Trip to Italy, Part 1--Bologna, Venice, Parma

... and the American Embassy at Via Veneto is really a nice building, at least from outside (I used to cash my scholarship money every 3 months at the bank right across the street).

I'll be back in a jiffy, with another passport nightmare.

Here's my passport story:

When I was a student in Italy I lent some money to a friend, who was to rent a cottage in Denia (Valencia, Spain) for a month. I arrived there on day 16 of his stay... and found out he had only
rented it for 2 weeks and left the day before.

So I took a train to Alicante. It was raining and I was depressed. I saw some fellows hitch-hiking to Denia and told them, in loud voice: "Don't go there, it sucks!". When the guys turned around, one happened to be my friend Carlos, an
Argentinian. The other was Steven, an American who studied film at Stanford. They were heading to the very same house. Carlos had also lent money to our mutual "friend".

We went to drink a beer and decided, on the spot, to go to Morocco (even if Carlos and Steven were almost penniless).

To make a long(er) story short(er), 3 male long-haired hitchhikers in almost Franco's Spain (1976) could only make a slow ride. Only two fit in the tent and I got the flu.

I felt relieved when we took the ferry boat from Algeciras to Ceuta. But my relief turned into a nightmare when I found out THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS MISSING IN MY PASSPORT. By the time, MY COUNTRY HAD NO DIPLOMATIC TIES with Spain. I felt, literally, in the middle of the sea. So I went on looking all over the boat. By some kind of miracle, I found the picture somewhere in the upper
deck. With the help of a sailor I managed to (more or less) stick back the photograph in place and continue the trip.

Be still my heart!

On my lunch time walk today I stopped at Going Places, our local travel store, and succumbed to a new Italy book. This one is Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay. Glad I got it, it has a nice range of prices and the woman who owns the shop said a friend had stayed at one of the least expensive ones listed in Assisi and was quite happy, and it mentions two favorite places of mine in Rome. But, scads of possible places to stay for some future trip for me! More to the point, some for you to have on your list, Kicky.

I recommend the book past this list I'll type out, I'm going to find it very handy. It has good maps, and pages of 'how to' tips.
There's another book called Cheap Sleeps in Italy, my copy is old now. Lots of stuff in Florence and Rome and Venice in there, but the ones in the Sawday book look to have some charm and sound better than a couple of the ones in cheap sleeps..

VENICE

- Pensione La Calcina (LoisLane 17 mentioned this) doubles 130 - 182E , suites 161 - 239, singles 96 - 106
apartments 161 - 239 (I gather the high numbers have to do with breakfast on this one)
Lois gave this number Ph-041-5206466 and this is the website for it--
http://www.lacalcina.com/HTML/en/calcina_menu_en.html
- She also likes Albergo Doni, not in this book -
Ph/fax - 041-5224267. You can book and find info at this site http://www.veneziasi.it/ita/hotel.asp?ID=DONI or you can just google albergo doni venice and it will lead you to some reviews and sites.
- from Lois, in Dorsaduro, if you can stay in the main area and not the annex, I rec. Antico Capon. Wonderful people and right on the Campo Santa Margherita, which I adore. 041-5285292

fbaezer's choice in Venice -
Venice: Albergo Ca' d'Oro or Albergo Cavaletto

more from this book
- Hotel Locanda Fiorita, low budget near San Marco -
doubles 93E - 140, singles, 62E - 78
apartment 93-135. They don't appear to have a lot of separate baths, but do have some, and those, let's guess, would be the high number.
- Casa Martini, stylish B & B in Cannaregio section, family 175E
- Locanda al Leon, 3 minutes from San Marco, triple, 100E - 180E.
- Locanda Conterie, Murano (one of the Venetian islands, home of much glass blowing) doubles 60 - 90E, singles 40 - 60E
- Club Cristal in Cannaregio area, doubles 80 - 130, singles 50 - 85, but I think those are pound symbols.


FLORENCE -
- Villa La Sosta, triples 130 - 150E
- Residenza Hannah & Johanna, doub, 75, sing 50E.
- La Residenza Johlea, a little bit higher
- mentioned by fbaezer (not in this book)Albergo Savoy (this one is ritzy!)

SIENA
- (in the Porcupine district) Villa Fiorita, doubles 55 - 80, sing 45 - 65E
- mentioned by osso (not in this book)
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187902-d231295-Reviews-Hotel_Chiusarelli-Siena_Tuscany.html (ask for quiet room)

ROMA
- Casa Trevi, 2 apartments, the one for 2-3 is 105-130E
- Hotel Villa del Parco, out on Via Nomentana, looks like 175E for a triple
- Hotel Santa Maria, Trastevere, 166E lowest triple
- my favs, Villa San Pio and Sant'Anselmo are higher

then there's Fbaezer's pick for Rome - Albergo Palatino, Via Nazionale (or Via Cavour, I can't remember)

and let me go look up where I once stayed, quite ok, Hotel Flavia, a two star on Via Flavia, off of Via Barbarini, if I remember right. I also stayed at the Hotel Elide, on Via Firenze, cheaper, but a little, uh, spare. Fine for me, I would guess fine for you, not sure about your parents. (the shower dribbles...)

Need to rest my brain now, may look up Naples and Amalfi later.
(I'm skipping lots of good looking and not too expensive stuff in Tuscany...)

