Where would you go?
 

I have a long weekend off Nov. 7-10th and am determined to make good use of it.

My family is all traveled out, so I'll be solo.

I would like to take the train not fly, and I can leave from either Zurich or Bern.

I'm thinking of Florence as I've never been, but I'm also open to other suggestions esp. in Germany as I like to practice my German. Perhaps Baden Baden? Or another Italian city that I can easily train to.

I've been to Venice, Ravenna, Milan and Rome - wasn't too keen on Rome but enjoyed all the rest very much. I really love Paris but I want to go somewhere new this trip. In Germany I've been to Berlin, Munich and Bodensee area. Loved both Berlin and Munich and also the countryside by Neuschwanstein. Have also been to Colmar and Strasbourg - preferred Colmar.

I like art (although I'm not overly keen on Catholic Churches and the Renaissance, thus my slight hesitation on Florence), walking, good food, scenery, interesting architecture, friendly people. I'm leaning more toward a city as the weather might not be good for hiking - it is starting to get gray and cloudy here in Zurich. I have seen a lot of Switzerland, so I'm thinking a bit further afield. I'm not a big shopper but I could do some Christmas shopping somewhere.

Any ideas?

Where would you go?

gruezi

I was in Firenze last year on Nov 11 and it was practically empty. And the weather was glorious. Can't predict you'll have the same luck, but sounds like it will be quite a change of pace from your usual haunts.

I think going to Firenze solo is almost the way to do it. You can dawdle over what you like, skip what you don't, shop if you want to or skip meals if you feel like it without having to worry about anybody else. Every now and then you will feel a pang that you are looking at such fantastic beauty and wish others you love were there with you. But you can always return!

I had a lovely, very reasonably priced stay at the Tourist House Ghilberti.

Unless you are a obsessive about painting, I suggest skipping the Uffizi for such a short visit. But don't skip the Museo San Marco -- or the marvelous old cafe that is opposite, across the bus filled plaza. Great pastries and chocolates. And cross the arno to see the Cappella Brancacci and the view from the Piazzella Michaelangelo.

Italians tend to be last-minute shoppers (and modest gift givers) so I wouldn't necessarily expect lots of Christmas tat luring into stores. But you could have a grand time buying for everyone on your list at the Farmacia near Santa Maria Novella, and for special gifts, gloves from Madova and other unique Florentine items (if pricey) would be cherished.

PS: If you still have reservations about all that Renaissance art, how about a trip to Bologna and Ravenna (toss in Ferrara too, or Faenza for ceramics).

Hi zeppole,

You make Florence sound very appealing! I've always wanted to go. My hesitation was my girls and I had all planned to go together this fall, but they are too busy. Well, they've both been and I haven't, and life is short! Plus, we could go back in the spring. Do you know how long the train is from Zurich? That was my other concern. I know it is 3 hours 15 minutes to Milan.

I spent a week in Ravenna at a mosaic class last March and really loved it. I am wild about mosaic. But I wanted to go someplace completely new this trip so Ravenna is not calling me. I feel we may be leaving Europe before the summer and there is still so much I haven't seen.

Thanks for your enthusiastic endorsement of Florence!!

gruezi

Oops! Just saw you've been to Ravenna. You could head for Bologna but day trip the other way (Parma, Modena, Mantova, Cremona) but another easy shot by train is Torino, which is a whole lot of fun.

Our posts crossed!

If you have a chance to go to Firenze before you leave Europe, I wouldn't pass it up. I don't know the train times, but I think there is now a fast train once you get to Milano.

The other nice thing about heading for Firenze is if it turns out that Renaissance art leaves you flat, you can be in Bologna in 45 minutes, or go to Lucca (which feels quite different) in 45 -- or even Siena, which is also totally different in feel.

Also, if you like mosaics, you really must see the ceiling of the Bapistery in Firenze.

I'm not a fan of Tuscan food, but it's hard not to like it in November, when pumpkins, chestnuts and new olive oil are around. Hope you enjoy Firenze as much as I have in off-season.

Well, I would go just for the Baptistry and for pumpkin...

Thanks for your very helpful posts.

gruezi

Hi gruezi,

Well, I think I'd head for Dresden, a city I'm just beginning to discover. Not sure if it will be spectacular in early Nov, but there will be plenty to keep you busy. Lots of interesting architecture, lots of interesting museums, and very beautiful, gentle walks along the Elbe. If you're lucky, you may be able to meet up with Ingo, who lives there.

