Trip Report - First time to Italy

Yeah, Barbara! I'm so looking forward to reading the rest! You really need to post that great picture of DH in the ocean at Monterosso!

Waiting for your next stop . . .

Thanks for the encouragement. You're welcome to check out my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/barbaraandmarks/Italy08.

Although it had rained off and on throughout our stay in Venice, when we arrived in Florence the rain had stopped and we were able to walk from the train station to our B&B. The Alloro B&B is located in an apartment building with another B&B and several other apartments. There is a lovely little courtyard on the main floor, but the B&B is on the 2nd floor.

Our room was spacious, with a large double (king-sized) bed and a mural on the ceiling. The owner was at the B&B when we arrived, but does not live there. Breakfast is served in your room and was delicious.

We had reservations to see the David that afternoon and headed over to the Accademia with map in hand. Unfortunately, we got a little lost, but a kind American girl studying abroad walked us to the door. I was expecting “The David” to be in a much more impressive building!

Dinner that night was at Rosticceria La Spada, recommended by our B&B. The food was very good and reasonably priced. After dinner we wandered over to the Duomo and were amazed by how beautiful it was, especially all lit up at night.

The Uffizi was on the agenda for the next day. I did not make advance reservations, so we were there at 8:00 a.m for an 8:15 opening and we were about 20th in line and had no problem getting in quickly. We really enjoyed the Uffizi – that is the kind of building I was expecting the David to be in.

After the Uffizi we went to Santa Croce, the Duomo, climbed Giotto’s Tower, then took a bus to Piazzale Michelangeo. Dinner that night was at Trattoria Marione. We had planned on going back to eat at La Spada because we enjoyed it so much, but when we walked by Marione, there was a line of people waiting for it to open. Since it was also recommended in Rick Steve’s, we thought we’d better give it a try and it was wonderful.

We packed a lot of sightseeing into two days – even in a downpour. My husband, who never uses an umbrella, even bought one in Florence it was raining so hard. The umbrella vendors seem to magically appear. Although we liked Florence and were glad we spent some time there, it wasn’t our favorite stop.

Up next Cinque Terre

Loved your photos. It reminded me of my trip two years ago. Great memories...thanks for reminding me.

Thanks for sharing your photos. I want to hear about the Cinque Terre. BTW we rented an apartment for a week, 1/2 block off of Via Garibaldi from vrbo and just loved the location too

Thanks for posting your report! I'm enjoying reading about your trip and am going to look at your pictures after I post this. I look forward to hearing more!

We,too, returned our rental car in Orvieto, at Avis; they tried to get us for an extra day. We are contesting it, since the agent logged us in at the correct time, well before the deadline.

Barbara, your trip pictures are fantastic. Have bookmarked your post for ideas in planning our upcoming trip to Italy and look forward to reading your future posts as well. In prep for our trip, I'm looking for a new digital camera. What did you use to get these great pictures? Was it a point-and-shoot? Thanks.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and checking out my pictures. I love taking vacation photos and I love my camera. It is a point and shoot, but I really use the preprogrammed settings, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3. I love the long zoom.

Cinque Terre

We are scuba divers and most of our vacations are beach vacations. So while researching this trip I learned about Cinque Terre. I knew it would be a place my husband and I would love, and we did! The colorful houses, the beautiful ocean, the relaxed atmosphere, great food, and wonderful, friendly people. I would love to go back and spend more time!

We arrived in Monterroso on the train to a beautiful sunny day. Since most of our days had been overcast and rainy, my husband decided the first thing he wanted to do was to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. But the minute he got his swimming suit on, the weather began to change. By the time we were down to the beach it was starting to sprinkle. By the time he was in the water it was a downpour. While he played in the rain in the sea, I read a book under a nice little cove.

We had a wonderful lunch at Ciak on the patio. My husband had a beautiful, delicious seafood spaghetti. Dinner that night was at L’Altamarea, which had good food and was fairly reasonable.

The next day we bought the Cinque Terre pass and set off on the train to visit the five towns. We did the hikes between Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Corniglia. We would have hiked further, but it was a bit rainy and muddy, so we took the train to Vernazza.

