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We're back from Rome, Florence and Venice!
Thank you to everyone who helped me plan this wonderful vacation. My planning thread is here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34939104 <b>Wednesday, March 7</b> Upon arrival in Amsterdam from Minneapolis, we had a five-hour layover. I was able to find a litre bottle of Safari Liqueur for my grandma. She is very excited. We had lunch at the Cafe Amsterdam in Lounge 3, 2nd floor. I had soup and Tim had some sort of sandwich and Heineken. I tried Safari after lunch. (I don't love it as much as my grandma does, but now I've tried it!) The Cafe Amsterdam is a nice place to eat if you have a bit of time. Recommended. Afterwards we walked around, played cards, and tried to stay awake. Our flight to Rome was delayed since KLM had loaded the wrong luggage onto our plane (?!?) and we had to return to the gate, switch luggage with another plane, and refuel. I did sleep through most of this. Our most recent 3 flights on KLM all had luggage issues... Upon our two-hour late arrival in Rome (11pm), a private car met us to take us to the Daphne Inn Veneto. (60E; Highly recommended, especially late at night!) We stayed at this inn for three nights. We highly recommend the inn. The location is OK, not fantastic, but that is the only somewhat complaint. We easily walked to the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon in under 15 minutes, and it is very close to the Barberini Metro stop. We paid 135 Euro/night cash. The room included a free cell phone for the duration of our stay (you pay for calls). A nice touch! Daphne B&B Veneto Via di San Basilio, 55 - 00187 ROMA Italy Phone:+39 06 87450086/7 http://www.daphne-rome.com/ <b>Thursday, March 8</b> After breakfast at the hotel we walked 10 minutes to the Villa Borghese for the 11am reservation. The Galleria Borghese is my favorite museum I have ever visited. The statue of Apollo chasing Daphne literally took my breath away. My dad has described to me how he felt when he saw Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's; I felt the same way with Bernini's sculpture of Apollo and Daphne. The remainder of the museum is fantastic as well. A MUST SEE! Lunch at San Marco, recommended by the hotel. This is a short walk from the museum. We sat outside and most of the guests looked like Italian businessmen. We had proscuitto and funghi pizza, four-cheese gnocchi, wine, water, cafe, and complimentary pastries. Total=36.3 Euro. San Marco Via Sardegna, 38/D Roma 06.420.12.620 We then walked to the Villa Borghese entrance to the Spagna metro station and, following many tunnels, finally boarded the train to the Vatican. We took the 3:30pm Scavi tour. Perhaps it had been built up too much in my mind by my mother and other reviews; we were somewhat disappointed. I had imagined it would be a much bigger space. I think the tour is worth taking, but I don't find it much more interesting than the forum, IMHO. So, don't be too disappointed if you cannot get tickets. Also, it was extremely warm and humid in the excavations and we were uncomfortable (leave extra layers behind if possible!) We popped into St. Peter's Basilica and then caught the changing of the Swiss Guards by chance. The staff at the Daphne gave us a walking route back from the Vatican that included Castel San Angelo, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. This took us approximately 2 hours including stops. After freshening up, we had dinner at Da Armando al Pantheon, which was recommended both by fodorite ekscrunchy and our hotel. This is a small restuaurant (40 seats?) and it was full so we were glad to have a 9:30pm reservation. We had the bruschetta, straticella (egg drop soup with parsley), spaghetti alla verde (spaghetti with lemon, arugula, and cheese), gnocchi pomodoro, grilled lamb (scottadito), grilled scamorza (smoked cheese) with proscuitto, artichoke, tiramisu with berries, wine, water and cafe. We obviously went all out and ordered too many courses! Total: 77 Euro. The highlights were the soup, the spaghetti, and the scamorza. I would recommend sharing the cheese... I am the world's biggest cheese lover and I still couldn't finish it! Trattoria da Armando al Pantheon Salita de' Crescenzi 31 Roma 06.68.80.30.34 http://www.armandoalpantheon.it *Reservations highly recommended, if not mandatory* |
Tim & Liz,
I'm so excited to hear about the rest of your trip! Do continue... |
Keep posting! I'm enjoying reading about your trip - and taking notes!
