Just returned from fabulous Italian 15-night adventure, with three nights spent also in Nice
May 23rd, 2006, 06:56 AM
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Just returned from fabulous Italian 15-night adventure, with three nights spent also in Nice
I owe you all a full trip report, and I'll put it together in the next couple of days. I'll probably post short notes on each of the places we visited, after I've sorted through all the business cards I collected and the photos I took.
We had amazing weather, in the 70s everyday, with blue skies. Really lucky for our two-week stretch.
The little hotels in each town were perfect for us:
Rome, the Domus Julia;
Florence, the Relais Cavalcanti;
Venice, the Hotel Riva;
Santa Margherita Ligure, the Nuova Riviera;
Nice, the Hotel Grimaldi
I'll get all my cards unpacked and post the names of some fantastic restaurants we found in each town. Especially in Florence and Rome...
Also did day-trips to San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, Portofino, Antibes, and St. Jean Cap Ferrat.
Oh, my-- now I understand everyone's love of Italy! Especially its coast. Also loved Nice and its surrounding coastal towns.
Thanks for all your help!
We had amazing weather, in the 70s everyday, with blue skies. Really lucky for our two-week stretch.
The little hotels in each town were perfect for us:
Rome, the Domus Julia;
Florence, the Relais Cavalcanti;
Venice, the Hotel Riva;
Santa Margherita Ligure, the Nuova Riviera;
Nice, the Hotel Grimaldi
I'll get all my cards unpacked and post the names of some fantastic restaurants we found in each town. Especially in Florence and Rome...
Also did day-trips to San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, Portofino, Antibes, and St. Jean Cap Ferrat.
Oh, my-- now I understand everyone's love of Italy! Especially its coast. Also loved Nice and its surrounding coastal towns.
Thanks for all your help!
May 23rd, 2006, 09:43 AM
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We are in the very early planning stages for an April 2007 trip with two adults and children ages 13 and 10. Would love to hear more about number of days in each location and details of the Rome and Florence hotels.
Glad you had a great time. Italy is special...that's why we're considering it for our childrens' first European trip.
Glad you had a great time. Italy is special...that's why we're considering it for our childrens' first European trip.
May 24th, 2006, 06:24 AM
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CCrosner, I'd be happy to provide details on our recommendations in Rome and Florence. We spent three nights in each city, which is the minimalist time-frame for those three, for sure. I never like to move any more frequently than that. That's why we found towns that would provide enough entertainment for more than a one night visit. For instance, I was glad we hadn't booked just an overnight in one of the Cinque Terre towns, as they are very charming, but also very tiny and can be seen in one half-day tops, IMHO.
The Domus Julia in Rome is the apartment annex to the Hotel Julia, so you check in and have breakfast buffet at the Hotel. It is a fine little place, in a great location, at a very reasonable price. It is close to the Spanish Steps. We had a twin-bed room, for my daughter and myself, which was large enough by European standards (and is pictured on their website quite accurately). We entered our room via a nice dining room/kitchen common area. There were two other units which shared that space, and I think they are larger apartments and might suit your family of four. Go to their website and book directly for the best rate, of course. They also offer a 13EUR shuttle from the airport, which is a big cost-savings. (Beware, though, that the shuttle driver was a bit of a creep. He dropped me off at the bottom of the hill, with all my luggage, telling me the hotel was just across the street. But it was really up the hill about a block on a very narrow cobblestoned street, and was quite unpleasant dragging my bags up that hill after my long flights from the U.S. So be aware if the driver pulls that trick on you. It's a one-way street coming down the hill, and I guess he was too lazy to circle around and drop me off in front like the taxi drivers did.)
In Florence, the Relais Cavalcanti is a very charming little 'hotel'. It occupies one floor of a building located near the Uffizi gallery, in a very good central location. Because my daughter had just finished her semester in Florence, she was able to recommend her favorite location in town for lodging (as well as fantastic gelato and two amazing restaurants-- which I'll post more about when I dig out the cards and receipts from them).
