Медовый месяц в Италии Honeymoon in Italy

So, we chose Italy as the country of our honeymoon trip, the country of ancient Rome, medieval Venice, the Italian Renaissance and the sun-kissed coast of the Adriatic Sea in Rimini.
On the afternoon of June 21.2009, we flew from Domodedovo by Vin-Jet (an Italian carrier). A small plane, but everything went off without a hitch, at the same time there was the first acquaintance with the Italians: their female population, to put it mildly, is 90% ugly)))) but smiling; Representatives of PAC-Group (our tour operator in Italy) met us: they waited for the bus after receiving the luggage for 20 minutes (not scary), loaded it and began to deliver it to the hotels. The following can be said about Pak groups - the level is "acceptable" if you contact them as little as possible. When checking into a hotel in Rimini, the bus stopped on a parallel street with respect to our hotel, then we went on foot along with 2 representatives of the tour operator, a cat. WE WERE LOOKING FOR our hotel))) and when they saw it, they waved in his direction, saying: "well, in general, here is the hotel, then you yourself, otherwise the bus is waiting for us" : ) and stomped back. Nicely. In principle, it was not difficult for us to get to the hotel and explain ourselves to the porter in English (by the way, honor and praise to all the hotel staff: well-trained, well-mannered, always cheerful, good-natured and ready to help, except that when we left at 6 in the morning we had to run for 10 minutes in search of porter (apparently fell asleep somewhere) - otherwise you won’t even leave the hotel). But the next day at exactly 12.00 a phone call was received from a representative of Pak, who came to tell us what wonderful excursions at bargain prices they are ready to offer us 8-) We only asked him for the location of the main attractions of Rimini and where you can find Bonelli Bus office. Even before the trip, we found out that it is MUCH CHEAPER to travel either by trains (but they run inaccurately) or by buses, we chose the latter option. And they did not lose: In Pak Rim (without a minute of free time! ) - 100 euros per person, we went for 52; Venice - 85 euros versus 34 in Bonelli Bus; San Marino and at all - 25 against 8 "self-propelled"))) Total savings came out 232 euros (cats were lowered to San Marino on leather bags). The difference is that there is no guide service, i. e. you walk around the cities on your own, and because Italy is a country that I think everyone knows about, and it will not be difficult to see the main sights on your own, if necessary, supplementing your knowledge with a guidebook.
Rimini itself is a curious town, the focus of tourist life is Tripoli Square. There are cafes, banks, and information for tourists where Bonelli tickets are sold, you just need to buy them at least 2 days before the trip. get around the city in a day), or by trolley buses, tickets are bought at tobacconists. For shopping lovers, there is a large Lebefan shopping center, but it is not very conveniently located, and the prices in it are incomparable with San Marino, well, there are a lot of shops with souvenirs, clothes, etc. (moreover, the choice of clothes struck me not for the better - the unisex style of gloomy colors such as black, dark purple and khaki killed; ).

