koln germany is located between maastricht holland ( great hotel in an old church), Liege Belgium ( great hotel in an old palace: crown plaza and not too far from Frankfurt and closer to Bonn.
easy access by train . less than 2 hours from brussels
I stayed at the excelsior hotel in front of the Dom..the tallest cathedral in the Europe and maybe in the world.
if you manage to have a view from your hotel room ( you ask) to the cathedral you are in heaven!
we went for the Christmas market ( 6 of them and all different) but we did not except the best shopping in europe ( besides PAris!) it fell like hongkong...we loved it. great atmosphere.
the Modern Art museum alone is worth the trip
the Olympic museum is astonishing.
loved that city and then you can go on...on the rhine or what we did a small town in the middle of nowhere
Badmunstereifel...
great city..very young
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Hotels NY
New York promotional rates : www.nycgo.com/thirdnight.com
New and cool : Crosby street hotel ( soho) furniture by architect Ron Arad: http://www.designhotels.com/crosbystreet?gclid=CN7f5vqW1J8CFYGF7QodUx91dQ
NEW WORTH VISITING even if you do not stay there: Ace Hotel< 20 w. 29th street
www.acehotel.com restaurant and bar are happening. LOBBY IS GREAT TO MEET PEOPLE: restaurant ( good food but dark décor for summer days) 212 6791939
NEW RECOMMENDED HOTEL: http://www.distrikthotel.com/
Inexpensive good location: www.parksouthhotel.com
Apartment for rent in Brooklyn: tel 718 789 4969 in good area: sarah et guillaume
ANNETTE’S NYC HOTEL PICKS
Good Websites for deals:
www.hotelclub.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.hotels.com, www.quikbook.com, www.bedandbreakfast.com, www.fivestaralliance.com, www.expedia.com, www.hoteldiscount.com, www.hotres.com, www.woogo.com, www.spanishnewyork.com, www.expressreservations.com
en Belgique Check : connections.be, neckerman etc…
check also www.newyork.citysearch.com and www.nyhotels.com
www.travelworm.com for travel in USA
4 hotels on west side: www.newyorkhotel.com; email: Robert@newyorkhotel.com and tell him from A c Belgian
tourist office
NEW YORK ON THE CHEAP: http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/readers-go-even-deeper-for-the-cheap-in-new-york/
ALSO SMALL ROOMS SMALL PRICES:
FROM TINY ROOMS TO OK size but still small: Whitehouse hotel, the jane hotel, the pod hotel , the ace hotel , yotel, the standard.
Le millennium: check website
ALSO Warwick NY: www.warwickhotelny.Com: tel 212 314 7836 royal Windsor a bruxelles et parfois moins cher de booker en belgique
Clarion hotel park and 29th street
Belgian working at HOTEL RIVINGTON: quartier jeune downtown. Cool place ( pas bon marche) http://www.hotelonrivington.com/: contact : Baudouin bcasteele@hotelonrivington.com
For B&B’s:
For a min of ? nights : a belgian women: Stehapnie calla: Uptown…very uptown: www.laMaisonDartNY.com
Contact stephanie@lamaisondartny.com 917 533 4605: 259 West 132 street
www.westeleventh.com, www.staythenight.com, www.livingwithartusa.com,www.urbanliving.net , google “New York Bed and Breafasts” also: 212-206 9237 for other B&Bs and apartments!
POUR louer un Appartment: http://www.affordablenewyorkcity.com/
POD hotel sur la 51 Street is well located but ATTENTION some rooms no bathroom in the rooms you have to share. Rooms nice and small.
Friends stay at the Buckingham hotel on 57 and 6th ave. good location big room but not renovated.
ALL MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE USUALLY HOTELS WELL LOCATED. I PREFER EAST SIDE . AND ANYTHING CLOSE TO FIFTH AVENUE.