The Relais Cavalcanti building has been in the same family's ownership for 100+ years, The owner/manager of the newish Relais is Francesca. She said she inherited this one floor of the building, so she recently renovated it to create a little hotel. So it's relatively new, with beautiful tile bathrooms, showers, etc. The rooms are very charming, a good sized. You have the feeling of entering a very nice private Italian home, when you unlock the Relais door and smell the potpourri set out on the beautiful tables in the hallway and entry way. It has a small elevator and a/c, too. No breakfast is served, but even better I think is that they have a beautiful little dining room/kitchen that is open 24/7 for guests. You have always available the makings for coffee, hot chocolate and tea, plus containers of pre-wrapped pastries and dessert cakes. That's about as much as you get in any Italian B&B for breakfast, and this way you can serve yourself whenever. One evening we bought wine, cheese, bread, and fuit and enjoyed our own private time in this beautiful room. The only thing to be aware of at Relais Cavalcanti is that the first floor of the building is the Old Stove Irish pub. The good news is that it's a decent little place for a panini, and has free wi-fi. However, it attracts a lot of students and young people, so it is quite noisy into the early morning hours. Our room window was directly above the pub's patio, with a beautiful view. The double windows, plus the wooden shutters, can close to block out about 90 percent of the noise from the pub below. I found that I could also turn on the a/c fan in our room, which would then totally cover any outside noise.
Francesca also cautions her prospective guests that she does not staff a 24/7 front desk. She is there during posted hours, mostly till 6 p.m., and has an emergency number on the door. But she is careful to tell guests that hers is not a hotel with full-services at night-time. I highly recommend the Relais Cavalcanti.
More about each city in separate posts to come. Enjoy planning your lovely trip with your family.
The Domus Julia in Rome is the apartment annex to the Hotel Julia, so you check in and have breakfast buffet at the Hotel. It is a fine little place, in a great location, at a very reasonable price. It is close to the Spanish Steps. We had a twin-bed room, for my daughter and myself, which was large enough by European standards (and is pictured on their website quite accurately). We entered our room via a nice dining room/kitchen common area. There were two other units which shared that space, and I think they are larger apartments and might suit your family of four. Go to their website and book directly for the best rate, of course. They also offer a 13EUR shuttle from the airport, which is a big cost-savings. (Beware, though, that the shuttle driver was a bit of a creep. He dropped me off at the bottom of the hill, with all my luggage, telling me the hotel was just across the street. But it was really up the hill about a block on a very narrow cobblestoned street, and was quite unpleasant dragging my bags up that hill after my long flights from the U.S. So be aware if the driver pulls that trick on you. It's a one-way street coming down the hill, and I guess he was too lazy to circle around and drop me off in front like the taxi drivers did.)
In Florence, the Relais Cavalcanti is a very charming little 'hotel'. It occupies one floor of a building located near the Uffizi gallery, in a very good central location. Because my daughter had just finished her semester in Florence, she was able to recommend her favorite location in town for lodging (as well as fantastic gelato and two amazing restaurants-- which I'll post more about when I dig out the cards and receipts from them).
The Relais Cavalcanti building has been in the same family's ownership for 100+ years, The owner/manager of the newish Relais is Francesca. She said she inherited this one floor of the building, so she recently renovated it to create a little hotel. So it's relatively new, with beautiful tile bathrooms, showers, etc. The rooms are very charming, a good sized. You have the feeling of entering a very nice private Italian home, when you unlock the Relais door and smell the potpourri set out on the beautiful tables in the hallway and entry way. It has a small elevator and a/c, too. No breakfast is served, but even better I think is that they have a beautiful little dining room/kitchen that is open 24/7 for guests. You have always available the makings for coffee, hot chocolate and tea, plus containers of pre-wrapped pastries and dessert cakes. That's about as much as you get in any Italian B&B for breakfast, and this way you can serve yourself whenever. One evening we bought wine, cheese, bread, and fuit and enjoyed our own private time in this beautiful room. The only thing to be aware of at Relais Cavalcanti is that the first floor of the building is the Old Stove Irish pub. The good news is that it's a decent little place for a panini, and has free wi-fi. However, it attracts a lot of students and young people, so it is quite noisy into the early morning hours. Our room window was directly above the pub's patio, with a beautiful view. The double windows, plus the wooden shutters, can close to block out about 90 percent of the noise from the pub below. I found that I could also turn on the a/c fan in our room, which would then totally cover any outside noise.