The weather for us the first 2 days was cloudy, but warm, the rest of the days were sunny and hot. The sea was also very good, although due to the fact that the beach with fine white sand, the water near the shore is unclear, and sometimes algae are found, but almost invisible. for two for the whole day). And prices vary from place to place. Our hotel was right on the beach, although most are separated from the beach by a road with little traffic. The room is not huge, but it wasn’t cramped for us (besides the large bed there was still a sofa, which was laid out), except that the bathroom was a little cramped, the balcony overlooked the sea on one side, the city and mountains on the other! Cleaned every day, no problems. Food , of course, far from Egyptian)))) We didn’t expect that Italians love marinated EVERYTHING so much, from the hot in the morning there was only an omelet with sausages : ) and yogurts + cappuccino with transparent ham sandwiches))))) Well, cereal)) Dinner is better: marinated snacks a la buffet, then on the menu, to shame, we could not deal with this food system for a long time, then thank God it settled down))) In general, the food is sufficient for the body to function, but without the frills there are different ))) Eat spiritual food, you are in Italy) The zeal, politeness and foresight of the waiters deserve a separate line - everyone is just darlings! But the Italians themselves, both residents of the city (country) and vacationers in the hotel, were struck by their noisiness (well, we did not expect that they were talking all the time they were awake and with such a loudness with which Russians quarrel), and the fact that EVERYTHING was allowed to children, right up to walking on your head and screaming almost with ultrasound, which touches the parents so much that they immediately begin to take pictures of the pranks of their beloved child. I understand everything, but you also need to think about other people, at least sometimes. , distracted by the sights, and secondly, on the beach we sunbathed and swam just in time for the little ones' lunch break (from 12 to 14-15), yes, the harmful sun, but in silence, peace and enjoyment of each other! : ) . we had half board, then we set lunch time ourselves, especially since we bought groceries at BILLA or the nearest supermarket (it turned out much cheaper than in restaurants and fast food, which costs the same as cafes).
We left for Venice at 6.50 am and arrived at 11.30 am, free time until 6 pm. it is amazing how time and salt water are merciless to amazing palaces . . we were on the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, and went around all (well, almost) narrow and VERY narrow streets of the city; It was great! Very crowded and the prices for souvenirs are exorbitant, although they are readily bargained (not much, but you win). We were brought back to the hotel at 23.30.
A day later, we went to Rome. Oh, this is a separate song! Wonderful, alluring, stunning with its combination of different eras! On the way to it, we probably passed several dozen tunnels in the mountains, and when you drive between the mountains on a bridge, and under you there is a valley, and you are at the level of the clouds - this is something indescribable! And, if the impression of Venice was overshadowed by some shabby palaces and other buildings, then Rome fully lived up to expectations! To get around it more or less carefully, you need at least a week, which we didn’t have. Nevertheless, we saw the Colosseum, the Forums, we were on Venice Square, at the Trevi Fountain, in the Vatican near St. Peter’s Cathedral, and just wandered through the streets, Yes, in the hills  There are 2 metro lines in Rome (A and B), the stations are conveniently located near the main attractions, and under the main names of the stations, it is signed what exactly is located here - a tourist is just a gift! The stations themselves are gloomy: poorly lit, zero decoration (a la from American action movies), but with plasma panels broadcasting football matches and advertising “spam” from the loudspeaker 8-) And on line B, in general, the trains are all painted with graffiti! Italian youth is generally not indifferent to this “art”: they can sometimes draw some thread of a historical building... here you have the center of world culture).
A day later, we went to San Marino, a small independent state in the middle of Italy, whose territory is only 60 square kilometers located on Mount Titano. Pts there are good prices. How wrong we were, underestimating this baby, San Marino! Fascinating serpentine, when it takes your breath away, if you look down, when the bus takes you to the very top of the mountain, to the historical center of the city-state; medieval towers, walls with loopholes, from which a simply indescribable view opens (you must see it! ) And on which you CAN climb and even go inside; lovely people; miniature squares and streets - in a word, the feeling that you are transferred to a castle from a fairy tale! This made an indelible impression on me, and even the seemingly undeniable Venice, to be honest, faded somewhat. And San Marino is located just 24 km from Rimini, so it was a sin not to visit there. Well, having seen enough of unearthly beauty and put a San Marino visa in your passport (5 euros), we went shopping. Rumors have been confirmed: thanks to special tax laws, goods sold in San Marino are tax-free and much cheaper than in Italy. As a result, we bought bags, purses, belts not only for ourselves, but also for all our parents and friends. Judge for yourself: a high-quality leather belt costs 5 euros (in Rome and Venice they sold fridge magnets for 4 euros, in Rimini magnets are the cheapest 2.5 euros ), a medium-sized ladies bag completely leather, even lining from the inside, - 30 euros, a large one - 60-70, a business leather men's briefcase (with a compartment for a laptop) - 40-50 euros. In Moscow, a similar briefcase, but not Italian, but Russian-made, cost 7.500 rubles, but a women's Italian leather bag, if it is not a thimble, can be bought in Moscow for 1200-1300 rubles. - something on the verge of fantasy 

The remaining 2 days were honestly lying on the beach and swimming in the sea - it was not in vain that we came to the coast! Tanned to almost chocolate color, tk. the sun is very hot.
The result of the holiday: if you do not take into account all sorts of little things, such as the squeaks of small children, confusion due to inexperience with dinners and the noisiness of Italians, the rest was simply gorgeous - and the gentle sea with hot sun and white sand, and visiting world-famous cities (and states! - Vatican and San Marino) - treasures of culture, and the opportunity to explore the country, its meadows, forests, arable land, towns with castles while going to Venice or Rome or somewhere else, and profitable, beautiful, high-quality purchases, and sea-sea-sea of ​ ​ ​ ​ impressions from all this!! ! There is simply no better honeymoon! And in Italy, I hope we will return more than once!