When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie...(Day 8, 17 Jun)

...That's Amore!

OK, we are officially in love with Italy! This morning we left Florence for a long drive to Sorrento in Naples, catching a glimpse of Mt Vesuvius along the way. It took about 7 hours to get here, with 3 stops along the way and upon nearing our destination, Mark put on some Dean Martin, including 'That's Amore', to get us in the mood.

Home for the next 2 nights is the Grand Hotel La Favorita, and I can see why it's a favourite with travellers. The rooms are LOVELY, all blue and white tiles. It's the nicest of our tour so far, and the biggest. We have a balcony overlooking the garden that has a few lemon and orange trees.




We had just 1 hour to rest and freshen up before our optional excursion to Positano via the Amalfi Coast. We had a minibus and it was a short ride, along the way I saw cherry trees for the first time in my life. Mmm, we've been buying a lot of cherries and eating them in the room and bus!


Just before reaching Positano, we stopped by a fruit shop and lookout point, there are some huge lemons here...lemons on steroids I say!



In Positano we were given about 90 mins to walk around, me and Ma walked down to the beach and then on the way up did some souvenir shopping. Wish we had more time but all too soon it was time to board the bus back to Sorrento.



Back at the hotel, I went to peep at the pool on the roof, it has a nice view of Mt Vesuvius. Instead of swimming though, we walked to a nearby garden to catch the sunset and decided to just have dinner at the cafe there and admire the view.




Ma had her first taste of limoncello which she found too strong for her taste. She ordered a ravioli and I had a margherita pizza. Did you know it was named after Queen Margherita, wife of the second king of Italy, Umberto? She visited Naples and a restaurant created a dish in her honour, a patriotic dish comprising the flag colours. The cheese represents white, the tomato the red and the basil the green!



After dinner, we walked along the streets of the town, picking up more souvenirs and some trinkets. We're off to Capri in the morning, woo hoo!

Under the Tuscan sun (Day 7, 16 June)

It was a super hot day in Florence, no wonder there's that phrase 'Under the Tuscan sun'. I am 'chaotah' already!

We started the day with a walking tour, first stop was the Michaelangelo masterpiece, the statue of David located inside the Accademia.

We had a local guide who explained to us the history of the statue but as with a lot of Italian museums, no photos were allowed. Apparently not because of fear of damage from flashes but because of copyright issues.

The statue was very detailed, the muscles, veins, posture and after the explanation you come to appreciate how talented Michaelangelo was.

David done, we walked through town towards the cathedral and Duomo as well as Giotto's bell tower. The cathedral was another work of art with intricate carvings but we didn't go inside, can just imagine how spectacular it would have been on the inside.


Next was Piazza Signoria where there was a replica statue of David along with other sculptures. At least we got a photo with David there!


We were shown a leather demo next at a shop called Peruzzi, they had a whole bunch of leather stuff. Catering to groups, their prices were of course on the high side but I still bought a couple of things nonetheless, including an enamel silver pendant.

We left the rest of the group there and went to the Chanel spotted earlier at Piazza Signoria but the staff were snooty so I didn't bother browsing much.

We headed to Ponte Vecchio and I spotted a H&M nearby which we had no time to shop at. We walked along the river in search of a bus stop to bring us to Piazzale Michaelangelo, passing by the Uffizi and a bunch of lovers' padlocks along the way.



We ended up climbing up to Piazzale Michaelangelo when a guy I asked for directions to the bus-stop said we could walk. Mummy lagged behind and I went ahead.


It was a steep climb up, but the view was worth it. The sun was harsh, I got a Kiwi I chatted with on the way up to help take pictures of me. As the bus to town departed from the top, I went back down to persuade Ma to slowly climb up.

She stopped by the rose garden midway and then finally made it to the summit of the hill, where we saw a rare Contiki bus. It's been Insight and Trafalgar everywhere we go!


After her fill of pictures, we boarded the bus 13 to the central station Santa Maria Novella to make our way to Montervarchi, home of the Prada factory outlet.

We bought tickets from the tobacco shop for 4.80euro each, that allows you to travel up to 60km. I forgot to validate our tickets, but no one checked. We boarded the train bound for Arezzo at platform 13 and the train left promptly at 1.33pm.


It took almost an hour to reach Montevarchi, we passed by the stop for The Mall (Rignano sull'Arno) but figured we would do Prada first. Once we reached Montevarchi, I spotted a couple from Hong Kong and approached them to share a cab.

There were a couple waiting just outside the train station, a driver came out from a ice cream shop and took us to Lo Spaccio for 12 euros. I booked him to pick us up at 4pm and then had a bite with ma at the Space cafe. Prices were reasonable, paid 14 euros for a sandwich, salad, cake and water.

Then we took a queue number at the entrance of the store, this allows the staff to put aside the items you want under your number at the cashier.