Francesca also cautions her prospective guests that she does not staff a 24/7 front desk. She is there during posted hours, mostly till 6 p.m., and has an emergency number on the door. But she is careful to tell guests that hers is not a hotel with full-services at night-time. I highly recommend the Relais Cavalcanti.
More about each city in separate posts to come. Enjoy planning your lovely trip with your family.
May 24th, 2006, 11:38 AM
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Thanks, Maureen, for your detailed and candid assessment of both locations. They sound like good options for our trip. I am now leaning toward staying outside of Florence (less than 30 minutes) so that we can also see Tuscany and Pisa. I love Florence but realize that my children will not appreciate more than a perfunctory look at the breathtaking art there ("David" is a must as my son's name is David). So will want to mix it up a bit. And I've also read on here and on Tripadvisor that Florence is quite crowded--thinking it might be overwhelming.
Thanks, again!
Thanks, again!
May 24th, 2006, 12:50 PM
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Thanks Maureen, I too am anxious to hear more about your trip...Like ccrosner, we are going to Italy this July with our two boys 13 and 11. I've reserved all the inns along the way, but am still researching and changing my mind so often it's driving everyone in my house crazy!!
I look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Liz
I look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Liz
May 24th, 2006, 04:00 PM
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ms_go, I think you will like le Grimaldi. Their service was really good, and it's a pretty building with very cute interiors.
Our room was just a "classic", not a superior, but it was very nice. They have a business center off the lobby, with free internet access and free use of printers, so that's helpful in planning activities. The front desk will also get information for you, and print bus/train schedules, etc. It's an easy walk to the train station (w/o luggage), and a slightly longer walk to the bus station. Easy walk of a few blocks to the grand promenade at seaside, just past the pedestrian zone. Also not far walking to Vieux Nice. The neighborhood felt perfectly safe, and my daughter and I walked back to the hotel late each night. Be sure to walk at night along the promenade, and see the Chateau hill all lit up. It's really pretty. I really will get my notes together, and post the good restaurants we found. Not fancy, more casual, but in old Nice, and very good service and food in the 25EUR range and less, per person.
Our room was just a "classic", not a superior, but it was very nice. They have a business center off the lobby, with free internet access and free use of printers, so that's helpful in planning activities. The front desk will also get information for you, and print bus/train schedules, etc. It's an easy walk to the train station (w/o luggage), and a slightly longer walk to the bus station. Easy walk of a few blocks to the grand promenade at seaside, just past the pedestrian zone. Also not far walking to Vieux Nice. The neighborhood felt perfectly safe, and my daughter and I walked back to the hotel late each night. Be sure to walk at night along the promenade, and see the Chateau hill all lit up. It's really pretty. I really will get my notes together, and post the good restaurants we found. Not fancy, more casual, but in old Nice, and very good service and food in the 25EUR range and less, per person.
May 24th, 2006, 06:51 PM
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Ok, you talked me into it. I wrote up my notes on Nice and just posted them. In fact, I can just paste it all below:
"We arrived in Nice in the early afternoon on Friday, via train from Venice. The trip had been long enough, and was complicated when the Italian train quit one stop before Genoa. The conductor walked through and told everyone we’d have to get off the train and catch another one. No explanation given, simply 'get off and go catch another train'.
