Stunned by impressions
Tour Classical Italy. Tour operator Fly Express (Gulya, thank you! ), the organizer in Italy is the travel company Gartour.
The organization is very decent, especially for so many connections, transfers, accommodation, excursions, etc. I kissed Lyuba, who accompanied us all the way, before leaving.
We tuned in for the worst - none of their tour operators hide the fact that the level of tours and hotels in Italy often leaves much to be desired. They agreed only because individual excursions are very expensive (a 3-hour excursion by car with a Russian-speaking guide - 170 - 360 euros), and without a guide for the first time in Italy, it's like watching a modern movie without sound. The second argument is that I took my mother, and a person of the age "with ours" is calmer : )
Maybe that's why the saturation of the tour with excursions was a little too much for us, but most of the excursions are optional, so we decided already on the spot whether we would go.
So, having arrived in Rome, we realized that apart from a sightseeing tour and a night tour of the city, we couldn’t handle the rest, and therefore we walked freely around the city for 2 days, abandoning Pompeii and the Vatican. By the way, eyewitnesses did not express enthusiasm for these excursions.
Of course, such a choice was given with difficulty, but a pause was necessary to digest the impressions already accumulated, and even a year would not be enough to see all of Italy! So I already know where I want to return next time with my husband - be sure to go to Rome separately for a longer time, and I really want to go to the races in Sienna - that's where the real boiling of passions is!
K. Bryullov said: Rome is the original, the rest of the cities are just copies. Having seen most of the European capitals, I want to say: he is right.
My friends, compared to them, we are children! There I realized that the culture of our people and country is in its infancy. When Italian democracy was already in its second thousand years, on the streets of our cities people were hacking at each other with axes. When a priceless antiquity in the truest sense of the word is in your backyard, apparently it ennobles spiritually. Just think: already 1.5 thousand years ago, these people understood that antiquities must be preserved! Many peoples now look more like barbarians than the Romans of the beginning of our era . . And what are the three-thousand-year-old ruins of viaducts that suddenly cross the road, in the arches of which a modern bus barely squeezes through (are the dimensions of Italian transport designed with this in mind?! ). Nowhere in Italy, we did not meet ANY high-rise buildings, even on the outskirts of cities. Maybe it also has a positive effect on the psyche?
During this week, spent in tourist centers, with a mass of people, no one not only pushed me, they never even touched me! Everyone is exceptionally friendly, the drivers are absolutely non-aggressive, despite the Italian emotionality, traffic activity and the number of motorcyclists - no one honks, whistles with brakes or swears.
All the irritation and anger came only from our "classmates". Although they had reasons - tours with 3 * hotels in Italy - this means 1 * (the Egyptian version - feel free to subtract 2 * from how the hotel positions itself). After the first night, the people were in shock - someone in the hotel was in the process of real construction, others - there was an unpleasant smell in the rooms. And they complain a lot about food in treshka.
Yes, breakfasts in the local fours are very modest - in Germany it would be clear 2 *. But maybe you just shouldn't be so hung up on food? I almost never saw fat people among the locals! Fit, athletic men are especially pleasing to the eye.
Our hotels (4 *) were in the city center (Florence, Rome), and the rest of the people were taken to spend the night 40 km away (after a tiring day, an extra hour to shake the bus to the hotel, and every morning, at 7 o'clock - in the opposite direction).
In Rimini, our room was on the 1st line, with a balcony and sea views, and even with a jacuzzi! And the room in Rome had a huge terrace with a picturesque view of the roofs of neighboring houses and other pleasant little things.
Therefore, do not save on hotels, immediately buy a tour for 4 *!
The second advice is that we did not pay for dinner and did the right thing. The food will be bad, and the timing can be inappropriate - often the program of the day was so dense that it turned out to have lunch at 4-5 pm. What's the point of having dinner in 2 hours? Plus, it is interesting to visit two additionally paid dinners - in Florence in the Borghese castle (a luxurious hall, medieval music, a fun, relaxed atmosphere with games and dancing); and in Rome - a modern hall, with a concert program - from great arias to songs by Toto Cutugno - also a joyful atmosphere and good cooking.
Regarding shopping, no one will tell you that the cheapest ruins in Rome are in the vicinity of the Vatican. There, Venetian Murano glass can be bought at half price, and any other consumer goods (of course, mostly Asian, but where else now). And the guide is more likely to recommend a street with very decent prices. Also considered good prices in San Marino (because they have duty-free trade) and Rimini (where our wholesalers buy). In general, Italy is an expensive country. Even a tourist bus, which cost 11 euros in Paris, costs 15 euros in Rome (despite the fact that gasoline has fallen in price). One ticket for public transport is 2.5 euros, and it is still limited in time of use.
Although, a cheap taxi ride around the center will cost around 10 euros (of course, in the absence of large traffic jams). And at least in Rome, taxis can be stopped just on the street - it is not necessary to look for a parking lot or call from a cafe.
By the way, a sightseeing tour of Rome is a tiring business - first you need to drive the whole crowd a couple of stops on a full city bus, then walk for 1.5 hours, and get a couple more stations back by metro - a dubious pleasure.
It is much more comfortable to buy a 2-day ticket for double-decker buses (they run every half an hour), with a Russian-language electronic guide and the ability to get off at any stop. Plus - in good weather, sitting on the second open floor, it is very convenient to take pictures of sights.
I would like to express my special praise to the Roman guide Seva for the sparkling story! Not always the main goal of the excursion is to "pump" maximum information into tourists with a tongue twister. For me, it is better to present information brightly, then it will be remembered much more.
In general, the end of March - the beginning of April - a wonderful time to travel to Italy - the season is not yet open, but it is already warm, everything is green and blooming! The temperature hovered around 20 degrees throughout the day. Only on the way back to Rimini we suddenly got into a hurricane - passing through the Apennines, at some point emerged from the tunnel and plunged into a snow-white fairy tale - the pass was covered with snow, and all the surrounding hills strewn with trees were covered with hoarfrost - it’s a pity that almost by that time there was no more memory and film in the cameras! It's no joke - I've never shot 2.5 hours of video and 500 frames of photos in a week's trip!
Having descended from the pass, we again found ourselves in a strip of greenery. However, the wind from the sea was such that the room (in this case, we would gladly sacrifice the sea view)) was drafty and the temperature was 12 degrees! As for the insulation of dwellings, the Italians are like Nif-Nifa pigs, who build houses from twigs. With the windows closed and wooden shutters, I was afraid that the glass would break from the blows of the wind. It howled like a horror movie, and by morning the full power of the air conditioner was enough to only slightly warm the room. It was all the more pleasant to return home, to your reliable, cozy nest!
To the credit of our pilots, I want to say that I was sure that with such a side wind, planes do not fly! However, the flight took place without delay and even without strong pitching! Globus airline - "daughter" of S7 - a good choice. I know that tourists flying by other companies, for example, to Verona, had serious delays and delays of up to 5 hours. In the Globe, apart from the unsmiling flight attendants, there is nothing to complain about.
There is only one conclusion - it is necessary to go to Italy.
No household discomfort will overshadow the beauty of these landscapes. You just need to moderate your claims and open your heart, and then you will realize that you have been to an earthly paradise. . .
