My Summer Vacation in Europe: Part 6 Two Ravenna Hotels in one night and finally boarding the ship!

 

It's almost cruise time!  

 After about 8 hours of trying to get my room at Le Case di San Vitale to cool off so that I could sleep, to no avail,  and making several calls to the phone number provided to guests for assistance, I decided to leave Le Case and head to the NH Ravenna, where I hoped to get a room with proper AC, or at least get it cool enough to sleep.  Again, Le Case di San Vitale is a lovely B & B, with 6  rooms that are very nice and clean, but I can't sleep in a very hot room.  Hopefully they fix the issue. I wish they'd had another room for me to try but they were fully booked.

 I called the hotel to see if they had a room and they did so I booked it and tried to figure out how to get there.  Not speaking enough Italian to communicate with a taxi service, I popped back into the bar adjacent to the hotel and asked the server who had taken care of me earlier and asked her if she could please assist me.  I think her name was Alessandra and she whipped out her phone and ordered a cab for me.  The taxi picked me up right in front of the bar (after the driver went inside to confirm that the taxi was for me and not her LOL) and we set off to the NH Ravenna hotel. 

 Due to the late hour, around 9 or 10 PM, I didn’t take any photos.  They had the suite that I’d reserved, and cancelled, still available so that’s the room they assigned me.  Again, I tried to get it cool to no avail although I did open the window and close the drapes in hopes of getting some air, while keeping out the mosquitoes. 

Suite living room, Image courtesy NH Ravenna

Lobby, Image courtesy NH Ravenna

The NH is a more modern hotel, especially when compared to Le Case but it does need renovation as it shows a bit of wear and tear.  Being close to the train station, and many sites in Ravenna, I am guessing that it is always busy.  I was comped breakfast for the inconvenience of a hot room, and I will say that the buffet was nice with a good selection of hot and cold items.  I had my daily cappuccino, some cereal, juice, and some pastries and went back up to my room to gather my bags and head across the street for my shuttle.

Breakfast, Image courtesy NH Ravenna

Breakfast room, Image courtesy NH Ravenna

Exterior, Image courtesy NH Ravenna

Cabs in Ravenna are in short supply and rather than walk to the train station for the cruise shuttle, I booked a shared transfer with  VisitRavenna.IT.  They pick up either in front of, or close to, most hotels in Ravenna and you will be able to find the locations and cost on their website.  Since I’d changed hotels, I booked another transfer and emailed them explaining my situation (that I was not going to be on the Le Case di San Vitale shuttle) and could they please refund the extra fee which they did a few days later! 

 This was a shared shuttle and in the case of the NH Ravenna, the stop is just across the street in front of a church and park.  (If you go out the front door, turn right, walk across the street and you’re there. It’s easier to go out through the restaurant but I didn’t realize that there was a door.  Oops)

 The bus was close, maybe half full and the ride to Porto Corsini took 20 minutes or so.  Upon arrival at the port, we collected our bags, walked a short distance to the porters, dropped off our bags and entered the terminal.  The check in process was fast-similar to ports in the USA, and after maybe 20-30 minutes, we were invited to board the ship!  Another short walk across the pier (maybe 100 feet or so) and we were soon on the gangway and boarding Explorer of the Seas for our 7-night Greek Islands and Montenegro cruise. Explorer had always been a favorite ship for me, and I made a lot of memories, some of which are now bittersweet.  I shed a little tear of happiness and sadness (my Mom and I sailed Explorer a lot, now it’s just me), walked aboard and started my cruise!

Porto Corsini Arrivals 

Waiting area  

 

Time to board

Short walk to ship!

On the gangway!

You can watch my cruise review here.

 

Coming in Part 7, a review of the cruise hitting the highlights

 

Choose your Venice hotel carefully!