We had been seated relatively comfortably, with my huge bag safely stashed away, and we only needed to go one more stop to reach Genoa. But, instead, we drug our luggage off that train and onto the next one, as directed. It was packed, standing room only.
We all stood there about fifteen minutes on that train, when another conductor came in and said yet another train would leave first, and we should get off and catch that one. So we again dutifully picked up all our stuff, and hauled it onto the next standing-room-only train.
Finally, it departed and we arrived in Genoa. Luckily for us, our train out of Genoa was late, too, so we were able to catch it. (It reminded me of Rick Steves’ saying that Italy is like a tangled plate of spaghetti: it makes no sense, but we love it anyway!)
Our Hotel le Grimaldi (http://www.le-grimaldi.com/) was a short cab ride from the train station. It was 10EUR for myself, my daughter, my gargantuan bag, and her two small ones. We were greeted graciously at the hotel, which immediately struck us as a good find.
The hotel is actually two Belle Epoque buildings back-to-back. One side is much prettier to enter, as it faces a nice church. The other side is fine, too, but a bit boring. I think the side on rue Grimaldi is the plain one, and the other side on rue Maccarani is prettier.
The man at the front desk carried my bag to the room, and showed us around. There’s a business center on the ground floor, with free internet use on their two computers, and a free printer to use. (Also wireless in the lobby, I think for a fee.)
Our room was a ‘classic’, twin-bedded room, which was large enough, had a little balcony, a sparkling tile bath with fluffy bright yellow towels, and nice toiletries. It was 150EUR, plus tax and 10EUR per person if we opted for the hot/cold breakfast buffet. They suggested we check out the buffet (served till 10:30a.m.), and if we were interested the next morning, we could sign on for it. Their deal is that you have to buy it everyday to get the 10EUR rate. Otherwise, per day, it’s 15EUR.
So the next morning, we were happy to find hot eggs, proscuitto, yoghurts, cereals, cappuccino, assorted croissants, juices, etc. We thought it a good deal and quite convenient, so we enjoyed it each morning.
For our first dinner, I had brought the name of a restaurant I’d found on Travel Talk, and the front desk agreed it was a good one, a local favorite in old Nice. It’s called Acchiardo, at 38 rue Droite in Vieux Nice. We headed over for their opening at 7p.m., and were very happy with it. Really friendly and attentive service, very quaint and casual atmosphere, with a good menu. I had a steak dinner, which actually included vegetables on the side. My daughter had two different salads. We had bottled water and a half-liter of house red wine. When the bill arrived for 28.50EUR, I thought they’d made a mistake because it was so much less than I’d been accustomed to paying in Venice, Florence and Rome. But, no, it was correct. (We would have maybe eaten there another night, but found out it closes on weekend nights, believe it or not.)
We walked all over old Nice, then through the pedestian area to the promenade and took that way back to the hotel. It’s such a beautiful walk at night. The Chateau hillside is all lit up, the palm trees are lit, and the waves look so pleasant. It was how we ended each of our Nice nights, with that walk back to the hotel.
The next day we decided to take the short bus ride on the #81, to visit the Villa and Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild, near Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. (The bus is just 1.30EUR each direction, which you pay in exact change on the bus.)
It was a nice visit, especially to see the views of the sea down below on both sides of the hillside. I thought the price was a bit steep, at 9.50EUR for an adult, because the Villa isn’t really all that interesting (sorry!), but the gardens are pretty. There’s also a nice little café there, for a light snack or drink or meal, which was a welcome break from all our walking.
While we were there, a very strong wind came up, which caused quite a bit of white caps in the water below, and chased everyone in from the patio tables. The wind stayed with us for the rest of the day, but wasn’t terribly annoying.
From the Villa, we did the easy walk down to the port of St. Jean to walk around and check it out. There are nice boats in the little harbor, with cute restaurants and shops. It’s very tiny, so doesn’t take long to walk from end to end of St. Jean. We spent just about an hour and a half there, then caught the #81 back to Nice.