In my notes for Vernazza, I had a recommendation from Fodors for a little restaurant named Il Pirata Café, so we stopped in for lunch. The café is run by twin brothers. Lucca was our waiter, and he was very charming, yet silly.

After a wonderful lunch, Lucca asked us if we wanted dessert. I told him we were too full for dessert, but he insisted that we should have dessert. So I said okay, I’ll have the orange cannoli. He said no. You do not want the orange cannoli, you want the strawberry slushy with cream. So I smiled and said okay, I’ll have the strawberry slushy with cream. He was right! The strawberry slushy with cream was amazingly delicious!

Later that night after finishing up our pizza at Pizzeria da Ely, nothing on the menu looked good for dessert and my husband suggested we go back to Vernazza for a strawberry slushy. Since there was a train leaving in ten minutes, we rushed to the train station and hopped on the train. I said to my husband we should ask the nice Italian man standing near us if the train was going to Vernazza. The man said “No Vernazza”, “No Vernazza”. We hopped off the train, the doors closed, and it sped off in the other directions.

Luckily, the train we wanted was one rail over and we hopped on, got off in Vernazza and walked up the hill to the Pirata Café. Lucca was outside and we told him we came back for a strawberry slushy. Lucca said no. No strawberry slushy at night! So my husband and I just looked at each other smiled, and said well how about the orange cannoli then. Lucca said no. You do not want the orange cannoli, you want the strawberry panna cotta. So of course we had the strawberry panna cotta, which was to die for! I really must figure out a way to get that recipe!

That next morning we had another lovely breakfast in the beautiful breakfast room of our beautiful hotel, the Hotel Pasquale. The staff of this hotel was wonderful, the rooms were great, the location was great, and the view was amazing. I would definitely stay there again.

Next up Tuscany

Wow. Thanks for the photos. I am wondering if you are a good photographer or is it just not possible to take a bad photo in Italy?

Thanks again.

Hi,

I love your report. We did this trip a few years ago and still talk about how great all of it was. Your pictures are wonderful.

Thanks,
Yipper

Tuscany

We took the train to La Spezia, took a taxi to pick up our rental car at Avis (reserved through Auto Europe) and headed out on the autostrada. We wanted to make a quick stop in Pisa on the way to Tuscany. I had been reading posts on Fodors about whether or not Pisa was worth a stop, but for my husband seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a highlight. I guess it really said “you’re in Italy” to him. We only stayed a couple of hours, but it was well worth the time for us.

Our next stop was San Gimignano and a little hotel just inside the walls, Bel Soggiorno. This hotel was very nice, clean and had lovely antique furniture. We had a room with a street view, but probably should have booked a room with a view of the Tuscan hills. I had no idea how beautiful it would be! The hotel had a wonderful restaurant with a wall of glass windows to sit at and enjoy the view. It was breathtaking. Although my pictures of Tuscany were nice, I don’t think they captured the amazing beauty of Tuscany. We were blown away.

When planning the trip many thought we shouldn’t spend just one night in a town, but I’m so glad we did. You get such a better feel for a place spending a night there, then just a few hours in the day. I think it must be hard to fall in love with a place if you’re only there a couple of hours. San Gimignano was definitely one of our favorite hill towns.

The next morning we were off to visit Siena. We toured the Church of San Domenico, and the beautiful Duomo, hung out in Il Campo and had a nice pizza at Il Bandierino, which was a fun place to people watch.

After a few hours we left for Pienza and our lovely hotel, Piccolo Hotel. Pienza was our favorite hill town and we had a wonderful room with a balcony and a view of the Tuscan hills that was awe inspiring. I highly recommend this hotel for the Tuscan area. We took a tour of the Palazzo Piccolomini, which gave you, as Rick Steve’s puts it “a fascinating slice of 15th century, aristocratic life”.

Dinner the first night was a Latte di Lucca, it was delicious and packed. They were turning people away, luckily our hotel had made a reservation for us.

The next day we visited Montalcino and had lunch at Grappolo Blu, which had the best bruschetta I have ever eaten. We spent the afternoon in Montepulciano. which was our least favorite hill town. Perhaps because it was the end of the day and we didn’t spend enough time there.

The next morning we drove to Orvieto, looked around the town for about an hour, and returned our car to the rental office. I would love to go back someday and spend more time in Orvieto. We walked to the train station purchased tickets and hopped on a train to Rome!

