taconictraveler

Enzian: Thanks for the tips on Lucca. We'll be there around the 9th, 10th & 11th of June, but not for all three nights. I'll check out that B & B.

When you are in Verona, there is a most interesting museum: the Castelvecchio Museum: near the River. It's a restored Medieval Castle, and it's been restored in a very modern way by Carlo Scarpa. It's almost like a treasure hunt, as there are many different floors, a lot of open air, and walkways,stairways, and some dynamite stuff to see, my favorite being an almost life size equestrian statue of Cangrande della Scala, who was the patron of DANTE! A huge photo of his horse is hanging at our house, cuz he is the sweetest horse you can imagine.
It's more of a fun place than most museums, so I thought your family might enjoy spending an hour there.

taconictraveler

Enzian: I forgot to add that if you have not seen Villa Balbianello in Lenno, when you are at Lake Como, it is well worth the boat ride! Also Villa Carlotta, in Tremezzo, I think. Both reachable by boat, and both lovely gardens.

Don't know how you'd get there without a car, but the best meal we had while at Lake Como, was up in the hills above Tremezzo, at a marvelous restaurant calle "Al Veluu" - can't remember the menu, but Oh, boy, did we love the food!

cab47cpa

For gardens, I second Giardino Bardini in Firenze and Villa Carlotta on Lake Como . We visited both this past June. Liked the Bardini better than the Boboli, although I think you can visit both on the same ticket, and the views from the top of Boboli are impressive, as is the Porcelain Museum. After visiting the Bardini Gardens, we walked down that very steep street (mentioned above), saw Galileo's house, and then had a delicious dinner at a local place called Angiolino at Via Santo Spirito 36r. The ferry rides across Lake Como from Varenna to Bellagio and Villa Carlotta are fun. You are going to have a wonderful trip!

enzian

This is what I love about Fodors. You all have an excellent sense of what I am looking for, and all your suggestions are great!

Lexma90---I believe we are staying at the same B&B as you did. I plan to ask Alfredto to make a reservation at Il Fagioli for us the evening we arrive in Florence.

JulieVikmanis---we have 3 nights in Varenna, so we should have a chance to try each of your suggestions. Nuevo Isola in particular sounds just right for us.

taconictraveler---we have a full day free in Verona so we'll do a long walk and visit the museum and other sites. I love equestrian statues---(and horses) and seek them out wherever we go. We'll try to get to the Lago di Como sites you mentioned too---we lave a good amount of time there.

InFlorence---you've "made our day" in Florence---at least the half that isn't filled with the Accademia visit. We will start after lunch and end Le Volpi e l'Uva for some "refreshment" (does the name mean "the wolf and the grape?".

MaggieOB---the Lucca suggestions are very helpful. A place on the $$$ side is fine now and then for a treat, as long as the welcome is warm and genuine.

taconictraveler

Enzian: If you love equestrian statues, the Cangrande della Scala is a GEM. Look it up on Wikipedia and you will see his picture with his horse - it's very modern and very medieval at the same time!! amazing!

Lexma90

Enzian -

Yes, you are staying at the same B&B; you'll love it; Alberto and Valeria are wonderful hosts (though Valeria's English isn't great - if you need anything complicated, ask Alberto).

We also had drinks at Le Volpi e l'Uva, yes, it means the wolf and the grape (from the story, I assume).

cathies

This is another vote for Basilica San Miniato A Monte. We walked there from the Duomo which was a pretty strenuous walk, but well worth the effort. The church itself is lovely and offers gorgeous views back to Florence city centre.

We also enjoyed the gardens at the Pitti Palace.

Maudie

Book marking all this great information, thank you.

adventureseeker

Just back 2 days ago from Lucca (our first time there), Florence and 6 glorious nights in Vernazza, Cinque Terre (2nd time in both places). We traveled with our 8 year old son.

<b><u>LUCCA</b></u>
-LOVED it.

-We had to stay within the city walls and rented an incredible 2 bedroom/2 bath (Del Toro) apartment from <b>Lucca Destinations</b> (they offer 10 wonderfully appointed apartments/villas). Andrew and Bernadette from "LD" were fabulous to work with. They were responsive, friendly and knowledgeable. http://www.destinationlucca.com/index.html
Our apt. was on a quiet residential street, but very close to the main attractions. It was furnished with a full kitchen, 2 bathtubs (important!), tuscan beamed ceilings, lovely antique furnishings sprinkled in with wonderful original art. Not to mention luxury linens and comfy beds.

-Dinner at <b>Trattoria Da Leo</b> (make reservations) was amazing. They were completely booked, but squeezed us in on the patio. I would <b>definitely</b> have opted for the bustling, cozy indoors if I had a choice. Only downside was that the house Red wine was the worse we had for our entire trip. Next time, I'd order a bottle of local red.

