How well the itinerary worked out

Jarrett’s list

The itinerary generally identified the main town or city only, with the detail of what we actually would do being left to the day. A few day trips were planned and done, including Monet’s Garden at Giverney, Palace of Versailles, Sirmione and Pisa.

Our itinerary proposed a number of day trips that we did not get to do. We were having such a good time exploring Paris that Chatres got dropped off. Similarly, Aix-En-Provence was surprisingly interesting that a trip out to Avignon was not necessary. The night before we intended to travel to Milan, we dropped it off the itinerary and made a delightful choice in including Desenzano in its place. Veronica went to Siena as part of the Tuscany bus trip, and we both went to Pisa on the same day but separately. Rather than go to Pompeii from Rome, we chose Sienna instead.

Laverty’s list

Simon Laverty is an artist friend who insisted on providing us details of his extended pilgrimage to the artistic and cultural delights of France and Italy. Simon reviled in digging out his original type-written 1977 itinerary and sharing it with us. His approach flashed “if the church door is open, go in, there might well be a masterpiece inside”.

Simon’s list came with us and was dutifully ticked off each day as more places were seen. These are Simon’s places that we did get to. It is quite an impressive list, probably would be part of a $25,000 guided tour.

In and around Paris

Notre Dame Cathedral; Centre George Pompidou; Louvre; Musee Orangeries; Sacre Cour; Montmartre, Eiffel Tower; Les Invalides; Versailles,

In Venice

Peggy Guggenheim Collection; Doges Palace; St Marks Square; Accademia Gallery; Santa Maria della Salute Church; San Giorgio Maggiore; Rialto Bridge;

In and around Florence

Duomo, Baptistery; Campanile; Bargello Museum; Accademia; Pitti Palace; Palazzo Vechio; Palazzo Riccardi; St Mininto church;

The Campo; Siena Cathedral; Palazzo Publico;

In and around Rome

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel; St Peters; Colosseum; Arch of Septimus, Arch of Titus; Santa Maria Maggiore; Trevi Fountain; Spanish Steps; National Museum of Modern Art; Pantheon, Piazza Navonne; St Agnes in Agone Church;

Castel Nuovo; view of the Bay of Naples;

Sorrento