Things to remember when choosing your hotel in Venice, Italy

 Venice is a beautiful city. It’s an island, actually, over 100 islands connected by 400 bridges.  You cannot drive in the central part of Venice.  You’ll need to walk and/or take a water taxi or a vaporetto to get around.  Your last chances for vehicular access are Piazzale Roma, which is the main bus station, or Tronchetto.  You can find parking lots/garages at each of these, plus you’ll be able to connect with the ACTV water buses (Vaporetti) and/or private water taxis.  (You should pre-book private water taxis so there will be less of a wait).

Water taxi dock at Tronchetto 

Inside of water taxi

ACTV Bus (Vaporetto)

Inside of ACTV water bus

 Because you cannot take a regular taxi or Uber to your Venice hotel (other than the ones located at Piazzale Roma) you must carefully consider where you’ll be staying.  You can google ”number of bridges for Venice hotels” and find out which ones have the most or least number of bridges to cross.  Trust me, you don’t want to haul your suitcases up and down stairs, on bridges packed with tourists and onto cobblestone streets.  People ALWAYS stop for pictures on the bridges too, so it’ll be crowded, and hot and miserable. 

Rialto Bridge with ACTV going under

Some of the bridges have been modified with ramps but often the ramps are more difficult to walk on than the stairs.  Not to mention, many of the bridges are old and somewhat uneven.  That’s not to say that walking around Venice is difficult, I just want people to think first, ask questions first and plan accordingly.  It’s all about managing expectations.  

You can check Google maps, especially Google Street view and virtually “walk” around the area by your hotel.  Yes, you want to do a dry run and yes, you PROBABLY want to stay IN VENICE, as opposed to Mestre or Marghera or even on Piazzale Roma.  You can even stay on a private island at the JW Marriott Venice Resort and Spa or San Clemente Palace Kempinski.  (Both have their own private islands that are about 20 minutes from Piazza San Marco and can be reached by private, complimentary water shuttle. 

 Almost every hotel in Venice can be reached by private water taxi from the airport, Tronchetto or Piazzale Roma.  Water taxis can hold up to ten people and ten suitcases (this may vary by company) and usually the cost is the same for the first 4 or 5 people and 4 or 5 suitcases.  After that, there is a surcharge of approximately 5€ per suitcase and 10€ per additional passenger.  Figure on about 140€ as a rough estimate from the airport or Tronchetto to most hotels as a starting point. 

I prebooked my water taxis using Consorzio Motoscafi.   Any time I emailed them during their business hours, I got a prompt reply and when I called them upon arrival at Tronchetto following my cruise (this is also referred to as Venice City Center by cruise lines for the purposes of their pre and post cruise shuttles) they gave me my boat number and told me where to meet them at the dock.  Again, quite easy.  Yes, it’s pricey but if you have a lot of bags and/or can’t or don’t want to walk up and down stairs, it’s worth the splurge!  Also, there are some hotels that cannot be reached easily by water taxi so be sure to check the list on the website when you book.  (In some cases, there is an extra fee to be paid to the driver.)

 Alternatively you can use the Alilaguna which has a few lines that go from the airport to various points in Venice such as the train station, Piazza San Marco, and Rialto among others.  This service should not be confused with the ACTV water buses (Vaporetti) which run all over the city making frequent stops just like a bus on land.  I suggest buying a multi-day pass as it’s a bit cheaper than single trips.  I got a 2-day ticket since I’d have two full days in Venice, and I used the ACTV several times.

Alilaguna

Both the Alilaguna and Vaporetti are easy to board, and you’ll see a lot of people with luggage.  These can all get crowded, but the system does work well.  The ACTV water buses run often so you won’t have a long wait for the next one.  The ticket agent at the stop near the Rialto bridge was helpful in explaining how to use the system.  Also, your hotel staff will certainly be able to guide you. It’s easy and it’s a nice way to see some sites getting from point A to point B.

 My first hotel was the Hotel Rialto located in a busy area next to the Rialto Bridge.  My water taxi dropped me off less than 50 feet away from the door and I was able to roll my luggage down the dock and into the hotel without much trouble.  (I may have bumped into a couple of tourists! LOL).  The hotel was nice enough but don’t book the smallest room types.  Trust me.  Check out my review on TripAdvisor for details. 

