CombatCritic Q&A: Florence 1-Day Itinerary Feedback Please?

CombatCritic Q&A
One-Day Itinerary Feedback

Fairywren61 from Perth, Australia wrote:

Jul 18, 2015, 3:36 AM

We are staying in a villa between Florence and sienna and are travelling into Florence for the day. We want to enjoy the day and not be rushed, we enjoy walking and looking but also taking in some main areas. Here is my initial itinerary: 

San Lorenzo Market 

Piazza del Duomo (Climb to the top… possibly do the bell tower and baptistery 

Vivoli Gelato - Gelato 

Piazza Santa Croce – Eat Gelato here on stone benches, free entertainment and buskers 

Uffizi Gallery - undecided on this, not sure if we will be to rushed to really enjoy it 

Ponte Vecchio 

Any feed back would be appreciated.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, Fairywren, here are my two cents worth:

San Lorenzo Market 

- The actual Mercato di San Lorenzo (the building) has dozens of food stalls, butchers, and other vendors, so you should at least see it, but the main reason to go there is to buy food. The streets around the nearby Basilica di San Lorenzo are filled with outdoor stalls selling Chinese (leather goods, "Murano" glass, etc) knock-offs if that's what you are interested in. If you want to see a "real" market, I recommend Mercato San'Ambrogio east of the center and just northeast of Basilica di Santa Croce and its wonderful piazza which has now returned to its previous, uncluttered glory.

Piazza del Duomo (Climb to the top… possibly do the bell tower and baptistery 

- Climb away if your heart is up for it (463 steps to the top of the dome), but you will get better views from Piazzale Michelangelo, a short taxi or bus ride away ... AND IT'S FREE! Instead, I would recommend visiting the cathedral (Duomo) itself which is also free. The entrance is through the north door of the front of the massive building with the line hugging the north side. The painting of the Apostles by Giorgo Vasari (16th C) on the inside of the dome with their legs dangling over the sides is one of my favorite frescoes in the world. Tickets are only needed to see the tower, dome, and the excavations below the Duomo.

Vivoli Gelato - Gelato 

- If you like expensive gelato, by all means!

Piazza Santa Croce – Eat Gelato here on stone benches, free entertainment and buskers

- I would recommend getting a gelato at half the price of places like Vivoli at Gelateria Il Gallo Ghiottone after having a cheap lunch at nearby Mercato San'Ambrogio's small restaurant, then strolling to Santa Croce (5 minute walk). I'm not sure what entertainment or "buskers" you are referring to as I have spent a fair amount of time in Piazza Santa Croce and was never entertained other than by the droves of tourists. And there are a couple benches in the piazza, but good luck finding a seat. Sit on the steps of Santa Croce, taking-in the square and the tourists, but not during mid-day when the sun bakes the steps and anybody near them.

Uffizi Gallery - undecided on this, not sure if we will be to rushed to really enjoy it

- The Uffizi should not be missed if you are an art lover, particularly if you love Renaissance art, but you will need 2-3 hours at the very minimum.

Ponte Vecchio

- Don't miss it and snap a few photos, but if you are buying jewelry, be prepared to spend more than you need to.

Buon Viaggio!

CombatCritic

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Title: CombatCritic Q&A: Florence 1-Day Itinerary Feedback Please?

Key Words: ComabtCritic, question and answer, question, answer, Florence, Firenze, itinerary, piazza, santa, croce, duomo, Michelangelo, piazzale, one, day, 1-day, ponte, vecchio, Uffizi, Accademia

CombatCritic Q&A: Should I be concerned about the ticket I purchased on JustFly.com?

1. I received a great question on my post JustFly.com Offers A Good Price, But Little Else and thought I should share it will all of my readers:
2. john gMay 25, 2015 at 7:20 PM

   Hello, have you had the opportunity to use this ticket yet? Many negative posts making me most concerned about my ticket.
3. 
   C.T. Sorrentino, aka "CombatCritic"June 9, 2015 at 2:04 AM

   Sorry for the delay in getting back to you John, but Blogger does not notify me when I have new comments.
   
   There are no problems with the tickets. You get what you pay for, but my concerns were strictly with the website interface and lack of options available. In this case, we saved a couple hundred dollars by using Justfly.com, so it was worth the inconvenience of having to visit two airline websites (Brussels Airlines to and Lufthansa from Europe) to enter frequent flyer information, choose seats, and otherwise manage the reservations. I recommend comparing the lowest fares on JustFly to those found on Kayak.com and other consolidator websites (where you can store your frequent flyer numbers and preferences) before making a decision.
   
   I would not be concerned about your ticket.
   
   Thanks for the great question!
4. Read More Reviews By CombatCritic On Yelp And TripAdvisor ... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube
5. Title: CombatCritic Q&A: Should I be concerned about the ticket I purchased on JustFly.com?
6. Key Words: question and answer, question, answer, CombatCritic, TravelValue, JustFly.com, JustFly, airline, ticket, reservation, consolidator, website, online, review

CombatCritic QandA: (McLeod Ganj, H.P, India) Are there places to stay with kitchenettes?

Q:

las habitaciones tienen kitchenette? (Are there places to stay with kitchenettes?)

CLAUDIAGESELL  

villa gesell

CombatCritic QandA: McLeod Ganj, India) Solo Female Has Doubts And Questions About Travel

Q:

Hey there,

Want to visit Mcloedganj and Dharamshala solo. i have some doubts.

1. which place is more appropriate to stay ? Mcleodganj and Dharamshala ?

