Pizza margherita, per favore. Three generations visit Tuscany, Rome and Venice, by ms_go and daughter.
Jul 6th, 2008, 06:04 PM
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Pizza margherita, per favore. Three generations visit Tuscany, Rome and Venice, by ms_go and daughter.
I was awakened from sleep (as deep as one can sleep upright in an economy seat, anyway) by the change in pitch from the engines as the plane began to descend. Glancing out the window, I saw that the pervasive cloud cover that had started near Zurich was now gone. The view was replaced by rolling hills, olive groves, small clusters of stone houses with red tile roofs�all bathed in sunlight. Ahhh�finally back in Italy!
Discussions about this trip began several years ago, as my brother and I pondered the possibility of an extended family vacation in Italy�once his children were old enough for transatlantic travel but while our mother was still able. Last year, we put the proverbial stake in the ground by booking a villa in Tuscany, and now the rest is history.
<b>Some background</b>
The participants:
-Me (mid 40s) and my 15-year-old daughter (�DD� in this report)
-My mother (�mom�), mid 70s
-My brother and his wife (B & SIL), both about 40, with their three boys: �Podolski� (9), �Del Piero� (7) and �Dida� (turned 4 while in Rome) as per the football jerseys they acquired early in the trip and wore often
We sought a good mix of culture, history and relaxation, and after some study and discussion, settled on one week in a centrally located spot in Tuscany and five nights in Rome. After that, mom, DD and I continued on to Venice for four nights. B/SIL and kids flew to London to spend some additional time with her sister�s family.
We are neither high-end nor budget travelers. With a group of our size, we quickly ruled out hotels (we would have needed four rooms), instead looking at villas and apartments. And while we ate well, for the most part we did not plan our trip around food; we ate when and where needs dictated�typically one meal a day out, with breakfast in and snacks and sandwiches to fill up at other points. Let�s just say there was a lot of pizza and wine consumed! In fact, we�ve decided to name the trip report after the most commonly ordered item and the one Italian phrase mastered by all members of our traveling party (well, aside from �grazie� and "gelato"
.
I should add that, with the exception of my nephews, all of us have been to Italy at least once. This was my third trip to Rome (mr_go, DD and I spent a week there a few years ago), my fourth trip to Venice and my third time in Florence. While we aimed to cover some basics, our goal was not to �do everything.� With young children, we also didn�t plan for a lot of time in museums. Essentially, each of us contributed some priorities to �the list,� and we tried to fit those in to the extent possible.
I did not take detailed notes, so this report will probably end up to be more of a random series of thoughts to which I�ll add as I have a chance. DD will contribute along the way.
As always, I gleaned much good information from this site and would like to give back what I can. A collective thanks to everyone whose posts helped in planning this trip!
Discussions about this trip began several years ago, as my brother and I pondered the possibility of an extended family vacation in Italy�once his children were old enough for transatlantic travel but while our mother was still able. Last year, we put the proverbial stake in the ground by booking a villa in Tuscany, and now the rest is history.
<b>Some background</b>
The participants:
-Me (mid 40s) and my 15-year-old daughter (�DD� in this report)
-My mother (�mom�), mid 70s
-My brother and his wife (B & SIL), both about 40, with their three boys: �Podolski� (9), �Del Piero� (7) and �Dida� (turned 4 while in Rome) as per the football jerseys they acquired early in the trip and wore often
We sought a good mix of culture, history and relaxation, and after some study and discussion, settled on one week in a centrally located spot in Tuscany and five nights in Rome. After that, mom, DD and I continued on to Venice for four nights. B/SIL and kids flew to London to spend some additional time with her sister�s family.
We are neither high-end nor budget travelers. With a group of our size, we quickly ruled out hotels (we would have needed four rooms), instead looking at villas and apartments. And while we ate well, for the most part we did not plan our trip around food; we ate when and where needs dictated�typically one meal a day out, with breakfast in and snacks and sandwiches to fill up at other points. Let�s just say there was a lot of pizza and wine consumed! In fact, we�ve decided to name the trip report after the most commonly ordered item and the one Italian phrase mastered by all members of our traveling party (well, aside from �grazie� and "gelato"
.I should add that, with the exception of my nephews, all of us have been to Italy at least once. This was my third trip to Rome (mr_go, DD and I spent a week there a few years ago), my fourth trip to Venice and my third time in Florence. While we aimed to cover some basics, our goal was not to �do everything.� With young children, we also didn�t plan for a lot of time in museums. Essentially, each of us contributed some priorities to �the list,� and we tried to fit those in to the extent possible.
I did not take detailed notes, so this report will probably end up to be more of a random series of thoughts to which I�ll add as I have a chance. DD will contribute along the way.
As always, I gleaned much good information from this site and would like to give back what I can. A collective thanks to everyone whose posts helped in planning this trip!
Jul 6th, 2008, 06:12 PM
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<b>Tuscany: Hundreds of wonderful possibilities; where to stay?</b>
I debated for awhile about where to recommend that we stay in Tuscany (I should add that I also researched locations in Umbria, which I like very much). The area southeast of Siena seems to be recommended most often, but I felt that a location closer to Florence would provide us with more options for day trips that would be of interest to all in our group. Let’s face it: four, seven and nine-year-old boys probably don’t have the same level of interest in gorgeous scenery, wine and vineyards, fine dining, and picturesque hill towns. We decided to look for a property with easy access to Florence and Pisa, as well as various other smaller towns.
For awhile, I poured over websites—slowtrav, various agencies, many individual properties. I kept coming back to a property listed by Summer In Italy, through which we rented an apartment in Positano several years ago.
“Villa Vesta” met all of our requirements. It is a stand-alone, two-story building on a larger property with four units. The other three units are in a separate building just a bit down the hill. Villa Vesta has its own private yard, ringed by oleanders and cypress, with a picnic table, chairs and umbrella and a large lawn that produced many exciting football matches between Podolski and Del Piero. The views were fabulous. We could hear a bit of traffic on the main road and an occasional tractor on an adjacent farm, but nothing that detracted from the experience.