Hope you find a great spot soon!

s

I agree that Florence solo would make for a wonderful long weekend!

I took the train from Bern to Florence last year. It was about 7 hours in total, and I think we may have had to make a change in Milan. The scenery was beautiful and I found the ride relaxing.

The Bargello is a great museum, housing sculpture, medieval and renaissance decorative arts and household items, in an early renaissance prison fortress. There are some atmospheric, winding, little medieval streets in the area around the Bargello that are fun to explore.

I also really loved the Oltrarno. There are so many interesting looking-little shops and restaurants, and the Masaccio's at the Brancacci Chapel were a highlight.

For myself, I would still pop into the Uffizi even if only to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera. The images from those paintings are so reproduced and re-used that I wasn't expecting to be very excited by seeing the real thing, but to my surprise the paintings completely blew me away.

They are the highlight of the Uffizi and even more amazing when you see them in the chronological context of the entire gallery. I like what my mom said about them-"you can tell Botticelli really loved women"- and it's true. You won't find such a celebration of femininity anywhere else in Florence (look at Michelangelo, for example)

After seeing the Botticelli's you could treat yourself to lunch at Gilli. Now there's a half-day that's guaranteed to make a woman feel like a million bucks.

<i>...I like art (although I'm not overly keen on Catholic Churches and the Renaissance, thus my slight hesitation on Florence), walking, good food, scenery, interesting architecture, friendly people. I'm leaning more toward a city as the weather might not be good for hiking...</i>

Amsterdam.

With all due respect to Botticelli's love of women, to contrast him to Michaelangelo as proof Botticelli was the greatest lover of femininity in Firenze is quite stacking the deck! (Check out the della Robbias for some lovely ladies!)

One can find many others who adored femininity in Firenze in all its forms -- in fact, were one to go to the Prado and view Botticelli's riveting &quot;The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti,&quot; which gloriously depicts a very Venus-like woman being killed, and her liver and intenstines torn out and fed to her murderer's dogs, one might wonder exactly how Botticelli did feel about women.

Michaelangelo's depictions of naked femininity are famously unappealing, especially in contrast to his depictions of male nudes. That said, his clothes women -- in particular his madonnas in the Pieta in the Vatican and in Bruges are reverential in their depiction of feminine mystery and beauty.

Definitely go to Florence for all the reasons mentioned by zeppole and more. I agree with the other posters who have recommended the Museo San Marco and the Bargello.
Another easy trip is Fiesole with its (non-Renaissance)archeological site. It is reached by bus from the center of the city
If you have a chance, try to read Brunelleschi's Dome before your visit (maybe on the train ride)

&gt;&gt;&gt;are reverential in their depiction&lt;&lt;&lt;

Oh, but that's exactly what I mean! It's not that Botticelli made women beautiful, it's that he infuses them with a sense of life, motion, colour, sensuality, and light-heartedness.

I find those qualities a refreshing change from purity and suffering, and it's nice to see women who are neither mothers nor prostitutes.

This is why I love Fodor's!

Where else can you get travel recommendations and a discussion of femininity and Botticelli vs Michelangelo?

You are all wonderful!!

This is not my last weekend to travel - I hope to get away at least once per month - so I can save something for another time. Okay, you've all sold me on Florence. But I also really like Swandavs suggestion of Dresden. I have to check and see how far away it is. If I head there this time, I can go to Florence in the early spring but maybe I need to stop procrastinating and &quot;saving&quot; this city. I have wanted to visit there since I saw &quot;A Room with a View&quot; a million years ago.

Apres - you beautifully describe such a perfectly wonderful day - I think you could have your post published somewhere!

VT - I'm a big reader and I will definitely buy your book to read on the way to Florence - it's my older daughter's favorite city (she loves art history and esp. the Renaissance) so I know I'll be there sometime this year even if it's not this trip or maybe even for a second visit. I love reading about the city I'm visiting on the way or at night before I sleep.

Gardyloo - You made me smile! I truly loved Amsterdam - esp the art museums!! But, since I've been there already, I'm restricting myself this time to new adventures. Thanks for &quot;getting&quot; me though:)

So the votes are:

Amsterdam - 1
Dresden - 1
Florence - 3

Any other ideas out there? I am really enjoying reading these wonderful posts and getting excited already.

gruezi

Swandav -

Is it possible to see a bit of Dresden on a day trip from Prague? (I'm not the best geography student but it looks relatively close on my map.) I'll be in Prague after Christmas for 5 days and my family may need to get rid of me for a day so that the teenagers can sleep and be lazy...

gruezi

Although I haven't spent loads of time in Florence (only 3 nights), I agree that it would be a good choice. And definitely don't miss the Baptistry with all those 13th C mosaics! Amazing! Be sure to get the audio guide, it's only a couple Euro and is very good.

