exbayern

I spent quite a long time commuting between Rome-Padova-Milan-Venice (and may be doing that again in near future). The reality is that one can choose to pay that, or one can choose to pay something else by easily finding local options.

Italian food is something which I consider 'easy' for even the unadventurous palate, and there is a vast array of choices. But many tourists don't bother, or are too scared, or don't care about finding those local choices. (I'm not calling BadgerBoi or anyone else on this thread unadventurous, just responding to the general conversation)

I read a trip report from people on a Disney cruise who thought that gelato was 'too strange' to even try it. Gelato is sold in America, and isn't that far different from ice cream, so I'm not certain why they felt that way. I also read about a similar group (Disney cruise line, different people) who complained to the owner of a Roman pizza shop that the pizza was the worst they had ever tasted, because it didn't taste like American pizza. (I cannot stand most American pizza) They were then surprised when the owner didn't refund their money, and demanded that they leave.

I will happily admit to eating many a meal courtesy of Autogrill in my life. I think that they sell some of the best arancini in Italy, and offer a wide menu all over Italy. For the really unadventurous, there are places like Spizzico.

Places targetting tourists often feature items not common to the local cuisine, combined with high prices, because as stifle says they know that they can charge those prices and still have a lot of business. It's similar to buying American (or German) food in a local grocery store; they will tend to be higher priced than the local equivalent.

iff

I agree with you, and while I think 8 euros for a bottle of Coke is outrageous (worse than Paris prices!), I'm actually cutting the OP a bit of slack in this case. The limited amount of time they had probably would not have been enough to seek out a local place, and the risk of cranky children spoiling things for everyone was probably a good enough reason to spend whatever was needed and chalk it up as an experience (or a learning experience).

Or maybe local "fast" foods were indeed available and they just opted for familiarity instead, who knows?

emma69

I'm on the 'cut some slack' front too.

Last weekend I was in Washington D.C. and paid around $40 for a quick bite to eat and a soft drink (or, in normal terms, about double what it should have cost for two people in a city). a) It was easy to just grab food where we were and b) it was in one of the museums, which had free entry, so I figure supporting with food purchase was fair enough.

(I then stopped at CVS on the way back to the hotel to pick up some pop for the room!)

emma69

So, how was the closing ceremony 'live'? I enjoyed it on television!

My mother also had an amazing time at the Olympic athletics she went to, her sister was in a wheelchair and they said the support from the volunteers was fantastic, things like switching her ticket for one that was more easily accessible without any issues, as was the queue jumping (she told me there was a 2 hour line to get into the large store - they got to go straight in fortunately). Hopefully you experienced similar assistance with the children.

exbayern

But you understand the cost/value proposition. OP called it a negative that he paid that amount. It's a tradeoff; convenience and 'safe' food at a high cost, vs local food at a lower cost. Hopefully he understands that now and doesn't see it as a negative but as a choice he made.

If one complains or call it a negative, I believe that it is fair to point out that one had options, and how to avoid that situation in future.

I wouldn't want to be at LHR this week; on the weekend I managed to fly at a relatively quiet time, but some of the vendors were almost completely out of stock and said that they had been overwhelmed with customers even though they had stocked up in anticipation of a very busy weekend. I believe that LHR departure traffic today was up over 25%. I've flown at the end of Olympics in past and it isn't always easy, no matter how well managed.

exbayern

Welcome back home, OP! Once you have settled in I'm sure that people would like to hear your most recent updates.

And you may well have advice to share with readers. One of the more prolific posters on this thread is taking a holiday soon which shares some of your destinations; he already asked me for the location of the McDonalds in Venice and actually asked me if there is a Tim Hortons there! (I knew the location of the McDonalds because I walked past it many times on the way home, but have never thought to seek out a Tim Hortons. I do however know Lewis that they do home delivery in Dubai) This thread came to mind as I recall that OP is a big Tim Hortons fan.

teflon

some Spar locations in London have Tim Horton's coffee and donuts - not sure if that's the case throughout Europe too. That said, I think the donuts might just be Tim Horton's in name only - they're a bit cardboardy and not as nice as I remember them being in their native environment.

spankytoes

The pizza in Rome, to me, was very disappointing. We tried it both al taglio as well as Roman style. Not my cup of team. It was too flimsy for my tastes and the crust was too thin. But, that’s all part of the experience. While I definitely prefer a slice in New York City, I would have never yelled at an Italian for “screwing up” pizza!

