Hotels
Carnival Liberty Day 1: Lehigh Acres FL to Gretna LA
Unlike every other cruise we have taken, this one started with an all-day drive to the port. It was 805 miles via FL 884, I-75, I-10 and US 90. It included a short detour to drop off Becky in Ft Myers where she will be cared for by a friend (and will socialize with another … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 28: Rome, Italy
Our last day in Rome was spent touring the Colosseum and the Roman Forum – the surprisingly large area of ruins surrounding it. We had breakfast in our hotel room, then walked 10 minutes to the Colosseum. The proximity to the Colosseum was one of the main reasons I selected this hotel. We arrived just … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 26: Florence to Rome, Italy
Let me tell you about our apartment at the Fattoria il Milione Agriturismo in Florence. This is a rural estate in the hills overlooking Florence. Yes, it is difficult to get to, but worth the trip. Almost everything about this place is fantastic. We had a large apartment with a view down to Florence. The … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 24: Venice to Florence, Italy
Our hotel for 3 nights in Venice (or, as I have explained, Mestre, a suburb of Venice) was the Hotel Ambasciata Venice, a small (20 room) hotel near the Mestre train station. I picked it for its location, its free parking, its free breakfast and its low price. I wasn’t disappointed. It was everything I … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 21: Salzburg, Austria, to Venice, Italy
Technically, the destination of this trip was Mestre, Italy, a suburb of Venice. But it is virtually impossible to drive to Venice and that was really why we were staying in Mestre. So I will call it a trip to Venice. We had breakfast of coffee, bread and cheese in our room, then packed up … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 19: Landau, Germany, to Salzburg, Austria
I got up at 7am, went out to get coffee and bread and to gas up the car ($80 – a new record for a vehicle that isn’t my truck). Then we had breakfast and, after a lengthy chat with the host, got on the road. Our home for one evening in Landau (or Kronau, … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 14: Ange to Paris, France
We were sad to leave our home for 3 days in Ange, Le Clos des Epinettes. We had the basement in-law apartment which suited us perfectly. Full kitchen, comfortable bed, clean bathroom. The hosts, Michel and Didier, were wonderful too. The only complaint we had was the size of the bath towels – too small. … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 11: Chambery to Ange, France
We had breakfast at the hotel, packed, said fond farewells to the staff and left on a long (almost 8 hours door-to-door) trip to Ange in the Loire Valley. The hotel in Chambery – Ibis Budget Hotel Sud Chambery Challes-les-Eaux. We loved this place! Booking it was a bit of a risk. It was inexpensive … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 9: Genoa, Italy, to Chambery, France
I will explain the story behind the picture at the top in a minute. But I will start at the Best Western CHC Genova Airport Hotel – the expensive one-nighter. We felt considerably more positively toward it after breakfast which was simply one of the finest breakfasts I have had anywhere. Perhaps the finest free … Continue reading
ATW-2 Day 18: Paris, France, to Landau, Germany
The four nights in Paris were memorable in both good and bad ways. But the hotel in which we resided for the final 3 days was very fine: Sejours and Affaires Paris Vincennes. This seems to be a hotel geared toward long-term stays by students. But it isn’t a dormitory, isn’t affiliated with a school … Continue reading »