2. Does your hotel provide taxi or cab facility to roam around the city or to go tourist attractions.

3. Is it safe to travel alone?

4. Any other thing i need to cautious about ?

Thanks.

Nehadixit, New Delhi, India

CombatCritic Q&A: "Hill Top Swiss Cottage, Rishikesh"

Hill top Swiss cottage, rishikesh

04 December 2014, 02:35

Has anyone stayed at Hill Top Swiss Cottage? We are staying there for the whole of March 2015. I am wondering what the access is like as it looks very high up.

Helen T. (Nottingham, England, UK)

----------------------------------

15 December 2014, 09:27

Re: Hill top Swiss cottage, rishikesh

I've been staying for 2 of 7 nights and the property seems a good value. Rooms are big and bright, internet fast by Indian standards. 

It is a bit isolated from the Ganges (Ganga) and town, but offers a quiet environment and a few shops, restaurants, yoga/meditation/massage options.  I have bad knees, but the walk to the river takes only about 15-20 minutes and is not a bad climb up or down.

There is a wonderful new Italian restaurant a short walk away, A Tavola con Te (atavolaconte on TripAdvisor) owned by an Italian couple from Milan that make wood-oven pizzas, pastas and desserts. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Chris S.

aka CombatCritic

Follow Me To TravelValue!

Key Words: CombatCritic, question, answer, TripAdvisor, trip, advisor, TravelValue, travel, value, questions, and, answers, Rishikesh, Hilltop, hill, top, Swiss, cottage, hotel, guest, house, India

Groupon Is Advertising False Prices/Discounts and Ignoring Questions From Customers!

Groupon's Ad from January 24th, 2014 ...

Genovese Italian Restaurant - Oread

Italian Cuisine and Drinks at Genovese Italian Restaurant (Up to 48% Off)

FROM $30

BUY!

VALUE DISCOUNT YOU SAVE

$54            44%                 $24

LIMITED TIME ONLY!

3 days 02:05:48

 Over 100 bought

LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE

In a Nutshell

Italy's Liguria region supplies the inspiration for seasonal Italian cuisine made with ingredients from local farms

The Fine Print

Expires 90 days after purchase. Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as a gift. Limit 1 per table. Valid only for option purchased. Dine-in only. Not valid on 12/31 and 2/14. Not valid with any other promotions. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services. See the rules that apply to all deals.

Pasta became a staple of Italian fare after Roman Emperor Caligula famously appointed a plate of lasagna to the Senate. Elect to eat decadently with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

$30 for one antipasti and two entrees ($54 value)

$56 for two antipasti and four entrees ($108 value)

$11 for $20 worth of Italian cuisine

Genovese Italian Restaurant

Exposed wooden beams hang above terra cotta and reproduced antique tiles in Genovese Italian Restaurant's dining room. The rustic ambiance complements the dishes of award-winning Executive Chef Armando Paniagua, who uses ingredients sourced from six local farms to craft the Italian cuisine of northwest Italy's Liguria region. The wood-fired rotisserie and charcoal grill are imported from Italy, as is the pasta in dishes such as whole shrimp pesto risotto and spinach fettuccine. Chef Armando also pulls pizzas out of the oven, including one sporting wild berries, mozzarella, and a mint and fig balsamic glaze. To help wash down those items, barkeeps pour wines from Italy, Portugal, and Argentina, serve up microbrews, and supply digestifs that settle stomachs as gently as a Tums smoothie. New breakfast hours start at 8 a.m on Thursday through Saturday.

ASK A QUESTION

HERE'S MY QUESTION SUBMITTED 1/23/14: "Read the menu. Appetizers max out at $9, entrees at $18.50. 1 x $9 = $9 and 2 x $18.50 = $37 and $9 + $37 = $46 NOT $54! Your deal is misleading, if not FALSE ADVERTISING ... I guess you don't care because my last question was never answered! 

This time it's going on my blog ... www.CombatCritic.com"

I submitted a similar question to Groupon on January 23rd, 2014 and was ignored, GO FIGURE!

Apparently, Groupon does not care that they are misleading customers ...

 Here are the menus provided, you do the math!

PS - It's "antipasto", not one "antipasti". Antipasti is the masculine plural of antipasto, meaning "appetizer" in Italiano.

MARCH 3RD, 2014 UPDATE

Here is a screenshot of my March 3, 2014 submission to Groupon, the third in a little over a month about my concerns of false advertising on this same offer, the first of which was ignored:

Here is the entire message submitted via Groupon's website:

"I asked this question before and was ignored. You do your customers a disservice by not listing or responding to valid concerns, particularly when it involves false advertising. 

You state in your advertisement, and have stated for quite some time in the Genovese ad, that for $58 consumers get $108 worth of food (2 appetizers and 4 entrees), yet the most the Groupon is worth is $94 (most expensive appetizer = $9; most expensive entree = $19 - 2 x $9  [$18] + 4  x $19 [$76] = [$94]). 
The "savings" of $50 (46% OFF) you advertise IS INCORRECT and MISLEADING! The most that can be saved on this Groupon, IF the most expensive appetizers and entrees are ordered, is $36 (38%) ... NOT $50 (46%)! 

I contacted your company on January 23, 2014 about my concerns as documented in this post:
January 24, 2014 CombatCritic's TravelValue eZine Post 
and was ignored. If I continue to be ignored and if your false advertisement is not corrected, I will file a complaint with the US Attorney General and Federal Communications Commission for false advertising. You should not mislead consumers by advertising inflated and incorrect discounts. It is illegal."

Key Words: Groupon, false, advertising, question, Genovese, Italian, restaurant discount, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, CombatCritic, TravelValue, value, travel