Next up Rome

Lovely! Anxiously waiting for your Rome installment!

Nicely done Barbara, I loved your pics of venice.

Barbara - I am laughing while reading your account of Lucca at Il Pirata and I can't wait to read this to my husband. Last year my husband was hiking the trail near the restaurant and stopped to get a bottle of water to take with him...Lucca struck up a long and lively conversation and told him to bring me back that evening for dinner. We arrived and while Lucca seated us, my husband tried to pick up where they left off that morning with their conversation and Lucca just quietly listened and nodded his head as my husband tried to chat it up. Lucca left and my husband was very puzzled -- this didn't seem to be the same talkative, funny guy he visited with that morning....well it wasn't! We discovered that Lucca has a twin brother!! Anyway, Lucca appeared and continued to entertain us throughout the evening - while reading your account I could just hear him! We returned the next morning for the recommended breakfast pastry which was fresh and scrumptious!!! My husband took a photo of me with the two brothers and it serves as a treasured memory. Can't wait to experience Il Pirata again!! Glad you got "experience" it on your trip.

Lovely photos Barbara.

Brought back some great memories of our last trip to Italy.

Thanks.

I stayed with friends at the Hotel Pasquale a few years ago and we too thoroughly enjoyed its location and would highly recommend it. Their breakfast was very good - basic, small rooms but were clean and most with views right on the water. Be advised however that there is no elevator so slepping up 4 flights of stairs with luggage can be a bit of a workout! The train passes close by but it truly didn't interfere with our sleeping at night.

Carol - I don't know if it's a recent addition, but the Hotel Pasquale does have a nice little elevator.

Thanks for all the nice comments on my pictures. Of course I didn't post the bad ones. And many of them I tweaked a bit in Photoshop. I love the shadow/highlight function. It did a great job fixing some of the photos that were way to dark.

Barbara, I'm really enjoying your report. Great pictures! Looking forward to Rome.

What great photo's. I took my daughter and niece in January. Fowarded the site to them. Thanks again.

Absolutely terrific photos and a marvelous trip report!

Bookmarking so I don't miss the Rome report!

Barbara,

I'm so enjoying your repofrt and your pictures.

The photos are especially enjoyable for me since I lost my camera with all my pictures on it on our last day in Rome in April!

We had been to Orvieto and Assisi before Rome.

Looking forward to your continuing report.

Byrd

Hi! Barbara:

We are planning our first Italian trip next year! Along with San Gimignano, we are thinking about staying in San Quirico or Pienza. Can you please explain why Pienza is your favourite hill town? Would you mind elaborating a bit more about the Piccolo Hotel & your stay there?

Many thanks!

2010

Barbara your pictures are amazing and I love your report.
I will be visiting Rome, Tuscany (staying in Montalcino) and Florence then to Veniceat the end of September can't wait.

Byrd - I can't imagine how upset I'd be if I didn't have pictures. Feel free to print mine and call them your own!

2010 - I didn't mention it, but we did make a quick stop at San Quirico. It was a lovely little town, but I would pick Pienza over San Quirico.

I think what I loved about Pienza was that it was a great combination of old hill town and yet it still felt like a town people lived in. There was a cute sign on a door announcing the birth of a baby. It wasn't as hilly as most of the other towns, and was a pleasure to stroll around. It didn't seem as touristy as the other hill towns.

The Piccolo Hotel's location is perfect. You are right across the street from the historical center of Pienza, but you don't have to drive through narrow roads, and there is plenty of parking. The Piccolo has a wonderful garden area to sit in and enjoy breakfast, or a glass of wine in the afternoon, with unbelievable views of the Tuscan hills. I would definitely recommend getting a room with a view!

The staff were so friendly and helpful. They offered restaurant suggests and made reservations for us both nights. The breakfasts, included in the price of the room, were delicious. Everything was very clean and look either newly built or newly remodeled.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have specific questions you'd like me to answer.

Thanks to everyone for reading my trip report. I'll try to post Rome tomorrow.

Barbara, I'm enjoying every bit of your report and pictures. It is nice to re-live some places already visited and some to look forward to.
Thanks.