Belgians/ French like the Novotel and SOFITEL ( contact Sofitel: Vincent Vienne: he is belgian: vincent.vienne@accor.com)
CHEAP SLEEPS
Pod Hotel
230 East 51st Street *Tel: 212-355-0300*Website: www.thepodhotel.com
Tony’s Place (Harlem)
133 West 119th Street *Tel: 1 (888)-224-8262*Website: www.tonysplacebnb.com
For decent youthhostels : http://www.hostels.com/us.ny.ny.html
Vanderbilt YMCA is supposed to be ok
Small b+b; 81 street ( far from subway) : GRACIE Inn
VERY CHEAP and almost a youth hostel but well located: LATHAM HOTEL WWW.THELATHAMHOTEL.COM
GOOD VALUE
Good location VERY small rooms but just renovated: www.pickwickarms.com
Hotel 373 Fifth Avenue
373 Fifth Avenue*Tel: 1-888-261-3268*Website: www.hotel373.com
Affinia hotel suites
64th Street between 2nd and 3rd *Tel: 212-355-1230*Website: www.affinia.com: hotel suites ( expensive but good for families)
The iroquois: www.iroquoisny.com: good location not cheap but luxury hotel affordable
Amsterdam Court
226 West 50th Street*Tel: 1-800-555-7555*Website: www.crshotels.com
Best Western Hospitality House
Beacon Hotel
2130 Broadway*Tel: 212-787-1100*Website: www.beaconhotel.com
The Belvedere Hotel
319 West 48th Street*Tel: 212-245-7000*Website: www.belvederehotelnyc.com
The Blakely
136 West 55th Street*Tel: 212-245-1800*Website: www.blakelynewyork.com
Carlton Hotel
88 Madison Ave*Tel: 212-532-4100*Website: www.carltonhotelny.com
Hotel Chandler
12 East 31st *Tel: 212-889-6363*Website: www.hotelchandler.com
Contact: Rachelle Schwartzberg- rachelleschwartzberg@hotelchandler.com
The Courtyard by Marriott
3 East 40th Street*Tel: 212-447-1500*Website: www.marriott.com/NYCES
Double Tree Metropolitan Hotel
569 Lexington Avenue at 51st *Tel: 212-752-7000*Website: www.metropolitanhotelnyc.com
EAST GATE TOWER: NOT RENOVATED , SUITES; GOOD WITH KIDS. NEXT TO UN: WWW.AFFINAI.COM
Hotel Grand Union
34 East 32nd Street* Tel: 212-683-5890*Website: www.hotelgrandunion.com
The Iroquois
49 West 44th Street* Tel: 212-840-3080*Website: www.iroquoisny.com
Jolly Hotels Madison Towers
Madison Ave at 38th Street* Tel: 212-802-0600*Website: www.jollymadison.com
Latham Hotel
4 East 28th Street*Tel: 212-685-8300*Website: www.lathamhotel.com
Leo’s House
332 West 23rd Street*Tel: 212-929-1010*Website: None: WORTH CHECKING OUT
Lynden Gardens
215 East 64th Street* Tel: 212-355-1230*Website: check affinia website! MORE EXPENSIVE GOOD FOR FAMILIES
Murray Hill Suites
149 East 39th Street *Tel: 212-661-2100*Website: None
On the Ave
222 West 77th Street* 212-362-1100*www.ontheave-ny.com
Park Central New York
870 West 56th Street at 7th Avenue*Tel: 212-247-8000*Website: www.ParkCentralNY.com
Park South Hotel
122 East 28th Street *Tel: 212-448-0888*Website: www.parksouthhotel.com
The Radisson
511 Lexington Ave at 48th Street * Tel: 212-755-4400*Website: www.lexingtonhotelnyc.com GOOD LAST MIN Price: room OK
Riverside Tower Hotel
80 Riverside Drive* Tel: 212-877-5200*www.riversidetowerhotel.com
The Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Ave*Tel: 212-755-1400*Website: www.rogersmithhotel.com
Roosevelt Hotel
45 East 45th at Madison Ave*Tel: 1-888-TEDDY-NY* Website: www.theroosevelthotel.com GREAT LAST MINUTE PRICES
San Carlos Hotel
150 East 50th Street*Tel: 212-755-1800*Website: www.sancarloshotel.com
Solita Soho Hotel- a Clarion Hotel
Washington Jefferson Hotel
Hotel Wolcott
4 West 31st*Tel: 212-268-2900*Website: www.wolcott.com ( almost everyone one likes this one for the value)
Washington square: www.wshotel.com
TRENDY
60 Thompson
60 Thompson Street*Tel: 877-431-0400*Website: www.60thompson.com
The Alex Hotel
205 East 45th Street*Tel: 212-867-5100*Website: www.thealexhotel.com
Bryant Park Hotel
40 West 40th Street*Tel: 212-869-0100*Website: www.bryantparkhotel.com
Dream Hotel
210 West 55th Street*Tel: 212- 247-2000*Website: www.dreamny.com
Dylan Hotel
52 East 41 Street*Tel: 212-338-0500*Website: www.dylanhotel.com
Gramercy Park Hotel
Hotel on Rivington
107 Rivington Street*Tel: 212-475-2600*Website: www.hotelonrivington.com
Library Hotel
299 Madison Ave at 41 St*Tel: 212-983-4500*Website: www.libraryhotel.com
Hotel Mela (luxury, boutique)
www.andrebalazsproperties.com and www.standardhotel.com VERY COOL: contact : ed Farwick ( pas d’email)!
