Dreaming of MEXICO…Again.

Mexico, May-Hee-Co, oh Mexico. You call me in your lovely Spanish accent!  How many times have I answered your call? Let me see…..I am counting 7, not including cruises.  Soon to be 8, and I can’t wait! You Know I LOVE HOTELS and Mexico has some of the best. They also have some of the best for the cheapest! (If you time it right) and, I am sad to say, that they have a few of the worst too. There are a lot of scams…

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The private water taxi in Venice, a must do?

We spent a week in Venice this time and so spent  a lot more time sightseeing than usual. We stumbled across a music museum which was free and fantastic, we saw the Duomo, we leisurely took in every experience. Venice is just a gorgeous place, so when people say to “get lost” in Venice, they mean that you really don’t need to do the touristy things to enjoy yourself, in fact sometimes it’s better that way. The first time we went to Venice we took…

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Hey Italy, there’s this great invention: it’s called a screen

Something about writing at 5 in the morning after an all-night battle with Mosquitos makes me less diplomatic. So just be warned. The view, look at this view! And you will love to look at it, Plus, generally in Italy you will find the main setting of the AC is set to not really go cooler than 72 degrees, and if you like it cool when you sleep, as we do, you may need the breeze and cool outdoor air to keep the room at…

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Don’t be late to Boboli! Don’t be early either!

Oohhhh shiiitttt, we were late to the party again! By late I mean we were there 25 min till close! Boboli is a gorgeous garden in Florence, a must see! After a late start, and a leisurely lunch at what we thought was an Indian restaurant (we had nan, tikka, palak paneer-the usual suspects) (Never call a Pakistani an Indian! lesson learned!) we decided to catch the park and purchase our 3 day Firenze pass there. Holy moly, a mustached troll (straight from Harey Potter)…

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Appertivos, the pre-dinner snack which makes dinner Unnecessary

Have you heard of appertivos? I haven’t, but gosh do I like them! We did our now ‘usual’ walk into town, and after passing the glorious watchtower that dominates the area day or night, decided to follow our intuition to the side street where many locals seemed headed. Once we got there we saw several small restaurants with outdoor seating areas filled w the stylish people, old and young, you’d expect to find in fashionable Florence. One place called ‘Negroni’ caught my eye bc it…

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Tipping in Italy, should you? How much?

You might find service in restaurants a little more relaxed in Italy, that’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just a little less intense. The reason for this is that the servers are paid a salary. They are regular employees. In the US serving can be a lucrative job for a person with good people skills, balance, memory, attention to detail, and initiative. Since tipping isn’t mandatory and everyone knows that servers depend on tips to pay their bills, servers must go out of their…

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Villa la Vedetta Florence is a 12!

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A red room for romance 🙂

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There will be a lot more written about Villa la Vedetta, a slice of paradise overlooking Florence with the most welcoming and gracious staff, especially Massisimo!! We will be here for a week. Immediate impression is that this is a place to remember. There is something magical happening here and it’s easy to see why wedding parties rent out the entire 18 rooms. This is a place to relax, unwind, and fall in love again and again.
We were shown around and the view of Florence from the rear of the villa is even more incredible than it looked in pictures, how can this be?!?

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The property is lush with gardens and an inviting pool which will open at the end of May, when it’s warmer. It’s also within walking distance of the city center- though they have a free shuttle for those who might not wish to walk.
We were shown to our first room in a guesthouse sort of building and we fell in love with it. It had two windows and even though the hotel doesn’t consider it to have a view, it actually does!

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After coming from the Bauer with its dingy room and lack of any natural sunlight we thought we were in heaven.
Luckily before we even got out bags they came to let us know that they would upgrade us to an even better room since we were here for a week. This room has two huge windows: one overlooks the pleasure garden and the other has a spectacular view of Florence.

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I have to say that having seen the two rooms I feel that you can’t go wrong here. It’s either going to be amazing, or surreal⛲️ Both rooms had jetted tubs, well thought out bathrooms with a bidet and lots of marble, and they even have my favorite bath products! (Ortiga, which are the same ones we received in the Londra Palace in Venice a year or so ago- the bath foam is wonderfully amber scented and I had actually kept it in my travel bag since then)

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So far this is the best place we have stayed in all of Italy…stay tuned for details 🙂
After our second night here I can confirm that the breakfast buffet, which is served in a tent roofed patio with transparent walls so that the view of the duomo can sweeten your morning tea, is wonderful. Smoked salmon can taste quite delish with ricotta so I’m barely missing the cream cheese, red onions and capers that made every morning in Alaska! The quality and variety of cheeses and meats is outstanding as are the little cakes and sweets.

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The room where breakfast is served is beautiful with exquisite furnishings because in the evening it becomes part of the Villa’s restaurant: Onice. We are looking forward to trying it as the menu looks intruiging. We’ve been enjoying the 20 min walk into town and experimenting with local cuisine. It’s been thrilling!

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After being here for 4 nights, we are still enamored w Villa La Vedetta. The staff is what makes the difference. I’ve never met a more hospitable concierge , ever!!  Massimo could work at any 5 star restaurant in the US, in fact he could run one! We also really enjoyed Laura who is from England and has lived in Italy for 10 years. The employees at Villa la Vedetta can compete w any at the Four Seasons in hospitality. They are simply the best and I believe all hotels should put as much care into selecting a gracious and warm staff. Little things are easy to overlook when you feel cared for. The best hotel in the world won’t make a good impression without the right staff. Bravo to this hotel

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Massimo the king of hospitality can answer any question and make you laugh too!

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Hotel Bauer Venice does Bait and Switch!

A 5 star hotel should include certain things: a lobby is one of these. Down comforters, feather pillows, a window is nice, an iPod docking station, a coffee maker or kettle are things we Americans expect as standard. in a well knows british or American chain, no matter where you are in the world, certain things like these can be counted on, thank God! In Italy, especially in Venice, you can pretty much go ahead and deduct one star from the rating off the bat…

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Hilton Molino Stucky, Venice is a huge and lovely hotel with great service and a peaceful location

The Hilton chain wasn’t really on my radar for the longest time, not until I fell in love with the Conrad in NYC. I have to say, that the Conrad Condado which is now a Hilton in San Juan , Puerto Rico is an excellent choice for a weekend getaway also. Well Hilton, you’ve got a big winner in the Molino Stuckey in Guidecca, Venice. The thrill starts from first viewingof the Molino Stuckey, it’s huge and just gorgeous. The long narrow island called Giudecca…

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How to choose a Gondelier in Venice

The gondola ride is one of those things you do once in your life, and of course you do it in Venice, Italy. (Or if you’re really cheesy, you do it in Las Vegas!;)) There just isn’t a better way to experience the city than in an archetypical piece of Venetian history, the gondola. Each gondola is decorated personally with slip-covered cushions on the chairs. A typical gondola will be black with red and gold fabrics and gold painted leaf trim. They are opulent and…

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