Water taxi dock was about 30-50 feet from the hotel

It was an easy, albeit crowded, walk to the hotel

The hotel set up a water taxi for me to get to the JW Marriott.  Again, this property is located on Isola Della Rose, its own private island and you can only get there via water taxi or the hotel’s water shuttle (it’s complimentary) from Piazza San Marco.  The JW is stunning, quiet, has a spa, a few restaurants, and a nice rooftop pool. You’re 20 minutes from the action in Venice, which is convenient.  It’s also a little inconvenient since you’re 20 minutes away from the action.  Your dining options are limited to those at the hotel and of course, you’re paying a premium for being in Italy, in Venice, in a hotel and one that’s on its own island.  Plan accordingly!  My JW Marriott Venice review is on TripAdvisor  and you can take a video tour below!

Regardless of which of the hundreds of hotels you choose, location is everything!  Do your due diligence so that your trip from the airport, train or bus station is hassle free and you’ve got enough energy left to explore this gorgeous city!

 

 

 

My Summer Vacation in Europe: Part 5 – Amsterdam to Bologna to Ravenna

 

My Summer Vacation in Europe: Part 5 – Amsterdam to Bologna to Ravenna

 The morning after the concert, I woke up, went over to illy (the nerve, they don’t open until around 8AM) and grabbed a coffee and a croissant.  I’d of course made a cup in my in-room Nespresso machine though.  I asked the hotel to arrange for a taxi for me to the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport around 10 AM so I gathered my stuff and came down to the lobby.

 After about 20 minutes, we pulled up to the hotel and I had a short wait for my room to be ready as I’d asked for an airport view room.  Sheratons can be hit or miss but Marriott is trying to update the brand and renovate the properties.  This hotel is attached to Schiphol airport and it’s beautiful.  Nice, big room with a large bathroom, a Nespresso machine again (and yes, I snagged milk again at Albert Heijn in the airport), an excellent view and a couple of restaurants.   If I have one complaint, it’s that the bartender at the lobby bar/restaurant wasn’t very sure of anything (I wanted a chicken Caesar salad which is available in the restaurant one level up.  I’d have thought they would have similar menus.) 

Nice view!

Comfy bed

I love a nice seating area

The shower was big

Anyway, I had lunch (great chicken tenders) at The Gate and then a salad with chicken (it wasn’t that good to be honest) at Commune which is a restaurant/ bar/ co-working space off the lobby.  I will say that the gin & tonic I had was beautiful and delicious.  Aside from a quick tour of some shops, I just relaxed in the hotel, enjoyed my airport view, and took a nap. 

  

Club lounge

The Gate -  one of the bars/restaurants in the hotel

Gin & Tonic

These were so good!

I briefly checked out the club lounge and had a light breakfast there in the morning before my flight.  I forgot to check out the hors d’oeuvres but the lounge itself is very nice, with plenty of seating and access to beverages and coffee all day.   The nice thing about this hotel is that there always seems to be luggage carts (you know, the kind we pay $6-8 bucks for in the USA?  They’re free in Europe. LOL) in a little hallway near the elevators so I snagged one, loaded up my stuff and headed for my flight to Bologna. 

Interior of hotel 

Club lounge

Coffee shop/lobby

I spy luggage carts

As I’d gotten bad leg cramps walking through AMS when I arrived, I opted to book a wheelchair to the gate for my flight out.  I’m glad I did as it was a long walk and at least this way, I’d save some energy.  Interestingly, wheelchair pushers in the USA expect a gratuity and more than once, I’ve heard them say, not so nicely, that “this is a tipped position” and wait for their money.  I don’t know how much they are paid in the USA and to be honest, I’m getting tired of being asked if I want to add a tip every place I go, even to pick up a carry-out pizza.  I tip, and I tip well, VERY well if it’s a place I go often.