That evening, we returned to old Nice for dinner. We loved that neighborhood’s little streets, overall atmosphere, and cute shops. We found the Restaurant la Tapenada, 6 rue St. Reparate and had a very nice dinner. It was probably about 60EUR for the two of us, on their fixed price menu, with a bottle of house wine. Very nice little place, with friendly and attentive service. They even let my daughter trade her dessert for a salad. So she had two salads to start, one after the other, and they timed the arrival of our main courses perfectly. We were perfectly happy with our meal there.
The next day we decided we’d stick to the coast and see Antibes, which is a short 20-minute train ride from Nice. We were glad we’d chosen Antibes, as it’s beautiful. The sea wall makes a nice walk, and the Centre Ville is very charming.
We wandered its streets, shopped in a tiny clothing boutique, found a little place for omelettes (nothing special, but nice enough), then headed back to Nice by train after about 4 hours total. It was a good choice for a quick day-trip.
That evening we weren’t very hungry, so opted for the simple Pasta Basta, once again in old Nice. It was a nice meal, although not extraordinary. Good prices and decent service.
All in all, we were very impressed with Nice and the surrounding area. It’s a very pretty city, with a friendly attitude, sitting on a lovely shore. There are many options for things to do near Nice. We’d considered St. Paul de Vence and Digne, but with the beautiful clear weather, we were drawn to stay at the seaside, and were glad we did."
"We arrived in Nice in the early afternoon on Friday, via train from Venice. The trip had been long enough, and was complicated when the Italian train quit one stop before Genoa. The conductor walked through and told everyone we’d have to get off the train and catch another one. No explanation given, simply 'get off and go catch another train'.
We had been seated relatively comfortably, with my huge bag safely stashed away, and we only needed to go one more stop to reach Genoa. But, instead, we drug our luggage off that train and onto the next one, as directed. It was packed, standing room only.
We all stood there about fifteen minutes on that train, when another conductor came in and said yet another train would leave first, and we should get off and catch that one. So we again dutifully picked up all our stuff, and hauled it onto the next standing-room-only train.
Finally, it departed and we arrived in Genoa. Luckily for us, our train out of Genoa was late, too, so we were able to catch it. (It reminded me of Rick Steves’ saying that Italy is like a tangled plate of spaghetti: it makes no sense, but we love it anyway!)
Our Hotel le Grimaldi (http://www.le-grimaldi.com/) was a short cab ride from the train station. It was 10EUR for myself, my daughter, my gargantuan bag, and her two small ones. We were greeted graciously at the hotel, which immediately struck us as a good find.
The hotel is actually two Belle Epoque buildings back-to-back. One side is much prettier to enter, as it faces a nice church. The other side is fine, too, but a bit boring. I think the side on rue Grimaldi is the plain one, and the other side on rue Maccarani is prettier.
The man at the front desk carried my bag to the room, and showed us around. There’s a business center on the ground floor, with free internet use on their two computers, and a free printer to use. (Also wireless in the lobby, I think for a fee.)
Our room was a ‘classic’, twin-bedded room, which was large enough, had a little balcony, a sparkling tile bath with fluffy bright yellow towels, and nice toiletries. It was 150EUR, plus tax and 10EUR per person if we opted for the hot/cold breakfast buffet. They suggested we check out the buffet (served till 10:30a.m.), and if we were interested the next morning, we could sign on for it. Their deal is that you have to buy it everyday to get the 10EUR rate. Otherwise, per day, it’s 15EUR.
So the next morning, we were happy to find hot eggs, proscuitto, yoghurts, cereals, cappuccino, assorted croissants, juices, etc. We thought it a good deal and quite convenient, so we enjoyed it each morning.
