usvi-on-line
Italy
Dear Terry~
I could go on and on about Italy, everything we saw there was exceptional. In my opinion you can't go wrong in Italy, no matter what you decide on.
Besides Rome, Florence and Venice, we liked Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. We barely scratched the surface. I hope we get a chance to go back.
I could go on and on about Italy, everything we saw there was exceptional. In my opinion you can't go wrong in Italy, no matter what you decide on.
Besides Rome, Florence and Venice, we liked Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. We barely scratched the surface. I hope we get a chance to go back.
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sailorgirl
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:03 pm
Hey Terry, what about the Cinque Terre I always wanted to go. Some good hiking between the villages.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/tr ... hours.html
http://goeurope.about.com/od/cinqueterr ... king_2.htm
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/tr ... hours.html
http://goeurope.about.com/od/cinqueterr ... king_2.htm
There is actually a really good website for the Marche - http://www.le-marche.com/
Ascoli Piceno seems like a really interesting town. This is a region I have been wanting to visit since we got here - a lot of people call it the poor mans Tuscany. The British have made inroads there with vacation homes and B&Bs since the cheap Europeoan carriers fly into Ancona (I think that is the airport).
We were in Ravenna (just north of the Marche) last year during winter break - had a great time there.
Ascoli Piceno seems like a really interesting town. This is a region I have been wanting to visit since we got here - a lot of people call it the poor mans Tuscany. The British have made inroads there with vacation homes and B&Bs since the cheap Europeoan carriers fly into Ancona (I think that is the airport).
We were in Ravenna (just north of the Marche) last year during winter break - had a great time there.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
Terry--
I want to also weigh in on Florence. When I decided to go to Italy I thought long and hard about wjere I wanted to go and waht i wanted to do. In the end I decided to pick one city to stay in and focused on a SLOW travel approach.
In the end we settled on Florence and stayed in fabulous little hotel very close tot he Ponte vecchio and walkable to everything. You can see my review on the TA forum: Hotel Torre Guelfa. This hotel has it's own private tower and amazing views of Florence.
We stayed for 7 days and did a couple of day trips tot he countryside with a private guide/driver --
which IMHO was the way to go.
EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE we spoke to at the hotel said the SAME thing: "I wish I had spent more tme in Florence" in fact they seemed dissappointed with Rome and Venice.
The nice thing about staying in Florence for an extended period and using it as your home base is that you can avoid the Disney crowd factor and you honestly feel like you have the place to yourself.
You can feel like you are a part of the city. The downtown is extremely walkable and accessible.
I could go on for days but my advice is this. Don't try to hit everything at once. Pick a spot as a home base and explore from there. If you try to do too much you risk not really enjoying any of it at all.
Stay in Florence an enjoy the countryside for day trips -- take a picnic along for the ride. Truly the best of both worlds and you won't regret it.
Most importantly it will actually feel like a vacation rather than death march with the hordes.
I also recommend traveling in the shoulder or off season. Avoid Summer at all costs. Spring or fall are best bets.
Rick Steve's guides are also invaluable for Italy.
If you're serious about Florence PM me with your e-mail and I will send you my itinerary complete with restaurant best bets.
I want to also weigh in on Florence. When I decided to go to Italy I thought long and hard about wjere I wanted to go and waht i wanted to do. In the end I decided to pick one city to stay in and focused on a SLOW travel approach.
In the end we settled on Florence and stayed in fabulous little hotel very close tot he Ponte vecchio and walkable to everything. You can see my review on the TA forum: Hotel Torre Guelfa. This hotel has it's own private tower and amazing views of Florence.
We stayed for 7 days and did a couple of day trips tot he countryside with a private guide/driver --
which IMHO was the way to go.
EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE we spoke to at the hotel said the SAME thing: "I wish I had spent more tme in Florence" in fact they seemed dissappointed with Rome and Venice.
The nice thing about staying in Florence for an extended period and using it as your home base is that you can avoid the Disney crowd factor and you honestly feel like you have the place to yourself.
You can feel like you are a part of the city. The downtown is extremely walkable and accessible.
I could go on for days but my advice is this. Don't try to hit everything at once. Pick a spot as a home base and explore from there. If you try to do too much you risk not really enjoying any of it at all.
Stay in Florence an enjoy the countryside for day trips -- take a picnic along for the ride. Truly the best of both worlds and you won't regret it.
Most importantly it will actually feel like a vacation rather than death march with the hordes.
I also recommend traveling in the shoulder or off season. Avoid Summer at all costs. Spring or fall are best bets.
Rick Steve's guides are also invaluable for Italy.
If you're serious about Florence PM me with your e-mail and I will send you my itinerary complete with restaurant best bets.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Anthony -- I can't attach my itinerary to a PM but among them are:
Trattoria Icche C’e C’e
Via Magalotti 11 red
Antico Ristorante il Sasso di Dante
Piazza delle Pallottolle 6
Picnic supplies from the Mercato Centrale- this is a great place and a feast fro the senses.
Trattorina Marrione
Via delle belledone 16 red
Lunch at Il Frattellini
20 yards in front of OrsanMichelle Church
Via Dei Cimatori
Gelato @ Perche no!