Barbara,
I absolutely love your pictures! They make me feel as though I am there with you.

Our family is planning a trip to Italy and your itinerary is fairly close to what I'm imagining. If I may ask though, could you throw in some prices you paid for your hotels, B & B's and if you remember some of the meals?

Barbara:

Thanks for your reply re: Pienza & Hotel Piccolo. It's always informative to have a traveller's perspective --- your experiences & insights have been most helpful!

2010

Barbara, I am looking forward to your next installment. We stayed at the Santa Maria in Trastevere in 2003 and I am curious to see what you thought.

Steve

Barbara -- I also stayed at the Piccolo in Pienza and agree wholeheartedly with your comments. Great location, warm reception, lovely rooms, and amazing views. It sounds like you had a fabulous trip.

Byrd -- how awful that you lost your photos. I would be happy to contribute some shots. Email me direct at diane1000@earthlink.net.

Thank you for sharing, BarbaraS. Loved your pictures, esp. of the Siena Duomo. It happens to be my favorite. (Feeling really nostalgic now )

We stayed at Bel Soggiorno in San Gim too. Great location and staff, and very reasonable, don't you find?


Looking forward to more...

-e

Carol - Il Pirata is definitely a favorite memory of mine. I need to hear more about the "breakfast pastry". I can only imagine how delicious it was.

Roma

I think it’s fun just to say it! I have to say I was a little apprehensive about Rome, with all the warnings posted about being careful to watch out for pickpockets, etc. And just like I had been warned, Rome was a big, crowded, dirty city, but how could I help but fall in love with it. Everywhere I turned there was something amazing to see.

We took a taxi from the train station to our hotel. The taxi driver did not want to drive down the narrow streets to drop us off at our hotel, but left us in a little piazza near the hotel to find our way there. Luckily, I had printed off a map from the internet and we quickly located the entry gates.

The Hotel Santa Maria, is a lovely hotel in Trastevere. I had to practice saying that one. According to Rick Steve’s tras (across) Tevere (the Tiber) (trahs-TAY-veh-ray). It is a little oasis of calm and relaxation in a busy city. There is a small orange grove patio area in the center of the hotel, which all of the rooms face. People enjoyed this shaded area throughout the day, often sharing with one another that day’s adventures.

The rooms were tastefully decorated and immaculately clean. The staff was very courteous and extremely helpful. The breakfasts, included in the price, were wonderfully delicious. Trastevere is a fun area to stay in, but about 30 minute walk away from most of the tourist sites.

There are so many good restaurants nearby that it was very hard to choose. We wanted to eat at Mario’s the first night (Saturday), because when we walked by there was an accordion player and everyone looked like they were having so much fun, but they had no available tables. We did eat at Mario’s the next night and the food was just okay.
Il Dulca had good food. Pizza Pazza had great pizza. Our last night we ate at Ristorante Checco er Carettiere, recommend by Rick Steve’s, my husband’s osso bocco was good, my pasta carbonara was not – we thought it was overpriced.

For lunch near the Pantheon we ate at Miscellanea and it was wonderful. Huge sandwiches and salads. The staff were so gracious and kind. We got there around noon and by 12:30 it was packed.

I loved visiting the Colosseum and the Forum. To walk where Romans walked 2,000 years ago and think about how different life was for them was very moving. The Pantheon was amazing. It’s a shame more buildings did not survive in the same condition!

I loved visiting the Vatican. We arrived at St. Peter’s at 8:00 a.m. and there were very few people there that early in the morning, which was great. I never realized how enormous St. Peter’s is. It was indescribably beautiful. We took the elevator and then walked to the top of the dome, which gives you a whole new perspective on just how big it is.

We took the Scavi tour at 9:30 a.m., which was interesting, but for us was not a must do that I would recommend to others. We had an excellent buffet lunch at Perilli in Prati, recommended by Rick Steve’s. We returned to the Vatican to tour the Museum around 2:00 p.m. We had about a 20 minute wait to get in, which I hear isn’t bad. We loved the art, and the Sistine Chapel, although it was packed!

Another highlight, especially for my husband, was the Borghese Gallery. My husband fell in love with the Bernini statues. Our hotel graciously made reservations for us when I was unable to get them on the internet.

