Ger’s Italian Trip Report: Padua, Ferrara, Siena, Perugia and Florence
 

Hello:

I returned on Sunday from Italy. This holiday was probably the best ever. I travelled alone, so it was a completely self-centred experience: I enjoy the freedom of not having to pander to anyone else’s requirements, doing exactly what I want, at my own pace. My own pace tends to be warp-speed, which is why most people would not be interested in travelling with me anyway.

I thought 17 days would be enough to satiate my desires, but it has not, and I am experiencing the usual melancholy that we all encounter on return to normal life after an exciting trip to a place we dearly love.

I thought I should start my trip report, so I can live through it all again while the memory is fresh in my mind, which might help me get over my melancholy.

The Itinerary

Thank you to everyone that contributed to my planning. My itinerary was revised many, many times: The more I read, the more I wanted to see. I finally ended up with the following itinerary:

Fri 15th Sept: Fly from London City Airport to Venice. Explore Padua. Stay Padua
Sat 16th Sept: Explore Padua. Stay Padua
Sun 17th Sept: Day trip to Vicenza. Stay Padua
Mon 18th Sept: Explore Padua. Stay Padua
Tues 19th Sept: Day out with a guide to visit Palladio villas (Villa Emo, Villa Barbaro, Villa Foscari). Stay Padua
Wed 20th Sept: Morning exploring Vicenza. Afternoon exploring Padua. Train to Ferrara in the evening. Stay Ferrara
Thurs 21st Sept: Explore Ferrara. Stay Ferrara
Fri 22nd Sept: Explore Ferrara. Two trains to Siena in the evening. Stay Siena
Sat 23rd Sept: Explore Siena. Stay Siena
Sun 24th Sept: Explore Siena. Bus to Perugia in the evening. Stay Perugia
Mon 25th Sept: Explore Perugia. Stay Perugia
Tues 26th Sept: Day trip by bus to Gubbio. Stay Perugia
Wed 27th Sept: Day trip by bus to Assisi. Stay Perugia
Thurs 28th Sept: Day trip by bus to Todi. Stay Perugia
Fri 29th Sept: Day trip by train to Spello. Train to Florence in the evening. Stay Florence
Sat 30th Sept: Explore Florence. Stay Florence
Sun 1st Oct: Explore Florence. Late afternoon flight from Florence to London City Airport

The Technology

A bit of advice on Technology:

A Smart-Phone is your best travelling companion: I used to say that the only traveling companions I really needed was a passport and a credit card. Now, I will add a Smart-Phone (iPhone in my case) to that list. I used it for navigation from A to B, as I explored the towns (absolutely vital for me, who cannot read a map to save my life); to find and book restaurants when I was on the go; to check train times; to check opening times of attractions; to download and read information on-line on towns, museums and galleries. I foresee a time, in the very near future, when I completely ditch bringing guide books with me, and rely totally on my iPhone. In addition, I download my Audible books and Netflix movies to my phone to listen and watch when on trains and in restaurants. I also use my phone to take pictures in churches and museums.

Portable Power Bank: An absolute necessity if you use your Smart Phone as much as I do during the day. Very cheap and worth the investment. I brought two with me, just in case.

Multiple USB Charger: I bought one in TKMAXX for about £12 – charges 5 devices and weights almost nothing. It was so useful. In the first hotel, there was only ONE Power outlet, so I would have been in trouble had I not had it. I was able to plug in my iPhone, iPad, camera, two power banks each night.

Next: The Hotels

Best regards … Ger

>>>I bought one in TKMAXX for about £12 <<<

Is there really a TKMAXX? I knew that was in a clip with Jennifer Saunders from the last AbFab movie, but I thought she was just changing the name slightly from the American store T J Maxx.

I'm looking forward to this!

https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/

Same chain. I used to buy in TJ Maxx when I lived in Canada.

Hello bvlenci :)

The Hotels

All hotels were booked on Hotels.Com, and I took advantage of ‘free rooms’ I had earned from previous vacation and business trips. This saved me about £200 on hotels. I downloaded the APP to my iPhone, and had all the booking details available. Highly recommend this site. I have used the site for two years, multiple hotels, and have never had a problem. Before booking the hotels on Hotels.com, I checked out the hotels own websites, and other sites, and confirmed I was getting a good deal on Hotels.com. I did not contact the hotels directly to asked for a better deal than Hotels.com.