-Dinner at <b>Rusticanella</b>. Very reasonable, great local rustic fare and filled with locals (we were the only non-locals). Great ambiance, yet simple good food. We loved that the cooks kept coming out of the kitchen to cheer on their soccer team along with the rest of the patrons. Pizza and local soups to die for. Menu changes daily.

-<b>The Walls</b>. FABULOUS! We rented bikes for us all and rode the walls for 2 hours. HIGHLY recommend renting from Chrono bikes. Lee the owner (from Alabama) was very helpful and friendly. Bikes were in excellent shape and not emblazoned with ads (like all the other rental bikes we saw). The next morning I walked the walls (2 1/2 miles; 45 min per loop) which was great to see all the locals out and about. It was so wonderful looking into gardens and over the side of the wall into the "new" city.

-Gelato from <b>Veneto</b> (no description necessary) They have been making gelato concoctions since 1927. Needless to say, they know their stuff.

-Passeggiatta on <b>Via Fillungo</b>. Take an early evening stroll on this long street with all the locals. So much to see!

-Window shop. Your teens will love all the fashionable window displays. This was a surprise to us to see so much fashion in a charming tuscan town.

-top of <b>Torre Guinigi</b>. The climb up to the tower with the 6 trees growing on top seemed like a gimmick to me. But, the views at sunset made it all worthwhile.

-visit the <b>Piazza Anfiteatro</b> for some interesting architecture, boutiques and people watching.

<b><u>FLORENCE</b></u>
-<b>climb the Duomo</b>. We did this twice and both times were an amazing experience. Seeing "the bones" of the duomo and being able to nearly touch the fresco lining the interior of the duomo were almost as fascinating as the view from the top. Breathtaking! The climb is 463ish steps up in tight quarters, but so worth it!

-lunch at <b>Mario's</b>. If local is what you want, local is what you'll get! Fun ambiance at communal tables with locals. The ragu pasta, roasted chicken, basic pasta with tomato sauce was simple, but memorable. Good house red wine. This is the place to get your bistecca if you've got an appetite.

-We splurged on our last trip at <b>La Giostra</b> and it still prevails as one of our all time greatest gastronomic and atmospheric experiences. The "Prince" owner/chef is magical.

-<b>Sunset at Piazza Michelangelo or Fiesole</b>. Nothing compares to seeing the red roofs of Florence and the Duomo basking in the setting sun.

-wood fired pizza at <b>Il Pizzaiuolo</b>. Nothing compares.

<b><u>CINQUE TERRE</b></u>
Too much to name. I invite you to check out my long trip report from 2007.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...t-to-italy.cfm

-note: for your teens, be sure to hang out in Vernazza (harbor and at the Piazza Marconi). After dark, there is alot of action and fun going on. Have a glass of CT wine from Burgus bar that spills onto the Piazza and watch the sunset from the rocks.

-this recent trip we took the boat to <b>Portovenere</b>. What a great day trip! The town is lovely and the church, castle are worth a peek. We also took the 45 min. excursion around the 3 islands in the bay. Stunning views.

-if you have time, take the train up to <b>Santa Margarita Ligure, Camogli and Rapallo</b>. Great seaside towns loaded with charm and local eats. The day we went it was pouring rain, but we forged on and (sadly) only lunched at SML.

Buon viaggio....
A/S

enzian

Ottimo!! this is wonderful. Thank you so much for your detailed suggestions, adventureseeker. It is good to hear you loved Lucca, and especially Trattoria da Leo--it had caught my eye but a personal recommendationis best. Why would you have prefered to sit inside instead of out on the patio?

Regarding climbing the Duomo---I love climbing steps but was thinking of Giotto's Tower (which I have done before). Is the Duomo climb tight or crowded? I am a bit claustrophobic, so would prefer to avoid being jammed into a smallish space with lots of other people.

And another question, not related to adventureseeker's post but regarding food at Le volpi e l'uvo. What are Schiacciate? It seems to be some kind of sandwich, but I've not seen this word before---and I've read lots of Italian menus. I'm trying to decide if we should make this a lunch stop (for a light lunch), or just a wine/refreshment stop late in the afternoon.

Lexma90

Schiacciate is the plural of schiacciata. Here's what I copied about it into my notes for our last Italy trip: A multipurpose word, it essentially means crushed, broken, squashed or slammed, though when you’re hungry, the most important definition is a perfect rectangle of salty, golden focaccia-like bread. It is Florence’s answer to Liguerian focaccia, which is higher and airer. To make it, the bakers take the dough for pane toscano, flatten it into a sheet, poke it with their fingers, and top it with a hefty dose of salt and oil before baking. The result is a delicious snack, often crowned with onions, anchovies, or various other savories.

