Gondola serenade, Venice (the good, bad and lovely)

What is more romantic than meandering through the canals (large and small) of Venice in a Gondola, with an accordion playing music and an Italian bloke singing all those classic Italian love songs you have heard while watching every movie of Venice. As cheesy as it sounds it was wonderful. Booked through isango.com prior to leaving the USA was not just a Gondola ride on the Grand Canal, but also a Gondola ride through the narrow canals off the Grand Canal including being accompanied by music and song. To say some of us were excited was like comparing our state to when you hear the cork pop on a sort after wine and waiting to get a swig.

We were early to the meeting point as getting lost is our forte and so this time our focus on the map paid off. We found a nice restaurant in a hotel on the water front of the Grand Canal to have some lunch and a glass or two but as we started to pa-ruse the menu it became apparent that this was not the place for us with simple mixed green salads starting at twenty three euros. With our tails between our cheap legs we wandered about half a block to anther establishment. This was more to our liking. Still able to see the canal about a sixty meters away but at half the price. The place was the Ristorante Giglio.
We enjoyed a great meal (pork chop was amazing) and some nice wine at a very reasonable price for the location. The staff were wonderful and spoke enough English to make order adjustments and menu and wine questions easy to get answered.

After our nice lunch we wandered over to our Gondola experience which was booked using Isango and checked in with some time to spare to get the lay of the land. It was then that things went south! Going through all the packets of the backpack and jackets the realization that the voucher for the ride was not to be found sunk in. The instructions received in the confirming e-mail had said to print and present the paper voucher upon arrival. Now what? Light bulb goes on... the I-phone has the conformation e-mail on it. It is good enough for international travel and renting cars and booking and checking into hotels. No worries right? WRONG! No paper no ride! Of course this comment was delivered with all the dismissive arrogant tone and body language the Head Gondolier could muster before turning on his heels and walking away. There the four of us stood like scalded children who are now not getting in to Disneyland. Rules aside, the handling of the situation was not professional at all.
Another spurt of brain activity and off to the Ristorante Giglio for help. Did they have internet access and a printer? No, but recommended the hotel just around the corner (quick thinking). Running in to the Best Western Hotel Ala they could see a little panic in my eyes and were quick to try to help. The first plea for a computer with internet access and a printer was a bit of a no go, but one of the staff thinking clearly suggested that I email the voucher to them and they could then print it for us. Brilliant! It worked and our Adventure was back on. Thank you to the reception staff of the Best Western Hotel Ala for helping out. True class! I did not even need to mention that I am a member.

The Gondola ride was on and the four of us were loaded in with the musician and the singer (sweet). A small flotilla of Gondolas were being gently paddled down the Grand Canal to the sounds of the accordion and the crooning of our vocalist. It was, it was as it should be. Every face you looked at was beaming with big smiles and the giddy excitement most of us don't feel often enough. After about fifteen minutes all this happiness was  then moved to the small narrow canals and took on a more intimate feel although with no less smiling. The echo of the music and song were transporting to another time but the place was somehow familiar.

While somewhat predictable, and as corny and cheesy as you like there was no getting away from the fact that most of the people on this Adventure had not smiled that much and that big in a long time. Cruising the Canals of Venice was a truly wonderful experience that everyone should do once!
While our overall experience was marred by an arse before the start, the ride, the music, and the singing were everything you could hope for. So a bit of a different endorsement here; if you have traveled far to experience this place called Venice, you "Must do" a Gondola ride with a serenade, but perhaps from a different dock and as the singer and musician were fantastic,hopefully they work for multiple Gondolier locations.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

We did get a response to our survey which is good as it shows they are at least reading them. You can make up your own mind as to the quality of the response.

Dear Sir/Madame

Greetings from isango!

