Day Zero We arrive by ferry – and are surprised at it docking on the north side of Rovinj. Google Maps had assured us that the ferry port was on the south side and so we had routed our onward journey accordingly. I go so far as to ask the staff[…]
Our tour has kicked up some interesting routing – we found it was easier to visit Trieste and Rovinj by flying into Venice, overnighting there and then heading to the other cities by train and ferry respectively, before reversing the route for me to head back to London. But in[…]
Attracted by the promise of four hours in the spa for €25, we rocked up to the Ai Reali Hotel. Situated in Campo della Fava the hotel entrance is very luxurious. After the heat of the day outside, the cooling marble is a welcome relief and the 5 star luxury hotel[…]
We’d tried to go to the Eforea Spa at Hilton Molino Stucky the previous week we’d been in Venice, but had underestimated the time it would take to cross from our hotel to the Hilton where the spa is located. So, fully informed this time, we trekked across to Molina via[…]
Why Trieste? The port city of Trieste has been tussled over for centuries. Just in the last 100 years it has been the third biggest city in the Austro-Hungarian empire, the furthermost eastern part of Italy, ruled by Nazi Germany, “liberated” by Yugoslavia, and even for 7 years operated as[…]
Location Situated halfway up the hill in the centre of Trieste, we stayed at Hotel Barbacan for two nights as part of our Summer 2017 Tour. The location is great for the James Joyce Museum, the Cathedral, the Roman Theatre and Castle of Saint Giusto, and is only a short[…]
Day Zero Ange is good to me. She noticed that my flight into Budapest landed after the public transport stopped running, and suggested I book a taxi. A quick internet search later, I had pre-booked a cab with the promise that there would be a driver waiting with a sign[…]
Pest is the lively side of Budapest – where the restaurants and night spots are located. Finding a reasonably priced place to stay which is of acceptable standard can be difficult, but you could do worse than trying the City Hotel Pilvax. It’s located a stone’s throw from Ferenciek tere metro on[…]
Facilities We’d been lucky so far with inner city luxury brands (see: NH Collection Berlin), and the Kempinski was no exception. We arrived and the entrance was maybe 50m from the Metro station exit and we were greeted by an enormous revolving door entrance, which deposited us into the lobby.[…]
Room Have you ever wanted to stay in a palace? A stay in the St. George Residence All Suite Hotel Deluxe might be as close as you can get. It’s actually a 14th Century merchant’s house which was converted into an inn in the height of Budapest’s importance in the 18th Century, but[…]