parkhill24

This trip report, my first, has been long delayed due to a family illness. But perhaps it will help other Fodorites in their planning. It's pretty long, so it will be divided into about four postings.

A Taste of Bologna and Parmesan:

In late September and early October 2005 my wife and took our 134 years to northern Italy to cities Americans rarely think of, and others they do. We spent 11 days in five hotels (OK, we overdid it), rode trains 2nd class and never took a taxi. Tiring, but enjoyable. In the process we set a record which may never be equaled: Four 3-star urban hotels and one 4-star spent in near-total quiet. In Italy, no less. Mostly luck, but we did ask for a room on the courtyard. For us, sleep's the thing; any view is a bonus.

Bologna was our target because we knew little about it, in company with most Americans. We were curious when the Brits on our plane talked about carrying empty suitcases. We found out when we got into Bologna: great shopping. Our hotel was the three-star Hotel Paradise, and it just about lived up to its name. A wonderfully friendly hotel in a fine location, just steps off bustling Via Independenzia and an easy 10-minute stroll down the shop-lined avenue to the center. In this narrative, a 10-minute walk or stroll is just that -- not the "easy 10-minute walk" or "near the center" of hotel websites, which usually translates to a half-hour slog.

Bologna is a lively city with a distinct personality and great food -- not for nothing do Italians call it "Bologna the Fat." Following Travel Talk recommendations, we tried the "best gelato in Italy" at Gelateria Moline (we agree) and dinner at nearby Trattoria Anna Maria -- again, right on target. Both are near Hotel Paradise. Much overlooked by Americans, we found Bologna a pleasure.

A Sunday side-trip to Ferrara was disappointing, though. A nice-enough little city, but we had expected more. Maybe it was the three bright yellow M's hanging from three adjoining arches (though not golden) in the main piazza directly across from the fine duomo. Fries with that?

In Parma we went off-track to take in surely the largest antiques and collectibles fair in the world: five enormous buildings with more than 1,000 exhibitors. Mind-boggling. As advertised, the city itself was pleasant and prosperous. The highlight for us was the pink marble Baptistry. Our hotel, the Starhotel du Parc, was fine, with large, modern rooms, but its fatal drawback for us was a looong hike through its namesake park -- not well lighted at night -- to reach the city center. Good hotel, not the best location. Professionally courteous staff. No restaurant recommendations, although we ate well most everywhere. It's Italy.

More to come...

Scarlett

I hope everyone is well now, this is a lovely report. I am looking forward to more

PamNC

Parkhil24, please get busy with the rest of your report. It is terrific so far. My husband and I are going this May. We are flying into Bologna which we will be using as a "base camp" for 5 nights. We plan to travel to Parma, Modena, Ravenna and were planning on Ferrara, but we might just skip it now. From our reading, there is plenty to see, do and buy in Bologna, and we LOVE to eat.

I must say though that I am sick to hear about your experience at Hotel Paradise. We initially had a reservation there, but then canceled and rebooked at the Royal Carlton. A few posts were encourging about Paradise, but several were down right awful and we chickened out. We are paying a good deal more, so I hope that it will be worth it.

Anyway, get to writing!!! Ciao

WallyKringen

parkhill24 was disappointed by Ferrara, and it's true, it is a pleasant "average" but certainly not a sensational town.

Ferrara's claim to fame, for this traveler, is the fact that you change trains there for Ravenna. A slowish regional train, a nice way to decompress after the swift and airplane-like EuroStar that gets you to Ferrara.

The trundling ride through the agricultural plains is just perfect in preparation for the age-old beauty of the byzantine mosaics in Ravenna, itself a pleasant but not spectacular town.

Anyone going as far as Ferrara and getting off the train, see if you can spare a few hours and visit Ravenna, you won't be sorry.

Thanks for the report - great stuff!

WK

ekscrunchy

Pam: I have info on eating in Bologna from my trip in January. If you want any tips, let me know as I love to discuss food. Or you can see my report; I posted it after my trip. It is a beautiful city. Bring lots of zip-lock plastic bags to take food products home with you! Thanks, Parkhill...will keep reading your installments about the trip.