We have received a review from your side that the you faced some trouble in printing out the vouchers. We would like to inform you that the e-vouchers that we send you are a very important document and to avail the tour it is mandatory to carry the physical copy of the vouchers as they need to be exchanged with the local partner in order to avail the tour as they are also essential for our internal documentation purpose
We do not mean to hassle you in anyways as its mandatory part of our process that is why the local partner insisted for the paper work
We hope you would understand our concern
In case of any further assistance please feel free to contact us
Thanks and Regards
Aanchal
Isango! Support

Stay in Venice, Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio Hotel

While talking of Italy, one of the places that always comes up in conversation is Venice.

You often hear stories that seem diametrically opposed about this particular place, but it is always high on the the conversation list. We decided to visit and see what was up.

 We stayed at the Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio. A very nice hotel with all the things that one could want although maybe a bit far from the main areas (makes for a quiet sleep) for those who don't like to walk. Being a bit outside the main attractions does allow for the walking through areas that you may not ordinarily see. This was a big bonus when looking for affordable dinner with great food (read; locals eat here). Arriving at night in the rain it was a bit hard to find, and hauling luggage up and down stairs to cross the multitude of small canals was not much fun. Some of the streets were so narrow that our umbrellas were touching both walls.

The very unassuming entry.

Venice is not for anyone who has trouble with stairs as handicap access is almost non existent. Upon arrival we were welcomed and quickly set up in our comfortable and roomy rooms. Our rooms were on the second floor and so one last hauling of bags was in order as there is no elevator. Being 11pm at night dinner choices were a wee bit limited, but the Hotel staff had us squared away with directions and choices in short order. Panini's and beer it was and we were happy.

The only WiFi in the house

The Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio was a nice comfortable place to stay with very helpful staff and we would definitely "go back". While located a bit away from the main tourist spots it is within a 10 minute walk of most attractions and nothing is more than a twenty minute walk away. 

Roomy Rooms

Located just on the edge of the Jewish Ghetto area made access to some good eateries fairly convenient. One such restaurant was Al Faro. A nice place with good food and very reasonably priced, even more so when compared to other Venetian restaurants. The father son team took great care of us and were very attentive and we give it a "recommend". The Calzone's and the wine and the pastas were excellent.

Another great spot to eat, this time close to the Grand Canal is Ristorante Giglio.  A bit more upscale and priced accordingly as well as only half a block from the water the food and service were wonderful. Chosen initially for its balance of cost and location it was a great find and we give it a "recommend". The cost issue speaks for itself, the location was chosen for its proximity to a Gondola Ride we had had booked. The gondola ride story will be posted soon. (the good the bad and the lovely)

Venice is quite small and walking anywhere is easy except for knowing how to get to where you want to go. A good map is important as nothing is in a straight line and crossing the little canals and walking in the maze of buildings can be very confusing but fun if you just relax. We were lost more than we knew where we were. It seems most of the negative stories revolve around the heat, smell, crowds and the blood sucking mosquitoes but we were there in late March and had none of those.

Our new friends at Eurostars Residenza Cannaregio also arranged a trip to the Murano Glass factory for us which is on another Island about a ten minute boat ride away. If you have time it is quite interesting to see, just know going in they are hoping to sell you some of their glass art. Buy some and they arrange a nice comfortable boat ride back to Venice. Don't buy any and you will be riding the water taxi (expensive) or the water bus. The day we went they had a public transportation strike and luckily Kiwi fell for some art and we all rode back in comfort.

Venice is one of those places that if you are near enough and you can, we think you should, go visit that is. Unique and full of history it also offers mystery and intrigue as well as romance albeit sometimes with a bit of a tired look, but it is after all, Venice. We'd "go back".

To great Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Al Faro Monster Calzone

KLM Part Deux

KLM part Deux, or secondi, as it were, being an Italy Adventure. As if it wasn't bad enough ending two fabulous weeks in the land of the renaissance and great wine, we had a 4am wake up call for a 5:15 am taxi to Florence Airport. But wait, there's more! Europe selfishly chose this day to begin daylight savings, so subtract an hour of sleep from 4 am! So our body clocks were at 3am and 4:14am. Not ideal after our last night in Italy celebration drinking all the wine we could not stuff into our suitcases .
 