The house sleeps eight in four bedrooms (two rooms with doubles; two with twins). There are three bedrooms upstairs, along with a very large bath; and one smaller bedroom and a full bathroom downstairs. The kitchen is large and nicely furnished. Available technology includes satellite TV (great for watching Euro 2008) and wired high-speed Internet. Decorating is tasteful. There are screens on most all of the windows (good, because the bugs were coming out as the weather warmed up). The house doesn’t have air conditioning, but there’s good ventilation, and the owners have placed fans in most of the rooms. It stayed very pleasant inside while we were there.
The four units share a very nice pool with views across the valley to Montaione, as well as a laundry area with two washers. The grounds are very nicely manicured with an abundance of flowers; one of the brothers who own the property spends hours each day on site. Perfect to come home to each day, or for just hanging out.
And perfectly situated. This property sits about half way between the towns of Montaione and Castelfiorentino. Montaione is a very nice small hill town with most of the conveniences we needed (gas, ATM, post office, pharmacy)—most notably the Pam Express supermarket, which is open until 8pm every day, including Sunday. Montaione doesn’t have the star power of some of its neighbors, but that’s quite alright. It also doesn’t have the traffic and parking problems, either; that makes it great for a base town. We went into town for dinner a couple of times, but for the most part we fixed dinner in our villa and ate on the outdoor patio.
Sightseeing from this location offers a lot of possibilities. We used the train in nearby Castelfiorentino to get to Siena and Florence (Pisa is also an easy trip by train). San Gimignano is about a 25-minute drive; Volterra, about 40 minutes. Lucca and Pisa are a little over an hour away, depending on traffic. The heart of the Chianti country is just to the east.
The proprietors have a second property closer to Montaione, which also produces wine and olive oil. We did not visit the other property, but we did certainly enjoy their products!
I really can’t say enough good things about this property. And, as per my previous experience, working with Summer In Italy was hassle-free. The week went too fast, and we were all sad to leave.
Cost: about 2,100€ for the week. There were no extra fees (cleaning, electricity, mid-week change of towels, etc.) and no security deposit required.
http://www.summerinitaly.com/eng/ren...197!italy_.htm
I debated for awhile about where to recommend that we stay in Tuscany (I should add that I also researched locations in Umbria, which I like very much). The area southeast of Siena seems to be recommended most often, but I felt that a location closer to Florence would provide us with more options for day trips that would be of interest to all in our group. Let’s face it: four, seven and nine-year-old boys probably don’t have the same level of interest in gorgeous scenery, wine and vineyards, fine dining, and picturesque hill towns. We decided to look for a property with easy access to Florence and Pisa, as well as various other smaller towns.
For awhile, I poured over websites—slowtrav, various agencies, many individual properties. I kept coming back to a property listed by Summer In Italy, through which we rented an apartment in Positano several years ago.
“Villa Vesta” met all of our requirements. It is a stand-alone, two-story building on a larger property with four units. The other three units are in a separate building just a bit down the hill. Villa Vesta has its own private yard, ringed by oleanders and cypress, with a picnic table, chairs and umbrella and a large lawn that produced many exciting football matches between Podolski and Del Piero. The views were fabulous. We could hear a bit of traffic on the main road and an occasional tractor on an adjacent farm, but nothing that detracted from the experience.
The house sleeps eight in four bedrooms (two rooms with doubles; two with twins). There are three bedrooms upstairs, along with a very large bath; and one smaller bedroom and a full bathroom downstairs. The kitchen is large and nicely furnished. Available technology includes satellite TV (great for watching Euro 2008) and wired high-speed Internet. Decorating is tasteful. There are screens on most all of the windows (good, because the bugs were coming out as the weather warmed up). The house doesn’t have air conditioning, but there’s good ventilation, and the owners have placed fans in most of the rooms. It stayed very pleasant inside while we were there.
The four units share a very nice pool with views across the valley to Montaione, as well as a laundry area with two washers. The grounds are very nicely manicured with an abundance of flowers; one of the brothers who own the property spends hours each day on site. Perfect to come home to each day, or for just hanging out.
And perfectly situated. This property sits about half way between the towns of Montaione and Castelfiorentino. Montaione is a very nice small hill town with most of the conveniences we needed (gas, ATM, post office, pharmacy)—most notably the Pam Express supermarket, which is open until 8pm every day, including Sunday. Montaione doesn’t have the star power of some of its neighbors, but that’s quite alright. It also doesn’t have the traffic and parking problems, either; that makes it great for a base town. We went into town for dinner a couple of times, but for the most part we fixed dinner in our villa and ate on the outdoor patio.
Sightseeing from this location offers a lot of possibilities. We used the train in nearby Castelfiorentino to get to Siena and Florence (Pisa is also an easy trip by train). San Gimignano is about a 25-minute drive; Volterra, about 40 minutes. Lucca and Pisa are a little over an hour away, depending on traffic. The heart of the Chianti country is just to the east.
The proprietors have a second property closer to Montaione, which also produces wine and olive oil. We did not visit the other property, but we did certainly enjoy their products!
I really can’t say enough good things about this property. And, as per my previous experience, working with Summer In Italy was hassle-free. The week went too fast, and we were all sad to leave.
Cost: about 2,100€ for the week. There were no extra fees (cleaning, electricity, mid-week change of towels, etc.) and no security deposit required.
http://www.summerinitaly.com/eng/ren...197!italy_.htm
Jul 6th, 2008, 06:19 PM
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<b>Driving in Tuscany: the V70s and the back roads</b>
I’m including a section on driving because, on our typical vacations, mr_go is the primary driver and I’m the navigator. This time, he stayed at home to work, and I would be playing both roles. DD is just learning to work with the detailed European maps; she has a pretty good start but needs some more refinement. I was a little nervous about how this would go…
We obviously needed two cars. No one in our party was willing to drive van big enough for eight people and all our luggage …or worse yet, try to park one in a tourist parking lot in, say, San Gimignano.