Padua: Methis Hotel and Spa

http://www.methishotel.it/en/

https://uk.hotels.com/ho268167/?tab=description

Hotel is not in the historic centre, but just a 10 minute walk to the historic centre. Room was large, very clean, quiet and very comfortable. Staff are extremely friendly and helpful. TV had about 10 English speaking news channels, including BBC and CNN. I got hooked on the Japanese and Korean channels, which had excellent documentaries. Breakfast was European – meats, cheeses, cereals, yogurt etc. I recommend this hotel. Good value for money. Within 4 minutes’ walk, there is a really good pizza restaurant, frequented by the locals.


Ferrara: Hotel Corte Estense

http://www.corteestense.it/en/

https://uk.hotels.com/ho289212/?tab=description

You could not get a better location than this hotel – only a 2 minute stroll to the main square. Stay here just for this convenience. The decor is old-fashioned, but the room was large, and absolutely spotlessly clean. It’s a family-run hotel, so the service is friendly and helpful. It offers and excellent breakfast. I recommend this hotel. Good value for money, with an excellent location.


Siena: Hotel Palazzetto Rosso

http://www.palazzettorosso.com/

https://uk.hotels.com/ho633070/?tab=description

This was the very best hotel of the trip – just beautiful! It is just off the main street, about 10 minutes’ walk to the Campo. Originally, it was a hostel for pilgrims on their way to Rome. Recently, it was converted to a hotel, with a focus on eclectic, quirky décor. My room was very large and gorgeous, looking onto the street. The bed was extremely comfortable, with four perfect pillows – I got the best sleep. Fabulous bathroom. Stellar service. I HIGHLY recommend this hotel. It is a three star hotel, but I would give it at least five stars.


Perugia: Sina Brufani

https://www.sinahotels.com/en/h/sina-brufani-perugia/?
utm_source=google&utm_medium=local&utm_campaign=gl ocal

https://uk.hotels.com/ho145118/?tab=description

I paid 108 Euros per night for a FIVE star hotel, including breakfast. What is NOT to like about this? It’s a typical 5-Star hotel, and everything was perfect. The room was large and comfortable, lovely bathroom, great bed and pillows. The breakfast was exhaustive. The location is excellent, right at the top of the town, 5 minutes’ walk to the main square, and within 15 minutes access to the bus station, where I took the buses to Gubbio, Todi and Assisi. I HIGHLY recommend this hotel.



Florence: Room Mate Luca

https://room-matehotels.com/en/luca/

https://uk.hotels.com/ho204368/?tab=description

I did minimal research on hotels in Florence for this trip. Hotels in Florence have become so very expensive! Luckily, I have earned a free night on Hotels.com, so I got a discount, but it still worked out at £170 per night. Its another quirky design hotel, so I liked the décor of my room. Service was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was excellent. Location was great – just 20 minutes’ walk to the Duomo. However, it caters to the bus-loads of travellers: Day one it was the Spanish, day two it was the Americans. I would stay here again, based on the friendly service, but if I stay in Florence again, I’d probably try to find an hotel in Oltrano.


Next: The Restaurants

bmk

So agree about the technology and so sorry I talked my husband out of buying 2 power packs for $25 at Costco before we left for France. What was I thinking?

Looking forward to the restaurants Ger.

Thanks, Ger. Very useful information. You chose well. Nice and reasonably priced hotels. Looking forward to your restaurant recommendations.

Me too!

Very informative, looking forward to more.

I have a power pack with me constantly now - so useful.

They look like great hotels, Ger - if I may say so, as I get older I become less tolerant of grotty places. Life is too short to waste time being unhappy and uncomfortable.

Ger, we always have a power pack with us these days, can't travel without one.
You went tomany places I haven't visited for years and am now pining to return to. We're going to Lago Maggiore and Milano for 15 days in November but would love to revisit the places you've been, and will, hopefully soon.

You know I always hang on every word of your trip reports. Thank you.
\
And when are you coming to visit us, eh?

I am so excited to read this, Ger -- We just stayed at Sina Brufani and DH loved it (I had stayed there before and already loved it!) Hotel Fortuna has been a Fodors fave but I MUCH prefer Brufani.

A friend and I are staying at the same hotel in Ferrara next March!

Check out Hotel David next Florence visit -- we are staying there on the March trip so I will report on it then.

Looking forward to more! Could you share what model Iphone you have and how much memory?

And when are you coming to visit us, eh?

St Cirq are you Canadian? ;)

Grazie mille Ger. This is such useful and practical information! I take Italian language classes in my home country and am planning an immersion course in Northern Italy sometime in the Spring.

buona fortuna, Elisabeth. Where are you thinking of going? My friends just went to Bologna to a language school there and I was originally going to go with them but life intervened, sadly. They said it was excellent. I've been to 4 all told and they were all good in their own different ways - it depends what you want really. Happy to discuss further if you would like.