To the second part of the quote, I think that’s part of the fun of exploring. Every restaurant in Rome has pizza. A lot of restaurants in Rome have “Tourist Menus” written in English and advertised outside if their establishment. As a lot of Americans visit Rome, that can’t be a coincidence. (I think a few places even had spaghetti and meatballs) It got to the point where we asked the concierge at our hotel for a recommendation. He rattled off a few places that he thought we wanted to hear, and because of the hotel we were at, were very pricey. We resorted to asking the doorman point blank, “If you were going out to eat with friends, where would you go?” He gave us a place about 4 blocks from the hotel. We each got a lasagna, homemade bread, salad and a glass of wine for under 20 Euros…and it was the best lasagna either of us had eaten in our lives. We ended up eating at that place 3 times while in Rome, ordering a side of lasagna with every new dish we tried.

But, I do agree on the Coke comment someone posted. 8 Euros for a tall glass bottle of Coke was ridiculous. I learned to insult waiters by ordering free tap water instead of mineral or “with gas”.

exbayern

It's definitely a matter of regional tastes; in my world the term 'too thin' could never be applied to a pizza crust. But I know that most pizza crust in America is quite thick, or even 'deep dish', which is not to my taste at all. In fact, I think that the crust, the sauce, the toppings, and the cheese are all quite different on American-style pizza. Even the pizza at OP's beloved Epcot is not similar to the various types of pizza found around Italy.

When the pizza taxi first started business in our village, our favourite was the 'garlic'. It was paper thin crust, a scatter of tomato sauce, handfuls of chopped garlic, and a very light dusting of cheese.

I'll drink tap water, but definitely prefer 'with' as opposed to 'without'. I always chuckle when I purchase the green label water at the chain EAT in the UK, as the cashiers are instructed to caution the customer 'that is WITH gas, you know'.... Ah, regional tastes and customs are fascinating. Thankfully Badoit started the red label recently - EXTRA lively water, to counter the 'medium' that began the trend in Germany and spread to France.

Do they come served with that stench particular to Tim Horton's shops? I have oft bemoaned the decline of the Krapfen thanks to the chain bakeries in Germany. The French chain PAUL which is now in many countries serves a reasonable fascimile, so long as one avoids the chocolate filled ones. Those are more like the chocolate ones found on the malasada trucks of Oahu.

spankytoes

I’m definitely a thicker crust guy, but not in a Chicago-style deep dish sort of way. (Every once in a while I could eat a slice of stuffed butter-crust pizza from Lou Malnatti’s though) The crust on Roman pizza is good in flavor, but it’s a little too thin for my tastes. Add that to the fact that they don’t pre-slice the pizza for you and the cheese slides off when you use your knife to cut it up. You end up with tomato bread with a side of balled up mozzarella. I like to grab, fold, eat and try to avoid the grease from hitting my pants. I like “portable pizza” and Roman style is definitely a sit-down meal with a fork and a knife. The al taglio shops were better, but they pile too many toppings onto a flimsy cracker. When you take a bite, you have to cup your hands to catch the veggies falling off. I also wasn’t a fan of the weight pricing structure. This was my only “complaint” about food in Rome as everything else, tourist or a hole in the wall, was great. But, as I said earlier, it’s all part of the cultural experience. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but I’d wait 2 hours in line for some Di Farra’s in Brooklyn.

BadgerBoi

Everything you like about that style of pizza is everything I dislike about it - I think a previous poster said that the crust can never be too thin, which I agree 100%.

I don't have the problems that you do such as topping sliding off (I tend not to overdo the toppings), maybe there's a knack to it.

(sorry to take this thread further ot, filling in time until we hear again from the OP)

Ancien Maestro

Gee.. lots of snack comments. I didn't mean to list it as a negative. We needed the energy to concentrate on the tour that was scheduled within 1/2 hour. The cafe was in San Marco square right beside the dome and they took credit card. The meal was worth every penny, and the food and coke was excellent and hit the spot in a timely manner.

Funny DLP was setup to wrap up expensive statues and art, but when I requested extra protection, it was a make shift project and we got it done. Got the frames unwrapped with our photos already installed, and its gorgeous. We were lucky to get professional photos with Mickey and Minnie. Got 3 made, and being a publisher by background (having owned an automotive publication for 8 years), they are works of art I'm surprised DLP can provide. Great memories with the kids from Disneyland Paris. We ended up going 8 days because we all loved it so much. With the Annual Passes we just went for 4 or 5 hours the last couple of days there passing back through Paris.

Got an adaptor for 5 euros at a lighting store in Venice. Very happy to get one. I guess the hotels at DLP and Montreux had one, but once we were in Austria it became far removed. I noticed hotels in London had the American plug installed right into the wall. The Savoy had an adaptor in the desk.

Well.. I gotta hand it to Cosport. They did an excellent job with our tickets. We received everything in good order and all of the seats were together.. including the Closing Ceremonies tickets which were ordered in 2 seperate orders with a request for seats together thereafter. I was a satisfied customer.

