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Mad Cow's Italy trip discussion thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mad Cow
- Start date
Chemical X
Footballguy
yes, will look for it tomorrow.
also, i would recommend toursbylocals.com there, though i did not use them when i went.
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, i mentioned how much i've enjoyed using toursbylocals.com in italy and other places, they recently sent me this code for you guys to use.
We'd love to invite more travelers like yourself to get to know our local guides around the world. To help make that happen, here's a promo code you can give to family and friends:
Code: K79VTW
Value: $20 USD
Number of times it can be used: 5
Restrictions: First purchase only, one per booking
Expiry Date: May 12, 2019
We'd love to invite more travelers like yourself to get to know our local guides around the world. To help make that happen, here's a promo code you can give to family and friends:
Code: K79VTW
Value: $20 USD
Number of times it can be used: 5
Restrictions: First purchase only, one per booking
Expiry Date: May 12, 2019
Nigel
Footballguy
Itinerary, as far as where we'll be when, is set. Still need to figure out exactly what we're doing while in each of these spots but here's the high-level plan/where we're staying;
2 nights in London - not sure where we're staying but who gives a ####, this is an Italy thread.
3 nights in Rome staying at The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel - which apparently opened not too long ago, location looks perfect based on comments in this thread, right near Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.
3 nights in Florence staying at this AirBnB ssteps from the Ponte Vecchio - we'll have a car so we can do a day trip or two around Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Montepulciano)
3 nights in Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre villages) staying at this AirBnB located in the heart of the village very close to the water. There will be a lot of relaxing happening here after running around Rome/Florence in the heat for six days.
1 night in Verona on the way to Venice staying at this AirBnB very close to the Arena did Verona where we'll go to the opera the night we're there. We'll drive here from La Spezia (near Vernazza), a three hour drive. We'll likely stop in Parma on the way for lunch.
2 nights in Venice staying at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa - Short drive here from Verona, may stop in Padua on the way. This hotel is on its own little island from which you take a quick shuttle boat to the city.
That's the outline, I've got a list from this thread of places to eat, things to see that I need to narrow down. We were able to use Marriott points for the two hotel stays in Rome & Venice. One thing about traveling with a group of five in Italy is you have to get two rooms, so we're blowing our points wad (using them in London too). The AirBnBs are the way to go though. I'd never looked at them before booking this trip but man, they are a good bang for the buck. Each of the places we booked are in prime locations, plenty of space, have WiFi, AC (a must in August), washer/dryer, and a ton of character. And on average we're paying around $400/night for those 7 nights. So overall, for 14 nights, we kept it under $3K (plus points) for lodging.
I'm officially pumped for this trip.
2 nights in London - not sure where we're staying but who gives a ####, this is an Italy thread.
3 nights in Rome staying at The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel - which apparently opened not too long ago, location looks perfect based on comments in this thread, right near Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.
3 nights in Florence staying at this AirBnB ssteps from the Ponte Vecchio - we'll have a car so we can do a day trip or two around Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Montepulciano)
3 nights in Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre villages) staying at this AirBnB located in the heart of the village very close to the water. There will be a lot of relaxing happening here after running around Rome/Florence in the heat for six days.
1 night in Verona on the way to Venice staying at this AirBnB very close to the Arena did Verona where we'll go to the opera the night we're there. We'll drive here from La Spezia (near Vernazza), a three hour drive. We'll likely stop in Parma on the way for lunch.
2 nights in Venice staying at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa - Short drive here from Verona, may stop in Padua on the way. This hotel is on its own little island from which you take a quick shuttle boat to the city.
That's the outline, I've got a list from this thread of places to eat, things to see that I need to narrow down. We were able to use Marriott points for the two hotel stays in Rome & Venice. One thing about traveling with a group of five in Italy is you have to get two rooms, so we're blowing our points wad (using them in London too). The AirBnBs are the way to go though. I'd never looked at them before booking this trip but man, they are a good bang for the buck. Each of the places we booked are in prime locations, plenty of space, have WiFi, AC (a must in August), washer/dryer, and a ton of character. And on average we're paying around $400/night for those 7 nights. So overall, for 14 nights, we kept it under $3K (plus points) for lodging.
I'm officially pumped for this trip.
Keerock
Footballguy
We're headed to Rome in August... come back with recommendations!Itinerary, as far as where we'll be when, is set. Still need to figure out exactly what we're doing while in each of these spots but here's the high-level plan/where we're staying;
2 nights in London - not sure where we're staying but who gives a ####, this is an Italy thread.