Hi there:

thanks for your feedback, it encourages me to continue :).

Technology:
Glad you guys have discovered the power banks. I use my phone so much during the day, I am usually out of juice within 3 hours, and I am useless without it!

Also want to remind you guys travelling from UK that with Vodafone (for example on our company plane) I had a 5GB limit for text etc. This is a LOT. However, I used it up a few days by the end of my vacation, as I had to check-in on Facebook every day to put my sisters' minds at ease (otherwise, they would not let me travel :) ) and I usually uploaded a picture of where I was, and also, I used the navigator app extensively, as I am a complete incompetent reading a map. I use a company phone, so I had to get our admin to increase the limit (I pay them when the bill comes in), so spent about 36 hours getting hopelessly lost in Umbrian hill towns.

The multiple device charger should also be considered - in one hotel there was only ONE power outlet. Two people traveling with phones and cameras - it would be difficult to get everything charged.

Sundried: I have an iPhone 6S from work that is now 3 years old, so I am due an upgrade. I will admit that before I had an iPhone (or any of these device types), I could not understand why people bothered. After three years using it, I can't fathom how I managed without it. Just for the ability to find my way from A to B, I may have saving about an hour a day of frustration. Great for booking restaurants - find the reviews, make a booking and find the restaurant!

More to come :)

LOL, Sundried!

Hotels:

Ann: I left grotty ages ago. I generally spend my evenings in the hotel, so I want something that is a least clean, and has a bit of character.

Annw: I only stay at a 5-star hotels when the price is right, even if travelling on business. I was shocked at how cheap the Sina Brufani was at 108 per night. Clientele was predominantly well-heeled Japanese in small tour groups, and a handful of Americans. Also, I need to limit your expectations about the hotel in Ferrara - it is NOT anything like the Sina Brufina. It is old-fashioned, and not at all grand. The decor : Its a bit like going to stay with your Great-Aunt Matilda. But the location is perfect, it is spotlessly clean and my bathroom was very modern. I would highly recommend it, but don't expect the same ambiance as Sina Brufini :).

Mellen: You KNOW I want to visit! I am having the same struggle as you - there are so many places to see and so little time. I had already planned a whole trip to Madrid and Andalusia for September, and then discovered that it was going to be in the 80s/90s, which I could not endure. Hence I put this trip to Italy together instead. So, that Spain trip is now going to be in Spring. I am thinking maybe September next year. OR, I need a long weekend in Paris sometime in November this year, so maybe we can meet up then?

Well, I'm still kicking myself a bit that we had to change our England plans to eliminate London, as we were looking forward to seeing you there.

November in Paris probably won't work for us, as we have an Italy trip planned November 2-14, but maybe you could swing by on your way to Spain next spring? September is also quite lovely here. We'll work something out, I'm sure.

Anyway, onward with the trip report, which of course I'm enjoying immensely.

The Restaurants

I recommend this website. Great restaurant recommendations. Download the APP to your iPhone.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/

I had good luck with this website. In Padua, I took their recommendations, and was always delighted. Also, my hotel recommended three of their choices as ‘places where locals eat’.

Friday 15th Sept: Padua: Osteria del Capo

Osteria dal Copo: http://www.osteriadalcapo.it/

I had an early flight from London, so I was starving when I arrived at the hotel. I asked for a recommendation from the receptionist (Marco, who had studied Economics at Trinity College Dublin) for a restaurant that offered typical local cuisine, where locals eat. He recommended Osteria dal Capo, just around the corner from the Duomo. Interestingly, this restaurant was also recommended on the Culturetrip app.

I highly recommend this restaurant, and I went back a second time. Close to the Duomo, this is an excellent restaurant serving local fresh food, for the locals. The restaurant was full, and I was squeezed in as a late booking. The food is wonderful and relatively cheap, the clientele is predominantly local, and the service is friendly and willing to translate the menu.
I had the Octopus with veg to start, and the tagliatelle with ragu (maybe cinghiale?) to follow, with a litre of water and two glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The bill was 30 Euros.

Saturday 16th September: Padua: Belle Parti

https://www.ristorantebelleparti.it/en/homepage/

This was the great splurge day, and well worth it. It is ‘posh nosh’ for sure, in this elegant and beautifully decorated restaurant. I was underdressed for the occasion, and regretted I had not brought one of my Hermes scarves nor my Chanel flats with me :). The men were all nicely suited, and while the ladies were casually dressed, they either carried a Chanel Handbag or were wearing an Hermes scarf or Chanel flats.