PamNC

Ekscrunchy, I would ADORE hearing about your trip. How would I locate it? Discussing food and learning about yummy places to eat is a passion, and we are eager to experience Bologna. It is always terrific to have recommendations, although after 3 trips to Italy, I can only remember 1 or 2 places at which the experience was not the best; not the worst, but not the best. It is Italy afterall.

Also, you have a very unique screen name - Would you care to explain?

Beatchick

Parkhill24, just from the title of the thread I had to peek in to read your trip report! It's coming along swimmingly & I can't wait to read more.

Pam, if you click on ekscrunch's name, any post he or she has posted on will come up & you should be able to locate the trip report that way.

ekscrunchy

Pam. the screen name is really unfortunate. It came about long ago after I had tried about 20 names and they were all taken. It is a combo of my initials and a sort of nickname. I have used it so long that I am stuck with it but it is really kind of silly so don't hold it against me! I will try to post my food report here..scroll down and you can find the Bologna part. This may or may not work!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...ame=ekscrunchy

PamNC

EK, your name is darling! I was just curious about its origin as I am about others on this site.

I was able to do just fine in pulling up your report, and will continue to watch for the remainder of it. You are a gifted writer -- I felt as though I was right there sharing the atmosphere and meals with you. I had taken the advice of Beatchick and clicked on your name. Good grief, not only are you an avid traveler, you have accommodated sooo many folks with your responses. Are any of your travels work-related?

Thank you for all of your help! Besides Bologna, we will be staying in Florence, Lucca, Santa Margarita Ligure and Genoa. I have taken notes regarding your restaurant recommendations in Florence. While we have been there before, one can never be too prepared.

parkhill24

...2nd instalment of "If It's Tuesday..." entitled:
Slow Train to Mantova, Zipping to Verona

We ran for the slow train to Mantova -- finding, with travelers' luck, a young lady speaking perfect English and taking the same train! -- as we desperately searched for the right track. If there's any drawback to traveling this part of Italy, it's the scenery. Pleasant enough, but it's not Tuscany.

Mantova (which many Americans know as Mantua) was to us what Ferrara was not -- a magical small city with four small piazzas at its center and an ambience reflecting the power and glory of its former ruling family, the Gonzagas. Interestingly, it is situated with water on three sides. There were few tourists and virtually no Americans.

Our hotel was the Casa Poli, a four-star, ultramodern gem inside despite a dowdy exterior. We could not imagine such a place in Mantova. It's about a 10-minute walk from the hotel to the city center, and worth it to stay at the Casa Poli. The staff was so friendly that Signora Poli herself offered to drive us to the train station, but we took the bus.

No restaurant recommendations here, either. In fact, we had dry tortelli di zucca (pasta filled with pumpkin squash, ironically the Mantuan speciality), which we thought delicious elsewhere. But we did dine al fresco with piano music, which compensated.

Verona, just a 20-minute train ride, was much larger and more crowded, but one of our best stops. It's a beautiful city, with a bustling pedestrian-only shopping promenade leading to its center from the large Piazza Bra and its Roman amphitheater, the third-largest existing. Like many of Europe's major structures it was largely covered by scaffolding and drapes. (First-timers, brace yourself for this.) The shopping was great once again, though we bought little, as we traveled light with only an on-board rolling suitcase and a travel handbag each. That was enough.

Another TravelTalk-true tip: In Italy, buy train tickets at travel agencies. There are lots of them. Same price as at the station, but no lines, and, usually a patient, English-speaking agent -- not that not speaking Italian in Italy is a problem. We traveled second-class. On most trains, especially on shorter hauls, it's hardly discernible from first class and a lot cheaper. One more good tip gleaned from TravelTalk: We called the U.S. using phone cards bought at tabacchi shops (a newsstand plus other to-go merchandise) where you also buy city bus tickets. They're 3 to 5 euros. Ours was the Europa card. Instructions in English are on the card. Cheap, and they worked.

More to come...

nonnafelice

Parkhill24,

We must have been at the Paradise at the same time as you! We were there from Sept 20 - 26 last year. We stayed across the street from the main hotel though, in a small apartment.