We agreed to fly into Florence, rent our cars there, and then drop the cars at Fiumicino airport in Rome at the end of the week. My brother and I both used AutoEurope, with the resulting rental agency being Europcar. We arrived an hour apart and, interestingly, we ended up with matching gray Volvo V70 wagons (although I’d only reserved a compact automatic). In fact, every morning, we had to remember whose was whose. Mine had a small dent in the back bumper—duly noted in the parking lot and documented on the rental agreement. His had a largish scrape on the front bumper. They were both diesel and offered sufficient power and space for our needs. I spent about $150 for gas for the week, including all driving in Tuscany and then down to Rome.
My only complaint would be the rental facilities at FLR. We thought we were doing well getting out of the terminal quickly, only to find the long lines at the rental car windows in the parking lot. After about a 30 minute wait, I got my keys and the opportunity to relive one of my favorite travel moments—trying to back a Volvo station wagon out of a very narrow space in a very tiny lot (our Scotland trip report from 2004 details the last such incident). A few inches back, a few inches forward; a few inches back, a few inches forward…and a few other cars waiting patiently for me to finish my maneuvering.
With the always reliable instructions from Summer In Italy and DD navigating, we made it to our villa in about 45 minutes with nary a wrong turn or moment of confusion.
B/SIL brought a Garmin GPS, which came in quite handy on various occasions—except when leaving the Florence airport, when they mistakenly programmed their destination as…the Florence airport. After driving in a loop, they realized the error and were quickly on their way.
The GPS was invaluable getting into Pisa, out of San Gimignano (to avoid festival traffic; more on that later), into and out of Lucca, etc. It did, on occasion, pick some odd back-road routes; a little too “back-road” for my mother’s taste in one instance—a little disconcerting for me, since she was in the back seat of my car (the one without the GPS) at the time and I simply could not answer all the questions about where we were, where we were going, and why we were going that way.
The net of having a GPS was that I did not use a map as much. I never would have envisioned myself starting out on a drive to Volterra without so much as a glance at a map—but I did. I did have a TCI Tuscany map along and it served as an able back up; although when unfurled in the car, it took up most of the front seat.
Really, we didn’t have any problems at all driving in the area and enjoyed the freedom of getting around on our own. We found the roads well marked. There were a few wrong turns, but we were able to use the GPS to correct them quickly. Parking was a bit stressful on occasion—for example, trying to decipher the parking regulation signs around Lucca (does that sign say the car must be less than two meters long…or high?). And, not surprisingly, many parking spaces and lots are a bit small for a V70…let alone two of them.
For me, the most stressful drive was the three-hour trip to Rome on the A1, trying to navigate around the convoy of trucks while going 130+kph.
I’m including a section on driving because, on our typical vacations, mr_go is the primary driver and I’m the navigator. This time, he stayed at home to work, and I would be playing both roles. DD is just learning to work with the detailed European maps; she has a pretty good start but needs some more refinement. I was a little nervous about how this would go…
We obviously needed two cars. No one in our party was willing to drive van big enough for eight people and all our luggage …or worse yet, try to park one in a tourist parking lot in, say, San Gimignano.
We agreed to fly into Florence, rent our cars there, and then drop the cars at Fiumicino airport in Rome at the end of the week. My brother and I both used AutoEurope, with the resulting rental agency being Europcar. We arrived an hour apart and, interestingly, we ended up with matching gray Volvo V70 wagons (although I’d only reserved a compact automatic). In fact, every morning, we had to remember whose was whose. Mine had a small dent in the back bumper—duly noted in the parking lot and documented on the rental agreement. His had a largish scrape on the front bumper. They were both diesel and offered sufficient power and space for our needs. I spent about $150 for gas for the week, including all driving in Tuscany and then down to Rome.
My only complaint would be the rental facilities at FLR. We thought we were doing well getting out of the terminal quickly, only to find the long lines at the rental car windows in the parking lot. After about a 30 minute wait, I got my keys and the opportunity to relive one of my favorite travel moments—trying to back a Volvo station wagon out of a very narrow space in a very tiny lot (our Scotland trip report from 2004 details the last such incident). A few inches back, a few inches forward; a few inches back, a few inches forward…and a few other cars waiting patiently for me to finish my maneuvering.
With the always reliable instructions from Summer In Italy and DD navigating, we made it to our villa in about 45 minutes with nary a wrong turn or moment of confusion.
B/SIL brought a Garmin GPS, which came in quite handy on various occasions—except when leaving the Florence airport, when they mistakenly programmed their destination as…the Florence airport. After driving in a loop, they realized the error and were quickly on their way.
The GPS was invaluable getting into Pisa, out of San Gimignano (to avoid festival traffic; more on that later), into and out of Lucca, etc. It did, on occasion, pick some odd back-road routes; a little too “back-road” for my mother’s taste in one instance—a little disconcerting for me, since she was in the back seat of my car (the one without the GPS) at the time and I simply could not answer all the questions about where we were, where we were going, and why we were going that way.
The net of having a GPS was that I did not use a map as much. I never would have envisioned myself starting out on a drive to Volterra without so much as a glance at a map—but I did. I did have a TCI Tuscany map along and it served as an able back up; although when unfurled in the car, it took up most of the front seat.
Really, we didn’t have any problems at all driving in the area and enjoyed the freedom of getting around on our own. We found the roads well marked. There were a few wrong turns, but we were able to use the GPS to correct them quickly. Parking was a bit stressful on occasion—for example, trying to decipher the parking regulation signs around Lucca (does that sign say the car must be less than two meters long…or high?). And, not surprisingly, many parking spaces and lots are a bit small for a V70…let alone two of them.
For me, the most stressful drive was the three-hour trip to Rome on the A1, trying to navigate around the convoy of trucks while going 130+kph.
Jul 6th, 2008, 06:21 PM
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Tomorrow, I'll try to post on some of the things we did during our first week. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p991301038/
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p991301038/
Jul 7th, 2008, 07:12 AM
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Thank you, marigross, samsaf, annesherrod, bob and LowCountryIslander. I'll try to go as fast as I can!
<b>Experiencing Tuscany</b>
Well, to start with, you really can’t “see” Tuscany in a week. It’s simply too large and too varied. And, for many of the towns/cities, day trips really do not do justice. We had a nice variety of experiences during the week, but we really just scratched the surface of the area within an hour or so of where we stayed.