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Great! I look forward to the rest.
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<b>Friday, March 9</b>
After breakfast, we purchased bus tickets from a Tabacchi and took a bus to the Coliseum (as directed by hotel staff). We walked around the Coliseum and over to the Mamertine Prison. We were in there for under 5 minutes and were glad we stopped in. The Mamertine Prison is where St. Peter and St. Paul were imprisoned. There is a post to which St. Peter was (supposedly?) chained as well as a hole where the water came forth for him to baptize the guards. Sorry if my info is a bit off. The visit is free but they ask for donations. We had lunch from a street cart-- paninis and San Pellegrino. We were supposed to catch an Icon tour of the forum at 1:30pm, but due to miscommunication (I swear we were in the correct location, the hotel swears they told us the correct location which was incorrect) we were at the wrong fountain and missed the tour. However it all worked itself out because my professor and his wife wandered right past us on their own tour of the forum! We were both surprised to see each other in Rome. We joined their tour and had a great time visiting the forum and the Coliseum. We said goodbye to my prof, his wife, and the guide and headed to the Vatican for our after-hours tour of the Sistine Chapel. We booked the private after-hours tour with http://www.italywithus.biz/pages/VaticanTour.htm The price was 250 Euros per person. It was a splurge for us but we both agree we will take it the next time we are in Rome! It was truly that fantastic. If you can swing the price, I highly recommend this tour. We met the group just before 6pm and entered the Vatican museums. Our group consisted of 8 visitors, two guides, and two guards. We went through security and were immediately notified that the tour had been reversed since the pope himself was to use the Sistine Chapel for vespers at 7pm. The guides were full of information and rattled (in a good way) non-stop during our walk to the chapel. We had approximately 40 minutes in the chapel. While inside, the lights were turned on in anticipation of the pope's visit. Our guide became extremely excited-- in his over 1200 visits of the chapel, this was only the second time ever he had seen the lights on in the chapel. There was so much excitement in the air -- guards walking around, setting up for the pope.... When we left the chapel, I strayed as looooooong as I could hoping to spot the pope in the hallway (LOL) but no such luck. The guards shut the door, turned a giant 6-inch key in the lock, and the pope entered through the opposite door.... We headed to the Raphael rooms and more decorated hallways. Again, a fantastic experience!! We had wanted to eat dinner at Franco's recommended Osteria dell'Angelo, but (being completely honest here) I was concerned we would get lost finding it as I did not have the best map. Instead our hotel made us reservations at Il Matriciano. It was a 10-minute walk from the Vatican Museum entrance. We had a fantastic meal: straticella, soup with egg noodles and peas, fried Jewish artichoke, spaghetti with capers and tomatoes, hollow spaghetti with matriciana sauce, beef loin with balsamic sauce for two, strawberries topped with gelato, wine, water, bread, and cafe. Total: 93 Euro. The best courses were the straticella, the hollow spagetti, and the beef, but everything was very very good! Our waiter asked us where we were from. We told him Chicago (although we are from Minneapolis, often people don't know where that is) and he told us he had a very good friend there, did we know him? Michael Jordan? He started laughing at himself, a deep belly laugh. We laughed too. Everytime he passed our table, he would sing "Cheee-caaah-goooooh". Il Matriciano Via dei Gracchi, 55 Roma 06.32.13.040 |
Thank you for your report, as you know what it is waiting to go and enjoying all the details firsthand.