We boarded the Alitalia flight to Amsterdam on time, but due to a baggage error (not ours!) we sat on the Tarmac so long we missed our connecting flight to San Francisco. Imagine our frustration as we ran through Schiphol Airport to try to make our KLM flight only to be told at the gate that our bags would not be on board so we would not be either. We ranted amongst ourselves as were told were were booked on a later flight through JFK adding about 12 hours to our trip.

There is a "However" to this story though (however). The KLM transfer desk agent was very understanding of our plight, and with a little pleading on our part and a lot of effort on her part she got The WineWalkabout group on a KLM flight to Vancouver with a connection to SFO on Air Canada, and upgraded us all to business class. Ok, that's not San Francisco direct, and our planned family Easter dinner was not going to happen, but waiting in the KLM executive lounge and flying feet up or stretched out with the seat massager on, well it did take the edge off. We were greeted on the plane with hot flannels and cool champagne, and immediately all the travel stress washed away. We apparently can be bought for good food and wine.

Dinner (or was that lunch) was served with a nice selection of French, South African, and Spanish wines, with a delicious "sticky" Chardonnay from D'Arenberg in Australia. With cloth tablecloths and napkins, metal cutlery, and real salt and pepper shakers, the Winewalkabout travelers were out of their league, but definitely in their travel comfort zone. Second dinner (or maybe this was second lunch now...) was served an hour before arrival, more of the same! Great Champagne and wine selections and very very good food.

Great work KLM for understanding what good customer service really is. For turning around a bad situation that they had no control over, and that they were not at fault for. We at Winewalkabout would like to upgrade KLM to a hearty "Recommend". Check them out for your travel needs.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala
This was not a fluke experience, read: 

Italy Adventure Starts with KLM

Adelaide Hills, A Bird in Hand Winery

Resisting all the obvious potential puns that go with the name, a quick visit to the Bird in Hand Winery cellar door was in order whilst hooning around the beautiful Adelaide Hills last November. Having called ahead (on the way), I was to meet Demitri who would be pouring the wines that day. Just a little off the main road but very easy to find even if the entry is a bit underwhelming. Once on to the grounds the vista opens up and on that spring morning it was breathtaking how beautiful it was. The sun was shining and the temperature mild to warm and the grounds of Bird in Hand Winery looked fantastic. I can see why they have so many important (weddings and the like) events here.

Once inside the cool cellar door at the tasting bar, Demitri offered a starter of bubbles, the BIRD in HAND Sparkling Pinot Noir. While not a big bubbles drinker I was tempted to pass but Demitri assured me it was a great place to start particularly given the beautiful day, so start there I did (thankfully as this knowledge would come in handy). A lovely red fruit flavor (think strawberry and a hint of cherry) with some nice floral on the nose makes this a great afternoon sipper or pre-dinner drink. The Whites tasted were all very nice and depending on one's taste preferences there is probably a few you would like and a couple you will love. The white wine that caught me off guard was the 'NEST EGG ADELAIDE HILLS CHARDONNAY 2010'  This is not because I expected mediocre but I had not expected to be so wowed. A bloody good drop that hangs in there with you and demands you take another sip. Could give you tons of descriptions about fruit and the like but go and taste it for yourself. 

As we worked our way through to the reds Dimetri had to take off to take care of a special private group event (actually scheduled)  but left me in good hands. 

The reds are equally engaging and I think maybe even more so than the Whites. With offerings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Tempranillo and even a not so common Nero d'Avola there was some hard yakka ahead. Of these offerings the one that was taken to be shared with friends (trying to impress) was the BIRD IN HAND SHIRAZ 2010.

The choice was hard but I was won over not just by a great drinking wine but one with a reasonable price point giving it that balance that we feel is important. 

Given that I gave them all of twenty minutes heads up on the show up they were very accommodating and gracious. Next time around a little planning will be put into play and perhaps a chat with the wine maker, a tour of the property and facilities to get a bigger picture of this place that makes many good wines.

Look, head on over and have a taste. Koala 'recommends' you do.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Koala Just ordered some Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2012 last week for his Dad's 90th Birthday extravaganza and the personal service was beyond expectations. Thanks Gabby! Brilliant!