The store was big, bigger than I expected and nicer too, set up just like a boutique, I was expecting a warehouse! Went straight into the bags, amazed at how cheap things were, from about 255euros onwards for nylon bags and 500plus for leather.

Because we were planning to go to The Mall, I didn't really stock up at Prada, something I regret now. Just bought 3 bags for myself, one that Aunty Irene requested and one was Ma's. Also grabbed a namecard holder for fun, but that was it.

The taxi picked us up promptly at 4pm, we were a bit confused about the train route. When I bought tickets, the lady told me platform 3 at 4.30pm. We were a little early and there was a train already waiting but we didn't think to check where it was headed.

After it left, we waited ages for the next train headed in the Florence direction and hopped onto it but it turned out to be an express one at 5.08pm that bypassed The Mall. Drat!

Oh well, that meant we had time to shop at H&M. I bought a few dresses and spent 100 euros. Then we rushed back to the hotel for the group dinner, the last ones to arrive. Made quite an entrance too, because of our 2 huge Space paperbags.


After dinner, the ladies wanted to see my purchases so I took them out. They oohed and ah-ed, some of them said that had they known there were outlets, they would have skipped the optional excursion to San Gimignano!



I just regret not buying more...shall have to come back to Florence again!

Breakfast in Venice, lunch in Pisa, dinner in Florence (Day 6, 15 June)

It just keeps getting better each day! Well, the hotels could be nicer but we’re hardly in the rooms. Aside from that, the scenery is amazing, we’re seeing all the famous landmarks and sights, eating till we can’t eat no more and just generally having a good time.

We left Venice at about 8.30 am this morning, just after breakfast. Me and ma didn’t really join in the breakfast because there was finally a kettle in the room and we could have our instant noodles. Apparently we didn’t miss much though, heard it was very basic.

While waiting to depart, Ma went up to say hi to Mr Iswaran. He was pleasantly surprised to meet a fellow Singaporean and chatted with her for a couple of minutes, introducing his wife and daughter.


I had to interrupt because our group was leaving, he asked for my name and introduced me to his family as well and then we bade them farewell and rushed to join our group. After driving close to 2hrs, we stopped for a break in Bologna, before continuing on to Pisa.

A little McDonald’s train took us from the carpark to the tower, it was a few hundred metres away and the heat was punishing. The leaning tower, as well as baptistery and church were surrounded by a high wall, and when we entered, there were masses of tourists but yet we could still take decent shots without the background being too crowded.


Everyone was doing funny poses, pretending to push or hold up the tower. It was magnificently white, the church and baptistery equally dazzling but we didn’t purchase tickets to go in, so we just admired from the outside.

Our stop was only 90 mins and during that time we were supposed to get lunch too but me and Ma only stopped to buy food 30 mins before leaving. I had a ham focaccia and we shared a lemon granita that was refreshing on a day like today…blistering heat!

It took another 90 mins or so from Pisa to Florence and I snoozed as soon as we checked in. So tired from all the early morning starts!

We signed up for the optional excursion dinner this evening, Mark brought us to a restaurant high on the Tuscan hills called Montebuoni. After welcome drinks, the owner Emilio provided us with a risotto demonstration that we tucked into when it was done, along with a host of other dishes including crostinis, pasta, roasted meats, potatoes and salads.





We sat with Ashraf and Ahmed, Jim and July as well as an American family of 4, from Columbus, Ohio.


The restaurant setting was really lovely, could hear the birds chirping as we gazed down into the valley. There was some lavender pots, roses, and bougainvillea as well as a lemon plant. It was a steep drive up and down though, we all applauded when our driver Natale successfully navigated the sharp bends.




The group is bonding and warming up to each other, could be also there was a little too much wine at dinner earlier that the bus ride back was entertaining. Natale went round a roundabout several times on purpose, Mark threw on some Dean Martin songs that made me feel like dancing, especially Mambo Italiano as we cruised down back to the city.

It was a truly enjoyable evening, as we got to see dusk settle over the hills. I shall consider this an appetiser to Tuscany, there are so many things to do and so little time, I think I must come back with Nick one day.

Merchants of Venice (Day 5, 14 June)

Is it only Day 5? Feels like we’ve been here forever! This morning, we woke up to a gorgeous view in Umbria and then we left the tranquillity of Assisi for Venice, it took us about 5hrs including 2 breaks in between.


We went straight into our tour instead of checking into the hotel, kicking off with a gondola ride down the canals. It was a bit wobbly, kept worrying we might tip over, but these guys are professionals.




Once at the Grand Canal, we alighted and walked towards St Mark’s Square. Passed by designer boutiques on the way and looked forward to our free time, but first we stopped by a glass blowing factory and showroom. There was a necklace I liked and despite knowing the prices were on the high side, I bought it anyway, as a souvenir of Venice.



We didn’t go into the Basilica, there were more important things to do…like check out the Rialto Bridge and shop! I had time for only one boutique and went into the Chanel because I missed it in Rome.