<i>...Gardyloo - You made me smile! I truly loved Amsterdam - esp the art museums!! But, since I've been there already, I'm restricting myself this time to new adventures. Thanks for &quot;getting&quot; me though:)...</i>

Would need to fly, but quicker and cheaper than the train.

Barcelona.
Istanbul.

Or have you been there too?

Mind, I've got nothing against Florence, but if you'd prefer a different sort of urban/artistic experience, well...

Hi Gardyloo,

No, I haven't been to either.

Funny you mention it, I was actually supposed to go with my husband to Istanbul in November through his company, but the economy spoiled that.

When I found out we weren't going, I felt a void in my travel cache and that's why I'm scrambling to book something. However, I think we'll try to go there in the spring with our girls.

Barcelona is also another spot teens like, so I'm saving that for a family trip as well.

Perhaps you can help me out when the time comes to plan Istanbul. I can't wait for that. I went to Morocco with my younger daughter last year, and it was exotic and fascinating and I'm hoping we'll find Turkey similar in that regard.

gruezi

Susan,

Just the mention of mosaics is enough to get me packing my bags.

I don't know why I'm so fascinated by them, but I am. Perhaps it's my need for order and my love of craft...I really enjoyed my week in Ravenna. I went to a mosaic school for a week and also saw all the various mosaic sites with our teacher as a guide. She had worked on many of the restoration and also new projects over the years, and her family has been involved in the business forever, so it was an amazing experience to study in her studio and have her show us around her beloved city.

My husband is checking Florence train schedules for me right now. I'm thinking of taking the overnight train to arrive on a Friday morning and then leaving Monday afternoon.

My daughter stayed with her school at the Hotel Cavour and loved it and the location, so I'm looking into that.

gruezi

gruezi,

Many years ago we traveled from Prague to Dresden and it was pretty quick. Having checked online, it seems to be around 2 hours by train. Dresden was worth seeing, but I didn't find it packed full with things. So, yes, I think it would make a perfect daytrip from Prague. Have fun!

Another vote for Florence. It is perfect for a solo weekend. If you need another place to check out for a place to stay, look at the Casci. Not fancy, but a good solid hotel with a fantastic location and the owners make sure you are taken care of.

Choosing a destination can be hard when you're spoiled for choice! At least it's impossible to make the &quot;wrong&quot; decision, and you're sure to enjoy yourself where ever you go.

I'm still batting for Florence, though :)

zeppole, thank you for posting about Botticelli's Story of Nastagio degli Onesti. I just looked it up and now I have one more reason why I need to get to the museums in Madrid asap!

Hi Cimbrone - Thanks for the info on Dresden. I will try to get there from Prague.

mms - Thanks for your vote and for the hotel recommendation! Hey, my daughter just pressed the button on the common application. Feels so good...

gruezi

gruezi--You deserve a weekend away:) Hitting that button is such a mix of feelings, relief, nervous, etc, lol! But now you can sit back for a while and breathe again.

mms -

Thanks! It is a good feeling for us all.

I wish she would come with me as a celebration, but she wants to study... mixed feelings sigh... It was supposed to be a girls' weekend but I'm the only one who has the time.

I decided last year I couldn't wait for my family to be ready to see Europe. They have their own lives now, and my goal is to travel while I'm still young. Fortunately, I enjoy traveling alone.

I've been &quot;saving&quot; Florence for a while now, but I think it's time to just go. I'm the only one in my family who has never been.

gruezi

Well, their loss! Florence is so compact and so easy to get around. If you go, be sure to visit the doors of the Baptistry at various times of day. The different lighting on them is really interesting.

gruezi, I also love the mosaics. How lucky to see all those in Ravenna with your teacher! I had planned to go to Ravenna in July 07 as a daytrip from Bologna, but I had a bad cold and just didn't feel up to it. All the more reason to return.

If you do get to Rome again (my favorite place), there are lots of mosaics there, too. In addition to Santa Maria in Trastavere, there is S. Prassede (near S. Maria Maggiore)and then the oldest Christian mosaics at S. Pudenziana on Via Urbana (just west of S. Maria Maggiore).

mms - I will do that. We visited the Pantheon 3 different times to see it in different light.