NEW: Six Columbus: www.thompsonhotels.com : They are all very cool!
LUXE
The Four Seasons
The Drake Hotel (Swissotel)
440 Park Avenue at 56th Street* Tel: 212-421-0900
The Lowell (leading small hotels of the world)
28 East 63th Street *Tel: 212-838-1400*Website: www.lowellhotel.com
Contact: Heiko Kuenstle
FOR LONGER STAY:
For Rental Apartments:
www.woogo.com *1 866 365 2226 cheap but you get cheap!
Other Apartment sites:
4 nights, upper west side location, contact Joseph or Stephanie at : joseflangel@aol.com, * www.metro-home.com, www.ancostudios.com*Tel: (888)- 701-7500, www.furnapts.com *Tel: 212-695-3404, www.craigslist.com
TWO WEEKS IN SOUTHERN ITALY
©Bob Friedhoffer, NYC, 2001
“When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore, (amore)
That's amore”
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming signore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli)
That's amore, (amore)
That's amore”
lyrics attributed to Dean Martin
Our official trip started in Napoli after a three-day stopover in a surprisingly sunny Brussels.
We landed in Naples and had a cab take us to the Hotel Cavour.
It has three stars, all of them tarnished. The room was large and clean but unfortunately, the hotel sits above the subway. The beds vibrate every time a train goes by. The square the hotel is located on, Piazzi Garibaldi is a little iffy. Make that; it’s a lot iffy. The area makes 14th street in NYC seem homey. Turns out that it’s by the train station. Our first full day in town, we took a cab to an antique/flea market. The driver ripped us off. His comment, “It’s Sunday, I have to charge you more”.
Napoli’s national museum is a treat. One must go to the “camera segretto", the secret room, filled with erotica from Pompeii and other towns of antiquity, collected by the Borgia's. The camera segretto was to be visited by none but those pure of spirit, such as members of the clergy, educators or the occasional guests of a Borgia bacchanal.
The subway system is confusing, but we felt right at home, people begging, graffiti, etc. The city seems to be run down. It looked like the garbage men and street sweepers were on strike. The general feel of reminded us of a former Soviet capital: gray, dark, and tired. A second bright point of the day was walking across Garibaldi Square to the Iris restaurant. Good pasta, reasonable prices. Even the table wine was drinkable.
Next day went out to walk around before getting the rental car. It turns out that the hotel is in the wholesale area of the city, just like Broadway between 32nd and 26th. We had a good time buying dreck.
By 11:00 AM we were ready to go and got the rental car.
It was easy to get out of the city. Traffic was not bad. The drivers not much different than taxi drivers in NYC. They don't speak English either.
We headed south to Herculaneum. In 79 AD this town covered with ash and mud from the same eruption at Vesuvius that buried Pompeii. It’s not as popular a site as Pompeii. Because there were fewer visitors one could get to see more of the town in a close up and personal way with no one getting in the way and no waiting time. Because it wasn’t buried with lava, many of the wood artifacts are still intact. It is wonderful site and a must see.