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<b>Saturday, March 10</b> We had purchased train tickets the day before at a travel agency near the hotel for our 10:52am train to Florence. We sat in first class but agree that second class would have been perfectly fine. There was more than ample room for our suitcases. We could have brought much more luggage than we did. We arrived in Florence at 12:29pm and checked into the Alloro B&B. I am shocked that the Alloro does not get more reviews on this site. I found it on tripadvisor and was very happy with it! Each room is different, and with so much character. We paid only 80 Euro per night, including breakfast! When you want your breakfast, you call the front desk and order your coffee (cappucino, espresso) and a cart is delivered to your room 5 minutes later. We had a very large room with a balcony giving a glimpse of the duomo. Alloro B&B Via del Giglio 8 Firenze Tel: +39 055 211685 www.allorobb.it We wanted to visit Leo's in Santa Croce as recommended by Tiff for lunch. But when we arrived, there was no one (not even staff) visible in the restaurant. So we kept walking, and ended up at Osteria de Benci. We had the pappa pomodoro soup, macceronchetti (sp) with roman cheese, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and black pepper, grilled steak with arugula, cheese, and aromatic oil, chicken breast with lemon sauce, wine, water and cafe. Total: 51 Euro. The highlights were the soup, pasta, and chicken. The chicken may have been Tim's favorite dish of the trip. Osteria De' Benci Firenze Via de' Benci, 13r 0552344923 We then walked down to the Science Museum. It was an OK museum. There are many more exhibits on the physicial sciences than the biological sciences (which we enjoy more). We did see Galileo's finger! We probably spent about an hour inside. We walked down to the Ponte Vecchio and had our first gelato-- straticella for me and pistachio for Tim. Yum. We walked to the Accademia to see David at 5:30. We had made reservations, but there was no line, so we did not need them. I appreciated David, but my heart lies with Bernini's Apollo and Daphne in the Galleria Borghese! We spent 30-40 minutes inside. We walked back through the markets and purchased sheepskin mittens for me and our friends' babies, and brown leather gloves lined with rabbitskin for Tim. Total=57 Euro. We took a nap before dinner at Il Latini. I should have listened to all of your advice and skipped it. The waiting outside (even with a reservation) was a bit ridiculous. They seem to seat the large groups first, so we waited for over a half hour in the crowd. The owner did not pass out bread, cheese, and aperitifs as reported by others. We were seated with two Italian couples around our age who were nice and spoke a little English. The food was just OK. We had (no menu): proscuitto, some pork sausage, crostini with some sort of brown meat and gravy, spinach raviolo, three soups, two ragu pastas, beef, veal, rabbit or lamb (not sure LOL), chocolate cake, apple pie, biscotti with vin santo (luckily the Italians showed us what to do-- at first we were sipping the vin santo and you are supposed to soak the biscotti in it), muscat sparkling wine, limoncello, unlimited chianti and water and cafes. Lots to drink, LOL. Total: 85 Euro. Nothing really stood out. Everything was just OK. I think my ribollita tastes better than theirs. (IMHO!) This was our only "so-so" meal of the trip. I want to advise everyone else to skip it and head to Osteria de Benci instead! Il Latini Via dei Palchetti, 6r Firenze 055-210916 |
<b>Sunday, March 11</b>
After breakfast, we walked over to the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Tim is a pharmacist and some fodorites told me to head here to see a historic pharmacy. We had also re-watched the movie "Hannibal" which has a scene here. We walked around and purchased almond hand paste (25 Euro each), three soaps (8.5-9 Euro each), and two ceramic soap dishes (17 Euro each). http://www.smnovella.it/ Then we walked to the train station and purchased our tickets to Venice for Tuesday. We had made 2pm reservations at Ristorante Omero (thanks to UNCBB113, ellenem and ekscrunchy for the rec!) up in the hills above Florence. I had emailed the restaurant for a reservation before we left the states. Unfortunately we had a very difficult time finding a taxi (perhaps because it was Sunday?) and arrived about 15 minutes late. We apologized and were seated. We had dried beef with arugula and parmesan, ribollita, zuppa rustica (with beans), fried chicken, grilled porkchop, raw vegetables with olive oil and vinegar, wine, water and cafes. Total: 98.60 Euro. The food was very good. The view was superb! Ristorante Omero Via Pian Dei Giullari Arcetri (Firenze) 055.220.053 http://www.ristoranteomero.it/ Our favorite part of the day was walking down the hill back into Florence, looking at the totally ideal "Tuscany" views and stopping at Piazzale Michelangelo. We used our reservations to enter the Uffizi at 5pm. We were a bit out of energy and Tim declared himself "art-ed out." Inevitable in Italy, I believe, if you're there long enough. We did see the DaVinci paintings and the Birth of Venus. I wasn't as awed as I thought I would be-- probably won't go back our next trip. We stopped by the San Lorenzo Markets on our way back to the B&B and each purchased a large leather overnight bag-- mine in red and Tim's in a light brown. They are lovely and we have already received many compliments on them! Total: 170 Euro. We had dinner at a Pizzeria across the street from our B&B: two antipasti, two pizzas, vin santo and biscotti, wine, water, and cafes. This was a "light" meal for us, LOL. Total: 51.48 Euro. I wouldn't make a special effort to go to this restaurant, but it was fine for what we needed that night. Of note: there was no English menu-- one of the two restaurants on our trip that did not have them. We ordered the best we could and it came out OK. Ristorante dei Medici Via del Giglio N 49 FI 055.212.932 |