So you think you can drive?

We were once untrained drivers. Of course it was when we were young, so we have an excuse. Do you know a young driver? Automobile accidents are the leading killer of teens. These days we are safer drivers. We don’t speed much, we don’t tailgate much, we mostly use our turn signals and we always wear seat belts. But we are surrounded by idiots untrained drivers.

When merging, get on the gas and merge into the flow of traffic like a zipper (or one, one, one, one for those who don't know how a zipper works). If someone has to slow down or move over to avoid hitting you, you have failed! For 99.9% of you on the road, don’t drive faster than posted speeds, 90mph in the rain on I-5 is stupid! You are not Sebastian Vettel! It doesn't matter if you are wearing a seat belt or not--you aren't likely to survive. One of our personal pet peeves is the complete and total ignoring of the highway sign that reads; SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. It’s a simple concept, if a vehicle is gaining on you that ‘is’ an indication they are going faster, which by definition means you are going slower. MOVE OVER! Wow heading down a rabbit hole. 

So what can be done about bad driving? Probably not a whole lot, but one thing that would definitely help is for everyone to take an advanced driver course. Get your young driver into a class before they develop those bad habits and ingrained misconceptions about driving. 

We are not referring to a driver safety course, although those are good to, but an actual get up to speed, drifting, sliding, threshold breaking, pitching it sideways kind of experience. An experience for people to understand the dynamics of what happens under duress, for both the driver and the vehicle and how to deal with it. Have some safe time at the limit and beyond to develop some actual experience at over the edge to understand what is expected and how to deal with it. To get an appreciation of driving, and not as time to make mobile phone calls without blue tooth or put on makeup! Trust us when we say after one of these courses it will dramatically change your perception of your companions on the road (and their potential incompetence).
We can hear the question now; ‘how would one find out where to do one of these things.’

As it so happens, we know exactly where this can be experienced, the Skip Barber Racing School! Don’t get stuck on the racing part, this is not about racing; it’s about limits, both yours and the cars. The classes are held at racetracks all over the USA and are not that expensive when you consider what you or your beloved teen or loved one will get from the experience. 

We took their experience at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. We took to the classroom, skidpan, thresh hold breaking areas, autocross track, lane changes and the racetrack, in a day of lessons and learning in a variety of different high performance cars, with the enthusiasm of two teenage boys on 5 cups of espresso. 

The instructors are patient, and communicate non intuitive concepts clearly and concisely. Helping students overcome some of the natural tendencies that nearly everyone drives with, and showing you how to drive better with more control, and how to avoid your less competent road users.

The cars we drove were a Lotus, Porsche Boxer, Mazda 3, Mazda RX-8, BMW M3 and a Lexus I-SF. We learned how to toss these cars across two lanes and stop using maximum breaking. We also learned about being in a slide and taking control using a skill call ‘Jackie Chan hands”. There were many other activities during the day that gave us an appreciation for the capability of the cars and the significant difference between an untrained driver and a trained driver. We know what some of you are thinking, but if you have not been trained by a professional, you are not trained!

There may be a tendency to want to jump into a multiple day class but a one day class for those not used to tossing cars around is enough to wear you out. We slept very well that night and were a little stiff the next day! A multiple day class is next on the agenda though. We learned a lot and would love to do another class in the near future. We had a ton of fun and a few embarrassing (untrained) moments but without reservation, highly ‘recommend’ the Skip Barber Racing School.


Give this class as a gift to someone you love, even if that’s you!

 Happy Adventures,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Take advantage of some INFO here. Tell em we sent you!

Kiwi and Koalas WW

In Monterey County there is a wine maker who must know a thing or two about Zinfandel. Why? Well because it taste's so good! Well that and he has grown up in the industry. This winemaker is Justin Murphy of Irie Wines. Using selected Paso Robles (the best Zinfandel fruit) fruit he has put together a very nice wine. The 2009 Irie Zinfandel is a great WW. Easy drinking with nice medium to full mouth feel and the just right amount of dark berry and jam flavor with a nice balanced spice finish. A Zinfandel that is balanced with all good things Zin without being overbearing at all. While slipping just outside the desired **** for a WW at a solid 6+ and *** it was more than good enough to be this week’s WW.