For our first dinner, I had brought the name of a restaurant I’d found on Travel Talk, and the front desk agreed it was a good one, a local favorite in old Nice. It’s called Acchiardo, at 38 rue Droite in Vieux Nice. We headed over for their opening at 7p.m., and were very happy with it. Really friendly and attentive service, very quaint and casual atmosphere, with a good menu. I had a steak dinner, which actually included vegetables on the side. My daughter had two different salads. We had bottled water and a half-liter of house red wine. When the bill arrived for 28.50EUR, I thought they’d made a mistake because it was so much less than I’d been accustomed to paying in Venice, Florence and Rome. But, no, it was correct. (We would have maybe eaten there another night, but found out it closes on weekend nights, believe it or not.)
We walked all over old Nice, then through the pedestian area to the promenade and took that way back to the hotel. It’s such a beautiful walk at night. The Chateau hillside is all lit up, the palm trees are lit, and the waves look so pleasant. It was how we ended each of our Nice nights, with that walk back to the hotel.
The next day we decided to take the short bus ride on the #81, to visit the Villa and Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild, near Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. (The bus is just 1.30EUR each direction, which you pay in exact change on the bus.)
It was a nice visit, especially to see the views of the sea down below on both sides of the hillside. I thought the price was a bit steep, at 9.50EUR for an adult, because the Villa isn’t really all that interesting (sorry!), but the gardens are pretty. There’s also a nice little café there, for a light snack or drink or meal, which was a welcome break from all our walking.
While we were there, a very strong wind came up, which caused quite a bit of white caps in the water below, and chased everyone in from the patio tables. The wind stayed with us for the rest of the day, but wasn’t terribly annoying.
From the Villa, we did the easy walk down to the port of St. Jean to walk around and check it out. There are nice boats in the little harbor, with cute restaurants and shops. It’s very tiny, so doesn’t take long to walk from end to end of St. Jean. We spent just about an hour and a half there, then caught the #81 back to Nice.
That evening, we returned to old Nice for dinner. We loved that neighborhood’s little streets, overall atmosphere, and cute shops. We found the Restaurant la Tapenada, 6 rue St. Reparate and had a very nice dinner. It was probably about 60EUR for the two of us, on their fixed price menu, with a bottle of house wine. Very nice little place, with friendly and attentive service. They even let my daughter trade her dessert for a salad. So she had two salads to start, one after the other, and they timed the arrival of our main courses perfectly. We were perfectly happy with our meal there.
The next day we decided we’d stick to the coast and see Antibes, which is a short 20-minute train ride from Nice. We were glad we’d chosen Antibes, as it’s beautiful. The sea wall makes a nice walk, and the Centre Ville is very charming.
We wandered its streets, shopped in a tiny clothing boutique, found a little place for omelettes (nothing special, but nice enough), then headed back to Nice by train after about 4 hours total. It was a good choice for a quick day-trip.
That evening we weren’t very hungry, so opted for the simple Pasta Basta, once again in old Nice. It was a nice meal, although not extraordinary. Good prices and decent service.
All in all, we were very impressed with Nice and the surrounding area. It’s a very pretty city, with a friendly attitude, sitting on a lovely shore. There are many options for things to do near Nice. We’d considered St. Paul de Vence and Digne, but with the beautiful clear weather, we were drawn to stay at the seaside, and were glad we did."
May 24th, 2006, 07:25 PM
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Hi Maureen,
Can't wait to hear your restaurant recommendations for Rome and Florence!
Also, I am eager to hear how you liked the Vatican Museums tour (we just put our request in a couple of days ago for one month from now... hope we don't have to wait until the 9th hour to hear from them like you did!!). I'm also wondering if there were students, or others, outside of St. Peter's Basilica that were offering tours, since the Vatican Museums Tour (through the Vatican) doesn't cover St. Peter's.
Thanks, in advance!!
Carole
Can't wait to hear your restaurant recommendations for Rome and Florence!
