朋友 Jennie 聽到我要去義大利玩, 給了我二個連結, 連上去一看, 真是太好用了.
第一個是Vayable, 由當地人提供類似地陪的服務, 根據自己本身的專長和興趣, 提供一些收費的私人導遊行程. 這對像我這種不想跟團, 喜歡定點旅遊, 但又懶得自己研究”每天”行程的人來說, 另外提供一個更個人化的選擇, 而且沒什麼比得上由在地人當地陪, 更能貼近當地生活的玩法了.
我看了威尼斯和米蘭二個地點的當地地陪選擇, 個別寫信去作首次的詢問, 在看完他們的回覆後,扣掉時間搭不上的, 挑選了以下二位做進一步的討論.
威尼斯選了Clare (Walks in Venice), 她有平面設計的背景, 是位painter, printmaker and fine art photographer. 她本身提供三個行程 – Creative Photography Walk (3hrs), Cicchetti & wine Bars (2hrs), and Rialto Culinary Experience (1.5hrs).
我在看過她提供的行程後, 去信問她客制行程的可能性, 就在一來一往的信件中敲定. 我們選擇事先Paypal她整個費用, 但是你也可以先付一半的訂金, 剩下一半見面給現金. 端看你的行程, 有些門票或咖啡小點是含在費用裡, 最好問清楚.
Clare is from Dublin, Ireland. 她曾買過一張環球世界的單程機票, 所以去過很多國家, 也住過幾個國家, 最後選擇落腳威尼斯, 因為她覺得威尼斯的環境很適合藝術家. Clare 個子不高, 據說住在威尼斯後胖了很多, 但是永遠有笑容, 很有親和力.
米蘭後來選擇米蘭人 Simone, 他的英文比我想像中的好; 他很能走, 所以設計一天十小時的行程真的95%都是用二隻腳走 (只有最後要回飯店是坐地鐵), 走到後來我們都快掛了, 他最後才知道我們平常都開車!!! 他很有趣, 最好玩的是半天過去後, 我們開始聊一些義大利男女交友的文化和規矩, 美國的生活和文化, 他教我們義大利人講話的手部動作, 和一些簡單的義大利文.
我們這次這樣玩下來, 真的把米蘭和威尼斯玩得很透徹. 我發現威尼斯比米蘭更有的買, 可能因為我們都不愛大名牌, 我們對個性小店反而更有興趣, 而威尼斯就有很多不同價位和不同風格的當地小店可以逛, 不過你需要多留幾天才有機會發現.
威尼斯分六個區 (Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, Castello, San Marco), 區和區之間都有橋可以通, 或者可以搭水上巴士 (Vaporetti). 二個比較有名的外島就是Murano 玻璃島和Bruano蕾絲島, 我自己覺得靠近火車站那區(Cannaregio)的玻璃店, 有一些比較特別的設計, 價錢也比Murano更好.
第二個是The Culture Trip, 一個提供世界各地的當地藝術, 美食, 旅遊的國際網站, 僅僅二年, 讀者流量就達到二百萬人次. 他們並贏得UK Website of the Year Award for Arts & Culture (2014) and were named 1 of 25 UK Tech Companies to Watch (2013); and a Top Travel & Arts Site by The Guardian / The Times (2012). 當我上網瀏覽過後, 發現內容豐富, 圖片精美, 網站設計讓閱讀流暢, 難怪得獎連連.
這裏我列出一些跟威尼斯和米蘭有關的景點介紹:
The Coolest Museums in Venice You Should Visit. The best way to learn about the culture and history of a city is to visit its museums, and Venice has many. The majority of Venice’s museums are located in old palaces, and visitors can see the beautiful architecture while simultaneously having the opportunity to see many famous paintings done for Italy’s best artists.
Lost In Venice: Discovering The Byways Of La Serenissima. With its network of wandering pathways, there is nothing so enticing as exploring Venice by foot. The buildings are crammed into every inch of the available space, so there is always something fascinating, something old, or something picturesque around the corner. Following these tempting leads may get you lost, but that is half the fun; plus, there is the consolation of a lovely building or café just around the corner.
The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Venice. Venice is famous around the world for its magical landscape, with beautiful architecture and charming gondolas and canals abounding. It is a unique city with a rich heritage, and visitors are sure to be overwhelmed by the endless options of things to do.
Venice’s 10 Best-Kept Secrets: A City Unlocked. Gondalas glide up and down the glittering Grand Canal as tourists flock on bridges and click their cameras. Venice’s ancient artistic legacy and watery beauty has long attracted visitors from all over the world, but in the summer months the city can find itself clogged up with them. A great stampede marches down the narrow streets leading into St Mark’s Square, and musicians position themselves on the well-trodden route to provide entertainment. With the world’s most artistic masterpieces per square kilometer, Venice’s popularity should not put you off it, but it is definitely worth thinking about when and where to go. Despite the volume of tourists it sees over the course of the year, the city still has some secret spots and unbeaten paths.
The Top 10 Things To Do And See In San Marco. San Marco is the oldest and most famous quarter of Venice. In the north, it is confined by Canale Grande; in the east it borders with the Castello and Cannaregio quarters and it is linked to San Polo via the famous Rialto Bridge.