Eating lunch at a small café, we rested before getting back in the car and heading out to Mt. Vesuvius. Vesuvius has erupted many times in recorded history, of course the most notorious being the 79 AD
burying of Pompeii. We drove to parking lot on top of the mountain. The car park was filled with tour buses and souvenir stands, tchotchkes galore, mostly dreck. No change that to "all dreck". We started the walk to the peak. The countryside view, though beautiful, soon became as tiresome as the walk. Close to 2 km to the mountaintop at a steep 20-degree degree angle. At least that’s what if felt like. Don’t believe the tour books on how short and easy it is. One thing
that kept us going were groups of many "very old people" who kept on passing us by. Arriving at a spot near the top we discovered the obligatory "tchochke stands" and a ticket booth to buy a billet allowing one to see the caldera (...crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone). The only thing missing was a carnival barker. "Come see the volcano. See the mountain that caused the destruction of Pompeii. See the other folks who made it to the top, and also felt stupid to walk this far and not to pay the entrance
fee. Only 4,000 lira!" Admittedly, the area at the top showed a great view: 300 degrees of the caldera, a breathtaking view of the Med, the Bay of Napoli, Naples itself, plus all lands south, and a tchotchke stand that sold beer. All this plus cardio too. What a country! There were swarms of odd little biting bugs that were ‘landing on’ and ‘freaking out’ everyone. Annette was convinced that a monster bug, born in the crater (ala Mothra) was breeding and sending out the little pests as a warning of future world domination. We finally walked down, which was considerably easier than going up, until your feet started slipping on the sand like lava. We sat at a corner bench by one switchback, where 1 out of 10 people fell. One must take amusement where one can. Finally down to the car, down the mountain and off to the town of Pompeii.
See this website for pictures, etc on Vesuvius and Pompeii. http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/img_vesuvius.html
Annette found a wonderful little place to stay, the Hotel Villa Laura (recommended). We walked around the modern town of Pompeii that night. Apparently there is a holy shrine that the Pope visits on occasion, so not only are there archaeologically inclined visitors to this town, but also many spiritual devotees. Regardless, the town is cute (off-season) this time of year. We ate a great meal at a local restaurant. All of the food in southern Italy was not only edible but also recommended, except for one place, which I’ll mention later. It was hard to find bad food. Back to the hotel and a good night’s sleep. Next morning we woke up early and tried to get to the excavations before the crowds. We entered the rear entrance at 8:30 AM and pretty much had it to ourselves for a good hour and a half.
The early dwellers of Pompeii had it together. Streets run in a grid, N/S/E/W. They also used perspective drawing in their artwork. Somehow, between 100 AD and the 1600's the idea of perspective got lost and was then re-invented. Some of the sights are incredible. The world's oldest, according to the literature, amphitheater. Incredible frescos, moulds of dead people fleeing the eruption (they didn’t make it), mosaics to die for (and many did) including the famous "cave canem" (dog lives here, beware). There were erotic pictures on the walls of a brothel, showing the salacious offerings inside.
After dragging around for 3-4 hours (it was hot) we headed out. There was just too much history, heat, and certainly too many tourists. We overheard one woman asking a tour guide if married men were allowed in the brothels. Travel is so broadening.
Getting in the car, we toward the Amalfi coast. I had no idea what to expect. The views are spectacular. A trip here should not be missed. So many towns and villages built on the sides of sheer mountain cliffs. Switchback roads right out of a James Bond film. This area was described to me by my friedn Tony as "the place where God takes his/her vacation”. This is an apt definition. The weather is superb. The food and wine were wonderful.
This area might have the scariest two-way roads in the world. All sorts of “S” curves and switchbacks snake around the coast. Imagine a solid wall of stone to one side, a sheer drop to the rocky shore or directly into the water on the other. The longest straightaway might be 50 - 75 meters long. The only rule that the driver's seem to obey is "If I want to go, I have the right of way, regardless of others." The Time Out guide said, “the bus drivers were either good or dead.” Parking in the coastal towns is worse than NYC. You park as far over on the shoulder of the as you can and hope that no one clips your car as they pass.
The first evening we wanted to stay at Le Sirenuse in Positano but there were no rooms available. We ended up staying at the Hotel Belvedere; at the edge of Conca dei Marini, halfway between Praiano and Amalfi, on the Coast Drive. It was a good choice. The hotel is built hanging over the side of the cliff. Looking out and own of our room’s window gave us a view of a beach maybe 100 meters straight down. To get to the pool we took an elevator.
We weren’t quite sure where to stay next as we had no reservations. Was it going to be Amalfi, Maiori, Minori, or Ravello? Luckily, we chose Ravello. We drove to the Town Square and Annette got out to explore. There is at least one world class hotel in Ravello, the Palazzo Sasso that has to rank among one of the best in the world. Fortunately, they were full up, and we couldn’t get a room. Fortunately because the prices were also world class. We spent two glorious nights at the Villa Amore, which is run by two little old ladies who hustle around making sure everything is OK. The view from the room’s balcony is exquisite. There’s a garden for sunbathing, reading, etc. Not bad for less than $50/night, breakfast included. Ravello has been the summer resort for notables such as Richard Wagner, Gore Vidal, and Sophia Loren. It was used for location filming by many moviemakers in the 60’s. It is a must visit town. WA wedding was going on while we were there. Turned out to be people from NYC who wanted a romantic “wedding to remember”. They imported about 20 family members and a rabbi to perform the ceremony.