3 nights in Rome staying at The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel - which apparently opened not too long ago, location looks perfect based on comments in this thread, right near Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.
3 nights in Florence staying at this AirBnB ssteps from the Ponte Vecchio - we'll have a car so we can do a day trip or two around Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Montepulciano)
3 nights in Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre villages) staying at this AirBnB located in the heart of the village very close to the water. There will be a lot of relaxing happening here after running around Rome/Florence in the heat for six days.
1 night in Verona on the way to Venice staying at this AirBnB very close to the Arena did Verona where we'll go to the opera the night we're there. We'll drive here from La Spezia (near Vernazza), a three hour drive. We'll likely stop in Parma on the way for lunch.
2 nights in Venice staying at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa - Short drive here from Verona, may stop in Padua on the way. This hotel is on its own little island from which you take a quick shuttle boat to the city.
That's the outline, I've got a list from this thread of places to eat, things to see that I need to narrow down. We were able to use Marriott points for the two hotel stays in Rome & Venice. One thing about traveling with a group of five in Italy is you have to get two rooms, so we're blowing our points wad (using them in London too). The AirBnBs are the way to go though. I'd never looked at them before booking this trip but man, they are a good bang for the buck. Each of the places we booked are in prime locations, plenty of space, have WiFi, AC (a must in August), washer/dryer, and a ton of character. And on average we're paying around $400/night for those 7 nights. So overall, for 14 nights, we kept it under $3K (plus points) for lodging.
I'm officially pumped for this trip.
Mr. Ected
Footballguy
My sons' HS Marching Band will be performing in Rome for the New Years Day Parade next year (2019/2020). The school announced it early so people have time to plan and they have time to fund-raise big $$$. Should be a blast. Will be keeping an eye on this thread for next year!!
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
We used them in Pompeii. Giancarlo was fantastic. Couldn't recommend more.
Also, we used The Roman Guy for the night tour at The Colosseum. It actually started with a brief walking tour around Capitoline Hill, the things in the area, the Forum, etc. I don't know that there was anything particularly special about The Roman Guy tour, though they covered the Forum well enough that we canceled our plans to go there the next day. Anyway, I'm not sure how many places offer it, but regardless of who you use, the night tour of the Colosseum was awesome.
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
We enjoyed our whole trip, but to me there were 8 things that stood out above the rest.
1. Montepulciano - it was nice to get out of the cities. It was a great town to walk, but we're wine people, so I expected this. Not sure it would be as enjoyable to people who weren't there FOR the wine. We would have liked to make it to Dei or Avignonesi, but limited time precluded that. We walked through the Underground City at Ercolani, and then they poured us a ridiculous amount of wine at their tasting. It was good, not great. Went to Poderi Boscarelli and did the tour/tasting. Their wines were good, but I was surprised by the 15 euro PP tour fee dropped on us at the end. Wouldn't have been a big deal if I'd known about it. It was just unexpected. Then we went to Poderi Sanguineto (Not to be confused with Agriturismo Sanguineto. They're different places about .5 mile from each other). The owner, Dora, came down and tasted with us while she poured her wines. I'm guessing she doesn't get frequent guests. She's not set up to do tastings like most wineries. And she doesn't speak much English. But I would send everyone there. She's an awesome lady, even with the language barrier, and her wines were the best we had in Italy and VERY affordable. 8 Euro white, 12 euro Rosso, 17 euro Nobile. Enjoyed them all, bought them all, and fell in love with Dora.
2. Night tour at the Colosseum. Covered this one.
3. Boat ride around Capri and rowboat through the Blue Grotto. It's really beautiful, and I thought pretty affordable.
4. Toursbylocals tour of Pompeii with Giancarlo
5. Santa Croce. Probably wouldn't have done this if it weren't for X, so thanks for that. I loved it. The excavations underground of the ancient city were fascinating, I thought. Combined with the tombs, it's a great visit.
6. Breakfast at The Vatican. Breakfast is nothing special, but after seeing the insanity that was that place in the afternoon, you can't beat getting a 90 minute or so head start on the rest of the crowds. And don't believe the signs. Even if you do the audio tour, you can still take the exit from Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's. They put a dropbox for the audio tours right before the stairwell. And it's absolutely the way to go. We did breakfast, then we followed the audio tour all the way around to Sistine Chapel rather than making a beeline. I'm sure it's great to see the Chapel with nobody else in it, but the rest of the museum is loaded with great stuff. And I wanted to see Stanze di Raffaello, so we didn't shortcut it to Sistine either, though I wish we could have cut off the Modern art section. With a do-over, I might have hit Raphael's rooms and then looked to backtrack to the shorter route to Sistine. 53 rooms of modern art was a little much. If I want to see stuff that was made in 1973, I can roll over in the morning.
