Weather Report???
 

What are the chances of beach weather in CT during late Sept? Can you get by with shorts during the day? How about in Florence? First time to Italy ...

I was in CT the first week of October last year and wore shorts all the time. If the sun is out it is warm enough for the beach...The best part of CT is the hiking and the views....the beaches are rocky,except for the one in Monterosso and the one in Vernazza.Take the ferry to Portovenere..cool town.Florence will be warm too...perhaps alittle rainy. Florence is a beautiful city. Depending on what you are doing shorts may not be appropriate for churches or other places.You will notice that people dress-up more in Florence.CT is casual and shorts are fine just about anywhere.I hope this helped. You will love Italy! Maggie

Maggie - big help - actually, I'm staying in Portovenere. Can you (or anyone) tell me anything about the Royal Sporting? How about good restuarants in the area? Thanks

Hi, <BR> Don't know about about the Royal Sporting...but did have lunch at a place that we loved. The first street up the hill from the harbor that runs parallel(not the one right at the harbor),there is a place with the word "Medusa" in the title...there is a small piazza area next to it with a small fountain. I had the crab gnochetti(a small gnocchi)....oh my God...It was very good!. On the Saturday morning we were there there weddings taking place at the ancient church on the bluff overlooking the sea....It was wonderful...Enjoy! Be sure to catch the other towns in CT! Maggie

Hi, Megan, <BR>I've just copied an earlier post that I wrote: <BR>&lt;&lt;Da Iseo was the best restaurant we ate in during a trip 2 years ago to Portovenere. We ate at a place next door on another night, and it was nowhere near as good. But you'll love Portovenere; it's a wonderful place to stay! <BR>Pesto and anchovies are specialties of the region. Even if you don't think you like anchovies, these are really good! There's also a white wine that's pretty good that's regional (don't know the name though I'm sure they will help). &gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>My husband and I stayed at the Royal Sporting and loved it. It is a wonderful hotel, with swimming pool and a great buffet breakfast. At first, I was a little disappointed in its location since it is a short walk (about 15 minutes) from the "center" of town, but this turned out to be a blessing, since we loved the daily stroll along the beach. If you can, get a balcony with a view of the bay. <BR>Of all the places we stayed, Portovenere was our favorite. It's not as crowded as the C.T. and is very pleasant and relaxing. The hotel, too, was a treat. <BR>I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Megan, <BR> <BR>You'll love the hotel; good location. Weather should be perfect that time of year in both cities. Take long pants for Florence though, just to fit in. <BR>Enjoy...