The Top 10 Things To Do And See In Cannaregio. The Cannaregio district is the largest and most populated quarter of Venice. It covers the whole northern part of the city and stretches from the Lagoon and the Canale Grande to the San Marco district. Cannaregio is home to Venetian tradition, historic buildings and magnificent sights.
Top 10 Things To Do in Murano, Venice. Murano is one of the best-known islands in the lagoon of Venice. It is famed for its glass factories and laboratories where many generations of craftsmen have been working for centuries.
The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Dorsoduro, Venice. Dorsoduro, part of the six main sestieri in central Venice, is known as one of the most authentic areas in the city, with less tourists and lower prices. It also has some of the best sights that Venice has to offer, making it the perfect place to escape the crowd and explore the real Venice.
The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Venice’s Santa Croce. Santa Croce is one of the main sestiere, or districts, in Venice, and there is no shortage of things to do here. Tourists can choose to spend their days lounging in beautiful gardens, exploring museums, discovering the cuisine or gliding through the canals all without straying from this exciting neighborhood.
The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Lido, Venice. Lido is a small island in the Venice lagoon. Sheltering the city from the sea, Lido offers award winning beaches and spectacular views on Venice. It’s undoubtedly most known for hosting Venice Film Festival, but it’s usually avoided by the mass of tourists coming to visit its famous neighbor. However, the trendier area of the Venice lagoon, known for its Art Deco architecture and sport resorts, has a lot to offer.
A Guide to Ten Insider Dining Experiences in Venice. Dining in Venice can be a particularly tricky endeavor, and to enjoy a proper Venetian meal research is required. In this city of winding, poorly marked alleyways, spontaneous restaurant selections almost always lead to disappointing tourist-traps, the likes of which have given Venice a bad culinary name.
The 10 Most Charming Farm Stays Near Venice. There is more to Venice than what lies in the strip of land – or water – between the Piazza and Doge’s Palace, and no, we’re talking about an occasional trip to Murano.
The 10 Best Cultural Hotels in Venice. Venice is a wonderful city, rich in history and with a very important heritage; one of the best ways to start exploring this amazing metropolis is by staying at a cultural hotel, where art, fine-dining and fabulous facilities will make for a personalized and unforgettable stay.
The 10 Most Enchanting Hotels In The Venice Lagoon. Venice’s relative isolation from the rest of Italy, as well as affiliation with the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world, helped it to develop a highly distinct culture and architecture that is recognised as some of the most stunning in the world. Great efforts have been made to preserve these historic buildings in order to maintain the city’s allure.
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Top 10 Things To Do and See in Verona. The beautiful town of Verona, northern Italy, has been a tourist destination for years, with Goethe and Mozart naming it as a holiday hotspot. With the temperate weather and gorgeous architecture, it is an ideal place to spend a few days relaxing and taking in the sights. The center of town itself is compact and walkable, with barely any need to take public transport.
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The Top 10 Tips For Traveling to Milan. The 2015 Expo will be hosted in Milan and people from all over the world will be planning a visit to this dazzling city.Milan, deeply rooted in fascinating culture, is often recognized as a global hot-spot for food, fashion, and design.
The Top 10 Things To Do and See in Milan. An international city known as the fashion capital of the world, Milan has it all – art, food, opera, sport, shopping, and adventure. There are a few must-see things in the capital of Lombardy, particularly its breathtaking cathedral and Leonardo da Vinci’s world famous fresco, ‘The Last Supper’.
Milan’s 10 Best-Kept Secrets. Milan is perhaps one of the best-known cities in Italy. Often regarded as the capital city of business and fashion, it is also a somewhat atypical Italian town. Its beauty, in fact, is rather hidden and any tourist in Milan must be in-the-know in order to appreciate all of its splendour in full.
The Top 10 Things To Do And See In Navigli, Milan (不適合冬季). The Navigli neighborhood, named after the Naviglio Grande canal, is an up-and-coming neighborhood in the city where visitors can find small shops alongside excellent restaurants serving authentic Milanese cuisine. Navigli, located to the southwest of the famous Milan Cathedral, is also an artsy neighborhood with many art studies and little galleries hidden down side streets. 每週六的傳統跳蚤市場就在這附近 Fiera Di Sinigaglia – Address: Ripa Di Porta Ticinese
The 10 Best Cultural Hotels in Milan.
米蘭每週二六有大型露天菜市場, 有鮮花蔬菜水果, 魚肉起司, 衣服鞋子包包, 床單窗簾, 鍋碗瓢盆. Mercato Di Viale Papiniano – Address: Viale Papiniano (Metro, Green Line 2, Sant’Agostino)
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以下是台灣部落客所寫有關義大利的文章, 供各位參考:
三小二鳥的幸福生活 – (2013/6/13) 必買戰利品和比價心得
Vita, 隨命人生 – (2013/1/3) 米蘭狂購, 怎麼走
小珊的部落格 – (2012/11/8) 義大利必買戰利
Swiss Debby – (2007/8/15) 米蘭趴趴走
覺醒的女人最美 