Santiago and Booking Tours

We are heading to Santiago and we have been discussing what type of tours we would like to do.

Times are very different now compared to how it was when we first started travelling.

Over the past few months Bernie and I have both been compiling a list of sights and tours we would be interested in.

We use a few sources.

• Viator.com
• Expedia and/or Tripadvisor
• Airbnb experiences
• Web sites

We keep a notepad where we write down the tour name, cost, and where we found it.

Today we sat down with a list of days we are in Santiago and started laying out the plan.

Some tours are only offered on certain days.  Some tours are long (wine tasting) and want to make sure the day following or prior is not a full day tour either.  

We make sure to spread out the type of tours too.  Bus tour, then next day walking tour, then bus tour, then walking tour.

I have learned the hard way that we can not book full days every day.  Remember that first trip to Italy where we had to cut everything in half as we just were too tired and we had no time to sit and smell the roses (meaning sit and drink a glass of wine).

Now we make point of scaling back.  Sure I want to see it all, but some of my best memories have been those impromptu events or strolls, or bar we just wander in to.

So our plans are as follows -- for now:

• Sunday - arrive early after 24 hours of travel - check in and no set plans
• Monday - Hop on Hop off Bus for a overview of the city
• Tuesday - All day Wine Tour
• Wednesday - History Walking Tour - 3 hours
• Thursday - Food Tour - 3 hours
• Friday - Day free, and Empanada Cooking class in the evening
• Saturday - no plans
• Sunday - travel to the ship

One nice thing we have found with many of the tour sites is you can book relatively last minute with ease.  Also the cancellation policies vary and should be noted.

If we want to do more we can.  We have a friend who lives there and although he is on ships at the moment his family has a restaurant and we are going to dine there one night.

Day 40 - A Step Back In Time In Quebec City

I wake very rested at 7 am.  Today is the last day of school for the kids and we have an elementary school across the street from us and you can hear the excited kids in the assembly.  Remember that last day of school feeling?  I sure do and I feel excited for the kids!  I actually would love to pop over and see the assembly.  

This area of our apartment feels so alive.  Yes you hear a lot of city noises, but hey we wanted a city location so noise comes with it.  They were smart though they put the bedroom in the back.  

Bernie heads out to the cafe in the front facing the street called Le lievre and lat tourtue (sorry i can 't add the accent over the e as this blog page is English based and I am not writing it in Word but directly here) - translated means the Hare and the Tortoise.  

Here is their Facebook Page.

Today we are doing a small group walking tour that we booked through Viator.  Here is a link to the tour thru Cicerone the actual company that did the tour.  

the bus has these great signs with the next stops

We catch the local bus downtown at a cost of $3.50 each way per person.   Transit here is great and with Google Maps it directs me exactly where we need to go.  We are dropped off right at the Parliament Buildings and we walk to the Citadel and the Plains of Abraham.  But we don't have a whole lot of time so we quickly check it out and decide we will return later.

They are getting ready for the Saint Jean Baptiste Events 

the Citadel

We enter the walled city (the only walled city north of Mexico City).  The area is busy with tourists from all over the world but it is not as crazy as it could be if it was Summer.

We make it to the restaurant we wanted to check out.  Le Chic Shack!  So good!  Great local beers and their burgers are outstanding - we ordered a veggie burger and shared a poutine along with strawberry and cream milkshake. 

Excellent service and great food and it is right in the heart of the old city.  I will add that the poutine is good but it does not taste that authentic and so I would probably say go for just the fries and skip the poutine.  But don't forget the milkshake.

We stop and buy our bus tickets for tomorrow.  You can buy tickets at stores all over.  We buy two round trip tickets for $6 instead of the $7 cost it would be if we paid cash - note prices are going up July 1st.

Make sure to use the Tourist Bureau here.  There are free, clean washrooms and very helpful staff with any questions you may have.  Plus you can book some tours here if you are interested.

Look we spotted a cruise ship - something else crossed off our Scavenger list

We meet up with our guide Michelle who is dressed in period costume and has taken on the character of Guillaume Gaillard.

Rue du Tresor - lots of local Artists

Cathedral Notre-Dame Du Quebec

Both of us are shocked to hear we are the only two on the tour.  We have Michelle all to ourselves.

For the next two hours Michelle, or I should say Guillaume, takes us all over Old Quebec, explaining the area, the history and the architecture.  

We especially loved when he would share stories about the area and acted in character. 

Because it was just the two of us we got to see a lot and we were able to ask a lot of questions.  

Visiting the upper area as well as the lower area helped us to get orientated and we learned a lot too. 

I can highly recommend their tours.  It does not take a long time but it gives you a very good orientation of the city and the history as well.  Although we had no trouble keeping up on the walking side of things it is probably not a good option if you have any mobility issues.

We have been to Quebec City a few times but we today we learned even more.