7. Frari Church - We all enjoyed Frari WAY more than St. Mark's. For 3 Euros, it's every bit as beautiful, and you're not rushed through like cattle.
8. Secret Itineraries Tour at Doge's. It dragged in spots, but it was cool to see the trap doors and hidden passageways and the back rooms where they tortured people and held Casanova prisoner. Also gives you a lot more information about how the ancient government worked, etc. Pretty interesting. My 11 year old even liked it.
1. Montepulciano - it was nice to get out of the cities. It was a great town to walk, but we're wine people, so I expected this. Not sure it would be as enjoyable to people who weren't there FOR the wine. We would have liked to make it to Dei or Avignonesi, but limited time precluded that. We walked through the Underground City at Ercolani, and then they poured us a ridiculous amount of wine at their tasting. It was good, not great. Went to Poderi Boscarelli and did the tour/tasting. Their wines were good, but I was surprised by the 15 euro PP tour fee dropped on us at the end. Wouldn't have been a big deal if I'd known about it. It was just unexpected. Then we went to Poderi Sanguineto (Not to be confused with Agriturismo Sanguineto. They're different places about .5 mile from each other). The owner, Dora, came down and tasted with us while she poured her wines. I'm guessing she doesn't get frequent guests. She's not set up to do tastings like most wineries. And she doesn't speak much English. But I would send everyone there. She's an awesome lady, even with the language barrier, and her wines were the best we had in Italy and VERY affordable. 8 Euro white, 12 euro Rosso, 17 euro Nobile. Enjoyed them all, bought them all, and fell in love with Dora.
2. Night tour at the Colosseum. Covered this one.
3. Boat ride around Capri and rowboat through the Blue Grotto. It's really beautiful, and I thought pretty affordable.
4. Toursbylocals tour of Pompeii with Giancarlo
5. Santa Croce. Probably wouldn't have done this if it weren't for X, so thanks for that. I loved it. The excavations underground of the ancient city were fascinating, I thought. Combined with the tombs, it's a great visit.
6. Breakfast at The Vatican. Breakfast is nothing special, but after seeing the insanity that was that place in the afternoon, you can't beat getting a 90 minute or so head start on the rest of the crowds. And don't believe the signs. Even if you do the audio tour, you can still take the exit from Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's. They put a dropbox for the audio tours right before the stairwell. And it's absolutely the way to go. We did breakfast, then we followed the audio tour all the way around to Sistine Chapel rather than making a beeline. I'm sure it's great to see the Chapel with nobody else in it, but the rest of the museum is loaded with great stuff. And I wanted to see Stanze di Raffaello, so we didn't shortcut it to Sistine either, though I wish we could have cut off the Modern art section. With a do-over, I might have hit Raphael's rooms and then looked to backtrack to the shorter route to Sistine. 53 rooms of modern art was a little much. If I want to see stuff that was made in 1973, I can roll over in the morning.
7. Frari Church - We all enjoyed Frari WAY more than St. Mark's. For 3 Euros, it's every bit as beautiful, and you're not rushed through like cattle.
8. Secret Itineraries Tour at Doge's. It dragged in spots, but it was cool to see the trap doors and hidden passageways and the back rooms where they tortured people and held Casanova prisoner. Also gives you a lot more information about how the ancient government worked, etc. Pretty interesting. My 11 year old even liked it.
Chemical X
Footballguy
I love reading and hearing about Italy trips. Can talk about it all day. Santa Croce is my favorite church and not just because of the giant jewish star. Some great tombs, cloisters and history there.
As everyone may know, me and the Mrs. plan to relocate to Italy either late 2019 or early 2020. I hope that when that happens I can meet some of my FBG friends in Italy for una birra o un bicchiere di vino rosso.
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
First night in Florence we ate at a restaurant (Trattoria Cesarino, I think) that had fantastic food and an 8 euro/bottle vino della casa that won't soon be mistaken for one of the great wines of the world, but for an 8 euro IGT was just a great drink. Might have been the best wine/food combo we had on our trip. Highly recommend.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
Our best meal in Florence, and all of Itlay, was at Trattoria 4 Leoni. We spent 3 hours there, which is a huge deal with a 12 and 14 year old. We went last year and STILL talk about it. Waiter was charismatic, spent 20 minutes going over the menu and checked in on us often. We even ordered more of a few of the dishes including tiramisu. It was awesome - Florentine steak and pear ravioli. Oh so good.