10:30-12 midnight
Via dei tavolini
Trattoria Nella
Via delle Terme 19 red
Bar Vivoli for gelato
Dinner@ Il Cantinone
Via Santo Spirito 6r
First right off the Santa Trinita bridge
Ristorante Vecchia Firenze
Borgo degli albizi 76-78r
Enoteca Fuori Porta
Via del Monte alle Croci 10r
(Near San Nicolo through the gate at via San Miniato)
Il Pizzaiuolo
Via de’ Macci 113r
All of these were spots that I enjoyed and LOVED -- some more than twice!
Also I CANNOT say enough about the Hotel Torre Guelfa. Moderately priced, excellent location, amenities, great staff.
My other peice of advice is to pay the extra fees and book tix ahead for the Uffizi, Accademia etc. Don't waste valuable vacation tie waiting in line and these tix are selling out furtehr and further in advance. Time is money.
I also found a great leatehr shop for purses along the Arno. Tiny place, they speak almost no english. But they have the best product. I got the mosty fabulous purse there and am constantly stopped and asked where I got it. I love to smile and say, "Florence!"
Trattoria Icche C’e C’e
Via Magalotti 11 red
Antico Ristorante il Sasso di Dante
Piazza delle Pallottolle 6
Picnic supplies from the Mercato Centrale- this is a great place and a feast fro the senses.
Trattorina Marrione
Via delle belledone 16 red
Lunch at Il Frattellini
20 yards in front of OrsanMichelle Church
Via Dei Cimatori
Gelato @ Perche no!
10:30-12 midnight
Via dei tavolini
Trattoria Nella
Via delle Terme 19 red
Bar Vivoli for gelato
Dinner@ Il Cantinone
Via Santo Spirito 6r
First right off the Santa Trinita bridge
Ristorante Vecchia Firenze
Borgo degli albizi 76-78r
Enoteca Fuori Porta
Via del Monte alle Croci 10r
(Near San Nicolo through the gate at via San Miniato)
Il Pizzaiuolo
Via de’ Macci 113r
All of these were spots that I enjoyed and LOVED -- some more than twice!
Also I CANNOT say enough about the Hotel Torre Guelfa. Moderately priced, excellent location, amenities, great staff.
My other peice of advice is to pay the extra fees and book tix ahead for the Uffizi, Accademia etc. Don't waste valuable vacation tie waiting in line and these tix are selling out furtehr and further in advance. Time is money.
I also found a great leatehr shop for purses along the Arno. Tiny place, they speak almost no english. But they have the best product. I got the mosty fabulous purse there and am constantly stopped and asked where I got it. I love to smile and say, "Florence!"
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Gromit,
Excellent! We're navigating our road map and will hopefully have a game plan very soon and be booking flights.
I secretly keep hoping that flights will go down, but that is always a risk.
We're so excited and wish we had 3 months! We might be able to extend this trip from 10 days to 2 full weeks and are working on that also.
Thank you all for all your info, it is greatly appreciated.
Excellent! We're navigating our road map and will hopefully have a game plan very soon and be booking flights.
I secretly keep hoping that flights will go down, but that is always a risk.
We're so excited and wish we had 3 months! We might be able to extend this trip from 10 days to 2 full weeks and are working on that also.
Thank you all for all your info, it is greatly appreciated.
Grmoit that is a great list - I know most of those places. Perche No! is actually my secret favorite (I say that because it is a little too commercial for most Fiorentini - they prefer the places where the flavors are all natural and the colors of the gelato are mostly shades of gray!). I would add Gelati dei Neri on Via dei Neri - it is what Vivoli used to be.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
Apologies for the typos I was in a rush.
Personally I just loved hanging out in the piazza della signora next to the Uffizi) and listening to the random musicians at night.
By hanging around longer than most tourists do you get to feel like a local.
Just make time to sit, relax and watch the world go by-- like most Italians do.
Personally I just loved hanging out in the piazza della signora next to the Uffizi) and listening to the random musicians at night.
By hanging around longer than most tourists do you get to feel like a local.
Just make time to sit, relax and watch the world go by-- like most Italians do.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
THAT's HIM!! I LOVE him. I spent several nights just hanging out listening to him sing. Is the Gypsy dressed chick still singing back-up? Her daughter was beautiful-- gorgeous long hair!
He seems to attract a lot of locals as well. He's not Italian is he? I got the impression that he was from Eastern Europe somewhere based on his accent.
He's got a great voice and I hope he's making a decent living. LOVE him.
We were there in late May 20006. Been hoping to get back ever since. If I don't go to grad school in 2010 I can easily see us hopping a flight and hanging out in town for a week or so again.
I have to admit that next to STJ, Florence is my second love.
He seems to attract a lot of locals as well. He's not Italian is he? I got the impression that he was from Eastern Europe somewhere based on his accent.
He's got a great voice and I hope he's making a decent living. LOVE him.
We were there in late May 20006. Been hoping to get back ever since. If I don't go to grad school in 2010 I can easily see us hopping a flight and hanging out in town for a week or so again.
I have to admit that next to STJ, Florence is my second love.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
Yeah - that is Ken and Alice - he is English, and she is from Trieste, way in the north of Italy. Their daughter was at a sleep over at our place a couple of weeks ago for my daughters birthday - she is a great kid. Too funny - it is a small world.
I think they have been based in Florence for 7 or 8 years now. They just stopped coming in every night since it started to get colder - they moved off to the country side about a year ago but drive in every night (when the weather is right) to play. That is their full time job.
I think they have been based in Florence for 7 or 8 years now. They just stopped coming in every night since it started to get colder - they moved off to the country side about a year ago but drive in every night (when the weather is right) to play. That is their full time job.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