Saw a couple of bags and caved in because psychologically the bag I bought seemed relatively cheap compared to the 2.55! It’s a nylon, greenish bag with interlocking Cs and chain strap, neutral enough to match a lot of things and not in leather, which I knew I would not be able to take care of.

That sorted, we met up wit the rest of the group and took a walk to see the Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs before taking a boat to our hotel to freshen up for dinner.

The Continental Hotel is along the canal and old-fashioned on the inside but the room is bigger than the ones we had in Rome and Assisi. Dinner was provided, we sat with Ashraf and Ahmed, the Iranian/American couple we met earlier on.

We had a very tasty spaghetti, followed by roast chicken and potatoes and ice cream. As dinner ended and we stood outside the hotel restaurant, Mummy drew my attention to a man she said looked familiar, and she asked if it was that minister, S Iswaran.


There was a group about to get onto a boat and yes it was him! He’s staying in the same hotel as part of another Insight group, small world!



Mummy and I passed on the optional excursion to have drinks and soak in Venice by night and instead walked the shops surrounding our hotel. We bought more souvenirs, I’ve spent entirely too much with the merchants of Venice!

Rome to Assisi (Day 4, 13 June)

It’s been a long, long day….

Started out with a visit to the Vatican in the morning before departing for Assisi in the Umbria region, with a pit-stop for lunch in between.

We had to wake up super early and ensure our bags were outside our room by 6.30am. By 7.30am we had breakfasted and were on our way to the Vatican. Am glad we had a guided tour because it meant we didn’t have to wait in line and could bypass the queues.

It was extremely crowded since everything was closed yesterday and there was a tsunami of tourists waiting to get in. We had the same guide as yesterday, Emilia, and she took us through the major highlights.

Before we commenced the museum tour, we had a loo break and I asked her where was the nice spiral staircase I had seen pictures of. Luckily for me, it was right in front of our loo and I could take a few shots.


The museum is massive and it was impossible to take in everything in one visit, we had only 3 hours to pack as much in, including St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Square.

No pictures were allowed in the Sistine Chapel, which was not quite how I imagined it to look like. Always imagined the painting of ‘The Creation’ to occupy a whole dome but it was part of a larger roof with many other paintings. Almost couldn’t spot it, a bit anti-climatic. I tried to sneak a photo on my phone, this is what I got.


Mummy is going gaga over all the ornate ceilings, tapestries and frescoes, she’s amazed by all the churches we’ve seen. They have been pretty impressive and none more so that St Peter’s Basilica. It’s the biggest church in the world I think and grand is an understatement. .




Thankfully pictures were allowed here but they don’t do it justice. What look like paintings are actually mosaics. Emilia pointed out the emotive Pieta, a sculpture by Michaelangelo.

Ma has been cam-whoring, asking me to take pictures of her with this, that and the other. Somehow I feel like Nick! If this holiday had been me and him, I would be doing exactly what Ma is doing and he would be ‘sian’! She’s always taking horrid shots of me, either I’m in the shadows or she chops off my body or she places me smack in the centre, so I minimise my requests for photos!


At about 11.30am, we departed for Assisi, stopping for a quick bite an hour into the ride. We reached Assisi at about 2plus and stopped to visit the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels. There was a street named Via Los Angeles, guess that’s how LA got its name! Likewise, San Francisco was derived from St Francis of Assisi, who started the Franciscan order.

The church was another grand one, again no pictures were allowed inside it. It is the place were St Francis died and there is a memorial on the spot where he passed on. He loved animals and there was a sculpture of him where apparently doves hang out all the time in the palm of his hands.


From there it was a short drive up Mt Subiaso, home of St Francis and where his relics are stored in the Basilica. We checked into Hotel Giotto first then met another local guide who explained this was a two-tiered church. They were both equally spectacular, again, no photos allowed, bugger.


After the visit, we had some free time and wandered along the streets briefly before freshening up for dinner. We ate at the hotel, there was a lovely view of Perugian hills and we shared with an English couple who live in Canada, Jim and Julie, as well as American mother/daughter pair Shirley and Holly, with their friend Judy.


Had to correct a lot of misconceptions about Singapore, such as whether KL was our capital and when I mentioned independence, they thought it was from China! They were impressed by my English (!!!!) and asked if all the Chinese we had were Cantonese. Go figure! They even wondered how we booked an Insight tour, because they noticed we were the only Asians and they didn’t think it was available in Asia.

Jim and Julie have appointed me their caretaker, they seem to be a bit forgetful. They missed the first day of the tour after misplacing their passports after check-in, and had to take a later flight, when the passports were in Julie’s bag all the time!

Apparently 5 different people checked the bag and couldn’t find them! After dinner, Julie also walked off without her purse, which I returned and thereafter she volunteered me to keep a watch on them!