There were a lot of possibilities, and we decided up front that we didn’t want to run ourselves ragged sightseeing. We also didn’t want our week to be a series of 12-hour day trips; we wanted some downtime and swimming time in the evenings. We knew we wouldn’t be able to see everything; we’d hit some highlights and enjoy everything we were able to do.
<b>San Gimignano</b>
At just 15km away, this was a natural first day out—well, afternoon really, as we were a little slow getting going on our first full day. I’ve been there before, but it was in very late October and we stayed right in the center at La Cisterna…and found it magical. I knew that a day trip in June wouldn’t begin to compare with that experience. Parking was a bit of a challenge. I had no map of San Gimignano, so we just followed the blue “P” signs and eventually found a pay lot after driving most of the way around the town. We entered through the Porta San Giovanni and walked up toward the center of town on the long Via San Giovanni, lined with shops and restaurants.
Now, I’d researched “festivals in Tuscany” before the trip and somehow had missed <i>Ferie delle Messi</i>, the town’s annual multi-day medieval harvest festival, in my research. So, we were a bit surprised to see people walking around town in a variety of costumes, flags flying from facades along the main streets, and then, as we approached the center, to hear the sounds of drums and music coming from the Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza del Duomo. Unfortunately, the Duomo was closed, as the festival performances were taking place in the square in front of it; we wouldn’t be able to see the frescoes I recall from the previous trip. Instead, we scaled the Torre Grossa for views of the town and surrounding countryside—well, I did skip the very last part, which involved climbing a ladder (which I don't do well when already several hundred feet in the air). Entrance to the tower also includes the Palazzo del Popolo/Museo Civico. We chose not to pay to enter the performance area in the Piazza del Duomo, as our primary interest was in walking around. But, we did get to see various processions of drummers, oxen and other animals, and assorted costumes and props throughout the town and as the participants were queuing in the Piazzale dei Martiri di Montemaggio for the festival’s parade. We were also able to get a glimpse of the dances and skits from the top of the tower. DD enjoyed seeing all the reluctant teenage boys out in their tights.
As I expected, the town was much more crowded than I remember, but the festival likely had something to do with that. It was a nice day out. The weather was nearly perfect. All in all, an interesting and fortuitous experience to be there for Ferie delle Messi.
<b>Experiencing Tuscany</b>
Well, to start with, you really can’t “see” Tuscany in a week. It’s simply too large and too varied. And, for many of the towns/cities, day trips really do not do justice. We had a nice variety of experiences during the week, but we really just scratched the surface of the area within an hour or so of where we stayed.
There were a lot of possibilities, and we decided up front that we didn’t want to run ourselves ragged sightseeing. We also didn’t want our week to be a series of 12-hour day trips; we wanted some downtime and swimming time in the evenings. We knew we wouldn’t be able to see everything; we’d hit some highlights and enjoy everything we were able to do.
<b>San Gimignano</b>
At just 15km away, this was a natural first day out—well, afternoon really, as we were a little slow getting going on our first full day. I’ve been there before, but it was in very late October and we stayed right in the center at La Cisterna…and found it magical. I knew that a day trip in June wouldn’t begin to compare with that experience. Parking was a bit of a challenge. I had no map of San Gimignano, so we just followed the blue “P” signs and eventually found a pay lot after driving most of the way around the town. We entered through the Porta San Giovanni and walked up toward the center of town on the long Via San Giovanni, lined with shops and restaurants.
Now, I’d researched “festivals in Tuscany” before the trip and somehow had missed <i>Ferie delle Messi</i>, the town’s annual multi-day medieval harvest festival, in my research. So, we were a bit surprised to see people walking around town in a variety of costumes, flags flying from facades along the main streets, and then, as we approached the center, to hear the sounds of drums and music coming from the Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza del Duomo. Unfortunately, the Duomo was closed, as the festival performances were taking place in the square in front of it; we wouldn’t be able to see the frescoes I recall from the previous trip. Instead, we scaled the Torre Grossa for views of the town and surrounding countryside—well, I did skip the very last part, which involved climbing a ladder (which I don't do well when already several hundred feet in the air). Entrance to the tower also includes the Palazzo del Popolo/Museo Civico. We chose not to pay to enter the performance area in the Piazza del Duomo, as our primary interest was in walking around. But, we did get to see various processions of drummers, oxen and other animals, and assorted costumes and props throughout the town and as the participants were queuing in the Piazzale dei Martiri di Montemaggio for the festival’s parade. We were also able to get a glimpse of the dances and skits from the top of the tower. DD enjoyed seeing all the reluctant teenage boys out in their tights.
As I expected, the town was much more crowded than I remember, but the festival likely had something to do with that. It was a nice day out. The weather was nearly perfect. All in all, an interesting and fortuitous experience to be there for Ferie delle Messi.
Jul 7th, 2008, 07:17 AM
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<b>Volterra</b>
This was near the top of my priority list and, at about 20k away, almost as accessible as San Gimignano. The drive there is very pretty, through farm land and with few other cars on the road. We used the GPS to get us there, but it wasn’t too helpful in finding parking. We more or less circled the entire town before asking a police officer where we could park. He pointed us down a road that led to a large, free lot near Porta Docciola. With a little luck, several cars were leaving as we arrived; otherwise, we might still be looking.
It’s a long climb up from Porta Docciola, but the climb was well worth it. We loved Volterra’s narrow, medieval streets and its vistas across the area. We also liked that it was relatively less crowded than most other places we’d visit on this trip.
We stopped to admire the fortified gate and fountain from the 13C before climbing several hundred steps to the upper part of town. From there, we pretty much wandered, visiting the Duomo and octagonal Baptistry; the Porto all’Arco, which has foundations dating to the 4C BC; and the Via dei Sarti lined with old mansions. DD had to stand under the clock tower of the Palazzo dei Priori, though not at noon like she wanted—this figures prominently in one of her favorite books, <i>New Moon</i> by Stephenie Meyer. We relaxed for a bit in the Parco Archeologico, in front of the Castello (which our book says is now a prison), so the kids could play in the playground. One of our few museum visits on this trip was to the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, which houses a fascinating private collection bequeathed to the town in the 1700s. I've never seen so many varieties of ancient cinerary urns. Well worth the admission! Finally, we capped off our visit with a view of the Roman ruins near Porta Docciola.