We also agree with you on Ferrara; although many people love that town it didn't do a whole lot for us either. And we really liked Verona, as well, although we didn't stay there. We didn't get to Mantova, but you have made it sound worth a trip another time.

Pam, some friends of ours stayed at the Royal Carlton just after we were at the Paradise. It is much more lavish than the Paradise, although also a bit farther out from the center. It is very convenient to the train station though. I'm sure you'll be well taken care of there, but I hope you got a good deal on the price, as I know its rack rate is a lot higher than Paradise! Be sure you find your way to Stefino's gelateria, which is not far from there. I think we had some discussion about your hotel earlier, and you probably saw my trip report then, but if not, I do have it here on Fodors.

Normally I think I would choose an extra day in Bologna over Ferrara, but I did hear that Ferrara is having its Palio in May, so that might be worth a visit if your dates coincide. You can see more at:
http://www.paliodiferrara.it/

PamNC

Nonnafelice, you are correct, we did discuss Hotal Paradise. Some just love a place, while others wouldn't go back if it were for free. I just got cold feet. We are walkers, so hopefully the distance further out from the center won't be a problem. Walking is what helps us enjoy our meals so that we don't gain a ton of weight. I didn't realize that the Carlton is not far from the train station which, indeed, is a plus for any day trips. Also, I am thankful to be better situated to Stefino's; that, in of itself, sounds as though we made the right decision. We hardly ever eat ice cream at home, but when in Italy, a daily gelato is a must!

I checked the palio website and it looks like fun. However, there are only two days that we could possibly attend; one is on the day that we arrive in Bologna and the other is the following day, a Sunday. I'm betting that the town is going to be mayhem with all of the crowds. Once we research our plans further, we might very well include Ferrera. Thanks for the tip!

Eloise

While I disagree completely with Parkhill about the relative merits of Ferrara and Mantova - which I found dreary and oppressive; the palace of the Gonzagas sits there like a huge black tombstone brooding over the main piazza - I can recommend an excellent restaurant in Mantova: Il Cigno. Not inexpensive, but the tortelli alla zucca were definitely not dry.

SusanEva

Thank you Parkhill, I'm really enjoying reading about your experiences.

Great title !

parkhill24

Part III, "If It's Tuesday..."
Verona and the Wrong/Right Train to Venice

We followed a TravelTalk tip in Verona to dine at La Greppia, a restaurant in a small courtyard (Via Samaritana 3) off the main pedestrian-only street, Via Mazzini. It was so good we went back the second night, the only place we doubled up. Some tourists, but lots of locals, too. Superior food in a pleasant atmosphere, at reasonable prices. Sit outside if you can.

Our "hotel" was the La Residenza Verona House, a five-minute stroll to Piazza Bra, where the Roman arena is located, and then about five more to the center of Verona. We had a small, clean-but-worn suite with a sitting room and kitchenette, small bedroom, and bath. Our room looked on the courtyard and was very quiet. That having been said, the Verona House is really an apartment house, as the name implies. The desk closes at 8 p.m. and it is not possible to dial the USA direct from your room; you must find a public phone. Breakfast was so-so croissants and coffee at a nearby cafe, included in the rate.

We usually ate breakfast in each hotel. Other than in Verona, they were very good. It saved time looking around, and enabled us to return to our room to get organized before going out for the day.

For lunch everywhere we usually opted for pizza or a salad, both about 6-8 euros. Tip: If you're in the mood for a pepperoni pizza, don't order a pepperoni pizza. You will get a pizza topped with peppers, as we did. Not bad, but not a salami pizza, which is probably what you want.

From Verona we zipped to Venice on a fast train, which we discovered we were not ticketed for, but no problem. We paid a surcharge to the conductor and got into Venice in bright sunshine. Our hotel was not far from Piazza San Marco, so for a paltry few euros we caught a water bus for a colorful trip the full length of the Grand Canal. We stood toward the front and absorbed the sights; one of the highlights of the entire trip.

