Italy 2014

We arrived at the hotel last night knackered. Doesn’t matter how much wine & port you drink a sleeper train will never give you a great nights sleep & wandering Venice is tiring. The train from Venice to Rome was bang on time but also crowded so the plan for wine, pate & cheese didn’t work out. Still, they were very good on the roof terrace once we were here.
 

The Venice Carnival had started on Saturday. Not quite the activities of old (as far as we could see) but lots of Gondolas with crews in costume as well as a very large rat & loads of people wandering around in masks and fancy dress. Caitlin & Molly would love it.

Well if you want to see Venice this must be the way to do it. Arrive at 9.30, emerge from the station onto the Grand Canal, no crowds & sunshine, a perfect temperature for wandering.
     

All the tales of horror we’d read about this train (after we booked it) seem to be from people expecting the Orient Express. OK so it is old & noisy & the air con is dodgy but still nowhere near as bad as painted.

A few bottles of wine & a picnic was very civilised.
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So picking up where we left off . . . . . the Eurostar did it’s stuff & got us into Paris on time, we shuffled across to Gare De Lyon on the D Line RER & then sat & waited & waited & waited (copyright Casablanca). Leaving plenty of time in case something goes wrong is great until nothing does. Still we got to look at the Train Blu menu and remembered Mr Bean.

We”re now settling in to the wonderful hotel Sar found in Rome. Will post a summary of yesterday evening & today shortly.

In our seats, baggage stowed and looking good for an on time departure.

  Look, the Florida Everglades have come to Cassiobury Park & Rickmansworth has turned into Venice!

So one year on, both (yes both this time – we checked) the kids – OK, OK, young adults – are off to Italy skiing so what are we to do?

Well, Italy is popular this time of year we hear so we’re off there as well. After the amount of effort that went into sorting hand luggage case sizes and liquid restrictions on the Norway trip we’ve decided the train is the best option. That and arriving somewhere where the beer is cheaper & – hopefully – the weather is warmer.

Hope you enjoy it.