The food was delicious, and I did not regret the cost, which I think was reasonable, based on same standard of restaurant in London.

I was served a free glass of Prosecco and an Amuse Bouche as I perused the menu (in English), and the Sommelier came to visit to discuss my wines. Yes, its THAT kind of restaurant! I had decided on a fish starter and the lamb to follow. He tried to steer me to a Chardonnay for the starter. NO! I drank SO much Chardonnay in the 1990s that I was poisoned against it. I know they have rehabilitated it in recent years, but I still cannot stand the smell or the taste of it, nor the memory of it. I told him I wanted something similar to a Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño, the only white wines I can drink. He came back with a very nice flinty Sauvignon Blanc, with which I was very pleased. We agreed to revisit the discussion for the lamb.

For the starter, I chose (quoting from the menu) the Skewer made with Sea Scallops and Prawns, and Gazpacho (22 Euros). Words cannot describe how very tasty this dish was. The scallops and prawns were perfectly cooked, and Gaspacho so subtly spiced. I am not ashamed to admit that I grabbed the bread, and cleaned out the bowl of soup, something I could NOT have done had I been wearing my Hermes scarf and Chanel flats, as it was SO common :).

For the main course, I chose (quoting from the menu) the Ribs of Lamb with Dried Fruits and "Tapenade". This involved another trip from the Sommelier. He suggested a Rose. Seriously? I absolutely HATE Rose – make a decision: Red or White? I told him I want my reds big and bold. He came back with a glass of delicious Amerone, bigger and bolder than I had anticipated, and how much was this going to cost me???

The lamb was absolutely perfectly pink, with a seared edges. Good manners prevented me from picking up the bones and sucking out every mouthful of flavour.

They offered a free disgestif, but I declined, as it was lunchtime, and I was still nursing my Amerone.

The bill was a very reasonable 69 Euros for: Starter, Main Course, Glass of decent Sauvignon Blanc, Glass of exceptional Ameron, Litre of Water, Coffee.

More restaurants to come …

Sunday 17th April: Vicenza: Ristorante Garibaldi Vicenza

https://www.thefork.it/ristorante/ga...7?cc=18174-54f

I search the evening before on “great restaurants in Vicenza”, and found none. I discovered a few days later, from my wonderful guide to the Palladian villas (Roberta), that there are no GREAT restaurants in Vicenza, just ordinary ones. If the locals want a great meal, they drive out to remote areas.

So, I arrived in Vicenza with no dining plans, which irritates me, as an important part of my vacation is good food, and I was a bit of a ‘spoiled bitch’ that day, based on the lunch experience at Belle Parti.

It was an extraordinary day in Vicenza (more later). Eventually, I had to eat something. I ended up in the main square and chose to dine at Garibaldi, right opposite the fabulous Palladian Basilica. I had very low expectations regarding its food, given its location in the middle of the main square. I was pleasantly surprised.

The service was incredibly slow, and they are renowned for it. However, the food was actually good. I had a rabbit ragu, two glasses of red wine and a litre of water. Bill was 28 Euros.

I came back later in the day and had a glass of wine outside to enjoy the view of the Basilica. If you plan ahead, you might do better, But, I thought this was OK.

Next … More Restaurants

Sunday 17th September: Osteria Pizzeria

http://www.elcoq.com/garibaldi/gourmet.html?m=1

After exploring Vicenza, I arrived back to my hotel, and it was such a glorious evening, sunny and warm, I wanted to keep the day going.

I had read about this pizzeria, just 2 minutes’ walk from the hotel, on the Culture Trip App, and thought this would probably be the only opportunity I would have to visit.

I walked in at 1900, as it opened, and it was empty. By the time I left, at 2000, it was full to the brim with locals, who all know each other, and there were much hugs and kisses face. It’s a place for the locals :) .

I had a pizza (HUGE, and delicious with a thin crust), two glass of red wine and a litre of water. Bill was 14 Euros. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Next .. More restaurants

OPPS, sorry, I posted the wrong link for the Osteria Pizzeria. The correct one is the following:

http://www.lavignaosteria.it/

Regards .. Ger

Monday 18th September: Padua: Zaramella

http://www.ristorantezaramella.it/

Recommended by the Culture App. This was rather unexpected, as the restaurant is within a large hotel that caters to bus tours and business conferences.

The restaurant lacked charm that day, and the service was perfunctory (they had a big conference on that day, so service may be better otherwise), but the food was actually very good.

If you are in the area, visiting Scrovegni Chapel (only 5 minutes away), then this would be a very good place to have lunch, and I don’t think you would be disappointed. I would imagine it is better for dinner than lunch, as it gets excellent reviews.

