jelopez33

This Report will cover the trip we did in september 2016 with some friends. We were three or four couples, three at the very start of the trip and again after the Cinque Terre.

Visit was as follows:
Sept. 2 to 7 Firenze, with day trips to Siena and San Genignano.
Sept. 7 to 10 Venezia.
Sept. 10 to 17 Cruise
Sept 17 to 21 La Spezia ,best place visit the Cinque Terre.
Sept 21 to 28 Nice, with visits to Saint Paul de Vence, Cannes, Cagnes sur Mer.

jelopez33

Please, in the head line read Nice, not Nce

jelopez33

Each of those places are well known and receive many comments, so I will concentrate on the best the goodd and the bad things of the trip.

Bad things: we were fortunate nathing went really wrong or was really bad to the point of causing problems.

-- NH La Spezia hotel was the one in need of some( some ) improvement. By design bathrooms are dark and mirrors are located too high. Closets are very unconfortable to use.
In room safe are operated with the magnetic band of a credit card, but they never work. The hotel solves this with reception safe boxes.
All in all,,nothing too bad in an otherwise very well located hotel, with good service and good breakfast. Solving those little problems will enhance the hotel.

-- One of the stops of the cruise was Katakolon, in Greece. Then, in a waterfront bar some of us had the worst Aperol Spritz ever.

--Another stop of the cruise was at the port that serves Athens, we went to thenAcropolis, visited the Parthenon , Syntagma square, etc, plus the central market, near 2 pm. The market was closing, but the lack of hygiene was evident( meats market).

-- The elevator in iur hotel in Nice was out of service for two days.
All in all nothing Was too bad .

jelopez33

NOw, let's start with:

Good Things.

-- Firenze.

Arrival from south America was uneventful, and this is good!

Best things in Firenze( third or second visit for all in the group. :

-- best by far! Osteria Dell'Oste. We ended going there every night! And were served like friends. Wife and I discovered the place two years ago and everyone pronounced the food excelent.
Gnochi, caprese, ossobuco, fish were exceedingly good. Tiramissu was light as air, sorbetto al limone very good. We went there the five nights we spent in Firenze and were never dissapointed. Last night some in the group tasted the bistecca....OmG!

--visits to Santa Maria Novella, Ognisanti , with the tomb of Boticelli, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Vechio were as good as ever
.
-- spritz and beer were very good at Cafe Rivoire and the bar at the top of La Rinascente, with views to die for.

--we went to Siena, as we know the Duomo has uncovered the floor allowing full and magnificent views. Of course, I always want to see the Picolomini Library again.
Nothing new, but Siena is always charming.

-- another day we went to San Gemignano , a good dat trip from Firenze. We liked the town and sampled, more than sampled, the gelato from Gelateria Dondoli...they are advertised as best in the world, and believe me....they are second to none!

-- porchetta panini were our lunch one day, in a corner one or two blocks from the entrance to Ponte Vechio, a piece of heaven.

starrs

Enjoyed your report!

Adding this to our list -
the bar at the top of La Rinascente, with views to die for.

Jean

starrs, more Florence views to die for:

https://www.visitflorence.com/eating...th-a-view.html

I especially like the rarely-mentioned Forte di Belvedere.

jelopez33

You are all welcome, ask if you have any doubts or if I can be of help. In a few days, I will refer to the rest of the trip.