Again, the weather was perfect. Volterra was one of our favorites.
This was near the top of my priority list and, at about 20k away, almost as accessible as San Gimignano. The drive there is very pretty, through farm land and with few other cars on the road. We used the GPS to get us there, but it wasn’t too helpful in finding parking. We more or less circled the entire town before asking a police officer where we could park. He pointed us down a road that led to a large, free lot near Porta Docciola. With a little luck, several cars were leaving as we arrived; otherwise, we might still be looking.
It’s a long climb up from Porta Docciola, but the climb was well worth it. We loved Volterra’s narrow, medieval streets and its vistas across the area. We also liked that it was relatively less crowded than most other places we’d visit on this trip.
We stopped to admire the fortified gate and fountain from the 13C before climbing several hundred steps to the upper part of town. From there, we pretty much wandered, visiting the Duomo and octagonal Baptistry; the Porto all’Arco, which has foundations dating to the 4C BC; and the Via dei Sarti lined with old mansions. DD had to stand under the clock tower of the Palazzo dei Priori, though not at noon like she wanted—this figures prominently in one of her favorite books, <i>New Moon</i> by Stephenie Meyer. We relaxed for a bit in the Parco Archeologico, in front of the Castello (which our book says is now a prison), so the kids could play in the playground. One of our few museum visits on this trip was to the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, which houses a fascinating private collection bequeathed to the town in the 1700s. I've never seen so many varieties of ancient cinerary urns. Well worth the admission! Finally, we capped off our visit with a view of the Roman ruins near Porta Docciola.
Again, the weather was perfect. Volterra was one of our favorites.
Jul 7th, 2008, 02:15 PM
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Thanks bardo1 and LCBoniti. I am going to try to finish up Tuscany by tomorrow. I haven't even thought about starting on Rome yet...lots to cover there!
<b>Siena</b>
One of the nice things about staying where we did is the proximity to the Castelfiorentino train station, less than 10 minutes from our villa. The train goes straight to Siena (Florence and Pisa are also easy trips from here by train). Cost of the train ticket was around 6-7€ per person, round trip (on average; the kids were less expensive; Dida was free). We purchased tickets for the return at the same time, so there was no need to worry about standing in a ticket line later in the day (Florence, in particular, had some pretty long lines). Don't forget to validate tickets in the yellow boxes near the tracks before getting on the train. On our return from Siena, the American party behind us was being reprimanded by the conductor for not having done so. This was happening just as we were getting ready to get off, so I'm not sure of the resolution, but it appeared as though they were going to have to buy new tickets. Parking at Castelfiorentino was 4-6€ per day per car, depending on length of stay. The lot was good sized and capacity never seemed to be an issue.
It’s a bit of a walk from the Siena train station to the historical center—and an uphill one at that. We took the bus on the way in, but even then we still had a 10-15 minute walk to the Piazza del Campo—made much easier once fortified with some cornetti. Again, we went in with a moderate agenda: to visit the Campo, the Palazzo Pubblico and the Duomo, climb the Torre del Mangia, and wander the medieval streets. That, plus lunch and the transportation to and from Siena took up the better part of the day (leaving our villa at 8:30am; returning around 6:30 pm).
This was my second day trip to Siena, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I actually need to stay there to give it the time it deserves.
<b>Siena</b>
One of the nice things about staying where we did is the proximity to the Castelfiorentino train station, less than 10 minutes from our villa. The train goes straight to Siena (Florence and Pisa are also easy trips from here by train). Cost of the train ticket was around 6-7€ per person, round trip (on average; the kids were less expensive; Dida was free). We purchased tickets for the return at the same time, so there was no need to worry about standing in a ticket line later in the day (Florence, in particular, had some pretty long lines). Don't forget to validate tickets in the yellow boxes near the tracks before getting on the train. On our return from Siena, the American party behind us was being reprimanded by the conductor for not having done so. This was happening just as we were getting ready to get off, so I'm not sure of the resolution, but it appeared as though they were going to have to buy new tickets. Parking at Castelfiorentino was 4-6€ per day per car, depending on length of stay. The lot was good sized and capacity never seemed to be an issue.
It’s a bit of a walk from the Siena train station to the historical center—and an uphill one at that. We took the bus on the way in, but even then we still had a 10-15 minute walk to the Piazza del Campo—made much easier once fortified with some cornetti. Again, we went in with a moderate agenda: to visit the Campo, the Palazzo Pubblico and the Duomo, climb the Torre del Mangia, and wander the medieval streets. That, plus lunch and the transportation to and from Siena took up the better part of the day (leaving our villa at 8:30am; returning around 6:30 pm).
This was my second day trip to Siena, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I actually need to stay there to give it the time it deserves.
Jul 7th, 2008, 02:26 PM
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<b>Florence</b>
All the adults in our traveling party (except for DD, who considers herself to be one of the adults) have been to Florence and have stayed in town for varying lengths of time. We’ve all visited the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia, as well as many of the major sites. With young kids and a limited amount of time, we ruled out the Uffizi from the start and eventually did the same with the Accademia. They’ll all have opportunities to visit in the future, when they’re much more likely to gain something from doing so. Instead we plotted a clockwise walking tour beginning at the train station.
Our first stop was San Lorenzo, which I haven’t visited previously (at least, I know we didn’t on the last trip, and I really don’t remember seeing it in high school). We spent quite awhile here, actually, in the church and Old Sacristy, cloister and crypt, admiring the work of Brunelleschi, Donatello and others. It’s very close to the train but I think a bit off the tourist track; there weren’t too many people there.
From San Lorenzo we could see the top of the Duomo and its beautiful marble exterior a few blocks away. This is where we found the crowds! We spent some time inside the Duomo, but I have always enjoyed the exterior as much (trying to figure out how best to photograph it, for one). We circled the outside slowly and then spent some time studying the baptistery doors. We were tempted to make the climb to the top, but with the warm day and nearing need for lunch, we chose not to.