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Glad you had fun! Restaurant question: Which did you like best- Il Matriciano or Armando al Pantheon? Thanks, kp
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<b>Monday, March 12</b>
This day we took a cooking class with www.accidentaltourist.com. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We began the day by meeting the other "students" and taking a van/minibus up into the Tuscan hills. We stopped at a winery to learn about how wine is made. This was pretty similar to other winery tours we've taken, except the building itself was so old and gorgeous. Then we drove to another beautiful building for a wine and olive oil tasting. We tasted three versions of Chianti made at the winery and had olive oil and Tuscan bread. We also had vin santo and biscotti. From there, we traveled to the home where we had our cooking lesson. This part of the day was one of our favorite parts of the trip, if not the best part of all. The home and the woman of the house were so fantastic. Tim and I had to use the bathroom when we got there. The other people went into the walk-out basement to start the cooking class. We met Christiana (sp) and she was waltzing around in her apron, singing Dean Martin which was playing on a stereo much older than I am. The view from the bathroom is jaw dropping. We went down to the lower level and learned how to make spinach and ricotta ravioli and tortellini and fettucini from scratch-- semolina, eggs, water, and salt. Yum. Meanwhile the chianti is flowing.... We went back upstairs into the home where Christiana served us eggplant parmigiana, pizza, and zucchini souffle she had baked. Wow! I never liked eggplant, but I could eat her version for every meal until I die. No exaggeration. She cooked up our ravioli and tortellini with a sage butter sauce and topped it with parmesan, followed by our fettucini with wild mushroom sauce. (Wine is still flowing....) To top it off, she had made tiramisu and made espresso on her stove with a gadget my grandma used to use when camping. (Now Tim wants one of those even though we just recently purchased an espresso machine that probably costs 50 times as much :) ) She was a fantastic hostess. Our guide Ancel was a fantastic guide, and we appreciated his interactions with Christiana-- they truly seemed like old friends, which I guess they are. We were driven back into Florence (sadly!). For some reason we thought it would be fun to climb the Duomo after ingesting 10,000 calories and a litre or two of wine (each). To be fair, I had strongly encouraged Tim to read <i>Brunelleschi's Dome</i> prior to our trip, and he wanted to see it for himself. So we climbed it and had a great view at sunset. There was some confusion on the way down as the door at the bottom was locked (!) and we couldn't get out. Someone else got someone to open it and we were released. One last stop at the San Lorenzo Markets where I purchased a black handbag for myself for 70 Euro. While I shopped at the markets the day before, Tim had purchased a big (500ml ?) Heineken to sip while he followed me around. This day, he did the same thing. Tim is tall (6'5") and was wearing a black wool coat and sunglasses. I guess he was noticed. When we were walking past a stall, a young, male, Italian vendor called out, "Hey Man.... You drink a lot! I saw you yesterday and you had a big beer then. Now you have another big beer. Wow, Man!" He was giving Tim a "thumbs up" or some sort of similar gesture. I can't convey his tone of voice, but it was an "awe" statement rather than a condescending or admonishing tone. It cracked me up. Tim quickly finished his beer and got rid of the evidence. We went back to the B&B and basically collapsed. We knew we had an early start the next day. |
Thank you to all of the encouraging comments. I so enjoy reading trip reports, I feel that it is my duty to post one, even though my writing style is nowhere near as beautiful as other fodorites!
kp-- It depends where you are and what you're looking for. Honestly we enjoyed the food at both places, but maybe at Il Matriciano just a bit more. Of course, it was our second dinner so we knew more about what we wanted to order. Armando has more atmosphere, and it's small. Il Matriciano is much larger. If you're near the Vatican, definitely I.M. Otherwise probably Armando.... Or both? LOL Either way, I highly recommend you make a reservation. |
I loved your report. Thank you for all the details. I think I'll follow your planning thread next.
