We left the hustle and bustle of Florence for the quieter Tuscan city of Sienna. What a pleasant surprise.
Sienna is not a large city in comparison to Florence. It has its own uniqueness, the Old Town is a warren of alleyways with the beautiful Duomo with Donatelli and Michaelangelo sculptures and amazing frescoes, the Fort and the sloping main square, Piazza del Campo (suggested to be one of the loveliest in Italy) the main drawcards.
We appreciated making the decision to stay a few days in Sienna as it provided an opportunity to relax, slow our travelling pace and immerse ourselves in the Tuscan countryside.
We had pre-booked our apartment in the Old Town and were rewarded with a beautiful modern apartment. Set on the top floor of a historic 15th-century building, it is in the pedestrian-only zone providing easy walking access to all the sights and when the day tourists disappeared the alleyways were ours to explore and we had an excellent opportunity to enjoy the local restaurants at our leisure.
Views from the top of the tower
Buying a ticket and climbing the 474 or so steps up the Terre del Mangia tower in Piazza del Campo for sweeping views over the city and surrounding countryside was well worth the effort. Although not quite as high up, our apartment, however, provided equally captivating views across the city and further into the Tuscan countryside from its balcony. The only thing was that being a historic building, the apartment could only be accessed by walking up the 90-odd steps.
The view of the Duomo from our apartment balcony.
Enchanted by the views and solitude we took the opportunity on our first night to enjoy an evening on the balcony with a bottle Tuscan wine accompanied by a variety of cheese followed a light dinner purchased from a restaurant down the street. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen for cooking meals, as we sometimes tire of eating out every night when travelling.
Ennio, our host was very helpful, settling us into the apartment, explaining the area, directing us to the closest shops and advising of things to do in Sienna. For those travelling by car, there is a free public car park about 200 metres from the apartment. Just remember that Wednesday is “Market Day” and cars must vacate the certain areas of the car park the night before to accommodate the stalls.
Our recommendations for dinner and dessert:
We enjoyed a beautiful Tuscan meal at Antica Tratorria Papei. A young pharmacist we met while staying in Genoa recommended we dine at this little restaurant located in a smaller piazza (Piazza Mercato) nestled behind Piazza del Campo.
Our Sienna host, Ennio recommended a humble establishment a little way up the street from our apartment called Osteria Il Vinaio. There is no menu, just dishes of the day. Good, wholesome food.
Make sure you save a little space for dessert. For some traditional Siennese delicacies, step into Bar Paticcerie Nannini and indulge yourself.
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Santiago de Compostela in the northwestern corner of Spain is often overlooked by tourists who prefer to flock to the more popular cities of Barcelona and Madrid or the southern beachside resort towns in the Malaga province.
This UNESCO World Heritage city offers a gateway to the Galacia region which has its own rich and unique history, language and culture.
The city is, however, most known as the end point for pilgrims completing “the Camino”. Pilgrims finish the Camino by seeking blessings at the Cathedral of St James. More than 200,000 pilgrims now complete the Camino each year with numbers growing as the walk regains popularity.
With the city’s popularity, a wide variety of accommodation is now offered, including the major hotel chains.
With only an overnight stay planned we chose to stay in the historical Old Town area to give us an opportunity to explore the area on foot and watch pilgrims entering the city on the final leg of their Camino journey to receive blessings at the Cathedral of St James.
We were lucky to find a reasonably priced hotel very close to the Cathedral and right on the Camino trail leading into the Old Town. Casas Reais is a lovely boutique hotel with only 9 rooms. The rooms are spacious, simple but modern, comfortable and tastefully decorated. Each has its own bathroom facilities. The hotel offers breakfast in a small café on site and it is the perfect spot to sit with a drink to people watch at the end of a day out exploring the city.
Our host, Montse was very accommodating, courteous and helpful, advising us of sights worth visiting and pointing us in the right direction for our morning walk.
We will be returning for a longer stay. Plans are in place to complete the full Camino and a longer stay in Santiago de Compostela to see all that we missed on our first visit.
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Only have a short time and torn between visiting the beautiful Lake District and Yorkshire Dales in northern England. The good news is that you can visit both and spend a couple of days exploring each if you stay in the lovely market town of Kendal, lined with its limestone buildings.
Situated on the edge of the Lake District and lined with old limestone buildings, Kendal has its own historic past with plenty to do in the town itself and immediate surrounds. Did you know that the fictional town of Greendale in the Postman Pat stories are based on the town of Longsleddale which is near Kendal?
Kendal is quieter than the busy lakeside towns of Windermere and Ambleside but within easy driving distance to all the activities both the Lakes and the Dales have to offer. There are plenty of pretty tearooms, pavement cafes, restaurants and traditional pubs to retreat to after a day out exploring.
We decided to stay at the Castle Green Hotel located just under 3km from Kendal town centre. Set on the outskirts of the Kendal overlooking the town with a backdrop of woodlands, the hotel provides the atmosphere of really staying in the country. The beautifully landscaped gardens, al fresco bar and restaurants provide an excellent sanctuary for those of us who opt to sit and unwind after the long drive from the south or a busy day hiking in the area.