Stop three, after a pizza lunch, was Santa Croce, one of my favorites from two previous trips. DD immensely enjoyed visiting the many tombs of the famous men she’d studied and being able to pay her respects; she even found the monument to Enrico Fermi (we live in the town that is home to the world’s second-largest particle accelerator, which bears his name). Even the older boys recognized a few familiar names. Unfortunately, the stately Piazza Santa Croce in front of the church was completely filled with grandstands for a temporary football “arena.” We also visited the cloister and made a quick trip through the adjacent leather school. I was tempted but decided to pass on the big sale item: 600€ leather pants
.
From Santa Croce, we more or less wandered—along the Arno, across the Ponte Vecchio, through the Piazza della Signoria and Pizza della Repubblica, and in and out of various narrow streets, before stopping for our daily gelato fix and then heading to the train. If it hadn’t been so hot and if we’d had a bit more energy, we probably would have made the trip up to the Boboli Gardens.
Certainly not enough time in the city. But, when it comes to Florence, any time is better than no time in my book! DD really liked the city, but wishes she could have had more time. I have no doubt she’ll be going back one day…
All the adults in our traveling party (except for DD, who considers herself to be one of the adults) have been to Florence and have stayed in town for varying lengths of time. We’ve all visited the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia, as well as many of the major sites. With young kids and a limited amount of time, we ruled out the Uffizi from the start and eventually did the same with the Accademia. They’ll all have opportunities to visit in the future, when they’re much more likely to gain something from doing so. Instead we plotted a clockwise walking tour beginning at the train station.
Our first stop was San Lorenzo, which I haven’t visited previously (at least, I know we didn’t on the last trip, and I really don’t remember seeing it in high school). We spent quite awhile here, actually, in the church and Old Sacristy, cloister and crypt, admiring the work of Brunelleschi, Donatello and others. It’s very close to the train but I think a bit off the tourist track; there weren’t too many people there.
From San Lorenzo we could see the top of the Duomo and its beautiful marble exterior a few blocks away. This is where we found the crowds! We spent some time inside the Duomo, but I have always enjoyed the exterior as much (trying to figure out how best to photograph it, for one). We circled the outside slowly and then spent some time studying the baptistery doors. We were tempted to make the climb to the top, but with the warm day and nearing need for lunch, we chose not to.
Stop three, after a pizza lunch, was Santa Croce, one of my favorites from two previous trips. DD immensely enjoyed visiting the many tombs of the famous men she’d studied and being able to pay her respects; she even found the monument to Enrico Fermi (we live in the town that is home to the world’s second-largest particle accelerator, which bears his name). Even the older boys recognized a few familiar names. Unfortunately, the stately Piazza Santa Croce in front of the church was completely filled with grandstands for a temporary football “arena.” We also visited the cloister and made a quick trip through the adjacent leather school. I was tempted but decided to pass on the big sale item: 600€ leather pants
.From Santa Croce, we more or less wandered—along the Arno, across the Ponte Vecchio, through the Piazza della Signoria and Pizza della Repubblica, and in and out of various narrow streets, before stopping for our daily gelato fix and then heading to the train. If it hadn’t been so hot and if we’d had a bit more energy, we probably would have made the trip up to the Boboli Gardens.
Certainly not enough time in the city. But, when it comes to Florence, any time is better than no time in my book! DD really liked the city, but wishes she could have had more time. I have no doubt she’ll be going back one day…
Jul 7th, 2008, 02:38 PM
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<b>Pisa and Lucca</b>
Pisa—and the tower, specifically—was a top request from Podolski and Del Piero, and actually I’d never been there. Lucca was my top priority for our stay in Tuscany. Since they’re so close, and because our main objective in Pisa was to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, we decided to combine the two cities into one day trip.
We could have done this by train but decided to drive. Pisa is an easy trip from Castelfiorentino, but Lucca adds a bit of time and complexity. It’s not that long of a drive, but the time can be variable depending on traffic, train crossings, etc.
We programmed the GPS for Piazza dei Miracoli, and it pretty much guided us right there. Great, but we still had to park. We actually had a bit of a difficult time finding and following blue “P” signs. Somehow, we ended up on a residential street, in front of a school, about a mile from the piazza. We were a bit nervous about this, but all worked out well. Mom was a bit nervous (scratch that, terrified) that we wouldn’t find our way back to the cars, but not to worry. We took the GPS with us, but in the end those mental breadcrumbs worked out just fine.
If I haven’t mentioned it before, the weather had taken a turn toward the end of our week in Tuscany. The good news is that we had clear blue skies for the remainder of the trip; the bad news is that it was over 90F every day. By the time we walked from our car to the piazza, we were quite warm—and that was before joining the swarms of people and vendors. This was certainly not a surprise. We were visiting in the height of cruise season and well warned. We basically spent our time seeing the major sites in the piazza, took our obligatory photos of everyone holding up the tower, and then we left. I’d considered reserving in advance tickets to climb the tower. I almost had them in the shopping cart at one point, but noticed that the minimum age was eight. That meant Podolski would be able to go up, but not Del Piero and Dida (and, as we discovered, all three like to climb). Better to not go there.
We often hear the question, is the trip to Pisa worth it? Our short answer is yes. While I won’t repeat the daytrip in peak summer season experience again, I thought that Pisa looked like an interesting town away from the piazza. Someday, I will go back when I can spend an overnight or two.
Lucca, on the other hand, was a delight—that is, once we parked and were able to walk in. The GPS led us right to the old city walls, where we proceeded to circle. We saw lots of blue Ps, but no real evidence of parking lots other than the cars parked in spaces along the perimeter of the wall. We thought we’d found spaces near one of the gates, then we noticed the two-hour parking sign. We moved on and parked again, only to wonder whether our cars were too big (the sign said something about two meters and had a picture of a tow truck…). Finally, after making a full circle around the wall, I decided to take the plunge and drive through the Porta Elisa gate, and there, to my relief, were parking spaces. Buy your ticket at the meter for X hours, display it in the front window. I’ve done that many times and can handle that.