Happy Tasting Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Pebble Beach Food and Wine 2013

By the time you read this, the Pebble Beach Food and Wine will be over. This annual event is arguably the premier food and wine event full stop. Sure the food and wine are top shelf and the list of 'A' class celebrities of the industry is very long, but the world class setting it is held in adds a measure of magic that is hard to overlook. With event sponsor Lexus providing privileges to Lexus owners and transportation and shuttle services to others in and out of the spectacular Spanish Bay Resort, the event has an air of expectation before you even see a glass of wine or fancy food. Make no mistake, that wine and food are the focus even with all the celebs and Chefs and Sommeliers, it is mostly about the food and wine. At least during the day. At night the parties are more about hanging with the who's who of your passion whether it be food or wine or both.



Having just hit the tarmac a couple days ago after an amazing Italy Adventure we were not really prepared for this years event. That being said with a little scrambling, tickets to a couple events were purchased. Selecting events to attend is usually quite a decision making process as there are a so many great possibilities and some conflict is inevitable, you cant do them all. This year because of the late nature it was fairly easy. What was left that one could get tickets to. Now while the events to choose from were limited they still required some thinking as there are no events not worthy of attending. After a stressful few minutes on the computer the two events chosen were, Areitta: Wines In Harmony and Malbec Rising: A Star is Reborn.

Friday morning at 10am at the Spanish Bay Resort a fortunate group listened to a man (Fritz Hatton) with an obvious passion to blend the emotions of music and wine. The Hattons founded Arietta in 1996 in partnership with winemaker John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggy. The partnership was born of a shared passion for fine wine and classical music. While known mostly for their red wines, the event shared some wonderful wines and included a couple of white wines as well. Their 2007 and 2011 On The White Keys. A beautiful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon were both immediately engaging with mouth watering finishes. Pure delight to drink. The reds were just as described "a New World spin on classic Right Bank blends". All were worthy and the 2000 H Block was outstanding. If you come across their wines in a restaurant, give them a try.

Saturday morning again at 10am the Malbec Rising: A Star is Reborn is about to start. While waiting to enter and thinking of all the Malbec wine we have tasted, drank, liked and loved started to realize just how diverse  this tasting may be. Sure enough the tastings were from Argentina, a couple of different regions, California and France. Malbec is not, as a lot of people think, an easy grape to grow and make wine out of. It is also not just for blending as the wines presented here were to show. This is a wine of significant stature and is not to be taken lightly. 
Malbec was shipped to Argentina in 1852 after some serious frosts in France. The long and seemingly secret history is now seeing the light of day. It seems a bit strange to think of this wine as a new star given the history, but perhaps it is just a renewed focus and a big effort by some to champion this amazing grape and the wines that come from it that is bringing it to the forefront as a wine of significance.

With a very entertaining and well educated panel the tasting was as much fun as it was educational and a great tasting of some amazing Malbec's. The one thing they all had in common was an amazing deep (really deep) purple color that has this iridescent purple rim.
The first wine tasted was from Bodega Catena Zapata. The 'Nicasia Vineyard'; first thought, how is anyone going to follow this! Some how they did  and we were led around the world of Malbec by the panel.

One other notable mention, as much for how good is was is that there are now only 7 bottles left. That's right we were drinking all but the last 7 bottles of Blue Rock Vineyards Alexander Valley  2003. Thanks for sharing!

Wines served were in order from; Bodega Catena Zapata, Recuerdo Wines, Cielo y Tierra, Chateau Lagrezette, Blue Rock Vineyard and Trefethen Family Vineyards.

Enjoyed some wine and burgers on the patio while enjoying spectacular views after the tastings and soaked up the atmosphere, as that is it for this year.