Bob Sacamano
Footballguy
Yeah, I wish we would have made it there. We missed a lot of the restaurants recommended here because we plan for meals poorly. We just go do stuff and then at some point go, "Oh, hey, we should think about eating." We were near them when it wasn't meal time and were nowhere near any of them when we wanted to eat.
Except Baldovino. We walked out of Santa Croce and directly over there at dinner time. My daughter had "fried pizza", which is Italian for "Calzone the size of Rhode Island."
It was good. Frankly, I'd just be happy if I could get the tomatoes we ate there every day here. I'd eat caprese salad every day.
Except Baldovino. We walked out of Santa Croce and directly over there at dinner time. My daughter had "fried pizza", which is Italian for "Calzone the size of Rhode Island."
It was good. Frankly, I'd just be happy if I could get the tomatoes we ate there every day here. I'd eat caprese salad every day.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Baldovino is my favorite restaurant in Florence. Here is a tip they told me about. They are on a website called "the fork". www.thefork.com If you make a reservation for Baldovino thru the fork you get either 20% or 30% off everything, including alcohol. No questions asked.
Chemical X
Footballguy
I too am in early stages of Amalfi planning for next May. We've never been, but have been thinking of going to our place for about 2 weeks, then maybe 3 nites in Positano and finish with 2 in Rome (pre flight home).
I'll take Amalfi Coast tips that you have to offer. How are the beaches? Is it important your hotel has a private beach? I was thinking about taking a train to Salerno from Rome, then a ferry to Positano to avoid Naples and that crazy road. Was thinking about Hotel Il San Pietro, Montemare or Buca di Bacco.
Dimmi Qualcosa!
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Amalfi beaches are rocky. We took train to Salerno then had a driver, but ferry looks acceptable. If you are staying in Positano, probably no reason for private beach. Big beach across the base of the town with restaurants. Private beaches probably very few. Just make sure you are staying towards bottom or you will be hinking lots of stairs. Day trip to Capri well worth it.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Thought I already posted this...we went in May. Depending on traffic it is about 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Private driver arranged thru our travel agent was 125 euro. Probably can get one under 100. Stop at Ravello for some great views above the sea. Some good restaurants also. City of Amalfi is fun to walk around... nice church.
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Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Lemon everything, limoncello and ceramics in Positano. Don’t be afraid to ship items home. We shipped many things and had nothing break.
Don't Noonan
Footballguy
Just got back from 3 week vacation in Europe. Food in Venice very overpriced and not great imo. Same for Rome. Germany food was awful.
Chemical X
Footballguy
when are you headed out? here’s a suggestion, rent a wifi key or 2 in italy. you can do this with your car rental. reason being is that using your roaming can be expensive. the key you can stick in your pocket and charge while driving, just in case. in rome, we’ve liked the hotel ponte sisto, florence is hotel degli orafi. i suggest a bike tour while you are in florence. you can bike to siena with a van backup to take you back. once in a lifetime IMO. i recommend avignonesi for cooking class, tour and lunch package. you won’t forget it. san gimignano is meh IMO. i think verona has summer concerts outdoors in their colosseum. likely opera, but who cares.Itinerary, as far as where we'll be when, is set. Still need to figure out exactly what we're doing while in each of these spots but here's the high-level plan/where we're staying;
2 nights in London - not sure where we're staying but who gives a ####, this is an Italy thread.
3 nights in Rome staying at The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel - which apparently opened not too long ago, location looks perfect based on comments in this thread, right near Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.
3 nights in Florence staying at this AirBnB ssteps from the Ponte Vecchio - we'll have a car so we can do a day trip or two around Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Montepulciano)
3 nights in Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre villages) staying at this AirBnB located in the heart of the village very close to the water. There will be a lot of relaxing happening here after running around Rome/Florence in the heat for six days.
1 night in Verona on the way to Venice staying at this AirBnB very close to the Arena did Verona where we'll go to the opera the night we're there. We'll drive here from La Spezia (near Vernazza), a three hour drive. We'll likely stop in Parma on the way for lunch.
