Singapore

We departed New Zealand at the beginning of our self-titled “World Tour” on 15 February 2025, our first stop was Singapore - a first-time destination for both Serena and I.

We knew to expect hot and humid conditions, but it isn’t until you are dragging six bags the largest of which weighs 23kgs that you realise how challenging Singapore’s conditions can be for the uninitiated!

On the plus side we quickly agreed a couple of new rules for our travels:

1. Never carry our bags to hotels unless there is no choice, and if we can take a cab to the hotel/airport/train/boat etc.

2. Take a breath with google maps – it may be smart but it can be very slow and knowing your exact starting point saves serious time, energy and sweat (particularly important in Singapore).

Our Singapore accommodation was “interesting” – the hotel was in a shopping mall and the room had all the features you expect with shower, toilet, sink, double bed (well mattress on a platform) and an area to store clothes. The arrangement being very space efficient maximised every spare centimetre (with the bed against the wall as well), which must be incredible for a human shorter than 5’7”, and a couple not accompanied by six pieces of luggage. However, for us getting in and out of bed presented many laughs. What our room did have in abundance was air conditioning and any strange bed design, or shower setup that floods the toilet area was and will be forever forgiven for the glory of air conditioning.

Singapore itself was a revelation with futuristic hotels and skyscrapers nestling next to historic buildings and the heady scents of the exotic food combined with fragrant frangipani flowers, almost anywhere you look there is something different to see, smell or taste.

A must for our first time to Singapore was a visit to Raffles and the infamous Singapore sling, a drink designed to allow ladies to drink alcohol while pretending it was just fruit juice. Serena and I had two each (the first disappeared too quickly), after the second sling parts of our bodies were going numb. We agreed, Singapore owes some of its population growth to these drinks…

Our time in Singapore was too short (although we did complete 101kms of walking and we have vowed we will include a stopover in Singapore on our way home later in 2025, so we can try the experiences we missed out on first time around. However, we will stay in a more regular style hotel next time.

Italy

My first impression of Italy was Rome and the business of the streets and melodic police sirens – think singing Dalek.

Until this trip Italy had been a glaring omission in my list of countries visited (Serena had been to Italy a few times before, lucky lady) and it was a wonderful treat to correct it in our “Grand Tour 2025”. Although our knowledge of the Italian language is not flash and due cappuccino, and due cornetto was pretty much the extent apart from good morning and good afternoon. This did not stop us from successfully navigating our way around on trains, metros, taxis and buses.

Our personal highlights of Rome where:

a. Discovering the Trevi Fountain at 7am (no tourists or touters!)

b. Coliseum, Palatine Hill & the Forum – the history and magnificence of these ruins do not disappoint and even in February the low season were packed – TOP TIP – avoid in the summer even the tour guides hate their time there during July & August. Indeed, we lost count of the number of guides across Rome who thanked us for travelling in February (this year being worse as it’s the Jubilee year – plus the Pope isn’t in good health).

c. Whilst waiting for the start of the Crown Tours for the above, we were talking to one of the team (who fortunately loved New Zealanders) and she gave us a talking to about making sure we have a fun activity planned (ie not just ruins!) so she booked for us a Cooking Class (made ravioli, fettucine and tiramsu) – soooooo good and she was absolutely right (plus there was wine and laughter). Met other nice people doing the same course too (we have a certificate to prove it).

d. Pompei and Sorrento – this was a full one-day tour by coach. Our first stop was a sobering one, in the shadow of Monte Cassino and Benedictine Abbey, which during WW2 was witness to huge casualties both Allied and German, including those of New Zealand soldiers. Serena and I took a moment to remember those who gave everything for our freedom.

The Abbey of Monte Cassino (top left of picture)

Arriving at Pompei, we were lucky because of the low volume of visitors to experience a full tour and truly see how the ancient Romans lived giving insights into how closely our societies today remain linked to those distant times. It was impossible to imagine the terror of the inhabitants as Vesuvius erupted in October AD79. Incredible to think archaeological discoveries are occurring in the excavations every day. Being the off season instead of going to the Amalfi Coast (people away, closed and just enjoying no tourists) we visited Sorrento. Here we discovered the amazing lemoncello spritz (a rival to the Singapore Sling), along this coastline there are so many lemon and orange trees was stunning. We also had a margarita pizza – born in Naples.

A Pompei street - note the rut marks from cart wheels and the stepping stones to avoid treading in sewage.

Yes it’s us in the large plazza in Pompei, and no that isn’t steam coming from my head, rather cloud covering the top of Vesuvius.

