.  Highly recommended!