Tag: accessible

FIRENZE-HOME SWEET HOME

Although I have studied to become a nurse, I have to say that before I started to work in Australia and became passionate about sharing the daily  life with a person with spinal cord injury, I was not aware of all the obstacles that someone on a wheelchair has to face. But sharing this journey has opened my mind and my way of seeing things; and has given me the possibility to be more aware of what  surrounds  me.

So after the period spent in Australia, when I came back to my hometown, Florence, I was watching everything with new eyes and with a different awareness. I must admit that luckily in the last years I have noticed that things have started to change and what in the past had to be sadly accepted, like not being able to catch a bus because not accessible, today is inadmissible and people will speak loud for their rights to be respected.

However, considering that the city’s streets and the buildings in the historical center are at least hundreds of years old, we managed quite well to get around the city; I was also surprised with all the adaptations made in order to allow anyone with a physical disability to access all the attractions without too many problem.

Well, there are so many things you can actually do in Florence but there are a few accessible one that you can’t miss:

  • visit the Uffizi for example (I waited 32 years in order to visit this Museum but was worth it strolling around with someone who actually knew more stuff than  Wikipedia, THANKS CHARLES)
  • visit the Academy Gallery, Piazza Duomo and the cathedral, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Santa Croce, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli garden and I could actually keep on writing for hours
  • having a drink and almost touching the Cupola by going to the “Rinascente” shop located in Piazza della Repubblica and visiting the rooftop bar
  • visit the Mercato Centrale and have lunch or dinner in the food court area and hopefully being braver than Charles who did not want to try the Panino al Lampredotto (please do not search what it is or you might not want to taste it too!)
  • admiring Florence from the panoramic Piazzale Michelangelo and from Fiesole a small city just 9KM from Florence that you can easily access by catching the Hop On-Hop Off bus.IMG-20190724-WA0028

 

Moreover, I think that to tick all the boxes, if visiting Florence, you should try a good Bistecca alla Fiorentina which is a must-to-eat and if you are eating it in the “right” place and ask the steak to be cooked “medium or well-done”they should definitely refuse themselves!

 

What else can I say? “Firenze is Firenze” and I think if you are planning a trip somewhere in Italy, this should be one of your first choices (just make sure I am  not around or you will be forced to see me!)

Time to move to our last stop, or I should actually say MY last stop, because “culi rotti” Jessie and Charles are going to Dubai too!

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BOLOGNA, ANOTHER GREAT ACCESSIBLE CITY AND SURPRISE

When I found out that we were going to visit Bologna and spend  3 nights here, I thought: “I wonder what there is to see in this small city” but as soon as we got here, I must admit I was positively surprised.

To begin with, I was shocked because for the “first time” Charles was that relaxed and chilled about this journey that he almost took us to the wrong hotel, but unfortunately Jessie and I were not enough masochist to catch a bus and walk under the sun for 10 minutes with all the suitcases and we actually had to point our hotel standing just in front of the train station! Apart from this, Bologna was a great little city to visit and spend a couple of days in, also all the churches we have visited, were accessible and there was a lot to see. Unfortunately we could not get on top of the towers “Garisenda and Asinelli” because not accessible but hopefully  next time that would be possible!

Moreover, another activity worth doing apart from strolling around the city and trying all different type of Tortellini with Bolognese sauce, munch couple of pounds of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and eating schiacchiata with Mortadella, is visiting the Ducati Museum and the factory. The tour is totally accessible and amazing if you are passionate about the two wheels and we really enjoyed it, especially walking around the staff’s parking and see that there was not even a Non-Ducati motorcycle! I am sure if I would start working there I would have to leave my Honda outside!

If you do have time also the Ferrari Museum would certainly be worth to visit but unfortunately when you are always drunk, time goes even faster or maybe it takes 3 times the usual time needed to get in places by zig-zagging rather than going straight!

Last but not least be aware that when ordering in a Restaurant a Gluten FREE Pizza,  you must be very specific, because you might end up with this: a “typical square Lasagna-Pizza served in a plastic tray”(trust me I do not have a dog but I am sure if I had one and tried to feed him with that, he would have left it there!)

 

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Image of a proper HOMEMADE Gluten Free Pizza served in a Pizzeria

 

 

So it is now time to move to Florence, my hometown! Really excited about this  but also anxious because I feel  the pressure!!

V for VERONICARE’S or VIENNA’S ACCESS CITY AWARD

I have never been in Vienna before but after 3 days here I can confidently say that Vienna was definetely the most accessible city we have visited so far.  It was really well organized, kerbs are commonly ramped and cobblestones are really rare, but after our trip to Prague we made sure that every time we saw one, we would just cross it over and over back and forth because Charles missed them sooo much! Pretty much every train station and subway stations had lift access, trams and buses are low-level, often with raised street platforms, sometimes you might need to wait for the second tram for it to be accessible  but it will not take  a long waiting time. Just check the display at each tram stop showing a blinking wheelchair symbol indicating how many minutes until an accessible low-floor tram will depart. Another great surprise that needed to be mentioned is  the amazing intercity train that we caught from Prague to Vienna and then from Vienna to Budapest which comes equipped with a foldaway ramp right next to the door!