2 nights in Venice staying at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa - Short drive here from Verona, may stop in Padua on the way. This hotel is on its own little island from which you take a quick shuttle boat to the city.
That's the outline, I've got a list from this thread of places to eat, things to see that I need to narrow down. We were able to use Marriott points for the two hotel stays in Rome & Venice. One thing about traveling with a group of five in Italy is you have to get two rooms, so we're blowing our points wad (using them in London too). The AirBnBs are the way to go though. I'd never looked at them before booking this trip but man, they are a good bang for the buck. Each of the places we booked are in prime locations, plenty of space, have WiFi, AC (a must in August), washer/dryer, and a ton of character. And on average we're paying around $400/night for those 7 nights. So overall, for 14 nights, we kept it under $3K (plus points) for lodging.
I'm officially pumped for this trip.
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, for positano, i think i will return my car to FCO then take the train to Termini, then fast train to Naples and stay overnight. lots more train options from Rome to Naples rather than Salerno. if i need a car for over an hour from Salerno, i may as well do the same from Naples. also, train from rome to naples is 1.10, rome to salerno is well over 2 hours. i have never overnighted in naples.
The General
Footballguy
Sounds great.Itinerary, as far as where we'll be when, is set. Still need to figure out exactly what we're doing while in each of these spots but here's the high-level plan/where we're staying;
2 nights in London - not sure where we're staying but who gives a ####, this is an Italy thread.
3 nights in Rome staying at The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel - which apparently opened not too long ago, location looks perfect based on comments in this thread, right near Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.
3 nights in Florence staying at this AirBnB ssteps from the Ponte Vecchio - we'll have a car so we can do a day trip or two around Tuscany (San Gimignano, Sienna, Montepulciano)
3 nights in Vernazza (one of the Cinque Terre villages) staying at this AirBnB located in the heart of the village very close to the water. There will be a lot of relaxing happening here after running around Rome/Florence in the heat for six days.
1 night in Verona on the way to Venice staying at this AirBnB very close to the Arena did Verona where we'll go to the opera the night we're there. We'll drive here from La Spezia (near Vernazza), a three hour drive. We'll likely stop in Parma on the way for lunch.
2 nights in Venice staying at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa - Short drive here from Verona, may stop in Padua on the way. This hotel is on its own little island from which you take a quick shuttle boat to the city.
That's the outline, I've got a list from this thread of places to eat, things to see that I need to narrow down. We were able to use Marriott points for the two hotel stays in Rome & Venice. One thing about traveling with a group of five in Italy is you have to get two rooms, so we're blowing our points wad (using them in London too). The AirBnBs are the way to go though. I'd never looked at them before booking this trip but man, they are a good bang for the buck. Each of the places we booked are in prime locations, plenty of space, have WiFi, AC (a must in August), washer/dryer, and a ton of character. And on average we're paying around $400/night for those 7 nights. So overall, for 14 nights, we kept it under $3K (plus points) for lodging.
I'm officially pumped for this trip.
For London and Marriott points there are a ton of options. Stayed at the London County Hall and it was great location and would recommend.
Marriott just added a version of VRBO/AirBNB in London. Don’t think you can use points yet but it was coming soon last I saw.
jamny
Footballguy
Our plan so far is to land in Rome and rent a car to drive to this hotel, about a 3 hour drive. We'll get there in the afternoon so will have a chance to spend the rest of the day there. Looks really nice with a small seaside town just down the hill. The next morning we'll drive towards Amalfi. We're planning on 5 days at Le Sirenuse Hotel but the decision will be to drive there and valet the car for the duration, having it available if we want to drive, or to turn it in at the AVIS in Sorrento and take a taxi to the hotel and back when we leave. One way rental cars are expensive in Europe and it might just be worth it to keep the car and pay for the parking. We haven't looked at it yet though.
Any suggestions for a nice town to stop in for lunch on our way back to Rome? Somewhere midway between Naples and Rome. I found a hotel that looks decent, right near the airport, so we can make an early flight the next morning.
Chemical X
Footballguy
lots of driving to maybe have the car available to use. why not do what i am doing? arrive rome, get to termini and take a fast train to naples for an overnight? then get a car to take you to positano? naples isn’t amazing, but an overnight stay your first night let’s you get your legs and some pizza. time wise it seems easier. for me, having a car on the coast isn’t something i really want.
jamny
Footballguy
We enjoy the drives and a short trip to a mellow seaside hotel is preferable to a night in Naples to get into the vacation. I don't need to see Naples again, even if just overnight. Really looking forward to the drive back.