 Anyway, I offered several euro to the nice lady who wheeled me to my gate, and she politely refused, twice. I said are you sure and she said yes, that’s nice of you but we’re paid a good wage here and it’s not expected.  (I even said buy yourself a snack or water, she wouldn’t take it.  I later wound up paying for some random person’s coffee!)

 My flight to Bologna (BLQ) was operated by KLM and while I’d booked business class and had access to their lounge, the one closest to my gate was closed for renovation so I just got coffee and a croissant at, you guessed it, Starbucks. 

 Business class on short hauls in Europe is essentially coach with the middle seat blocked.  It’s nice as you have more room, but the legroom isn’t any better and the seats are the same.  However, the seat was comfy, and we were served a snack box.  I wasn’t hungry but nibbled on the roll and had some fizz.  Plus, they gave us a ginger shot and it was particularly good!  Check out the S & P!

Ginger shot on plane

Breakfast box

The middle seats are left open in "business class"

We parked at a ‘bus gate’ and the FA helped me down the stairs.  The walk down was less steep than it was on the baby plane I took from CPH-AMS.

Bus gates make for good #avgeek photos!

Bologna airport is not super big, which is nice.  I went through passport control, claimed my bags, and went out of the secure area (still inside) to contact my driver.  He arrived about 10 minutes later and we set off on the ~1 hour trip to Ravenna.  If your ship sails from Ravenna, you can fly into Venice or Bologna (or almost any other airport) and get to Ravenna by rail.  If I had to do it again, I’d fly into Bologna, stay in Bologna and either get a cruise line transfer from Bologna rail station or a private car service to the pier.

 My hotel was in the limited traffic zone (ZTL) and most places can provide a pass for car services/shuttles to enter the area.  I secured one but since I had a short wait for someone to come check me in, and the driver had to depart, he couldn’t collect the pass.  I never heard that there was a problem, so I presume that he wasn’t ticketed or fined.

 Le Case Di San Vitale is a charming Bed and Breakfast in Ravenna and it’s close to restaurants, bars, shops, gelato and one of the famous locations for mosaics (Basilica Di San Vitale) is just across the street.  I’ll review the two, yes two, hotels I visited while I spent one night in Ravenna.  In hindsight, I should have stuck with the first hotel I booked, a year before the trip, as it likely would have been more comfortable and more to my liking. 

I rang the bell at the hotel, all 3 of them actually and no one answered so I called the number posted on the sign and a few minutes later, a staff member arrived to check me in and give me the keys that I would need for the hotel:  one for the wooden door that gets closed at night, one for my room and another to re-enter the building from the courtyard.  You can read my full review of Le Case di San Vitale on TripAdvisor. 

Once settled into my room, I'd hoped that the air conditioner would cool it off. I ran out for lunch and to see the mosaics across the street.  After maybe 2 hours, I went back into my room yet it never cooled off.  I enjoyed a cocktail in the bar next door, ate dinner, (I did try and nap for a bit before dinner but still, too hot!)  TL;DR, after a few calls and more time, it became clear that staying in the room wasn't an option.  I found a room at the NH Ravenna, and not speaking enough Italian to call a taxi, find out if they could enter the ZTL and tell them where I needed to go, I went back to the bar and asked the kind server to help me.  She called a cab on her app, and I set off to the NH Ravenna.  Pro Tip: make friends with bartenders and servers, give them a gratuity (even a small one since it's not expected in Italy), be super nice and they'll happily assist travelers!

Exterior. At night a large, wooden door closes in front of the glass door

Room

Room

Mosaic shower fits the area

😧😨😟

3 keys, small metal for front door, "key" to room,

white key card for courtyard door

(I originally planned to stay at Hotel Palazzo Bezzi yet I changed it as I thought I wanted to be closer to some of the sights.  I probably should have stayed with my first choice.)  Le Case di San Vitale is very nice, but the issue with the air conditioner and the fact that it's not staffed on-site 24/7 and that the elevator had a sign suggesting to NOT use it once the staff went home, contributed to my changing hotels.

In Part 6, a bit more about my time in Ravenna, the NH Ravenna hotel and getting to the ship!