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<b>Tuesday, March 13: Florence to Pisa and on to Venice</b> We woke up early and stored our luggage at the B&B. (For those who are wondering, the luggage storage at the Florence train station does open at 6am.) We took the 7:57 train, which arrives at Pisa S. Rossore station at 9:15am. This train station is much closer to the tower than Pisa Centrale. We followed PalenQ's directions to the tower: "Though the sleepy San Rossore station is practically within eyeshot of the Tower, getting from the station to the Tower area is not obvious upon arrival in my experience .... from the station as i believe you cross the easternmost tracks (or use subway) and then go out a gate in the back fence and then head east." We followed PalenQ's advice (and the crowd) and headed east. Following our gut instinct we turned a corner and saw the duomo. We checked in for our 10am climb and still had time to find an ATM and a WC. We LOVED Pisa. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and very few tourists prior to 10am. I am dismayed by the number of people that tried to dissuade us from visiting Pisa, as we had a fantastic time. If you want to avoid the crowds, go early. You could do our exact itinerary an hour earlier (train at 6:57, climb at 9) and be out of there before the crowds invade. Pisa was beautiful. We hopped in a cab and headed to Pisa Centrale for our 11:29 train. We grabbed some food from the takeaway shop before the train left. We arrived in Florence at 12:33pm. From the train station, we called ahead to our Venice hotel to ask them to make us a dinner reservation. We shopped one last time in Florence, searching for some baby gifts for my friends whose baby showers I was missing while in Italy. Mission accomplished. We picked up our luggage from the B&B and headed back to the train station for our 2:37pm train to Venice, arriving at 5:28pm. We took the water bus to San Marco and walked to our hotel, Locanda Orseolo. This is a fantastic hotel! We were met by Barbara and Matteo and shown to our room. We had a canal view. I won't go on and on gushing about this place (although I could). If you're curious, check out the reviews on tripadvisor.com. Francesco had made us reservations at Osteria Antico Dolo. Barbara suggested we stop on our way for an aperitif-- she suggested Naranzaria. We stopped there and had two proseccos. While sipping our drinks, we noticed everyone else was drinking a ruby colored drink with an orange slice in it. You Venice-lovers know what is coming-- the spritz! Tim asked the bartender what they were and to make us two. And we fell in love with the spritz. Side note-- of course we wish we had bought Aperol while in Venice, but we did not. We have attempted to recreate a spritz with Campari, but it is a bit bitter. I know Skyy vodka now imports Aperol, but calls to specialty stores in the twin cities haven't resulted in much. If anyone knows how to make a good spritz without Aperol or how to find Aperol in Minnesota, PLEASE let me know ;) Otherwise we will get some Aperol on our next trip to a city where it's available. We loved the vibe at Naranzaria and drinks were cheap-- 2.3 Euro for a prosecco and 2 Euro for a spritz-- the best spritz we had (and we tried a few versions over our next two days!) Naranzaria Osteria in Rialto San Giacometto SRL San Polo 130 041.7241035 http://www.naranzaria.it/ Next on to Osteria Antico Dolo. Wow. When we arrived, there was a small card on our table with our name, and the chef/waiter (it's small) met us with glasses of prosecco. We saw another couple from our hotel greeted the same way, while other customers were not. We each had the set menu: Antipasti consisting of a seared scallop served on a shell, baby shrimp on top of polenta, and prawns on lemon mashed potatoes. Primo piatti: spaghetti with prawns and cherry tomatoes and seafood lasagna. Second piatti: seabass topped with a paste made of capers and olives. Dessert: berry gelato topped with mixed berries. Wine, water, and cafes. Total: 122.5 Euro. F.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c. We loved this place so much we returned here for the exact same dinner our last night in Venice. Highly recommended. It's very small, so make a reservation. Osteria Antico Dolo Ruga Rialto, 778 041.522.6546 http://www.anticodolo.it/english/eng_index.htm |
I forgot to mention that while we were at Naranzaria, we ran into our host Matteo from our hotel. So the hosts frequent the same places they suggest to their guests.