Getting to Olympic Park early was a good move as there was ton to do. Shops, venues, large tvs, BMW venue, Boom Box, many quick serve outlets.




London Bridge to Stratford for the 3 days we were there was not busy at all.. In fact, I was prepared for the mob. Everything was so organized, and there were many volunteers at each station throughout London, it made getting to the venues a breeze. I've never received such great service. I feel for those who volunteered though because many were not lucky enough to get tickets to the Olympics. A bit eerie, but many Brits were asking us how it was in the venues. We were getting served some food at Olympic Park and the worker there has never had the opportunity to visit inside the Olympic stadium even though it was just right there. Eerie is a good word to describe the Olympic experience.

Olympic Park was party central. What's amazing is only those who had tickets to an Olympic Park venue that day was allowed within Olympic Park. It was almost an exclusive gathering

It was delectable.. so my wife and 2 kids tell me.

The Closing Ceremonies was the most amazing experience in our lifetimes. The nice thing was the kids were attentive the entire 3 and half hours so made it that much more enjoyable. So much going with fireworks, the show, concerts, presentation, ceremonies and everything. Some questioned us purchasing tickets for our 6 year old and 2 year old, as each ticket was about $2,000 cdn as charged on Amex bill. But it was worth it to give the family the once in a lifetime experience.

Sort of a let down touring London and Paris afterwards, after experiencing something so electrical as the Olympic Closing Ceremonies live. The show almost catered to the viewpoints of those in attendance.

Ancien Maestro

Lets see.. I think left off at going to Rome tomorrow on my trip update. We've done so much touring on this trip, its all become sort of a blend, so I'll try.

We stayed a Suite Roma 55 August 2 to 4.. which btw is only 6 months old, and shows 10/10 like a brand new show home. We had a one bedroom apartment with a kitchen and dinette, and everything in there was perfect when checking in. I recommend this place in a heart beat anyone visiting Rome. The rate worked out pretty decent at less around 125 euros per night.

Prior to arriving in Rome we visited Academia and Uffizzi (I think this is what its called) in Florence. We purchased a tour to these places on Viator. We ended up being late for the Academia so no group tour, but we caught up to them for the afternoon at the Uffizzi gallery. We did spend a couple hours at Academia, and Michael Angelo's statue of David was work of art.

On August 3rd in Rome, With a E Benz we decided to park downtown Rome on advice from the front desk. We took a cab to the Colosseum for 7 euros and purchased a 1 hour and 15 minute group tour onsite. The line was not very long, but the general admission line was stretched, probably a 2 hour long waiting line. I highly recommend the live tour guide for the 1 euro (than the audio tour) more each. You can ask questions of the guide and the the information communicated by the live tour guide is excellent. You receive an audio amplification device that allows you to hear every word. Apparently, the Colosseum went through some renos since my wife was last there. There are many exhibits, and a elevator which aids mobility.. a second floor circling the entire coliseum. We also toured quickly the Palentines and the Forum which was no extra charge with the ticket. In addition, the ticket you purchase at the Colosseum is good for 2 days.

As the schedule was tight, we caught a cab for 25 euros to the front steps of the Vatican Museum where we checked in to our tour with Dark Rome, who hosted the tour of the Vatican for us. The cafe accross from the Vatican Museum was extremely reasonable, and excellent food. We ordered from a quick serve buffet where it was then prepared professionally and warmed up. The salads were excellent as well. The family was well fed, while we waited the half hour before the tour entered into the Vatican. The Vatican tour, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica was a 3 and half hour tour. So very important to fully energized especially a long hot tour of the Colosseum, Palentines and Forum. This tour was one of the highlight tours in our visit this trip. We were impressed with Michael Angelo's work of the Sistine Chapel, and since St. Peter's Basilica was the largest church in the world, obviously of the 7 or so Domes we visited on this trip, St. Peter's was the highlight.

Next Day, we checked out around 5 am so we could meet our next tour in Florence.. A day trip to Siena and San Gimigianano. We thought this was going to be hole in the wall trip, but Tuscany was a pleasant surprise. We learned that Siena and Florence back in the days competed for Stature. We ate at locally recommended lunch with the guide so that was nice. We visited Siena's Dome (not as large as Florence, but certainly more beautiful), the World's oldest bank, local races with 4 competing groups within Siena, visiting a museum, and shopping before meeting with the group to travel to San Gimigianano.. there we visited their museum which had a mini replica of the town, apparently undergoing historic restorations. Much of the time was spent looking around the town and having some ice cream for the kids.