Chemical X
Footballguy
jamny
Footballguy
We did the Rome to Naples by train and onto the ferry to Capri and were completely wiped out by time we got to the room. We prefer to take it slow now.
Chemical X
Footballguy
yeah, you will be just landing. i will be driving to fco from my place after about 2 weeks. logistically, it works for me to hang in naples that night.
Sheriff Bart
Footballguy
Still miss Italy so much. 
waiver wire
Footballguy
so far its my favorite country that I have visitedStill miss Italy so much.
its a short list though im only at 20 but
Sand
Footballguy
Naples is a place to go through rather than a place to stop. Positano, on the other hand, is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
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Nigel
Footballguy
Leaving 7/28 - thanks for the suggestions.
Is the Avigonesi thing a half or full day? Possible to couple that with a stop elsewhere in Tuscany same day?
biking to Sienna sounds great if not too hot. Already have opera tix in Verona, looks awesome.
Nigel
Footballguy
@Chemical X can you recommend a car service in Florence/Tuscany? I want to get picked up in Florence (5 of us), get driven to Avignonesi for the cooking class/tour (9am - 3pm) then hit Siena on way back (explore/dinner) before returning to Florence. I'd drive but I want to be drinking wine all day - trying to figure out a way to get us around somewhat economically.
Chemical X
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
Depends on what you do at Avignonesi.......If you do cooking, tour and lunch, I would say arrive around 9.15 and finish around 2.30p. Without cooking, you can arrive around 11-12p for the tour, then lunch, ending the same time. What you could do is finish up at Avignonesi then head over to Siena, roughly .45-1hr away. We love a restaurant there called Sotto Le Fonti (Britta is the owner). We toured there with a great guide, Roberta from toursbylocals, she'd remember me, we used her twice. You could try to hit Perugia and maybe take a chocolate tour of the Perugina factory. Kids would love this. Perugia also about the same distance. Cortona is near by and a bit further south is Orvieto.Leaving 7/28 - thanks for the suggestions.
Is the Avigonesi thing a half or full day? Possible to couple that with a stop elsewhere in Tuscany same day?
biking to Sienna sounds great if not too hot. Already have opera tix in Verona, looks awesome.
The bike tour was most awesome, but not for the faint of heart. You are literally on the side of their roads. My wife nose dived when we went in the last Km after around 20 or so.
Nigel
Footballguy
Over the weekend I started reading The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, a biographical novel on the life of Michelangelo. It was recommended to me by my sister a good prep for our upcoming trip, a crash-course in Renaissance history and art. Absolutely fascinating, can't put it down.
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Nigel
Footballguy
Saw that but I think it only covers the Sistine-painting years. The book, 760 pages of the tiniest font I’ve ever seen in a book, starts with him at thirteen. The movie might be a good call for my kids to watch though.
@Chemical X if you haven’t read this book you should - you will love it.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Did y'all work out the amalfi details yet?
We took the fast fast train from Rome, switched to Salerno and simply took the bus to amalfi. Easy as could be. We took the bus everywhere. No need for a private beach, expect to pay though.
we stayed in amalfi, next time we will probably stay in ravello.
We took the fast fast train from Rome, switched to Salerno and simply took the bus to amalfi. Easy as could be. We took the bus everywhere. No need for a private beach, expect to pay though.
we stayed in amalfi, next time we will probably stay in ravello.
ex-ghost
Footballguy
ex-ghost
Footballguy
We stayed just outside of Atrani in Castiglione Di Ravello. Walked the 1000 stairs to Ravello, didn’t mean to, but all the busses were full and we had tickets to a concert. My shirt was see-through at the end. Walked into the concert behind a woman with furs, me in shorts and sweat dripping in big drops off my nose, forehead and other gross places.
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Phil Elliott
Footballguy
Yes, book is way better, but I think the movie, although 50 years old, can help you imagine what it was like..
Chemical X
Footballguy
i am at 4 nights in positano at hotel marincanto. will likely take train from rome to naples, then hire a car.DA RAIDERS said:
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Ristorante da Vincenzo in positano. Thank me later.
We had a blast on the main beach, tipped the dude that sets you up with your spot and ended up waterfront, all the way to the left as you look at the water.
If you hike, we loved the path of the gods. We took an early bus to agerlo, had coffee and hiked to positano. WARNING!!! There are a bazillion stairs at the end that nearly did us in, and we were going down. Great hike though.
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