Margerita pizza in Sorrento - we shared this just in case you thought it was all mine.

e. Vatican City early bird tour – first time using the Metro (that was entertaining) but arrived just in time, route marched with our guide and group. Definitely recommend going early and with a guide, we weren’t jostled, had loads of space and at least 30 mins sitting and walking around the Sistine Chapel, no words and no pictures (we weren’t willing to be yelled out by the custodians).

f. We had one unplanned day and just walked for kms (to a standstill I might add), drinking cappuccinos and eating cornettos (croissants in Italian), discovering the Spanish Steps, Pantheon and the massive Borghese Park (near our Hotel) taking photos of the resident parrots.

g. There’s just so much – even only a handful days later the brain is struggling to write down what we saw (Serena is keeping a daily journal though fortunately).

Biggest lessons for us were don’t rush and try not to see everything, avoid high tourist areas – more importantly tourists and locals aren’t early risers so enjoy the sites when there’s no one else around.

Florence

Had pre-booked all our internal Italian trains before leaving New Zealand (and saved significant money), they were all premium Frecciarossa (“Red Arrow”) High Speed trains with our first from Rome to Florence. We had been notified of an intended strike with that train being affected, but luckily the strike was cancelled. Absolutely stunning service - clean, quick, snacks, water, toilets and fast wifi - was very efficient and spacious terrific infrastructure, plus allocated seats. Just like the Trans Metro to Wellington …

Highlights of Florence:

a. First glimpse of the Duomo – hits you hard and this is a “pinch me” moment.

b. An amazing lunch that kept us going until the next day, including stunning eggplant parmigiana, ravioli with butter and sage – plus a bottle of chianti of course.

c. Walking across the Ponte Vecchio the first time (understanding all the shops were silver and goldsmiths – as the Doge couldn’t tolerate more fish smells).

d. We had decided to do the Vasari Corridor tour – a tunnel above the Ponte Vecchio bridge connecting the Doges Palace, Effuzi Gallery, Pitti Palace and Baboli Gardens, mostly to keep the Doges and dignitaries away from the common folk but also for security. It was ok – but with our brains completely fried from all the Renaissance (incredible) paintings and information we couldn’t really make the most of it. The crowds in Effuzi were horrendous – massive queue to see the Venus de Milo – we just couldn’t queue, we were done.

Serena found one of the secret doors in the Palazzo Vecchio, made famous in the Dan Brown book Inferno.

We’d booked tickets to the Gallerie d’Accademie to see Michelangelo’s David – it didn’t disappoint, although apart from everything being expensive to see anything in Italy, you also have to nominate time slots for visits (this can be restrictive to the wandering tourist) and at times felt like we were sitting around a lot.

We admit to enjoying the booked tours more than just getting ticket access as context was far more valuable (however the downside of the tour is you’re constantly moving and can’t spend time on anything particular of interest). Florence is a small city with every interest close by, and when your brain is tired even doing laundry is a relief!

Venice

Train to Venice successful, we had booked accommodation on the island of Lido to keep two birds with one stone (to keep hotel costs down, but also to spend time really enjoying the Grand Canal given our limited time in Venice). Serena’s learnings were NOT to negotiate Venice with luggage (stairs, narrow streets, lots of crowds), so had found a luggage storage facility near the train station, we decamped our big bags and caught the vaparetto (water bus) to Lido.

Highlight for me – was the city of Venice, nothing compares! Highlight for Serena was we’d coincided our visit (accident) with the two week annual Carnivale, there are a number of activities on but so many people converge with their elegant and flamboyant costumes both modern and period (complete with masks and props). Every corner and on the vaparettos, plus they were very happy to be photographed.

We had pre-booked a 3-hour tour of St Mark’s Basilica and Doges Palace – unbelievable. What was amazing was whilst the Carnivale was happening outside particularly in St Mark’s Square we had no crowds in these historic buildings. The artwork rivalled the Sistine Chapel – in fact the frescoes and painting in the Doges Palace was unreal. The mosaics in St Mark’s Basilica was breathtaking – plus took 800 years to complete (gold gilded glass and 7,000m2 of mosaic).

We did indulge with our very first purchases – through research and google maps found the oldest mask store and producer in Venice, once in there was difficult and overwhelming to choose “the” mask – two were purchased (one each) and shipped home to New Zealand, also a very fine looked Italian Flat Cap for me and a fluffy woolly one for Serena, as well as a small necklace of Murano glass.

C’mon you knew a gondola had to appear in the blog.

Genoa

Next train negotiated – slightly older train this one, and a very busy Friday night service via Verona and Milan (hint Genoa train station was difficult with luggage – we felt for anyone in a wheelchair).

Having arrived at 8pm at night checked in organising luggage for the long ferry the following day it was an early one instead opting to spend three hours walking around Genoa the next morning.

Highlight was coffee and cornettos were inexpensive compared to the other cities, the African influence was everywhere we looked and sadly a lot of poverty and rough sleepers. We did find a charming street enjoying a café and the owner (seeing us admiring the internal structure) advised the ceiling was 1200 years old (but we’re not sure about the rest of the building) 😊

We’ll save the ferry trip from Genoa for the next blog – it will be a doozy!

Travel Blog #2

Rob Scotcher Photography