We decided to spend a night on the famed Isle of Capri. It was an investment just to leave the car in public parking at about $2.00/hour for at least 36 hours. At first glance, Capri is cute, until we took the funicular (cable car) up from the port. It was filled with tour boat people on day trips. Herds of ugly, stupid, tour boat people, who stay for 1.5 hours and then, extol "the virtues of" or "dis" the island. Taking the funicular is like being on the #6 train at rush hour. The town of Capri turned out to be pretentious. Many Ferragamo, Prada, etc. stores. The bus to Anacapri was SRO. Capri has left us totally cold. It reminds us of Cape Cod on a tourist packed summer day, with a billion people eager to savor the flavor of spending their money on this fabled island. Everyone told us that you have to wait until after 5 o’clock. The trouble was that it wasn’t yet twelve noon. On top of every other negative, the one bad meal that we had in all of southern Italy was on Capri. We opted to not spend the night. Veni, Vedi, Ve left.
Back on the mainland, we drove south to Paestum. Another jewel yet undiscovered by the American traveler. It’s a huge archaeological zone of Greek origin. The area is dominated by the imposing structure of three Doric temples, dating back to the 6th century BC. These buildings rival the Parthenon in Greece. The museum is awesome. The tomb decorations are as beautiful as they are unique. Upon seeing one of them in particular, The Diver, you would swear that you were looking at a 1950’s circa ad for a Catskill’s hotel.
To see some of the splendor take a look at http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Temples_of_Paestum.html
During the summer months the area apparently emulates the Long Island Expressway during rush hour, though the mechanical conveyances consist of caravans, winnebagos, tents on the back of pickups, etc. It is populated by tourists who are Dutch, German and English who are determined to not spend a dime in Italy, but bring all of their sustenance including bread, cheese, butter and water form home. Fortunately, the season did not start until after we had left. Back in Ravello, the maitre d’ of the restaurant at the Villa Maria recommended that we stay at the Azienda Agricole Seliano, in Paestum. We’re glad that we took his suggestion, as this is a B&B that we cannot recommend enough. In addition to breakfast, they serve a dinner that was worth the price of the room, about $80/night. It’s situated on a working farm, where they were growing corn and peaches at the time we stayed over. This area is also known for its Mozzarella de Buffalo. We went to see the herd and were blown away when we discovered that they were water buffalo from India. The cheese alone is worth the visit. In addition to all of the above, we met a Belgian retiree from Brussels with whom who had mutual friends. That small world thing again.
A few days in Paestum recharged our batteries and we were off to Bari on the Adriatic coast. Originally we planned to take a ferry to Dubrovnik, Croatia for an overnight stay but as luck had it, the week we were in the area was the one-week a year that the ferry folks go on vacation. We went into Bari and stayed with Rosa, the sister of our friend. Great apartment though a little stark. We think that she missed her calling and should have become a nun. There were statues and pictures of Jesus and Mary on every wall of the apartment. On the average evening she goes with her friends and cousins and prays in the local church for the Pope, the town world peace, etc. Though she lives in a veritable paradise, Rosa’s dream is to live in Morristown, New Jersey. I was beat and went to sleep while Rosa took Annette on a tour of every church within walking distance. The next day we took a ride to Alborabello to see the Trulli. This town was awesome. We felt as though we were in a village built by Smurf’s/Schtrumf.
Here’s a description from the UNESCO web site.
The trulli, limestone dwelling houses in the southern Italian region of Puglia, are remarkable examples of drywall (mortarless) construction, a prehistoric building technique still in use in this region. These structures, dating from as early as the mid 14th century, were constructed using roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighboring fields. Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs built up of corbeled limestone slabs. Although rural trulli can be found throughout the Itria Valley, their highest concentration is in the town of Alberobello, where there are over 1500 structures in the quarters of Monti and Aja Piccola. To see what the village looks like go to google.com and search for -Alberobello trulli.