We walked most everywhere we wanted to go. The hotel location is not near a metro stop. I wish we had figured out the bus system. But with all the walking we did, it helped me not feel guilty about all the gelato we were eating. My husband’s favorite was pistachio at Blue Ice.

We used Rome Airport Shuttle to pick us up at our hotel and take us to the airport. They were prompt and cost 34 euros for both of us.

Our trip to Italy was packed full. We loved every minute of it. We were very fortunate and everything went as planned. One of the things we loved the most about our trip was the people we met along the way. Wonderful couples from other countries who were sitting near us in restaurants, or on the train, and they/we would strike up a conversation; sharing stories about our travels and our home towns. It was so nice visiting with shop keepers, waiters and hotel clerks, and just getting to know the wonderful Italian people.

We were told we should not have missed Pompeii and that the Amalfi Coast is breathtaking. I guess we’ll just have to plan another trip!

Thanks to everyone for checking out my report. It was less overwhelming for me to write it in installments. I'm happy to answer any questions.

namaka - Here's what we paid for our hotels:

Locanda Orseolo - €240
Alloro B&B - €130
Hotel Pasquale - €150, minus 10% for cash payment
Bel Soggiorno - €100
Piccolo hotel - €130
Hotel Santa Maria - €180, with cash discount

Since we really aren't foodies, we tried to pick restaurants that were fairly affordable. The most we paid for a meal was €60, but we are not wine or coffee drinkers. We usually ordered two courses and often shared a dessert.

If there's a specific restaurant you want a price on, I'll try and look it up for you. Have fun on your trip!

enroute - I agree Bel Soggiorno was a bargain! The location was fabulous, the breakfast had a wide variety of delicious items to choose from, the staff could not have been more helpful and courteous, and the room was fairly large and very clean. My only complaint is that the bed was a bit hard.

Hi Barbara,

congrats on your anniverary and thanks for posting this- i really enjoyed it, especially as your comments on the places i have been to are very similar to what I thought.

we too are about the celebrate out 30th Wedding Anniversary; however we are only going away for one night, and not to Italy either. never mind, "oh to be in england now that summer's here".

regards, ann

Barbara,

I stayed in the same hotel in San Gemignano (post is up from trip) and, like you,was very pleased. Did have the country view and coulde not believe how incredibly magnificent it was. I took so many pictures since each time the light was a bit differnt and highlighted a different farm or hill.

I also decided Pienza was my favorite town (stayed at Fonte Bertusi and loved my meal at Latte de Luna). Am currently having a lot of fantasies about returning in the fall to see how different it looks in that season!

Kathy

Thanks for the report!

Thank you for sharing your adventure with us. I'm a big fan of San Gimignano. We spent 2 nights there and you get such a different feel from the place early in the morning and at night when the day trippers are gone.

To answer you question...it is possible to fall in love with a place in a couple of hours. We stayed in Montalcino but absolutely fell in love with Pienza in a few short hours. Should we return to Tuscany, we'd like to rent a place for a week near Pienza.

I so much enjoyed your report and photos. You visited some of our favorite towns and areas. We also loved CT..we stayed in Vernazza and met some real characters there.

Great trip report! Took some notes for our own upcoming 30th Anniversary trip in September.
Our itinerary:
3 nights Rome - Il Tuo Nido a Roma B&B in Trastevere
7 nights Tuscany - Villa rental just outside Lucignano, near Cortona
1 night Lucca (of course, after a stop in Pisa to see the tower) - Hotel La Luna
2 nights CT (Vernazza) - Hotel Gianni Franzi
1 night Milan - Milan Hilton (using points)

Can't wait!

Barbara,

Great finish! I really enjoyed it. So glad you had a good trip, made all the connections, and fell in love with Roma!

Ciao bella

annhig - congratulations on your anniversary as well. 30 years is a great accomplishment!

kathrynj - lucky you to have a view room at Bel Soggiorno!

crazyfortravel - a week in Pienza sounds heavenly.

mktopks - your trip sounds great. A week in Tuscany - how wonderful. I would have liked to visit Lucca too.

Dayle - thanks for your help planning my trip and sharing your love of Italy!

Fantastic photos & wonderful report. It is so brown in California now that the green of Italy was really calling to me.