I had a fish cod mouse to start, which is a specialty of the region, and it was delicious. I followed with Pasta alla Vongola, which was excellent. Half a bottle of good white wine and a litre of water: The bill was 38 Euro.

Next … More restaurants

Tuesday 19th September: Palladio Barbaro: De Gusto

http://www.de-gusto.com/

I hired a guide to provide a tour of three Palladian villas (more about that later). She suggested this restaurant before we began our tour of the Vila Barbaro.

This is a gem of a restaurant. All the food and wine is sourced locally, and the restaurant is run by locals. There is also a wine shop on-site.

We both had a delicious warm salad. I had two glasses of a superb Processco that I would never have in the UK. Coffees and water.

Bill was 34 Euros.

I love your restaurant descriptions of the food and wine, Ger, always makes me hungry. Food is also a big part of our trips.

Ger, was that pizza place in Vicenza Leone?

Did you get to the Olympic Theatre?

>Food is also a big part of our trips.<

As for me Sundried :)

Yes annw, I did, and many other of his wonderful works. You'll have to wait for that :)

A most delightful trip report Ger. Have a meeting in Florence next May and you are giving me great ideas for things to do afterwards!

What a treat it is to sit at home, the rain pouring outside, imagining myself in sunny Italy while reading all your stories, feedback and suggestions. That's just what I love about the Fodor's forum. Thanks again all.

A private message to annhig: first of all I hope your husband's health is improving. I always enjoy reading your trip reports.
Re your remarks about language schools in Italy. Sofar I have only been to Turin, l'Italiano Porticando. It's a small school located in the center of town.
I can recommend it.
I really liked Turin. Found it to be rather elegant possibly due to the French influence over the centuries.

I am now considering Bologna and Verona for my next Italian language holiday. As I plan to go on my own rather than with a group of friends I prefer a smaller town. All suggestions are welcome of course.

Elisabeth - I had not considered Turin for a language school, mainly because there is no direct flight there from our nearest big airport, but it's a good idea. My friends spoke very highly of the school they attended in Bologna and the excursions they did, which IMO are a big part of the experience; I've never been to one in Verona.

Thank you for your good wishes for my DH. At the moment he is comfortable, which is a blessing.

Hello again Annhig, would you be so kind to ask your friends for the name of the language school in Bologna? Sorry all others for this deviation from the original thread.
P.S. does anyone know if there is a way to contact a fellow Fodorite directly in order not to bother others?

I'm on for the ride. Have always enjoyed your trip reports, but if you say it was your best, then i'm the more eager. The techno part is helpful, the gastronomy part even more so ^^

Elizabeth look at InClasse in Verona (took a week-long class there Sept before last). Shout-out to annhig too!

OK Ger we are keeping occupied while we wait!

I love your conversation guys :)

Where was I? ....

Elizabeth - it was this one:

https://madrelinguaitalian.com

Ger I had the wrong hotel in Ferrara; it is Hotel de Prati, Via Padiglioni. (I never expect anything as good as Brufani for that price! )

More restaurants:

Wednesday 20th September: Lunch in Padua: Osteria dal Copo:
http://www.osteriadalcapo.it/

After a morning in Vicenza, exploring more Palladian mansions, I came back to Padua for lunch, back to Osteria dal Capo for a late lunch.

I had the octopus again, but this time with autumn veg, and tagliata di manzo (sliced beef). Excellent food. With a quarter litre of wine, a litre of water and a coffee, bill was 38 Euros.
Again, I think this is an excellent restaurant, and well worth a visit.

Wednesday 20th September: Dinner in Ferrara: Este Restaurant

A short train ride from Padua to Ferrara. After checking into the hotel, I felt like a snack, so proceeded to the Este, just around the corner from the hotel, which is highly rated for casual dining. The place was buzzing, but I managed to get a table. The menu is enormous and varied, and they are renowned for their meats and pizza. I had a bowl of pasta ragu, large bottle of water and two glasses of red. Bill was about 15 Euros.
http://www.estebarferrara.com/

Thursday 21st September: Lunch Ferrara: Osteria degli Ulivi
www.osteriadegliulivi.net

After a morning walking Ferrara, I had built up a healthy appetite. This is a nice restaurant for lunch – food is local and fresh. I started with pumpkin ravioli with a sage and butter sauce (sauce was lovely, but I was reminded that I really don’t like pumpkin!) and followed with a fancy rabbit dish, which was delicious. Bill for the two course, two glasses of wine and water was 38 Euros.

Yes, more restaurant please.
Octopus with tagliata di manzo sounds great. Dining in Ferrara seems not expensive at all.