After three hours in this dreamland, we went back to Bari passing through some other charming towns. This whole area, Puglia, is one big travelers treat. So many villages, each with its own magic. Finally, back at Rosa’s we all went out for a great pizza meal. The southern Italians make pizza just as good as New York Pizza. Maybe better. Not a single Pizza hut or Domino’s in sight. However, we did see the ubiquitous Burger King and McDonalds in every town.
When we went to change money in a bank one is forced to leave all metallic objects such as, keys, cameras, change, etc in a safe deposit box just outside the bank’s door. Then you step inside a small booth that somehow checks you for metallic objects, and only when you are vetted, does the door open for your entry into the bank. It’s an interesting but annoying system. I had to exit and re-empty my pockets twice.
When we told Rosa we were leaving, she got all mopey. She thought we were going to stay for a full week. She gave us a care package of food and “lemoncillo”, a southern Italian alcoholic beverage that almost everyone seems to make at home. They take lemon peel, the lemons in the area are the size of grapefruits, and soak it in grain alcohol for two to three weeks. Then they add sugar to taste and advise you to sip it slowly. Great tasting stuff that goes down easily and is extremely potent.
Now it was time to head north. Annette, ever the intrepid explorer, navigator and professional map reader got us safely and quickly to the Gargano. This is another area of Puglia, which is rarely seen by folks from North America. Imagine that you’re looking at the heel of the boot of Italy. Just north of the heel there’s a spur, like a cowboy’s spur that juts out into the Adriatic. That’s the Gargano. We stayed in the seaside town of Vieste. Another village/town that is too cool for words. The hotel where we were lucky enough to secure a room was Villa San Francisco, at about $40/night including breakfast. Cash only. The people in town are warm and cheerful. The scenery is so impressive. It’s an old walled town with battlements, the remains of a portcullis, crenellations and all other great nooks and crannies to investigate. Down in the new area of town we went to a beach where we discovered two young men working. Annette fell in love with there earthy Italian good lucks. Then I saw their girl friends and "hubba-hubba". It turns out that the two guys worked at serious two and three star restaurants in New York and went home to ply their trade. They do that for four months a year then travel the world for eight months. The weather was perfect but the water a little too cool for swimming.
Back in the car, we headed towards Rome. We had a reservation for one night only at the Savoy hotel for our last night in Rome, but trusted to luck that we’d find a room. Fortunately, Annette’s cell phone works in Europe so that after a few calls to our hotel and others that they recommended we secured a room at the Hotel Doge. It’s in a wonderful central area of Rome and more important it had a room available. As it turns out the city was packed with tourists and not many rooms were to be had. We drove to the old airport and dropped off the rental car, and then not so surprisingly got ripped off by the cab driver. He overcharged us by about $20 but took us directly to the hotel via a circuitous route that can not be recreated on any map. I was glad that I wasn’t driving. The street’s of Rome are complicated enough if you speak Italian, but more so if you can’t speak the language. For some reason the builders of Rome didn’t like a grid system but seemed to favor meandering paths based upon chaos theory, upon which the streets are based. Maybe there’s a fractal thing going on, but you’d need a CRAY supercomputer to figure it out.
The first four floors of the building where the hotel Doge is located were taken up by one hotel, but it wasn’t ours. Our hotel was on the fifth floor of the building. Apparently, the owner had a huge apartment that he turned into a 10-room hotel on the middle floor of a commercial building. Our room was small, but clean and quiet, with breakfast in the morning. The elevator was really tiny, but huge in comparison to the shower. I felt that we were in a cross between the hotel in “Barton Fink” and the ½ floor featured in “Being John Malkovich”. The shower was an interesting homage to the classic water torture cell escape of Houdini. It was so cramped that I left half of my body hair on the edges of the shower’s sliding glass/plastic doors, while entering and exiting.
After one night in the Doge, we walked three blocks to the Savoy where we had the one night’s reservation. We recommend this hotel to any and all. I could actually get into the shower at the Savoy without scraping my chest and back along the shower stall walls.