My Summer Vacation in Europe - Part 4: Amsterdam, the Boss and Frites with satay sauce? Yes PLEASE!

 

My Summer Vacation in Europe - Part 4:  Amsterdam, the Boss and Frites with satay sauce?  Yes PLEASE!

 Once I got settled into my hotel, I took a quick walk around the area and snapped a few photos and just got a feel for the city. Then it was time for a nap.  Oops.  My legs were really bothering me after the long trek through Schiphol and I decided that a rest was probably the smart thing to do. 

My car driver may or may not have parked here when I arrived.

Such a pretty city

Centraal Station from outside of hotel

Before arriving, I’d made big plans to try stroopwafels, pancakes, poffertjes, and frites, not to mention I’d booked a distillery tour and a canal cruise.  I wound up postponing the canal cruise until the next day (the vendor was super nice about rescheduling me!) and I cancelled the distillery tour altogether. I look at it this way, I’ll have a reason to go back!  The best laid plans, right?

Upon waking from my nap, it was dinner time so off I went to the lobby bar in search of food.  The Park Plaza Victoria has a couple of restaurant options but they’re not all open every day. In the case of arrival day, it was the lobby bar, room service or go out.  I ordered a soda and a burger, and I was very happy. They had some great-looking cocktails too but those would wait for the next couple of nights! 

They had a TON of gin choices, and fancy tonics too

This was a pretty good burger

Coke made with actual sugar.  100% better than ours

 I turned in early and got a decent night’s sleep.  The room was cool enough though later in the week I ended up opening the window.  Jet lag is real too, and I woke up a few times not knowing what time it was.  Finally, around 7 AM I made myself a cup of coffee and set out on another little walk.

 Wanting to get pancakes or something, I checked the Google machine and found a spot just a few minutes’ walk away.  (Maybe 2.5 blocks or so, but it was early, cool, and nice for walking.)   Cleverly named Pancakes Amsterdam, there are a couple of locations in the city.  This one was across a canal from the hotel.  

They serve both Dutch (crepe-like) and American style pancakes and I ate here twice for breakfast.  Both my meals were good though the apple crumble on the Dutch style pancake was more like broken up apple crumb pie and I would have liked it to be hot.  (I am not sure if that’s how it is supposed to be served but even in the USA, sometimes pancake/waffle toppings are cold.)  I probably should have ventured further to try poffertjes (little silver dollar pancakes, so yummy and Trader Joe’s actually sells a pretty good version!)   The next morning, I went to the same spot (I tried to go someplace else, but the line was huge and there was an overwhelming smell of a particular kind of smoke in the area which wasn’t making me happy.  Oops.) The second time I had American-style pancakes with bananas.

 

American style banana pancakes

Part of the interior of Pancakes Amsterdam

Dutch pancake with apple crumble and whipped cream

After breakfast I snagged more coffee at the Illy coffee shop adjacent to the hotel and did a little shopping and exploring.  I walked over to the train station and got my transit pass and rode the tram a little bit to take a “tour.”

Centraal Station

Tram stop

Tram

Since my first boat tour started around seven, I opted to get something for dinner near the area where I’d be meeting the tour company.   I didn’t want to walk too far and found a spot called Hansel and Gretel which sounded good since they had schnitzel on the menu.  This restaurant is SO tiny, but I did get seated quickly.  The food took longer than expected, they were busy, but still, and was nothing super spectacular but it did the job.  It wasn’t overly expensive, maybe 25 Euro for my entrée and wine, but there are better restaurants in Amsterdam, and I would not go back and not suggest this place to anyone.

Schnitzel

Interior of Hansel and Gretel

 

Interior of Hansel and Gretel

My rescheduled canal cruise, booked with Captain Jack's Amsterdam though Viator, had a departure point near the Rijksmuseum which is a short walk from the nearest tram stop.  The tour was about 90 minutes and included beer, wine, soft drinks and little snacks like local cookies, licorice, cheese, and crackers.  The tour was excellent, and we learned a lot about the history of Amsterdam. I was hoping it would be getting dark so I could get some great images, but it stays light until after 9PM during the summer. 