The 2013 Pebble Beach Food and Wine looks to be another successful event and although a bit at the pricey end it is still a 'Recommend'.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

How would you get from Rome to Venice?

While planning a trip there are a lot of variables, options and choices to deal with. Even more so if you are going to a foreign country that you have never visited. Plus there are plenty of people giving advice because they did this and that and of course that's the best. We spent a fair amount of time on line researching and comparing the options.  With a number of choices and a limited time window, and costs being a serious influence of the final decision, we decided that to get from Rome to Venice nothing worked as well or as cost effectively as flying with easyJet. With prices averaging about €50 (more or less depending on day and time and baggage allowance) per person and given the time savings over most of the options it was our first choice. 
The train would be more scenic perhaps, but hours longer and depending on which speed of train we chose, several times the price. 

We had a comfortable plane, quick and easy check-in and boarding with pleasant staff both at the airport and in the cabin.  All in all we felt it was a great value. Depending on your travel needs don't overlook the cost effectiveness and convenience of easyJet. We give them a  'Recommend'.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

The Vatican with Dark Rome Tours

What's a trip to Rome without a visit to the Vatican?  Everyone we talked to told us that when in Rome you must go to the Vatican.  It doesn't matter if you are not Catholic, or even religious.  It's just a must do. 

The next thing they tell you about is the crowds.  And there they were! We observed the crowds as we walked to our tour meeting point. The line was at least a kilometer long wrapped arround the imposing outer walls of the Vatican for about a kilometer. Crazy long! 

Most of those in line would not make into the Vatican that day. Tens of thousands of people visit every day ( we heard 30,000!) and from what we saw we have no reason to doubt those amazing numbers. Oh, and for those unfortunate ones who visit in the summer on a hot day, may you rest in peace. The Vatican has no ventilation let alone air conditioning. That being said we still recommend a visit, just know that going in and adjust your tour times accordingly (early as possible in summer). We were at the other end of the weather spectrum with cold wind and rain. Because of this we decided not to walk the hour to the Vatican and opted for the Subway from Termini Station which was just a couple blocks from our base at the Alpi Hotel. Termini is quite the experience. Bus tickets and train (high speed and regular) tickets are sold at electronic kiosks but not the subway. They are sold at the newsstands downstairs. Easy to find once you know, but a bit confusing at first.

With a little help from a local we were all set, and with tickets in hand for just a few euros each we were on our way. Even when the power went out the Romans kept on moving and we just followed. They just bypassed the ticket gates and went down to the subway under emergency lights an packed into the subway train like sardines in a can.  Off we went trying to make sure we got off at the right stop. It was fairly easy actually. Once we arrived at the station we had about a five to ten minute walk to the Vatican Tour meeting point.


Did we mention that you really need to take a tour as the amount of stuff to take in at times is overwhelming even with a well educated tourguide. We chose Dark Rome and our guide Tiffany was brilliant.

The area surrounding the Vatican is one of the least attractive that we saw in Rome and on the morning we were there it was quite stormy which did not help. Tiffany expertly guided us through the skip the 2-3 hour line and into the Vatican (winter line).

Now if you were paying attention as you read that last sentence you noticed the phrase “skip the line”. Yes, this is a common theme in Rome (and other tourist destinations we visited) and by choosing to pay for a tour you get to blow right past that line.

Some of the line on the day we went, may have been attributed to the fact that one Pope quit and the new guy was getting sworn in and our tour was right between the two events. The tour Tiffany took us on helped put the historical significance of the things we saw into some historical perspective. She was very passionate and knowledgeable of all things Vatican. She had left the USA on a one way ticket to Rome with the sole objective to be a Vatican tour guide. Mission accomplished to the benefit of everyone who is lucky enough to get her as a tour guide.

The DarkRome tour was worth every penny, and although we are sure there are other tour operators that are good we heard and observed some that were not. A good tour, with a great tour guide, of a place that is steeped in a long and colorful history. We give Dark Rome's Vatican Tour a 'Recommend'. If you get lucky enough to have Tiffany as your guide, thank…, well you know who to thank.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

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