My husband has graciously agreed to watch our two daughters (ages 8 and 3) while I take a ~5 night trip with my good girlfriend. I am turning 40 and feeling a bit overwhelmed. We will be flying in/out of Munich. This will be in mid February so yes, last minute! And I know the weather is not ideal. Being so last minute, I really could use some advice. My two main interests are travel and food. I would love to be able to have a long 3 hour lunch somewhere amazing, as I have not been able to do that for many years. Or, perhaps take a cooking class for a day. Or take a tour/bus ride/etc., that normally we would never consider since we have the kids along. Or a real destination place/event would also be great.

Where have you all gone that was just *so* special? I am open to the location, but prefer to keep it within a 2 hour flight or so.

My current considerations include: Bari or Lecce, Lisbon, Palermo, Nice, and Madrid or Malaga, as I have never been to any of those places and b/c the flights are affordable. I would rather not rent a car and would rely on public transportation.

My other option is to take the train to Padova and/or Verona, but since we visited that general area a lot over the last few years, I am trying to seek something a bit further afield.

But again, I am open to all other suggestions and ideas. TIA!

Or Toulouse, France is also an option.

The weather is always a consideration in February, but you can always dress for the occasion. We just spent 5 nights in Dublin and had a great time. Since you're flying into and out of Munich and only have 5 nights, I'd stick with something in the north.

Amsterdam and Copenhagen are good options, but you might enjoy Brussels and Bruges.

And what about Garmisch, the "Alpine Interlude 80 Minutes From Munich" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/tr...many.html?_r=0)

What about Bologna? Foodie haven!

I was in Bologna this past summer. Loved it!

And yes, I can get good flights to Dublin. I should look into that.

Sounds like you're leaning towards Italy or the Cote d'Azur in terms of cuisine and surroundings. If so, look at any of the following for a stay or to combine 2 places if close:

Sicily - perhaps Siracusa rather than Palermo (fly into Catania); great food and sights (Catania has its patron saint feast day on 4 Feb - Santa Agata - but you might miss that).

The first 2 weeks of February in Agrigento will have their Almond Blossom Festival if that interests you and you choose Sicily.

Umbria - apart from the odd (and late) olive festival in the region (see Spello) you could stay in Cortona or Gubbio and travel to Assisi and Perugia if you prefer smaller towns to stay in.

The Dolomites - snowy, yes, and colder than the south, yes, but oh so stunning. Look at Cortina d'Ampezzo or Bolzano.

French Riviera - you could base yourselves in Nice (stay at the Hotel Negresco for a treat and old world charm) and take day trips to St Paul de Vence, Monaco, Antibes, Cannes or even Aix-en-Provence. Plenty of great food experiences to be had in the regions.

In France, but not the Riviera, and if you really want to spoil yourselves, look at a night (or two) at Chateau Bagnols (www.chateaudebagnols.com ). A few years ago I was fortunate to experience a 10 course degustation menu there, each course with a different wine (of course!), in amazing surroundings. Just stunning. Has stuck with me for years, so would recommend it as "so special". You could fly into Lyon and transfer (the hotel can organise it) from there.

Thanks so much! Those are great suggestions. The Chateau is certainly "so special" but it's much beyond our means, unfortunately. I really like your Sicily suggestions. Do you think it is possible to do both Siracusa and Agrigento (for the almost blossom festival) with a 5 night trip? I was at Taormina and Mt. Etna last year (just one day on a cruise) but really would love to see more of Sicily. I will look into transport options,etc.

Otherwise, the Nice option is also nice And a bit easier, logistically speaking. I've been to Aix-en-Provence and westward, but not to the Nice area.

Thanks again!

You could do Siracusa and Agrigento in 5 nights, 3 nights Siracusa and 2 in Agrigento. Might be a little fast as you'll pack quite a bit into Siracusa in 2 full days, but as long as you are not looking for a total relax then certainly doable if you want to see things.

You could even stay in Siracusa the whole time and, if you're willing to rent a car and drive (it's not a hard thing to find your way around Sicily) you could do a (long) day trip to Agrigento (it's around 2hr30 one way) rather than stay there. It would also allow a stop at Piazza Amerina at the amazingly preserved mosaics at Villa del Casale if you're interested.

If you didn't want to drive, and decided to base yourselves in Siracusa, then you can find day trips with tour companies which cover both Agrigento and Piazza Amerina. Again, a long day, but without the hassle of driving.

Nice would also be nice (!), if you're leaning more towards the Riviera. And you'll find plenty to see, do and eat there as well. I guess it's just a matter of you and your friend deciding where you'd like to visit - what a decision!

Thanks, but due to flights costs, and other considerations, we will be going to Naples for 4 nights. We may stay in Sorrento for the duration, or split it up between Sorrento and Naples. Take a cooking course. Eat fantastic pizza. Visit Pompeii and if the weather cooperates, maybe take a bus ride along the coast. I realize it is not the best time to be there, but I think/hope it will be fine. Nonetheless, I ope I can make it to Sicily in the near future! Oh, and @madamtrashheap, your original suggestion of the Dolomites is definitely on my list. I want to take the girls there one summer and enjoy the views/hikes. thanks again!

We loved Easter in Naples last year! You will have a great time! You can see our pics here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pug_gir...7633185001263/

We didn't have great weather, it rained quite a bit, but enjoyed the city anyways!

Thanks, jamikins! Do you have restaurant/pizza recs for Naples? We were there for one day a few years ago and ate at Da Michele. It was really great. I would go back again, but maybe I should go someplace else?

Let me get back to you! We are at a couple really good pizza places but I need to look at my map at home to see where they are!

Fo a special place with nice weather in Feb -- Madeira island.
You will have beautiful scenary, excellent food, friendly people, all you need to make you happy and confortable.

We had great pizza at Sorbillo...

thanks @jamikins!

I'd contact Ylenia at http://www.yltourcongressi.it/ who always seems to have stuff going on in and around Lecce, she loves cooking and is such an enthusiast you will feel your life has been switched on just by a day in her company. Also at https://www.facebook.com/yltour?fref=ts