Rome is worth visiting and nice, but…. Maybe it was the end of the trip or the heat and the plethora of tourists, but there seemed to be a vitality absent in Rome that we’ve had in other world class cities. The antiquities are obviously incredible. The people, stores, and famous landmarks are interesting to ogle. Maybe our disenchantment was fostered by: the swarm of people wearing Hard Rock Café T-shirts in front of the Trevi fountain, the interminable queue of people waiting to get into the Coliseum, the tacky street performers dressed as Roman gladiators performing in front of this great amphitheater, the tour groups of griping senior citizens on the Palatine Hill, or groups of school kids looking for ice cream and soda being dragged around the Forum by a teacher intent on teaching a history lesson, not one person from the Iberian peninsula at the Spanish Steps, or maybe even the fact that there were no jugglers, acrobats, or clowns at the Circus Maximus. On the other hand, the shopping is great and the food not to be outdone anywhere in the world. Three days and nights in Rome shlepping around to markets and fancy stores, historical sites, restaurants, and we were ready to sing
Arrivederci Roma
Goodbye, goodbye, to Rome
City of a million moonlit places
City of a million warm embraces
Where I found the one of all faces
Far from home
Goodbye, goodbye, to Rome
City of a million moonlit places
City of a million warm embraces
Where I found the one of all faces
Far from home
Arrivederci Roma
It's time for us to part
Save the wedding bells for my returning
Keep my lover's arms outstretched and yearning
Please be sure the flame of love keeps burning
In her heart
It's time for us to part
Save the wedding bells for my returning
Keep my lover's arms outstretched and yearning
Please be sure the flame of love keeps burning
In her heart
lyrics - Carl Sigman
ANNETTE’S LIST OF HOTELS
The hotels that are worth mentioning where we stayed in Italy. They are all under $ 100
Pompeii
Hotel Villa Laura***
Very cute tel. - 081 8631024
we ate at Carlo Alberto restaurant. very good
Amalfi
Hotel Belvedere****:
a little more $ 125
tel. 089 83 1282
you get to the swimming pool by elevator.
incredible view and balcony in rooms
restaurant: very good
Ravello
Villa Amore **
tel.: 089 857135
$ 45!!!!!!!
balcony and garden incredible. I would like to
stay there for 5 nights
restaurant: villa Maria: incredible food out of
this world view
( one of the most beautiful hotel in the world
Palazzo Sasso is there)
Paestum –
Azienda Agrituristica; Seliano:
www.agriturismo-seliano.it
seliano@agriturismo-seliano.it
tel. 0828 723634
ask for Barbara or Nicolas Claeys (Belgian who lives on the farm)
well this is the place where I would spend one week and rest. pool ..
2 km from beach. Do not go in July and August,
many dogs....2 km from Paestum. incredible Greek ruins. The food is out of this world there. Wine, breakfast and dinner included for $80 for 2. Interesting guests mostly English.
Gargano
Town of Vieste
Albergo Punta S.Francesco
beautiful town, quaint hotel in town.
beaches not far (El Pelican Restaurant on beach -great food)
tel. 08844701422.
I could have spend at least 5 days there too but many Germans...great ice cream places to hang out!
Rome
the Savoy at the Spanish steps....good hotel
booked by Europe Express. GREAT TOUR OPERATOR
http://www.europeexpress.com/
Italy Hotels/ Amalfi Coast
under $ 100
Pompei: Hotel Villa Laura***
: Very cute tel 081 8631024
and we ate at Carlo Alberto resto. very good
Amalfi: Hotel Belvedere****:
a little more $ 125
tel 089 83 1282
you get to the swimming pool by elevator.
incredible view and balcony in rooms
restaurant: very good
Ravello: Villa Amore **
tel: 089 857135
$ 45!!!!!!!
balcony and garden incredible. I would like to
stay there for 5 nights
restaurant: villa Maria: incredible food out of
this world view
( one of the most beautiful hotel in the world
Palado sasso is there)
Paestum:Azienda Agrituristica; Seliano: www.agriturismo-seliano.it
tel 0828 723634
ask for Barbara or Nicolas Claeys (belgian
who lives on the farm)
well this is the place where I would spend one week and rest. pool . 2 km from beach (athena). Do not go in july and august, campings!
many dogs....2 km from Paestum. incredible greek ruins. The food is out of this world there. Wine, breakfast and dinner included for $ 100 for 2. Interesting guests mostly english.
Gargano: Vieste: Albergo Punta S.Francesco :
beautiful town, quaint hotel in town. beaches not far ( el Pelican -great food) teL 08844701422. I could have spend at least 5 days there too but many Germans...great ice cream places to hang out!
we ended up in Roma: the Savoy at the spanich steps....good hotel booked by Europe Express. great T.O.!
more to come by Bob
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