Rijksmuseum

Captain Jack's dock

Off on our cruise

 That canal cruise was so much fun that I booked a second one, RIGHT after the first, well maybe an hour after, that left from the dock in front of my hotel.  This one was operated by Flagship Amsterdam, on a boat that’s enclosed.  Again, it was a fantastic tour, and the windows were open, so I was able to take some photos.  The best way to see Amsterdam is from the water so don’t skip a boat tour.  Check reviews though to be sure you get a good one! (I booked that tour through GetYourGuide).

Second boat dock, near Centraal Station and Park Plaza Victoria

The boat and our guide

Interior

Hotel from Centraal Station

After the canal boat tours, I was hungry again, so I had to try frites.  We call them French Fries and they are HUGE in the Netherlands and if you don’t try them, with some type of sauce, then you probably didn’t even go to the Netherlands! 

 

Fun fact, I really don’t like sauces.  I never eat mayo, ketchup is good, salsa is welcome too.  But one of my favorite sauces, of the few I eat, is satay sauce or peanut sauce!  Yum!  So when I saw that you can get fries with satay sauce, I joined the line at Mannekinpis and placed my order.  One of the best things I ate on that trip, let me tell you!  They’re open until midnight (11:59 to be precise) and they may be a bit more expensive than other shops, but it was close to the hotel, and I was happy with my choice.  (I think it was only about 5 or 6 Euro and the cone was FULL of fries, I couldn’t even finish them!)

The line moves fast!

Frites with satay (peanut) sauce! 

 Concert day was super exciting.  Again, I took it easy as I wanted to save my energy, but I headed to the Johan Cruyff Arena and timed my arrival for about 6PM.  The train lets you off very close to the arena.  It’s in an area with some hotels, bars and restaurants and you can get trains to go to towns just outside of Amsterdam so it’s very convenient.  It was designed as a football (soccer to Americans) stadium and named for Johan Cruyff, a famous Dutch footballer.  Entry into the arena was easy, and it’s suggested to use mobile ticketing.  The security check was quick, and I took the escalator up to the entrance, walked around, scouted out my seat and took in the atmosphere.  I’ve lost count over how many times I’ve seen Bruce, but this was only my second time seeing him outside the USA. (The first was August 26, 1985, in Toronto, Canada!)

Lots of trains

I'm here

Arena station

Hotels, food and more!

 

Being a Phillies phan, I am spoiled by Citizen’s Bank Park and their wide selection of food and beverages.  The concessions at the Johan Cruyff Arena leave a LOT to be desired.  I wound up getting a burger which was pretty bad, fries which were also bad, and some sort of local draught beer.  The ONLY good thing about this meal?  The whole thing was about 15 Euro.  In the USA, the beer alone would be close to that amount!

 

I won’t bore you with details of the concert but suffice it to say I loved every second and didn’t even need to use my “bathroom songs.”  And yes, I cried tears of happiness.  Bruce and the E Streeters always make me smile.

Getting home to the hotel was easy as well.  I had my transit pass, followed the crowd to the track from where my train would depart and boarded.  I’ll tell you this, the Dutch have mass transit down to a science.  I thought the train would be overly packed.  Not at all. See they planned for a huge crowd and had sufficient cars, so everyone had a seat.  In fact, the train wasn’t full.  Maybe that’s how it always is in Amsterdam, but I was impressed. 

 

Once back at the hotel, I made it before the bar closed, I had a nice night cap in the lounge and retired for the evening.  I tried a couple of drinks in the hotel bar during my stay and they were excellent.  Yes, they are priced at big city prices, but they are all made with care, fresh ingredients, and top shelf liquor.  The “Porn Star” martini was made with a whole passion fruit.  WOW!

Porn Star martini

 The next day I headed over to the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport and I will cover that, as well as getting to Bologna and on to Ravenna in Part 5!