Allan and Nicole
Allan and Nicole
By Photography by Kei...
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Rome : Rome IS a beautiful city - there's no denying that. But, did we have a good time when we went there in August 2003? Hmmm. Well, on our first day in Rome, Alison's purse was stolen from her bag. After discovering this, I took out some cash and then promptly cancelled our cards. We were sent a replacement overnight, but it did not work in ATMs, which, in Italy, means your card is as good as dead. Why? Because Italian banks refuse to give you money over the counter, and they certainly won't pick up a phone to check your account. The banks were, bar none, as unfriendly, bureaucratic and as ineffectual as the police - which is saying something. Inevitably, we were almost forced to turn around and come home. It certainly made our trip difficult and acted as a constant source of annoyance.

Rome

Rome IS a beautiful city - there's no denying that. But, did we have a good time when we went there in August 2003? Hmmm. Well, on our first day in Rome, Alison's purse was stolen from her bag. After discovering this, I took out some cash and then promptly cancelled our cards. We were sent a replacement overnight, but it did not work in A ...

Updated: Mar 06, 2009 3:33am PST

Naples and Sicily : We stopped in Naples, with a thought to seeing the Amalfi coast before heading on to Sicily. Naples was (apart from being dirty) deserted. It seems that the residents had abandoned the place to go on holiday. Busineses were closed and we found that getting cash had become impossible. Should we go on or head back to Rome? We decided to chance Sicily. We gambled on the Sicilian banks being more helpful and less electronically dependent than their mainland cousins. It was a good guess, and we were able to continue. I think we found Sicily and its people far more welcoming and far friendlier than in Italy. So, we had a good time and there was a great deal to see.

Naples and Sicily

We stopped in Naples, with a thought to seeing the Amalfi coast before heading on to Sicily. Naples was (apart from being dirty) deserted. It seems that the residents had abandoned the place to go on holiday. Busineses were closed and we found that getting cash had become impossible. Should we go on or head back to Rome? We decided to cha ...

Updated: Apr 27, 2006 2:06pm PST

Tuscany : Before leaving Australia we purchased rail tickets. This meant we were able to travel throughout Italy as we pleased. In Tuscany we stayed in Florence and took day trips to Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano and Siena. The weather was hot - very hot. Although we had intended to see the Palio in Siena, our health prevented us, but we did get to see the presentation and selection of the horses in the days before the race, which was interesting in itself.

Tuscany

Before leaving Australia we purchased rail tickets. This meant we were able to travel throughout Italy as we pleased. In Tuscany we stayed in Florence and took day trips to Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano and Siena. The weather was hot - very hot. Although we had intended to see the Palio in Siena, our health prevented us, but we did get to se ...

Updated: Apr 27, 2006 1:14pm PST

Venice : Our stay in Venice was one of the highlights of our trip. We managed to find a reasonably priced, clean and comfortable hotel, and we learned, very quickly, how to use the transport system. We did take a gondola ride, but, a note of warning, it was incredibly expensive and our fast talking gondolia seemed reluctant to take us very far. I would not recommend it. Otherwise, and despite the heat, Venice was worth the visit.

Venice

Our stay in Venice was one of the highlights of our trip. We managed to find a reasonably priced, clean and comfortable hotel, and we learned, very quickly, how to use the transport system. We did take a gondola ride, but, a note of warning, it was incredibly expensive and our fast talking gondolia seemed reluctant to take us very far. I ...

Updated: Apr 25, 2006 4:29am PST