Also, I am eager to hear how you liked the Vatican Museums tour (we just put our request in a couple of days ago for one month from now... hope we don't have to wait until the 9th hour to hear from them like you did!!). I'm also wondering if there were students, or others, outside of St. Peter's Basilica that were offering tours, since the Vatican Museums Tour (through the Vatican) doesn't cover St. Peter's.
Thanks, in advance!!
Carole
May 25th, 2006, 06:25 AM
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Dina4, we took the #81 bus from the bus station in Nice. It only takes about 10- 15 minutes on the bus to get to the Villa Ephrussi, but time may vary as it is a much-used bus route. We didn't stop to see the Greek Villa, but it's also on that same bus route, near the Ephrussi. You can easily catch the #81 for your return trip to Nice, at any stop along the road. It's a regular city bus that costs 1.30EUR each way. St. Jean is a nice little place to grab a bite to eat, or picnic on the boardwalk (several little markets there).
Cawhite, we were very glad we'd gone to the trouble to get the Vatican's Museums tour confirmation. It was fantastic to be able to walk directly to the head of the line, which was about two blocks long. The tour guide uses head sets to communicate, and it makes it so much easier not to have to stay right next to her to hear, because there are many people there, of course. The tour took two hours, which left us in the Sistine Chapel at 4:00. Perfect timing to enjoy the Chapel for a nice long time, then exit through the back door, which closes at 4:30, and takes you to the St. Peter's Basilica. That's the best travel tip I had on our trip. (Another tip is to make sure you bring ID, as the Museum checks for your name on their list and wants proof of all visitors' names.) Other people didn't know about the Sistine Chapel back door, and would leave the Museums to go stand in line outside again to enter the Basilica. So, we never were in the Basilica line proper, and didn't notice students offering tours. Since my daughter studied in Italy last semester and had already toured the major museums to study art history, I was lucky enough to have my own personal student tour guide! I was most interested in seeing Michelangelo's Pieta there.
If you search this forum, you'll find another thread I'd posted about the process, and there is a phone number posted there, which is actually answered by a person who speaks English, and may tell you when to expect your fax. They apparently have a schedule he can refer to, which tells him which tour dates are faxed when. It is always done just a few days in advance, as I understand it. Maybe have it faxed to your hotel in Rome, if you're not home to receive it.
I will write up my notes, but for now, here are the names and addresses of two good to excellent restaurants in both Rome and Florence. (You need reservations at most.)
Florence:
Trattoria Garga on Via del Moro 48/R, phone 055 2398898. We had an amazing meal there, probably my best in Italy. My dish was veal with avocado that sounds odd (most really good dishes do!), and was mouth-watering. Our waiter was a riot, singing and joking all over the restaurant. It was a friendly, lively, bustling atmosphere with excellent food. We paid 81EUR for two, with a half-liter of house wine.
Acqua Al 2 (pronounced 'aqua al duo'), Via della Vigna Vecchia, 40/R, phone 055 284170. They are known for their perfect steak with balsamic. I had it and was impressed. (They are now opening a restaurant in San Diego, believe it or not.) This restaurant is known throughout Florence, and is very popular, so it gets loud and crowded, but very worth it, even though the service was a tad spotty. We split a half-liter of house red wine, and we paid 50.70EUR for two dining.
Finally, a place to sit on the patio and enjoy a nice lunch is called Trattoria Za-Za, at Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26R. It's popular with business people, and we enjoyed nice omelettes there. Lunch for two, with a glass of wine for each, was 25.50EUR.
Rome:
Very casual and good, the Maccheroni Ristorante at Piazza delle Coppelle, 44, phone 06 68307895. Also very popular with locals and gets very busy. 47EUR for two, with one-half liter of house wine.
Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi, 49- 61, phone 063213040, or 063212327. For a more special dinner, but certainly not over-the-top. For three people dining, we paid 103EUR, which included a liter of house wine, coffee and three desserts. We order very lightly. Two of us had veal dishes, one had just spaghetti. We shared two appetizers. It is a very, very friendly and pleasant place. You need reservations there. A friend who studied in Rome directed us to it. We completely enjoyed ourselves.