Contrary to that, on previous trips and the one we just took, I have only seen schiacciate as a sweet item, in the pasticcerie, made with grapes cooked into the top. It would be much better if the grapes didn't have the (large) seeds in them!

Le volpi e l'uvo, from what I recall, their cheese plates looked very good. We were thinking of it for a light lunch, but ended up having pizza instead, and just having drinks here. One thing we realized about Le Volpi, it's in a beautiful little piazza, but tucked away, so there wasn't much in terms of people-watching opportunities. This is always our dilemma when travelling - good food or great location; not many places have both! (Here, the location is good but not good for people-watching.)

In Monterosso, we've eaten several times a Belvedere. It's near the railroad tracks, but also on the water. I love their marinated anchovies. Also, there's a fantastic focaccia place, just a counter, really, in Monterosso.

adventureseeker

E,

re: <b>Da Leo</b>. The outside patio (in late October) was covered in plastic walls and the restaurant itself is located on a non descript alley. It may be more atmospheric in June.
When I went inside it was warm, cozy and full of energy. The kitchen was open from the front and you could see the dishes being prepared.

As far as the <b>Duomo climb</b>. We did it on the first trip and again on the second. It was one of our highlights. It is 463 stairs and yes, there are some parts of it that are cramped. In June, it may be more so. But...the climb is a single file and there are open spaces here and there. The beauty of the climb is that before you get to the top, you circle inside the lower part of the dome. It is amazing to be so close to the frescoes and almost touch them. When you come out on top, you get this magnificient 360 degree view of Florence. It is magical to be there when the church bells peal. Okay, I am trying to sell this, but I should get back on track to whether or not you are able to do it. I will create a photo slideshow of our climb from both trips and you can see what you're in for. I'll post that later.

I'm so jealous....

enzian

Great---thank you. More questions on the Duomo climb--is there a different stairway for the descent, or are you constantly squeezing past people? Also, if the ascent is single file, I assume you have to go the pace of everyone in front of you---no passing? I think a slow pace might drive me crazy! But then, if the view from the top, and the close-ups of the frescoes make it worthwhile, maybe I could just cowboy up and do it. Can you see out at any point before the top?

By way of explanation, I even had trouble with the stairway up to the balcony at Basilica San Marco---one flight of stairs, but in a narrow and crowded corridor, with the line barely moving. But when I reached the top and went out on the balcony among the horses, it was so worth it!

franco

Since you still have plenty of time, I'll add some advice though I know I'm late.
In Lucca, there are two truly excellent dining options: Mecenate, www.ristorantemecenate.it, outside the centro storico; and Giulio in Pelleria, Via delle Conce, 45 (inside the walls). Both are serving traditional fare of Lucca and the north-western end of Tuscany; Mecenate is more expensive, and a really filling experience, Giulio in Pelleria has smaller prices and smaller helpings; the quality of both is on the same level (I liked Giulio slightly better).
Florence: my top choice is Cibreino, the "small brother" of the famous (and overly expensive) Cibreo restaurant: Via de' Macci, 122r. Here, the food is prepared by the same staff as Cibreo's (the kitchen is in the middle between the two neighbouring restaurants), and even many dishes are the same as next door, where you'd pay three times what you pay at Cibreino's. Great, familiar service, really great dining. No reservations accepted, which means you'll probably have to wait. Not bad either (though far simpler) is Marione, Via della Spada, 27 r - funny detail: this place is open 24/24, which is really rare in Italy. Great Tuscan primi (in most of Tuscany, there is traditionally no pasta, just thick soups), great roast meat.

As far as gardens, you might enjoy Villa Torrigiani near Lucca: a sumptuous private villa, half mannerist, half baroque, set in a pretty (and partly wonderful), peaceful garden. The owners still live there, but it's open to visitors at set times.

enzian

Thank you-, franco--I wrote them both (the Lucca restaurants) in my little notebook.

I believe Cibreino is the place my son recommended the last time I went to Florence (he spent a year there as a student). We didn't make it last time---so I guess we better go this time!

gracie04

In Milan: Antica Trattoria della Pesa
Viale Pasubio, 10

Phone number: 39 02 655 5741


Johanna

ncounty

One of my favorite little known museums is in Milan, called the Ambrosiana. It is a short walk from the duomo. It is an intimate architectural wonder. Also, there is a district in Milan with cafes along a canal that was very charming.... it is called the Navigli district. here is a link with pics: http://www.bugbitten.com/photos/Euro...5-3076762.html.

btw, Varenna is spectacular! one of my favorite spots in Italy.

ncounty

also, with 3 days in Milan, you have time for a day trip.... I loved Bergamo! It is an easy train ride and you should head right to the Old town and stroll around. There are many wonderful cafes for lunch, a gorgeous church, and I scored some shopping triumphs in some boutiques there.