On August 5th we visited Milan and met with another guided tour with bus.. We visited Milan's opera house and museum, central shopping locations, Dome, prior to the highlighted visiting Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. At the Last Supper, only 25 people are allowed admission at any one time for a period of 15 minutes. Tickets I recall are sold out far in advance so its important to get your tickets otherwise you may not be able to gain entry. The most amazing aspect of the last supper was the art survived a WWII bomb that destroyed a wall within the room. Almost a supernatural event. The painting is slowly fading so its' not as vibrant as it could be, although a 20 year recent restoration has done wonders for the painting. Last Supper is not Fresco, so the dyes of Leonardo's pain is slowly fading off of the art.

After the tour we drove 9 hours back to Paris and checked in for a night.. we attended DLP the next day prior to catching the Eurostar back to the London for the Olympics (August 7th). The first day in London was reserved exclusively for collecting tickets at Will Call Cosport at Westminster College. After collecting the tickets we headed off to Hyde Park to experience some of the Olympic activity. There were games setup for the kids, 4 large TV screens and a concert all going simultaneously. Lots of food options.

Underground, overground transportation was not busy.. many volunteers around to give directions.. very easy to navigate while the Olympics is going on.

Our first Olympic Event was Athletics on August 8th, at Olympic Park.. We watched Usain Bolt run the 200M heat. Other events included the decathlon high jump and 800 m, women's 800 m heats, preliminary javelin, gold medal women's long jump, gold medal 100M hurdles, gold medal 400M hurdles and gold medal mens 100m hurdles. It was amazing to watch Britney Reese jump over 7 meters to eventually capture the gold. Felix capturing her first hurdles' gold was a highlight as well that evening.

August 9th, we watched the quarters and semis of Taekwondo 57kg women's and men's 68kg. We watch live Jade Jones upset the undefeated Taipei competitor. We chose the semis as opposed to the finals, because of the 3 and half hours worth of matches.. to watch the journey of the competitors. After it was all said and done, we knew who were competing in the evening finals for the medals.. which pretty much would have been done in an hour, and the tickets more costly obviously.

August 10th, we attended the Synchonized Team Swimming and cheered on the Canadian Women's team. The Aquatics Centre swimming venue I learned is an architectural marvel while watching a documentary on LH business class to Frankfurt. So it was just pure coincidence that we had tickets to the venue. It was amazing to watch live the synchronized teams final. Its so much different than watching it all on TV. We could make out heads or tails how the teams were judged.. but in the end, it was great to watch the world class swimmers perform after working so hard.

August 11th, we attended the gold medal match Women's Volleyball at Earl's Court.. US vs Brazil. US cleaned house on the first set, and we thought a sweep was possible because of US's excellent record.. But then the Brazilian fans and the volleyball team came alive and the atmosphere became electric.. Perhaps a taste of what's to come at the next Olympics in 2016? Brazil would end up winning the next 3 sets decisively against a US jaggernaut.

August 12th, last minute tickets for the US men's basketball gold medal match became available and I was going to pull the trigger.. but that would only leave us a few hours to get the kids settled before the Closing Ceremonies so we opted not to take in the event. OOHHHHHH! I wanted to see that basketball game so bad, with Lebron James and the stacked US team. That's one of my sports wish fantasies.. but the reality was that I've got a family, and to go pick up tickets at Cosport Will Call the next day early morning after the late night we just had with Volleyball, would not be fair for the kids. As described in the my earlier post, the Closing Ceremonies was electric and so different to what's seen on TV. We sat above the opening where athletes and performers were entering and exiting. We had a great view of the entire stadium.. The Led lights did not bother us as it was flashing over our shoulders.. From a distance the lights are mesmerizing with its many patterns. So much going on, with the musicians and shows..

I missed so much detail to what we actually experienced on our trip.. Will continue with the balance of the trip here next time..

lewisc

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. Different people enjoy doing different things. Different people enjoy different dining experiences. The fact that some posters would have done your vacation differently doesn't mean you did anything wrong.

Good to hear the Olympic crowds were manageable.

I wouldn't have spent $$ on Olympic tickets. You could have taken an additional vacation for what you spent. Doesn't mean you were wrong.

I might have looked for a more reasonable place to dine. Not much different then getting a meal at WDW or a ball park. You pay a premium for location. A little bit different. It would have been easier to walk a few blocks in Venice but same general idea. Your family was hungry, you found a place with food they'd enjoy eating and you paid what it cost.

Again I'm glad you had an enjoyable experience. Some people have trouble accepting the fact that different people enjoy different experiences.

b1513

I've, more or less, followed this thread from the start. It got a little shaky at times but all's well that ends well. I really enjoyed reading about your travels. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Sounds like a vacation you and your family will talk about for a lifetime.

Bobette