PS He was also having a spritz :) |
Tim & Liz,
I'm so glad you wrote a travel report - due to others on this site and on tripadvisor we too decided to book the Alloro B&B for a one night stay in Florence during the beginning of June. Were the rooms clean? Was the area is a quiet area? How was it dealing with the owners? We will be getting a triple room, so I think it will be different than the on you had. We are leaving early the next morning, probably before 7am - do you know if they are serving breakfast at this time? |
I am confused. I wrote a post and it posted, but now it is not on this thread. I don't what happened..a computer glitch?
Anyway Liz I commented that thankfully KLM "discovered" that the wrong luggage was on your plane before leaving Amsterdam for Rome as annoying as that delay must have been. And your lovely and most intersting trip report makes me wish right now that I so wish I was back in Italy. Your report makes me miss Italy so much. And your adding the various websites in your trip report is wonderful. I am not familar with the the Alloro B&B for example, it is lovely. Thank you for sharing your time in Italy..and I wish you and Tim many more wonderful trips. |
Tim and Liz,
I'm enjoying your report tremendously. I recall how diligent you were here before your trip, asking so many good questions. I have been looking forward to your report. Glad you enjoyed Omero--yes, the walk back down the hill into Florence is truly wonderful, especially after such a good meal. Sounds like a great trip! |
Lovely report. So THAT'S the kind of experience you can have when you're touring Rome, Florence and Venice WITHOUT three kids in tow!
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Lovely post...there is a speghetti recipe I'm going to find you wrote about too!
We are just beginning to think about returning to Italy. Its been years since each of us were there. Sounds like a beautiful, delicious trip! |
Thank you for the compliments!
Anna1013- I know you will like the Alloro! Yes, the rooms were clean and very quiet. The only noise we heard was occasionally some other guest in the hallway (but we had the room closest to the main door and it did not bother us.) The owners, a father and son, were very unobtrusive. Helpful when contacted but otherwise kept to themselves. They are available from 7:30-5 each day at the B&B. I don't believe they will be serving breakfast prior to 7am but you could always ask... LoveItaly- I am sorry for your computer glitch-- so annoying when that happens! We did have a wonderful time and I am glad you have enjoyed reading the report. ellenem- We most likely would not have traveled to Omero without your help, so thank you very much! We just loved the walk down the hill into Florence. We did see Galileo's home across from the restaurant-- I believe you told us about that, too. missypie-- Yes, I would imagine that traveling through Italy with three kids in tow would be a different experience. Perhaps you can assist me in planning such a trip in, oh, say 10 years or so? ;) Susie CII-- If you find a good recipe, let me know. I attempted to recreate the spaghetti verde but did not come close! I loved that dish! I still have two more days in Venice to write about. I will try to do so tonight. Liz |
Liz, I think Sam's Wine and Liquors in Chicago has Aperol. Maybe they can ship it to you? Or ask a big liquor store (like Haskell's) if they can order it for you.
Looking forward to reading about the rest of your trip. |
Am loving your report. So happy to read about your experience with Accidental Tourist tour. DH and I will be in Italy in 30 days and the Accidental Tourist day is something I'm really looking forward to now! Also thanks for the many great restaurant recommendations. Am taking notes.
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I am enjoying your report! Look forward to the rest of Venice! We will be @ Locanda Orseolo in July-1st trip to Italy. Did you see any signs of the plumbing issues I read about? Regarding the restaurant in Venice that you visited 2x....would it be suitable for an anniversary dinner? We will be there for our 20th...