We were now free to explore Lucca, and after a decent lunch, explore we did. Piazza Napoleone (named so because Napoleon’s sister Elisa ruled the town at one time) with its stand of trees and small cafes. San Michele in Foro, on the site of an ancient Roman forum, with its decorative columns, each one different. The oval-shaped Piazza dell’Amfiteatro, which today mirrors the shape of the ancient Roman arena on which it is built. Via Fillungo, with its abundant window-shopping opportunities. And so on. Lucca is perfect for my favorite vacation activity: wandering. We also climbed the Torre Guinigi for views. Interestingly, this tower, although not terribly high at about 225 steps (Podolski and Del Piero enjoy counting while climbing), has mature oak trees growing in planters on the top. The tower dates to the 14th century.
Although there were many cars parked around the city walls, inside the walls the city seemed very quiet. With a bit more time, I'm sure some rented bikes and a ride around the walls would have been in order.
We all loved Lucca.
Pisa—and the tower, specifically—was a top request from Podolski and Del Piero, and actually I’d never been there. Lucca was my top priority for our stay in Tuscany. Since they’re so close, and because our main objective in Pisa was to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, we decided to combine the two cities into one day trip.
We could have done this by train but decided to drive. Pisa is an easy trip from Castelfiorentino, but Lucca adds a bit of time and complexity. It’s not that long of a drive, but the time can be variable depending on traffic, train crossings, etc.
We programmed the GPS for Piazza dei Miracoli, and it pretty much guided us right there. Great, but we still had to park. We actually had a bit of a difficult time finding and following blue “P” signs. Somehow, we ended up on a residential street, in front of a school, about a mile from the piazza. We were a bit nervous about this, but all worked out well. Mom was a bit nervous (scratch that, terrified) that we wouldn’t find our way back to the cars, but not to worry. We took the GPS with us, but in the end those mental breadcrumbs worked out just fine.
If I haven’t mentioned it before, the weather had taken a turn toward the end of our week in Tuscany. The good news is that we had clear blue skies for the remainder of the trip; the bad news is that it was over 90F every day. By the time we walked from our car to the piazza, we were quite warm—and that was before joining the swarms of people and vendors. This was certainly not a surprise. We were visiting in the height of cruise season and well warned. We basically spent our time seeing the major sites in the piazza, took our obligatory photos of everyone holding up the tower, and then we left. I’d considered reserving in advance tickets to climb the tower. I almost had them in the shopping cart at one point, but noticed that the minimum age was eight. That meant Podolski would be able to go up, but not Del Piero and Dida (and, as we discovered, all three like to climb). Better to not go there.
We often hear the question, is the trip to Pisa worth it? Our short answer is yes. While I won’t repeat the daytrip in peak summer season experience again, I thought that Pisa looked like an interesting town away from the piazza. Someday, I will go back when I can spend an overnight or two.
Lucca, on the other hand, was a delight—that is, once we parked and were able to walk in. The GPS led us right to the old city walls, where we proceeded to circle. We saw lots of blue Ps, but no real evidence of parking lots other than the cars parked in spaces along the perimeter of the wall. We thought we’d found spaces near one of the gates, then we noticed the two-hour parking sign. We moved on and parked again, only to wonder whether our cars were too big (the sign said something about two meters and had a picture of a tow truck…). Finally, after making a full circle around the wall, I decided to take the plunge and drive through the Porta Elisa gate, and there, to my relief, were parking spaces. Buy your ticket at the meter for X hours, display it in the front window. I’ve done that many times and can handle that.
We were now free to explore Lucca, and after a decent lunch, explore we did. Piazza Napoleone (named so because Napoleon’s sister Elisa ruled the town at one time) with its stand of trees and small cafes. San Michele in Foro, on the site of an ancient Roman forum, with its decorative columns, each one different. The oval-shaped Piazza dell’Amfiteatro, which today mirrors the shape of the ancient Roman arena on which it is built. Via Fillungo, with its abundant window-shopping opportunities. And so on. Lucca is perfect for my favorite vacation activity: wandering. We also climbed the Torre Guinigi for views. Interestingly, this tower, although not terribly high at about 225 steps (Podolski and Del Piero enjoy counting while climbing), has mature oak trees growing in planters on the top. The tower dates to the 14th century.
Although there were many cars parked around the city walls, inside the walls the city seemed very quiet. With a bit more time, I'm sure some rented bikes and a ride around the walls would have been in order.
We all loved Lucca.
Jul 8th, 2008, 05:06 AM
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Thanks, Tiff and TexasAggie.
Moving right along....
<b>Other activities</b>
We attempted to visit the Sacro Monte at San Vivaldo, a collection of chapels dating to the 16th century (the “Jerusalem of Tuscany”). Our reference materials indicated that it’s open between 4-7pm but we found the chapels locked (several with “closed for restoration” signs) and the site nearly deserted.
Our other small diversion was a detour through a bit of the Chianti area as we headed toward Rome. We took the very scenic road from Poggibonsi to Castellina in Chianti (SR429) and then the even-more scenic road from Castellina to Siena (SR222). Very nice! Rolling hills and many picturesque vineyards made the drive very enjoyable. This is fairly close to where we stayed; a daytrip into that area would have been very easy.
There were a few other towns we wanted to visit, but we lacked the time. Certaldo Alta (very close by) and San Miniato are two that come to mind right now.
Useful sites:
Montaione and area: http://www.visitmontaione.com/tuscany_travel.htm
Train schedules: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
One small correction to the information above: the rental cost for our villa was 1,970€ for the week. Due to a potential health issue within the traveling party, I took the optional “rescheduling” insurance, which made my cost a bit higher.
Moving right along....
<b>Other activities</b>
We attempted to visit the Sacro Monte at San Vivaldo, a collection of chapels dating to the 16th century (the “Jerusalem of Tuscany”). Our reference materials indicated that it’s open between 4-7pm but we found the chapels locked (several with “closed for restoration” signs) and the site nearly deserted.
