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Considering change in Mid-Italy itinerary

Considering change in Mid-Italy itinerary

Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 03:30 AM
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Considering change in Mid-Italy itinerary

Hi all,

I posted an earlier topic that covered whether to stay in Volterra or San Gimignano for the first two days of the Italy portion of our trip. Several Fodorites replied (thank you) including Sandralist who got me thinking.

In a nutshell, the original itinerary is arrive BLQ (from Germany so no jet lag) rent car, then 2 nights San Gimignano with a day trip to Volterra, followed by 4 nights Pienza and a night next to the airport in Rome.

What Sandralist pointed out was that both of my destinations were essentially similar. This struck me because DH was sort of rooked into this trip and is not as keen as I on Medieval sites. It also got me thinking, why not see a different area of Italy for those first two days and save San Gim/Volterra for our next trip.

Where we live is basically completely flat and completely land locked. So I'm looking for suggestions for those first two days that are either near the sea or perhaps dramatic mountain scenery. We enjoy walking and discovering. Archaeological sites are of great interest, pretty pedestrian areas are enjoyed. Cable cars or funiculars are a plus. If we stayed somewhere near the sea, we are not talking going to the beach, but perhaps taking a stroll by the sea (is a waterfront promenade asking too much?), and for DH, eating some seafood.

We are not big art lovers (sin that it is), not that we don't like to look at and appreciate art, it just is not a driving force for us.

We arrive at BLQ at 4PM and would optimally like to drive no more that 2 or 2 1/2 hours to reach the destination.

Places I've looked at and might be considering:
Ravenna
Rimini (with a day trip to San Marino)
San Marino
Brisghella
Lake Garda (This would be perfect except it's the absolute wrong direction)

Oh yeah, the time frame for this trip is 4 weeks from now - we arrive in BLQ on Aug 1.

I have kept my reservations for San Gimignano, so keeping with the original itinerary is still an option.

Thanks for any suggestions!
phieaglefan is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 04:15 AM
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A couple of comments:

- San Gimignano is just a wonderful place. Pienza might be similar, but each has its very own character.

- Ravenna is fascinating, very especially the incredible mosaics. I'll typically get bored silly after 15 minutes in a museum looking at paintings and sculpture, but I found the mosaics to be amazing.

- San Marino is worth a miss unless you enjoy building up the number of countries you've visited. (OK, I do enjoy that.) Also, the drive from San Marino to Pienza is over the mountains on not very great roads, and it's not a whole lot of fun.

- Please don't miss Siena. It is an absolute jewel.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 07:29 AM
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Yes, the mosaics are sublime in Ravenna, but then again they might count as art. Certainly going from place to place to seek them out very much resembles an art museum crawl - - and other than that, Ravenna is simply not a lot of fun.

I think Ferrara has a more enjoyable center for strolling (even better if you rent a bike), virtually no tourists, plenty of sights and surprises - - but it is August, and the sun will be strong.

You might prefer Riccione to Rimini - - it is virtually connected on the southern end, but the seafront is more strollable (in Rimini the waterfront is super-far from the commercial strip behind a massive beach). You can catch an eyeful of Italian sea holiday nirvana in its purest form in Rimini/Riccione; it will be easier and breezier than a city; restaurant options stretch as far as the eye can see (gelato options too).

A warning in any of these places: it is siesta time till about 4pm - - even the beaches in Rimini are empty till then, and after 4pm they then fill up fast till sunset, and evening passagiata.

Maybe stop in Ravenna and see some mosaics, then get to Rimini late afternoon?
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 09:12 AM
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I'd suggest Ravenna too. Or what Sandra initially suggested

You should spend at least some of the day before your flight from the airport at Ostia Antica--very near the airport and a really wonderful Roman archaeological site.
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 10:55 AM
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Thank you all for your responses.

Yes, mosaics are art, sort of. I see them as a combination art and craftsmanship, and have long wanted to see the ones in Ravenna.

Don Topaz, we will not miss Siena, we plan to visit from Pienza. Also, you are not alone suggesting we skip San Marino. And I get your point about San Gim, which is why my original itinerary included it. What to do??

dfourh, I will look at Ferrara and Riccione. Any thoughts on staying near the Porto Canale in Cesenatico and day trip to Ravenna? From photos, the area looks like something DH would enjoy. But photos can be deceiving.

dwdvagamundo, I did have a look at Castelvetro in Modena and Porretta Terme. Perhaps I will look again. And thanks for reminding me about Ostia Antica. Our plan for that travel day was to stop in Orvieto, but I'm thinking Ostia Antica would be a better fit.

Thanks again, and any other suggestions are welcome!
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Old Jul 2nd, 2015, 03:12 PM
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I don't find Volterra and San G to be that similar to Pienza. I've stayed in San G (in town) in high season and didn't find it overwhelmed with tourists. Perhaps that's because I stayed somewhat on the backside (within the walls) and not many tourists trek back there.

Volterra is a bit more off the beaten the path (harder to get to unless you have a car - San G has better transport options from Florence/Siena and attracts more day trippers). If you are trekking around the countryside during the day and returning to San G at in the afternoon or early evening, you might find there aren't many tourists around by the time you get back to San G.
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