Attention to Details by the Kim Kim Staff (Andrea and Giulia) was Excellent

Italy | Oct 4 - Oct 16, 2024

The Hotel Pendini is located just off the Piazza della Repubblica and close to many sites. It’s a lovely old hotel with a lot of atmosphere and decorated with antiques. The breakfast is outstanding, and the front desk staff very helpful. The room was small which is pretty standard in Europe, but the bathroom was roomy. Even though our room faced a busy street, when the windows were shut, it was very quiet.

Lovely little hotel. Not that hard to find, but you need to keep an eye out for its entrance which is off the street and down a little alleyway. It has a security gate with a code. Room is small but serviceable. Only issue we had was the beds sit on a wooden platform and you can easily wack yourself in the shins! Our room had a lovely private courtyard. The hotel is very close to a water taxi stop which is very convenient.The breakfast is very good.

Lovely small hotel. Two entrances with one having an elevator so you don’t have to lug your suitcases up a lot of stairs! Clean and the room we occupied had a shower that could fit 10 people! 🤣 The hotel is extremely convenient and but a few steps away from the street that has all the restaurants and shopping but is very quiet. It’s about a 3 min. walk to the jetties where you catch the ferries to Isle of Capri, Positano, Sorrento, etc. for day trips. There’s a small beach to dip your toes into the Mediterranean. Also, they have a laundry service that is quick and reasonable.

This small hotel is off of a Piazza that sets up an open air market each day and there are restaurants and shopping there, also. It is down a narrow cobblestone alley/walkway. I know if you are from the US, you may have a little trepidation about these narrow alleyways but this is the norm in Rome. There are shop fronts along these along with service entrances. These are also dimly lit at night, but we never felt unsafe. Many people walk along these routes. Be aware that the taxi would not come down the narrow street and left us off on the main street and then we had to pull our suitcases down to the hotel. Our private driver when we left the hotel managed to get closer to the hotel, but he still had to pull our luggage down the narrow street. The hotel is convenient to a lot of shops and eateries.

Venice is a crumbling city of amazing beauty. The canals are its streets and so very different from other cities. It has its own charm like no other. Venice has an amazing water taxi system to get you from point A to point B.

We saw a glass blowing demonstration and went to the museum. Spectacular glass work. We really loved Burano. In fact, our guided tour allowed for a quick demonstration of the dying art of lace making and the a short period for lunch. We decided to not go back with the tour and spend the rest of the day having a leisurely lunch, shopping and snapping photos of the wonderfully brightly painted houses. Came back on the last ferry of the day.

What a magnificent cathedral. Photos just don’t do it justice.

It was raging cats and dogs, so even though we had skip the line tickets for a specific time, everything was running late. Was it worth the wait and chill? Absolutely!

Truly amazing how close the Tuscan region is to the heart of Florence. The landscape is picturesque and winding. Vineyards are generational and well run.

Wow. The Amalfi coast is stunning. The day we went to Capri, the Mediterranean was very choppy, but that didn’t stop us. We took a small tender out to the larger cabin cruiser and then toured the coastline of Amalfi and Positano before heading out to Capri. Capri, like Positano is steep and there is a lot of walking uphill if you want to get away from the beachfront areas. Well worth the climb for the marvelous views.

It was a fun gelato tasting tour. We got to sample some yummy stuff and then proceeded along taking in the sites. Rome is crowded even when it’s supposedly a little off season. The unfortunate part was that 2025 is a Jubilee year and many of the fountains were covered with scaffolding for spiffing up in anticipation of the Jubilee. The Pantheon is a must see. We saw Trevi Fountain but there was no water in it, so no tossing of the coins. We also walked to the Spanish Steps. There again, extremely crowded. However, that should not deter one from going. It’s still an amazing city to see.

One of the highlights. The photos you see in the magazines will never give you the full picture of how colossal this ruin is. Our guide was excellent in taking us to the perfect spots and explaining what actually happened there. The Forum so very interesting as well. The views from Palatine Hill were spectacular. The Forum is not to be missed.

The lines to get into the Vatican are extremely looooong if you are just winging it. Would HIGHLY recommend getting a skip the line ticket, even if you don’t do a tour.

If I could give 10 stars, I would. We took a private tour and our guide (MP) was amazing. Her knowledge made our walk through the Vatican so rich in understanding the history of the beginnings of Christianity. Her descriptions of the statues, paintings, tapestries and painted maps that lined great halls was outstanding. She reviewed the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel before we went in (since you cannot speak or take photos in the chapel) which was so informative so we were not only able to admire the glorious masterpieces but understand the symbology behind them. St. Peter’s Basilica is beyond description. Nothing can prepare you for it’s splendor.