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Foldaway ramp on the train to and from Vienna! VIP service!

PANORAMIC ROLL THAT YOU SHOULD NOT MISS:

You should not miss a tour of Stephens Cathedral and the main square in the heart of Vienna (there is also a small lift that can take you up to the top of one of the tower but it is quite narrow and we were not able to fit in). Moreover,  if you want to have great views there are some amazing rooftop bars all around the city. We were staying at the “Sofitel Hotel” so the view was stunning just from the room but anyone can access the bar situated on the 18th   floor  to have a drink and an amazing panorama, great for taking photos! Also the FERRIS WHEEL – Riesenrad is a great accessible way to have a good panorama of the city from 65 meters into the sky!

ACTIVITIES FOR NERDS:

Since Vienna is one of the most accessible destinations we have visited, all the most popular Museum I can think about came with a lift, however since there was too much to see and I am not a Nerd, I have visited only the BELVEDERE PALACE MUSEUM  comprising the Upper Palace with the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings, worth to visit and the Lower Palace! Also the Garden that connects the two palaces it is worth for a walk around and some great photos!

SOME OF THE ACCESSIBLE ACTIVITIES WORTH DOING:

Go to the Opera House to watch a performance or attend a concert and later on have  an Austrian cheese sausage on the street just in front of the Albertina Museum at the “Bitzinger Wurstelstand”.

Watching a live performance of the world-renowned Lipizzaner stallions at their home base in Vienna. The Spanish riding school  is a unique experience that I think is a must do and you can purchase wheelchair seats over the phone or via email.

WHERE TO EAT:

Visit the Café Sacher just in front of the Albertina Museum where  the Original Sacher-Torte, one of Vienna’s best known symbol, can be found (Charles did not let me have one because he said I am getting toooo fat and he can not afford another airlplane ticket)

Naschmarkt popular market full of great restaurants was a culinary adventure also for me that I am Italian   ( with  flea-market on every Saturday), however you can find great restaurants everywhere and the fun part is also getting lost in the city and find the perfect spot in one of those small streets where you would never have stopped if you would have known where you were going and try an oily Wiener Schnitzel!

So how could I end this article? Well if you are thinking to plan your first trip and  looking for an accessible city to start from, half of the job is done already, now it is time to just start from searching a flight or a train to Vienna!

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Panoramic view from 18th floor of the Sofitel hotel before we got drunk!

 

 

10 Things we have learned during our 3 days in Valencia

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1)  Sangria is great

2) Valencia is one of the most wheelchair accessible city I have seen with great footpaths all flat, elevators everywhere, pretty much all accessible cafes and restaurant, Museums, buses, accessible taxi. However, the train station needs more accessible services (there is not even an office where people with disability can go and ask information, and from our experience today they did not have proper ramp that fit in the intercity train) BIG ADVICE: if you need to catch a train in Valencia, arrange in advance and request days before the departure “special assistance”  because yes YOU ARE SPECIAL!!

4) Sangria is great

5) When travelling with a wheelchair and searching for accommodation you need to make sure not only about:

the size of the room, the shower which has to be wide and totally flat with a wide entrance with a large door screen or curtain. Also double check  that the rooms have aircon, handheld showerhead, a fridge if you need special medications to be kept refrigerated, the absence of carpet on the floor, but also if there is enough space under the bed if you need to use a hoist (these things are just lessons  we have learned in a short period time!) Finally, do not hesitate to ask also the height of the toilet seat! Send an email to the Hotels (prepare the same one and just copy and paste) and ask them to send photos, videos and all the information you need. This step is very important and you do not want surprises when you have checked-in already!

Many accessible rooms have a high toilet seat to facilitate people with limited movement functions, but if you have a permanent disability like a spinal cord injury and you need to access the toilet seat with a shower chair then the seats has to be low, so yes always ask also about this technical detail and make sure there are no obstacles between the toilet seat and the wall!  All  the modern accessible rooms nowadays should be built following a standard however, the “world of the disabilities” is soooooo huge and different that the needs are personal . Therefore, it is important to speak up, in order to minimize all the issues that travelling with a disability can  present and also make sure that if we had a bad experience we can make  a claim and hopefully help other people in a similar situation to have a better experience (Jessie are you ready for the next letter?)

6) Repeat number 3

7) There is no number 3

8) You have just checked if number 3 was there

9) You are laughing thinking I am a clown, which I am

10) Memorize these light and diplomatic expressions that might be very handy if somebody is not willing to help and is a nonsense: (please choose also your anger level)

ANGRY: “Eres tonto o peinas calvos?” (Are you stupid or you comb people with bold hair?)

VERY ANGRY: “Eres tan feo que desde que te naciste ya no se volvieron a hacer experimentos con las ratas” (You are so ugly that since you were born they stopped doing experiments on the mice)

VERY VERY ANGRY:“Vete a chuparla” no need to know the translation and better not searching on Google  the real meaning because you might end up in an adult website!

BARCELONA HERE WE COME!