Osso, you're the best! I am thinking now that I'm going to try to stay at apartments only for the whole trip, except maybe for the Amalfi coast. I'm focused on Venice for the moment, and I see there are a couple places in your post there. I'll have to check them out when I get up tomorrow. I've had a little to drink tonight, and I just need my bed right now.

And, how are you feeling this morning, Kicky?

If I went to Italy, I'd be looking into villa type places - yes apartments. If you are going to Lucca and need an apartment, I may be able to arrange one for you. It depends on who's living where though.

I think it might be easiest in Rome, where you are (were) thinking of staying for more than a couple of days.
The thing about this list is that most of the hotels only have a few rooms all told, most under ten and some under five, or less, so they'll get booked soon enough, being in a presumably popular guide.

Somewhere in that guide, one apartment (not among the ones I found, might have been in some other city, or priced way high, said something about having to stay a week. But most didn't say that.

Feeling pretty good, littlek. I wasn't completely bombed off my ass like you were the other night, only semi-bombed off my ass. Hehehe.

Thanks for the offer. When I get into the Florence-ish part of my plans, I might be interested in that Lucca place.

I've decided to attack this one city at a time. First Venice. I am going to focus only on Venice for the next day or so. Then on to the rest.

Osso, you are right, they all do have minimum stays, but I've found a bunch that are a minimum of three days, which is fitting into my new plan nicely.

And what is that new plan, you ask? Well, loosely, I'm planning:

Venice: May 28-31

Florence: May 31st-June 2nd or 3rd

Rome: June 3rd or 4th-June 6th, 7th, or 8th

Amalfi coast/Sorrento: June whatever until the 12th

I was NOT bombed off my ass!

Okay, okay, lighten up Francis.

Why, do you think I'm in a gloomy mood?

Hehehe

I've just fooled around looking at 700 rome hotels, sucked in after trying to find one I mentioned above. The Flavia was 165E for a triple (sigh) and the one FB mentioned, Grand Hotel Palatino on via Cavour, was also around that price.
Found a few less expensive places to think about though, will write them here in case I throw the scrap of paper away.

Casa Kolbe 68-86E, Aventine area (which I happen to like)
Ara Pacis Hotel, sounds ok, around the Via Corso
Marta Guest House
Margutta Hotel
Those last two are near the vatican - I think, how soon I forget...
these are the cheapest that didn't sound dreadful...
I didn't get around to apartments.

And this afternoon I fooled around at work, waiting, waiting, for any lost souls to come in and look at paintings...
and studied real estate in Italy. Gads, I could do it, at the lowest level anyway. Thinking....

Ok, back to Naples and Amalfi from the Sawday book. I may be forced to add Ravello, a friend of mine spent a lot of time working for an author there and I want to go there too. Well, I'll add it if I find a place..

NAPLES
- Albergo Sansevero d'Angri' - 88 - 110 E, doubles and suites, looks good
- Albergo Sansevero Degas - same thing, 7 rooms for 2-6 people, looks good too.
- Soggiorno Sansevero - hmmm, so does that, same money. Prolly the same famiglia.
- B&B L'appartamento Spagnolo - 3 doubles at 85 to 100E.

You need to at least look at the book, there are pictures of what look like wonderful places in the area, an apartment in Massa Lubrense, wherever that is, for 700E a week...

oh, well, the Ravello one mentioned is 104E, an apartment for two that seems gorgeous. Might be worth contacting.

Nothing for Amalfi.

Osso, are you serious about moving to Italy? Wow. Why don't you move there before June, and then I'll just stay with you!

Actually, I may have led you astray. In Amalfi, I'm looking at Sorrento as a home base, not Naples. I'm going to surf now and see if there are any places online that look good.

No Sorrento in that book...

go fish, as they say...

On moving, I'll post a thread one of these days. It's an option to do italy, but unlikely.

Well, look at that Massa whatsis I mentioned, sounded interesting.
this one, Le Tore, that was 700E to 1000E a week, doubles and one apartment.


Ah, well, good luck...

Kicky--got your pm; couldn't reply because I am still a newbie and not trusted with access to thee!

Anyway, the answer is--
Ca' Cerchieri 1
http://www.italyhotelink.com/f_M_hotelink.php?Id=143017
It can easily sleep 4. The living room has a pocket door, so the 2nd bedroom has privacy!

Oh, and Osso...I found a place, sadly about 5 years ago when the Lira was still in place, called Casetta Pamela! A small stone house, totally refurbished, a total of 4 rooms: bedroom, study, living/dining and kitchen and bath for $65,000 in Umbria. It was on a farmer's land, so you were buying essentially the place and the plot of land and access to utilities. You didn't have much property. Me ne frega! sigh.
Wish I'd jumped on it, but paying on a place in US, and in SF to boot, made it tough. I found it through a British agent. If you're serious, let me know and I'lltry to find the info!
Sorry for the digression, Kicky!

I did a lot of looking on Saturday and saved some links, but they're on my work computer. There was a similar sounding place, about 90,000E. Had done that before, maybe six months ago. Places come and go, of course.

I couldn't afford to do both, stay here and buy there. I can barely afford to stay here. I'm not serious, er, I don't think.

This link only for those, who don't and/or can't go to Bologna, Venice, Parma, Roma ... in the moment:

Thousands of photos of Rome and other Italian cities