Navigating your way around a foreign city can be a nightmare. But Mark Pilgrim had the perfect answer in Italy.

At the start of our 10-day holiday in Italy, my wife Nicole and I were confronted with thousands of tourists pouring over fold-out maps, as they scratched their heads, trying to figure out the direction of their hotel.

Here’s a tip, which not only saved me from scratching my head but money as well: take your portable sat-nav with you!

Where's my Bessie-Lou

At OR Tambo Airport I bought the European map for my Garmin (the SD card costs about R1 500).

The moment we walked out of Rome’s airport I knew exactly where to go and made sure the taxi driver knew that I knew (straight after I gave him the hotel name my Garmin told him to “turn in 300 metres”!).

No circuitous routes or double charges for us (which some taxi drivers do!).

Once we had offloaded the baggage, I put the Garmin into pedestrian mode and she (I call it “Bessie-Lou”) took us to all the sites without making one wrong turn.

When in Rome… walk

We found out quickly that everything in the heart of Rome is within walking distance.

Nicole and I hit the pebbled pavements and were able to see all the major sights in the space of 2 days (although we did earn a few blisters along the way).

Human bums galore

The only problem I had the entire trip were the crowds.

We went to the Spanish Steps, but had to go back again later because thousands of human bums were using them as a huge grandstand.

We stood in a 2-hour queue to go inside the Vatican (they charge a 14 euro fee to enter, by the way!).

Ironically, once inside, we didn’t see a single priest or even a nun (let alone the pope), but on the flip side we were once again greeted by thousands of tourists (probably the ones who couldn’t find a place to sit on the Spanish Steps).

Penny wise on the side

We found many quaint and more affordable restaurants in the small side alleys of Rome. My advice is to stay away from any restaurant that’s in a square or has more than 10 tables...they cater for the mass tourists, charge a fortune, and the food isn’t great.

As South Africans, every penny (or euro cent) saved helps, so we quickly discovered that if you want to stop off at a sidewalk café for a quick espresso, do what the locals do and stand at the counter and drink it.

This may seem odd, but it’s the Italian thing to do! If you sit at a table you are charged almost double for the same order.

No derailment here

After three days in Rome, Nicole and I caught the Eurostar to Venice for a friend’s wedding. It was so easy that it makes me think we must be doing something wrong!

Here’s my wish for 2008: May the Gautrain be even half as efficient as Italy’s rail system. If so, we'll be onto a good thing.


Aaahhh, Venice.

I have never seen a city more beautiful even if the stagnant water stinks more than the old Randburg Waterfront!

A little pricey I might add. The water taxi to our hotel cost us 70 euro for a 10 minute journey. Ouch.

After settling in we were able to walk around most of Venice - a labrynth of small alleys and bridges. Once again, Bessie-Lou (my trusted Sat-Nav sidekick) came in handy.

Click here to check out Mark's gallery.

Bellissimo Basilica

My friend’s wedding at the Basilica was truly spectacular.

I am still trying to figure out how he organized it… maybe him being Italian helped a little!

The food alone at the reception dinner afterwards cost 170 euro per head. So you might want to think twice before contacting your local priest who might have a connection there!

If you go to Venice, you HAVE to do a gondola ride. It’s not cheap, but definitely a worthwhile experience. We paid 80 euro for a 30 minute ride.

Intrepid Tuscan adventure

Our final destination was another 3-hour train journey down to Florence and surrounding Tuscany. My favourite part of the holiday was climbing 462 narrow steps inside the Duomo (Cathedral of Florence).

We were sweating and out of breath when we got to the top of the dome, but the view was breathtaking!

After 2 nights in Florence (actually you only need one night here and then you’ve seen the sights) Nicole and I decided to be brave and hire a car, drive into the countryside and see where the road took us.

It took a while to get the hang of a left-hand drive car, but since everyone drives erratically in Italy I just blended in.

We went to San Gimignano, which is a beautiful city within a castle and then simply drove around the countryside looking for a place to stay.

There are lot’s of B&B’s in the vineyards of Tuscany called “Agri Tourismo’s”. We saw a sign for one, pulled in and spent the night there. I still don’t know what village it was in, but you have to try it!

Taking the lean out of local

Our final pit stop was a quick drive to Pisa where I had to take a photo of my wife “pushing the tower over”.

The best thing about going overseas and then coming back to South Africa… our restaurants suddenly seem so affordable!!!

Keep your eyes posted for our international deals... but in the meantime check out our local deals.

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