Cawhite, we were very glad we'd gone to the trouble to get the Vatican's Museums tour confirmation. It was fantastic to be able to walk directly to the head of the line, which was about two blocks long. The tour guide uses head sets to communicate, and it makes it so much easier not to have to stay right next to her to hear, because there are many people there, of course. The tour took two hours, which left us in the Sistine Chapel at 4:00. Perfect timing to enjoy the Chapel for a nice long time, then exit through the back door, which closes at 4:30, and takes you to the St. Peter's Basilica. That's the best travel tip I had on our trip. (Another tip is to make sure you bring ID, as the Museum checks for your name on their list and wants proof of all visitors' names.) Other people didn't know about the Sistine Chapel back door, and would leave the Museums to go stand in line outside again to enter the Basilica. So, we never were in the Basilica line proper, and didn't notice students offering tours. Since my daughter studied in Italy last semester and had already toured the major museums to study art history, I was lucky enough to have my own personal student tour guide! I was most interested in seeing Michelangelo's Pieta there.
If you search this forum, you'll find another thread I'd posted about the process, and there is a phone number posted there, which is actually answered by a person who speaks English, and may tell you when to expect your fax. They apparently have a schedule he can refer to, which tells him which tour dates are faxed when. It is always done just a few days in advance, as I understand it. Maybe have it faxed to your hotel in Rome, if you're not home to receive it.
I will write up my notes, but for now, here are the names and addresses of two good to excellent restaurants in both Rome and Florence. (You need reservations at most.)
Florence:
Trattoria Garga on Via del Moro 48/R, phone 055 2398898. We had an amazing meal there, probably my best in Italy. My dish was veal with avocado that sounds odd (most really good dishes do!), and was mouth-watering. Our waiter was a riot, singing and joking all over the restaurant. It was a friendly, lively, bustling atmosphere with excellent food. We paid 81EUR for two, with a half-liter of house wine.
Acqua Al 2 (pronounced 'aqua al duo'), Via della Vigna Vecchia, 40/R, phone 055 284170. They are known for their perfect steak with balsamic. I had it and was impressed. (They are now opening a restaurant in San Diego, believe it or not.) This restaurant is known throughout Florence, and is very popular, so it gets loud and crowded, but very worth it, even though the service was a tad spotty. We split a half-liter of house red wine, and we paid 50.70EUR for two dining.
Finally, a place to sit on the patio and enjoy a nice lunch is called Trattoria Za-Za, at Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26R. It's popular with business people, and we enjoyed nice omelettes there. Lunch for two, with a glass of wine for each, was 25.50EUR.
Rome:
Very casual and good, the Maccheroni Ristorante at Piazza delle Coppelle, 44, phone 06 68307895. Also very popular with locals and gets very busy. 47EUR for two, with one-half liter of house wine.
Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi, 49- 61, phone 063213040, or 063212327. For a more special dinner, but certainly not over-the-top. For three people dining, we paid 103EUR, which included a liter of house wine, coffee and three desserts. We order very lightly. Two of us had veal dishes, one had just spaghetti. We shared two appetizers. It is a very, very friendly and pleasant place. You need reservations there. A friend who studied in Rome directed us to it. We completely enjoyed ourselves.
May 25th, 2006, 07:02 AM
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Thanks Maureen!
I knew about the back door exit to go from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's, but did not know about the phone number to see when the fax will be sent out. I will search for your other post.
Thanks, also, for the restaurant recommendations! I will need to look up the Rome restaurant locations so we can see which days we will be in those particular areas.
Thanks again!
Carole
I knew about the back door exit to go from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's, but did not know about the phone number to see when the fax will be sent out. I will search for your other post.
Thanks, also, for the restaurant recommendations! I will need to look up the Rome restaurant locations so we can see which days we will be in those particular areas.
Thanks again!
Carole
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