One thing about travel in Europe is that if you are very flexible about the dates you can go places for very cheep. The M's coming from North America were not expecting to find the marvel of the "discount airline". There is nothing like Ryan Air or Easyjet back in the US or Canada, so this would be a new experience for them.
One day some of their friends talked about going to Germany for a short trip for only a few pounds. As soon as they got home, they hit the internet and soon came across the holy grail of cheap travel Ryanair. Christmas was coming up and it was starting to get cold and dark in Scotland. There was a cheap flight to Pisa, for only £57pp return (tax included), so the M's took the opportunity and had their first trip abroad planned. They flew from Glasgow to Pisa, took a train right away to Rome and stayed 4 days; then train over to Florence and spent 2 days there before returning to Pisa for 1 last day.
The First Ryanair Experience
The expression "you get what you pay for" has never had such a concert example as with a Ryanair trip, it was a bit of a shock to the M's but in the long run it made the trip more memorable. The day started out early, you see Ryanair will not fly out of the standard airports where all major airlines fly out of. This airline pick the most remote stretch of land that has a runway on it. In the case of Glasgow, Prestwick airport is about an hour by car outside of the city. To make matters worse, the only way to get there from Edinburgh for a morning flight is a single bus that leaves at 3:30am. So BMM and LMM still half… ok more like two thirds asleep dragged themselves to the bus, and managed to get to the airport. What greeted them at the airport was indeed a shock, now on normal airlines you get your boarding pass, it has your seat number on it, you go to the waiting lounge and wait for your row number to be called. Not Ryanair… With Ryanair you go to the counter to get your boarding pass, the counter staff carefully examine you and your bags, not to check that you are not a terrorist, but to make sure there is nothing else they can charge you for. Is you bag too big to be a carry on? Did you pay for online check in? etc. Once this screening is done you are handed a boarding pass. You take your boarding pass go through security where you then get to your gate. The gate is identified by a place card held up on a stick, with the location of the flight written in marker. Finally when the flight is ready to board, an announcement is made and every one pops up and rushes to the door like they are being chased by an angry bull. You see there are no assigned seats so first come first served. After fighting your way on to the plane you are greeted with the most spartan of accommodations. A seat that cannot recline, no magazine pouch below the table, a safety card that is glued to the seat in front of you and advertisement on every free surface. Of course don't expect any free food or beverage. But the actual flight is not that bad, it gets you from point A to point B, and that is what counts in the end.
Our Journey in Rome, Florence & Pisa
After the experience of discount air travel, the actual trip was very enjoyable, the M's toured the accent ruins of the Roman empire. They ate pizza and panini on the streets of Rome, wandered the vast expanses of the Vatican museum, where they got to see some of the more famous paintings and statues. But the absolute hi-light of Rome was a treasure that the Italians have called "Grand Soleil". In the central subway station had some samples of this sorbet dessert that you buy in packets to take home and put in the freezer. The lemon one is truly amazing.
Coliseum
Palatine Hill
Trevi Fountain
St. Peter's Basilica
Florence was the next stop on this adventure. It is a scenic city dominated by an impressive central cathedral, with some amazing architecture. There is also an amazing array of art work to see in this city. The M's are not the biggest fine art fans, so some of this charm was lost on them. However they saw The David, as well as some other statues and paintings. After one full day of admiration on fine arts and architecture, the M's decided to visit the legendary outlet, The Mall, a one hour bus ride from Florence. Although it's a small outlet, the brand names there are big and the prices will "shock" you (in a good way). Finally there was a one day stop at Pisa on the way back to the airport. Pisa is a very small city with the only major attraction being the oh so famous leaning tower.
Duomo
Statue of David
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The flight home was as exciting at the flight in but by this time we knew what to expect. Arrived back in Edinburgh on the 24th tired but happy, just in time to experience all that Edinburgh had for the Christmas holiday season.
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