Back from Tuscany and Umbria
Jun 12th, 2000 | 11:29 AM
#1
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Back from Tuscany and Umbria
Just came back from a wonderful trip and as so many things I learned from the forum I want to share with you my impressions. <BR>All the places we stayed were very nice. <BR>-Arrived in Florence-2 nights in Porta Rossa-dinner at Il Latino and Cibreo.So full it was impossible to walk. <BR>Delicious sanduiche at a tripe stand close to the market. <BR>- train to Lucca - 1 night at Hotel Celide-dinner at Buca SAn Antonio <BR>-train to Pisa- lugagge left at the station.visit and a late train to Siena.Two nigts at Hotel Santa Catherine. <BR>- Car rental at siena. 3 nights at Castellina- Tenuta do Ricavo.Visit to the Chianti area. <BR>- From Castellina to Sinalunga.Lunch at Badia a Caltibuono.1 Night at Amorosa.Next day travell to Pienza. 3 nights at Le Traverse , lovely place. with a fantastic view of Pienza. <BR>-From Pienza to Orvieto. Great stay at Pomurlo Vechio(in the house not in Le Cassete).3 nights- visiting Todi, Orvieto, and Civita the most fantastic hilltown ... <BR>- 3 nights at Perugia- Castello de L'oscano <BR>-visiting Assis, Monte Subasio and Gubbio. <BR>We returned the car at Perugio and took the train to Rome <BR>- 1 night at Portuguesi Hotel; very nice and close to Piazza Navona. <BR>The weather was great.The days were hot and the nights cool. The italians were marvelous,happy to help and always smiling. <BR>The food was delicious; porcini mushrooms,chinguiale, pecorino... montefalco wine... <BR>Just perfect. <BR>MARCIA <BR>
Jun 13th, 2000 | 09:34 AM
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Henry <BR>If I would have to do the same trip again I would only change the inicial part: I would stay in Florence 2 more nights and by train travell to Lucca and Pisa and back to sleep in Florence. From there by bus to Siena and there rent the car. <BR>You do not need the car to visit these cities .You have to pay attention that in some cases the train station is far from the hill towns.You need the car to travell in the Chianti area,in the Montalcino, Pienza, Montepulciano area and we thought it was nice in Umbria too. We did not want to enter Rome by car and so we returned the car in Perugia on a saturday and took the bus on a sunday to Gubbio from Perugia.I think it is very nice to travell by train; inside Tuscany most our trains had just second class, were empty and you could not make reservations. <BR>Marcia
Jun 14th, 2000 | 04:54 AM
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Sally <BR>We stayed three nights at Pomurlo Vecchio near Orvieto and they had a half board deal. We had dinner at the agriturismo and we didn't have lunch in any restaurant but bought all delicious food to eat. In Umbria they have a delicious spread made of porcini and truffles that is fantastic.Then we spend 3 nights at Oscano and they had a very good restaurant where we had dinner every night. We had a very good lunch at Gubbio at Taverna del Lupo where we had a great truffle omelet. <BR>The cheese am prociutto were so good and you eat so much at breakfast that we could not stop buying goodies and making our one sanduiches for lunch. <BR>Marcia <BR>
Jun 14th, 2000 | 06:23 AM
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Hi Marcia - <BR> <BR>Sounds like a great trip. One question for you. <BR> <BR>I stayed at the Porta Rossa in Florence about 10 years ago and loved everything about it. The room was huge and charming in a rustic Renaissance kind of way. The breakfast room and the lobby were glorious. <BR> <BR>While planning a subsequent trip to Florence, I noticed that the Porta Rossa had completely vanished from the guidebooks. Not one listed it. So I figured that the hotel had declined for some reason, or the price had skyrocketed beyond its standards, and I chose to stay elsewhere (the Bellettini, which was fine - a great location and very reasonable, but not nearly as charming as the Porta Rossa). <BR> <BR>So my question is - how was it? What were the service, room, public spaces like? Also, what was the price?