You can take the Funicular up from the lower end of the town for $3 each way.  Here is their website.

It is just after 4 pm and we are tired and hot, so a drink is necessary.

We are back on the bus heading home and we relax for a few hours and head out for dinner around 8 pm.

We walk to a local restaurant on 3rd Avenue called La Planque Restaurant.

Here I try oysters for the very first time.  Not bad, but still too slimy for me.

We are back at the apartment around 10 pm and feeling very relaxed.  We are both really enjoying Quebec City.





  

Venice Tours Booked with Viator

Have to say that one thing I really enjoy now is Viator.  

As someone who prefers doing independent tours the service of Viator who acts as a tour consolidator is priceless.  

Prior to Viator I would search dozens of websites trying to find the right tour and dealing with each provider.  

It is easy you just go to their website and punch in where you are going and what you want to do.  Trust me you will be surprised at all the options that come up.

When ready to book you add it to your shopping cart and pay all at once and print out the voucher.  So easy.

We recently booked some tours in Barcelona but today we focussed on Venice.

A Venice Street Food Tour with Local Guide at a Local Food Market for $44 Cdn each, and a Morning Walking Tour Plus Gondola Ride for $80 Cdn each.  

This is our second trip to Venice and we saw many of the sites last time so this trip is about digging deeper and seeing more.

If you are interested in booking a trip with Viator, sign up and you get a $10 discount on your first tour just by clicking here.  

A Full Day in Florence

Today we have a full day, which is surprising for us as we try not to fill our days with too much but with only two days in Florence we have had to reserve a few things and today is one of those days.

The alarm goes off at 745!  But we take our time waking up. First I am wondering "where the heck am I".  Four different beds in six days!  But as I wake and realize I am in Florence Italy!

Bernie makes tea and we enjoy some orange juice, cereal and tea with some fruit.  It is nice to have the space and time this morning to have some normal comforts.

We leave around 9:15 and we have a few things planned.

We are early for our tour so we stop at a coffee shop and enjoy our espresso at the counter.  Okay we are fuelled up for the day.

First thing planned is a walking tour that we booked thru Viator.  This is the first time I have ever used them. It is a great site that acts as a middleman for tour providers and the tourists. It is easy to navigate, book, pay for and receive tickets. 

This walking tour is 2.5 hours and is reasonably priced and we see a lot.  Here is a link to the tour we booked.  There was around 16 in our group and we were given earphones and receivers so we can hear our guide easily.  I really like this as we don't have to bunch around her to hear but can stand back at a site and hear her and take in the whole area.

We visit Orsanmichele Church first

Piazza della Republica

hmm a segway tour could be fun

Then to the Baptistry and doors and The Duomo

top of the Duomo which you can climb

Medici Palace

San Lorenzo Church

Santa Maria Novella Church and Piazza (we didn't go in the church)

Then across the Ponte Santa Trinta to Santo Spirito Church

A quick gelato stop that is included in the tour.

Pitti Palace

Ponte Vecchio

see the crowds trying to get on the bridge

Piazza della Signoria

Okay we are done!  The Piazza is busy (again we find it crazy but everyone keeps saying this is nothing you should see it in the summer).

We want to get away from the crowds and we stroll down a narrow street (Borgo dei Greci) for a few blocks till the crowds are minimal.  We spot a small family run restaurant - perfect.

Lunch is good, simple, inexpensive and just what we needed. 

We had pre reserved our Uffizi tickets for 1430.  If you haven't read my blog about reserving your tickets for major sites check it out here. 

Thank goodness we did pre reserve because the line for tickets is long (again not so bad compared to peak season). We go to the booth to pick up our tickets and then to the next door to gain access to the museum.

We have our Rick Steve's audio guides (which are free) downloaded on our phones.  A blog I wrote just about travelling thru Europe with Rick Steves can be found here.


The Rick Steve's audio guide starts out great but then some of the exhibits have moved because of restoration so we had to keep looking for the right spot on the guide to the right art piece.  Patience was in order.

Considering it wasn't very busy we thought it was busy.  Tour groups caused bottle necks.

Crazy how some people just go around taking picture after picture of the art pieces without really looking at the pieces. Why not buy a book with professional pictures of the art then.  Enjoy the art! Don't look at it through a lense.

Personally I found the photographers to be very annoying. People wanted pictures of themselves with the art, this caused more crowds! Also people had a hard time getting around as you had to keep dodging photographers.  Really wish the gallery would just ban photography completely. At least I didn't see too many selfie sticks!

Overall I loved the Ufizzi. The fact I got to see art pieces I have only heard about or read about in person blows me away.  I feel very fortunate that I got to visit.

After two hours in the gallery we are tired. It has been a long day and I need some peace and quiet away from all the people.  Thankfully our apartment is close by.

Bernie naps while I catch up on my blog, read and enjoy some wine.