Breakfasts were substantial and varied with lots of healthy options providing us with energy and sustenance for our days out hiking and sightseeing. We took the option of enjoying a pre-dinner drink and an evening meal at the more informal on-site restaurant Alexander’s which is located in what was once the old stable area. It is well frequented by locals as well as visitors to the area. As well as outdoor seating, Alexander’s has a cosy area where you can sit down for a beer, wine or aperitif before dinner. Fine dining is available at the alternate restaurant, Greenhouse which serves the best of Cumbrian fare if you prefer.
Castle Green Hotel staff were professional and helpful, armed with hiking maps and advice on what we should do during our limited time ensuring we thoroughly enjoyed our time in visiting both areas and determined to stay longer next time.
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The quiet lane outside our apartment in Old Town, Arezzo, is a far from the hustle and bustle of the larger and more well known towns and cities of Tuscany.
I scroll through the emails in my “inbox” luring me to spend money and time in luxurious spas, hotels and resorts at truly affordable rates offering inclusions and options too good to knock back. I stare dreamily at the screen seeing myself lying back on a sun lounge by the pool reading my favourite book in one of these exotic destinations.
It doesn’t take long to be shaken back into reality! Who am I kidding? Two days of this type of holiday and I will literally be running out of the place!
Advertising and rigorous competition amongst hotels and resorts make it easy to be convinced that we need to get away from our hectic daily lives. It is easy to be convinced into making travel decisions which include being pampered so we can relax and rejuvenate in accommodation which include offers to indulgent gourmet meals and luxurious facilities. It is no wonder that we can easily be swayed to incorporating this type of accommodation with our travel.
For the simple traveller, it is more about what the world has to offer; an opportunity to see the many natural and historic wonders, experience different cultures, traditions and food, interact with people who live in the countries which are different from ours and observe people in their daily lives.
Travelling simply has allowed us to experience all of the above and more by choosing to stay in accommodation where we become part of the local community, even for a short time. This does not mean that we compromise our comfort or the facilities available to us. We often save a few days for indulgence at the end of a holiday but make the most of the rest of our time away to really experience what our destination has to offer.
From past experience, choosing to see a country by travelling as part of a tour group doesn’t provide room for choice. The decisions are often already made for you. The only dilemma you may on occasion be faced with is the choice of which “star” of accommodation you want to pay for if this option is even offered. You’ll generally have breakfast and dinner in the hotel, eat lunch on the run between stops at places of interest with the occasional themed group dinner giving you an opportunity to test the local cuisine.
Making the conscious decision to avoid hotel accommodation as much as possible by staying in self-catering style accommodation has provided us with a feeling that we are truly seeing a city, region or country. Not to mention, leaving us with many unique memories and connections along with an abundance of stories to tell.
Choosing to stay in apartments doesn’t mean that you will self-cater every day by cooking and eating the same type of meals that you would have at home. It does mean that you stay in local neighbourhoods, have the opportunity to eat and drink where the locals do, watch the locals go about their daily lives, and option to sometimes shop at the local fresh food markets to try some of the delicacies in the comfort of your apartment when you’ve had enough of eating at restaurants and cafes and are craving for some simple food.
Booking an apartment has become so much easier in recent times. A large number of websites and apps are available to do the research for you providing comparisons and deals at a “click”. Apartments are plentiful, more often than not providing all the luxuries of a hotel room with the added benefit of extra space.
The smart thing to do is choose a neighbourhood in the city area where the sights you wish to visit are within walking distance or accessible by public transport. Stay for a few days or longer if you’re lucky enough to spare the time to give you the opportunity to really feel like you are a local and drink in the atmosphere. Take the time to make expeditions into neighbouring towns and areas off the beaten track. This is what will make your holiday truly memorable.
If the travel aim is to rush from one sight to another ticking them off your “Bucket List”, this style of travel may not suit. Take a tour which will take you from sight to sight, and join the throngs of other tourists on the same tour plan. See the same tourists from the last hotel you stayed at as they step off their tour bus into your hotel and join them for dinner in the same restaurant.
What you will miss out on is meeting the people of the country you are wanting to see, eating where the locals eat which is often an experience in itself as well as a chance to observe and create your own view of the people.
Don’t get me wrong; not all of our accommodation choices have ended up being as good as they appeared in the photos. Hotel chains have high standards to live up to and apartment owners are not accountable to anyone. However, if you take note of reviews and make a little time to diligently research the property and area you wish to stay in you will be rewarded with wonderful hosts, lovely accommodation and a chance to live like a local.
The highlight of choosing to stay in smaller, localised accommodation is the interesting local people you will meet who give you an insight into their locality. Often, this starts with your hosts who are a mine of knowledge and advice on when and where to eat, unique places to visit, special activities or events taking place around the local area and the best place to shop! A great number of our hosts have gone out of their way to obtain tickets to events, provide us with detailed information on what to see and do, assisted and recommended places to stay in onward destinations. One has even vacated and provided their own home to us for our stay when all their apartments have been “booked out”.
There is no real dilemma: there is little excuse to stay in hotels if you want to really want to have an authentic travel experience.
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