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Your report is great! We will go from Rome to Florence in a few weeks. Ristorante Omero, is it very expensive at night, or did you just plan on lunch there because it was convenient? Would it be hard to find at night? Thanks, kp
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rialtogrl--
Darn, I was just in Chicago and forgot to check! Anyone have any leads in Denver? (We're headed there this weekend.) Otherwise I called some more stores today and am waiting for people to call me back. kaybee-- If you enjoy yourselves half as much as we did, you will be thrilled! I hope you have fun-- let us know how it goes! tinamidon-- happy early anniversary! We saw no signs of any plumbing issues. Actually I was unaware of them until your post! The restaurant is small and quaint but not really fancy. I would ask the staff for a recommendation-- they were spot on with everything they recommended to us and I think they would know the perfect place for a special dinner. kp- We chose to have lunch at Omero so that (a) we could see the view, (b) there was enough daylight for our walk down the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo. I don't know what the view would be at night, if anything. The restaurant was nice but it's location makes it worth the trip. I would imagine the lunch and dinner menus are similar, though I do not know for sure. |
Tim and Liz,
Thanks for your info on Alloro B&B. I did have a question about Trattoria Omero - how long was the taxi ride to get to the restaurant from Florence? How long was it to get back into Florence on the walk back down? Do you remember the average price of a main dish? We are on a moderate budget, but we did want to have a "special" meal, especially if the food/view was good. |
I believe the taxi was 10 minute and around 8-10 Euro. The walk down took about an hour including stops.
Prices: 2 cover charges = 5.2 Euro Wine= 16 Euro Water =2.2 Euro Antipasti (dried beef with arugula) = 12 Euro Soups= 10 Euro each Main dishes= 13 and 15 Euro Vegetables= 10 Euro 2 Cafes= 5.2 Euro Obviously you can cut out a number of courses here. Let me know if you have any more questions! |
Oh Liz, I am so glad I came across your report! I am taking notes for Rome. I may have some follow up questions later.
Thanks so much, it is a great report! |
Liz, enjoying your report and taking notes. I am going in October for (probably have read all my questions).
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I might have to check this out too, thank you for the tip! (Omero).
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Thanks for the compliments!
Tiff, I would love to help you plan your upcoming vacation with your <b>brilliant</b> DH! ;) Please let me know how I can help. (ljc4creb, you too!) I will try to finish up the report (two more days in Venice and Burano) soon! Liz |
Loving your report. How do you keep track of all the information on restaurants and meals ect.? I find I'm just not that organized, or diciplined. We were in Italy last year with our three girls and also did the Accidental Tourist cooking class. The picture of us showing off our homemade pasta ended up being our Christmas card and was loved by everybody!
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kraav-
I read a tip (was it ekscrunchy's?) to keep restaurant receipts and write the detail of the meal on the back if it. That way, I have the meal details, prices, and restaurant contact info all in one place. Right now the receipts are spread out all over the dining room table-- one more reason to finish up my trip report! The accidental tourist cooking class was so neat. We just loved it! Your Christmas card sounds lovely-- wish I would have thought of it :) |
Liz, just a few questions...1. How do you handle a flight delay from US, did you call private car? 2. How far ahead did you book the Scavi Tour? 3. Did you make your dinner reservations before you left on-line or did you wait and have hotel help you? 4. Did you find it easiest to use your credit cards for dinners, hotels, or run to the ATM a lot? --still checking out fees. Thanks so much.
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ljc-
1. We booked the car through the Daphne B&B. They told me at the time of booking that if my flight was delayed, the driver would know by checking my flight. I was only to call them if we missed or changed our flight. 2. We booked it the last week of November (3.5 months ahead). 3. The only reservation we made ahead of time was for Omero outside of Florence. The Daphne B&B made two dinner reservations for us, and the Locanda Orseolo made all three of our dinner reservations for us. 4. We always use our CC (Capital One-- no charges for foreign currency) if a place accepts it. Let me know if you think of anything else! |
Thanks for the great trip report! How far in advance did you book your Sunday lunch at Omero?
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I emailed them and apparently for Saturday you don't need a reservation. Perhaps you could try for Saturday instead of Sunday, if you are in town? They did mention that Sundays you did need a reservation.
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Liz- is the after hours tour of the Vatican really 250e per person? or am I misreading something.
Thanks for a very informative report. Lynnie |
Your account was fabulous. I'll be doing the exact same trip but in reverse so all the info will be very helpful. You mentioned PalenQ's directions to the Leaning Tower from the station. Where can I find those directions - are they posted here? Thanks.
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