Our other small diversion was a detour through a bit of the Chianti area as we headed toward Rome. We took the very scenic road from Poggibonsi to Castellina in Chianti (SR429) and then the even-more scenic road from Castellina to Siena (SR222). Very nice! Rolling hills and many picturesque vineyards made the drive very enjoyable. This is fairly close to where we stayed; a daytrip into that area would have been very easy.
There were a few other towns we wanted to visit, but we lacked the time. Certaldo Alta (very close by) and San Miniato are two that come to mind right now.
Useful sites:
Montaione and area: http://www.visitmontaione.com/tuscany_travel.htm
Train schedules: http://www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html
One small correction to the information above: the rental cost for our villa was 1,970€ for the week. Due to a potential health issue within the traveling party, I took the optional “rescheduling” insurance, which made my cost a bit higher.
Jul 8th, 2008, 05:18 AM
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<b>Eating in Tuscany (and why I have yet to step on the scales at home)</b>
As mentioned earlier, given the range of tastes in our crowd--young kids who prefer some basics (namely pizza) and mom, who prefers very small vegetarian portions (but not pasta and pizza)--we did not plan this trip to be a culinary adventure. Which is not to say that we ate poorly; we just did not seek out the "best" places or plan our meal stops. Our main meals out where at lunch during our day trips. When the time was right, we surveyed menus wherever we happened to be and picked something that was suitable to everyone. Finding space for eight people was sometimes a bit of a challenge, especially at peak lunch time.
In San Gimignano, we had some pretty good sandwiches from a bakery on the Via San Giovanni. In Volterra, we had a good lunch at a restaurant/wine bar, Web & Wine, including a local specialty: pappardelle with wild boar sauce. In Siena, it was pizza again, with our party occupying four two-person tables along the street at Pizzeria Quattro Cento. In Florence…you guessed it, pizza; near Santa Croce. The staff’s attention to the boys in their football jerseys (particularly Dida, who is just so cute it’s hard not to notice him) was more memorable than the name of the restaurant. The best lunch out was at Osteria Lucchesi in Lucca. Most of our lunches ranged between 80€ and 110€ for food, wine, sodas, water, etc.
We ventured into Montaione a couple of times for meals. Our very first evening, right off the plane, was spent at the very casual Pizzeria L’Erasmus. Service was a bit slow, but the pizzas were good. Unfortunately, my order was never taken, but we had more than enough food. More notably, these were the first of many pizzas ordered throughout the trip. In hindsight, I wish I’d counted! I’m pretty sure Podolski, Del Piero and Dida had pizza at least once per day, with the exception of the day we had lunch at Der Pallaro in Rome, when there was no room for anything else.
Our other local meal was at Carpe Diem, the nicest restaurant in town and recommended by many former guests of our villa. It was okay; the views were nice and the service good.
It goes without saying that we made stops for gelato every day, beginning on day one.
Other than that, we ate in, making use of the very nice kitchen and the lovely views from our outdoor patio. We hit the Pam Express supermarket in Montaione just about every day—with special emphasis on the tomatoes, peppers, apples, bananas, pears, grapes, cherries…you get the picture. Is it my imagination, or does the produce taste better here? There was a German brand of green apple juice (that was, by the way, bright green in color) that the kids really liked. And, everyone went nuts for the abbracci biscuits; we consumed about a half dozen bags of them (currently searching Italian specialty stores in our area for them--Barilla Mulino Bianco Abbracci—but not having any luck yet).
And the wine…good, and very reasonable. Especially our proprietors’ wine!
As mentioned earlier, given the range of tastes in our crowd--young kids who prefer some basics (namely pizza) and mom, who prefers very small vegetarian portions (but not pasta and pizza)--we did not plan this trip to be a culinary adventure. Which is not to say that we ate poorly; we just did not seek out the "best" places or plan our meal stops. Our main meals out where at lunch during our day trips. When the time was right, we surveyed menus wherever we happened to be and picked something that was suitable to everyone. Finding space for eight people was sometimes a bit of a challenge, especially at peak lunch time.
In San Gimignano, we had some pretty good sandwiches from a bakery on the Via San Giovanni. In Volterra, we had a good lunch at a restaurant/wine bar, Web & Wine, including a local specialty: pappardelle with wild boar sauce. In Siena, it was pizza again, with our party occupying four two-person tables along the street at Pizzeria Quattro Cento. In Florence…you guessed it, pizza; near Santa Croce. The staff’s attention to the boys in their football jerseys (particularly Dida, who is just so cute it’s hard not to notice him) was more memorable than the name of the restaurant. The best lunch out was at Osteria Lucchesi in Lucca. Most of our lunches ranged between 80€ and 110€ for food, wine, sodas, water, etc.
We ventured into Montaione a couple of times for meals. Our very first evening, right off the plane, was spent at the very casual Pizzeria L’Erasmus. Service was a bit slow, but the pizzas were good. Unfortunately, my order was never taken, but we had more than enough food. More notably, these were the first of many pizzas ordered throughout the trip. In hindsight, I wish I’d counted! I’m pretty sure Podolski, Del Piero and Dida had pizza at least once per day, with the exception of the day we had lunch at Der Pallaro in Rome, when there was no room for anything else.
Our other local meal was at Carpe Diem, the nicest restaurant in town and recommended by many former guests of our villa. It was okay; the views were nice and the service good.
It goes without saying that we made stops for gelato every day, beginning on day one.
Other than that, we ate in, making use of the very nice kitchen and the lovely views from our outdoor patio. We hit the Pam Express supermarket in Montaione just about every day—with special emphasis on the tomatoes, peppers, apples, bananas, pears, grapes, cherries…you get the picture. Is it my imagination, or does the produce taste better here? There was a German brand of green apple juice (that was, by the way, bright green in color) that the kids really liked. And, everyone went nuts for the abbracci biscuits; we consumed about a half dozen bags of them (currently searching Italian specialty stores in our area for them--Barilla Mulino Bianco Abbracci—but not having any luck yet).
And the wine…good, and very reasonable. Especially our proprietors’ wine!