Susan - You must get to Ravenna. When you do, besides the amazing antique mosaics you will see, there are some modern mosaics in a few places that you should see as well - including a full park of international artists mosaics that were installed as part of a contest. Ask in a good mosaic shop when you arrive, or do some research before hand. Thanks for your tips on Florence. I print this thread out and bring it along.

Looks like it is Florence for my long weekend. But, I am trying to do one off these a month so if anyone has any other ideas please add them.

Also, any dining ideas for Florence are greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks again, everyone.

gruezi

Hi again,

Sorry for the delay -- I'm in the middle of a move from the US to Germany.

Anyway, I'm of the opposite opinion of Cimbrone about Dresden. I found it chock-full of museums, stately buildings, performances, and outdoor walks that I don't think a day-trip will scratch the surface. My first visit was only for three nights, and I'm going back again in April. But hopefully your day-trip will entice you sufficiently for another, longer visit.

Anyway, have a fabulous Florence weekend!

s

Thanks Swandav!

Where in Germany are you moving to?

Is this a first overseas assignment?

Best wishes and now you'll be on the European Fodor's time zone...

gruezi

Hey gruezi,

No, not a first European assignment (first travel to Europe was before I could walk; first European &quot;assignment&quot; was a year in school in Paris in 1977).

Not an assignment at all! I'm retired military and am going to see what it's like to live there as a civilian. Going to try Grainau first, and if that's too small then Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Any hints on how to get my old brain to learn a new language?????

s

ps,

Sorry, misread your question. I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, so my first &quot;overseas&quot; trip was to the USA!

s

Oh Swandav I also have an old brain trying to learn German!

My problem is I'm trying to learn German in a country that really speaks something else. You will not have the same problem so things should move more quickly.

I do have some suggestions:

1. Don't be too hard on yourself, be patient and don't give up.

2. Know it will take time and it is a progression not an overnight sensation.

3. I very much liked the Goethe Institute Intensive I took in Munich in September. They have classes and locations worldwide and of course many in Deutschland. I suggest you take the plunge and spend the money on an intensive. Your progress will be so much faster. Plus, then you can return for a weekly class that progresses from where your intensive left off.

4. Find a tandem partner as soon as possible. (Someone you meet with once or twice a week who is fluent in German. You talk together for half the time in German and half in English.)

5. The shopkeepers will be your best speaking partners. They won't judge your skills and many may not speak English so practice your new German skills while you do your errands. The person most supportive of my German has been my hairdresser!

6. Many Germans like to speak English. To get them to speak German with you here is a nice way of asking, &quot;Your English is really good, but I really need to practice my German. Would it be possible for us to speak in German?&quot;

I hope you'll keep us posted on your move and on your language class!

Germany is a great location for travel all over Europe and beyond.

My very best wishes to you. I'm going to look up your new town on my map.

gruezi

I should also mention...

If you are in class of youngsters, they will learn a lot faster. I consider myself pretty smart and have always been a great student. I had to really accept that my recall memory is not what it was.

The good news is that learning a new language and culture is supposed to be very good for building new neural pathways in our very lazy old brains. Sometimes I literally feel my brain popping with all the new input.

gruezi

Thanks so much!! That's so encouraging!

I do have my eyes on the Goethe class in Dresden, heehee! They have an over-50 two-week course in June and in October that I would dearly love to take. They also have online course that I may use until I can find an intensive one.

Yes, I'm afraid that I will want to give up; I know I'll be disappointed with my slow progress and will want to just quit. Thanks so much for the encouragement!

s

Never, ever give up! and 2 weeks in Dresden sounds wonderful!!

I looked up your location - looks great.

Is there an airport in Innsbruck? Where do you go for international flights?

Hi again,

International flights I think I would go to Muenchen. Today though I'm flying into Paris with the train taking me to Garmisch-Partenkirchen; I don't actually arrive in Grainau until Tuesday 28 Oct. I have about two months in a Ferienwohnungen (is there a singular for that??) and then I have to find a rental.

I am just so jazzed to be there during the Christmas season!!

s

Without reading all the comments, I'll put in my two cents for Firenze. I just got back from a two-weeks stay and loved it for all the reasons Zeppole mentioned and many, many more.

Good luck and happy travels.

jdc

PS: As I'm not a big foodie, can't give you much recommendations on places to eat in Firenze. Two of my best meals while in Italy were on day trips to Lucca and Parma.

jdc

This thread with Florence Top 10 suggestions might be useful.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35105568

Have a great trip!