We had visited Venice many years ago and were struck once again by its beauty and variety. The most rundown building glows with color and character. Our hotel was the Casa Nicolo Pruili, the four-star Palazzo Pruili's three-star "annex" -- actually a separate building a few feet away. We had read mixed reviews about the Casa Nicolo Pruili, but put us down on the favorable side. It was fine. Our quiet corner room did not overlook the canal, probably a plus, and the included breakfast in the Palazzo Pruili was excellent. Close to Piazza San Marco, too, but not too close.

One more to come...

pep

Hello to all

I'm traveling to this area in late summer. As Parkhill wasn't thrilled with his Parma hotel-- Does anyone have a recommendation? Parkhill--Did you pass a hotel you thought looked good?

I've booked Albergo delle Drapperie on the street of the same name in Bologna--Anyone know it?

And as to Verona--Any hotel recommendations?

Thanks for any advice.

parkhill24

"If It's Tuesday..." fini.

Then Came the Deluge:

We had dinner our first night in Venice under an outdoor canopy of vines at La Giardinetta, on Via Castello just steps behind the Casa Pruili, where there were many narrow passageways and good small restaurants. The atmosphere, food and service were excellent. Our hotel had strongly recommended reservations anywhere we went, but we had found that if you arrive at any Italian restaurant, trattoria or osteria by 7:45 you can usually sit anywhere. It was true in Venice as well. Go before 7:30 and at smaller places you may find the cook and waiters sitting outside chatting, or having dinner themselves.

Sunday was gray, cool and drizzly, with one consolation being softer light to bring out Venice's colors. You often get the best photos on those days, as we did. We dined at the "Agli Artisti," again on Via Castello very near the hotel, and had good food and service despite the presence of a tour group.

Even with the weather, Piazza San Marco was filled with tourists Sunday, so we decided to wait for a lighter crowd Monday to go into the basilica. It was even uglier Monday morning, pouring rain, windy and cold, and we figured to walk right in. Wrong. The tours had arrived big-time -- there must have been nobody minding the store in Japan. By the time we left for the airport in late afternoon Venice was experiencing probably the worst weather we've ever had traveling. We toughed it out and shopped until we left, risking blindness from being poked in the eye by a sea of umbrellas. But you can't sit in your hotel in Venice.

It's true, as others have advised, that you can get some quiet away from the tourist hordes in parts of Venice well away from Piazza San Marco. You can even shop where the Venetians do in areas nearer the piazza if you know where to go. We didn't, but fortunately stumbled onto them. Further afield, we found some well-designed and reasonably priced Murano glass jewelry at Di Bagarotto Cristina, Dorsoduro 880/D. Browse, but talk to the owner/designer. Silent browsers burn him up. Don't get him started on Americans vs. Italians, or Venetians vs. other Italians. On second thought, do.

At the end of a dreary day we squished back to the hotel and then to the Grand Canal, where we took the Alilaguna water bus directly to the airport, seeing nothing but rain and spray. If your hotel is convenient to catch the water bus, that's the way to go, fast and cheap. Hope for sunshine.

Speaking of sunshine, we had 10 days out of 12. That's pretty good. We also had plenty of sunshine from the Italian people. Undoubtedly Italy has its grouches, but we'll be let down the first time we encounter one.

That's all, folks...or, Fodorites. Thanks again for reading and for your comments!

parkhill24

"Pep," in reply to your question about hotels we might have preferred in Parma, I tried to get the Hotel Button in the center of things, but couldn't. Did not see the hotel, but it sounds good.

nonnafelice

Parkhill, we were definitely there at exactly the same time! That Monday in Venice was the worst weather day I have ever seen in Europe. We actually did not even go into the city that day, since we were staying just outside and had a car. But no matter where we went, we could not escape that rain! Still, as you said, it must have been penance for two previous weeks of beautiful weather.

monicapileggi

parkhill24,

I'm glad to hear your good report on the Hotel Paradise - I'll be staying there in May for 5 nights.

Thanks for the trip report. I have Ferrara on my list of towns to visit (along with Parma and Ravenna). I'll have to re-read about Ferrara. My other choice was Modena. Mantova might be interesting, but I might not want to be on a train for 2 hours.

Monica