posted October 11, 2007 10:12 PM         

I will be leaving Portland on Oct 21 and flying into Rome...we take the train up to Florence for 5 days. On Friday of that week we take the train back down to Rome to start a 10-day tour: two days in Rome and we go south to the Amalfi Coast. We fly back to the U.S. Nov 3.

In Florence, we have museum times already set up at Uffizi and Accademia (hello David!), a cooking class one day in Chianti and otherwise free time.

For such a short time in Rome, we see the Vatican and take a city tour to see the highlights.

Then down to Amalfi for most of our time...we will be in Ravello, Paestum, Vietre-sul-mare, Capri, Pompeii, Naples.

Has anyone been there and what can you recommend in the way of food and sights? I am a foodie and food + local culture = heaven for me. I know I am a true Sag in that sense...I love to experience local cultures.

Our time is pretty structured on the tour but we do have free time some days.

Thank you Knowflakes...I know you will fill me in!!!!!!

Laura
Sag Sun
Sag Asc
Aqua Moon
Sag Mars
Libra Venus

(yes, I'm excited!)

posted October 11, 2007 10:31 PM         

Z

posted October 12, 2007 02:06 AM         

I don't remember the food, and that doesn't bode well for the place. I like Italian food quite a bit, but the only thing I remember eating there was a flavor of ice cream that was terrible. They, of course, are known for their ice cream, so it was just a matter of taking a chance on the wrong flavor. No meal there sticks out in my mind at all. Hopefully, you have a much better experience where food is concerned.

Watch out for the water. If things are still somewhat the same as when I went there, you always need to be vigilant about only coming in contact with safe water. That means the canals, too, if you go to Venice.

posted October 12, 2007 03:56 PM         

Gelato - Florence makes the best gelato in the world, so go to Vivoli by Piazza Santa Croce. It will be crowded, but it’s worth it. You get two scoops of two different gelatos in a cup and it’s best to let the guy serving tell you what to have. They get really upset if you order a bad combination! If you want to try something say “Un assagio, per favore” (“oon ahs-AHZH-ee-oh pear fah-VOOR-ay”) and they will give you a little wooden spoon with a dip to test. The Nutella flavor is amazing. Stracciatella is also amazing and it’s a local flavor, Americans think of it as the Italian chocolate chip. There is also Gelateria dei Neri on the east side, which is the second best in my opinion, and not so crowded.

Breakfast – It’s cheap to go to a small pastry shop and buy some croissants stuffed with Nutella with coffee, and it makes the perfect breakfast. If you stay by the Duomo, go to Robiglio on Via dei Servi.

Lunch – Oil Shoppe on Via S. Egidio makes great panini (sandwiches) and they are cheap. They also sell wonderful olive oil, so buy some to take back home. Those bottles are great gifts for anyone who likes to cook.

Dinner – If you want luxury, go to Restaurant Terrazza Brunelleschi at Piazza Unità Italiana. You can see all of Florence from the terrazza. It’s very romantic and the food is superb. Try their seasonal dishes, like the pumpkin ravioli.

Il Cibreo on Via Dei Macci near Santa Croce makes some of the best food in town. Also a bit expensive, but definitely worth every cent.

Il Latini on Via dei Palchetti is moderately-priced and has great food. You sit with a lot of people at one table, so it can be very fun. While you wait, you get wine and cheeses. The owner is friendly and tries to visit with everyone during dinner.

Palle d'Oro on Via S. Antonino is also moderately-priced and they specialize in traditional Tuscan country food.

Miscellaneous tips:

• Before you go, buy a copy of Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary, it’s small enough to fit in your purse and everything is spelled phonetically.

• Buy a map for each city you’ll be visiting (I like the Rough Guide maps). A map will be much easier to carry than a travel book!

• Unlike Americans who “live to work,” Italians “work to live,” so “customer service” isn’t important. If you are treated poorly, don’t take it personally.

• Don’t order cappuccino after 11am.

• Don't order a "latte" - this is plain milk in Italian.

• Bizzarri on Via della Condotta has a lot of spices and cooking ingredients, like their famous truffle butter. It’s a foodie’s dream shop!

• At a restaurant, especially a paninoteca or bar or pizzaria, it’s at least 50% cheaper to stand and eat compared to getting a table. Except for dinner, you’ll likely want to eat quickly and get back to seeing the city anyways. Compare prices on the menu: “al banco” = standing at the bar versus “al tavolo” = sitting at a table.

• Italian bars aren’t like American bars – they are more like pastry shops or sandwich shops that serve wine.

• Eat dinner at 8:30-9ish if you want to be around the locals – and it’s often less crowded. Tourists eat early, Italians eat late.

• Go to the San Lorenzo market (about 10 minutes from the Duomo). You will love all the foods and you can save money buying foods from here for your lunches. Also, there are a lot of leather items (which is a Tuscan specialty) and it’s one of the best places to buy gifts and souvenirs. I have a wallet from about four years ago that I’ve used that is still in perfect condition. I’ve also bought some beautiful jewelry there, and shawls and scarves, etc. The shops on Ponte Vechhio are overpriced, so wait to buy until you see San Lorenzo.

• The tap water has been improved greatly in the whole country over the past ten years or so, and I’ve never had any problems with their water, but there is bottled water everywhere. When buying water, they will ask you “aqua con gasso o senza gas?” If you want carbonated (sparkling) water, it’s “con gasso” or "aqua minerale." If you want plain water it’s “aqua non gassato” or "aqua naturale." Restaurants don’t serve tap water, only bottled.

• Go to Giotto's Tower next to the Duomo. If you can climb all 414 steps, you have the most gorgeous view of Tuscany from there.

• I’ve never had tripe, but my friends who are foodies tell me it’s one of the best things they’ve eaten. Florence is famous for tripe sandwiches, and there are tripe stands selling them through town.

• You must go to Piazzale Michelangelo which has a walking trail, beautiful view, and San Miniato church on the mountain top.
  
  
• About 12 miles from Florence by the Roma-Malpensa highway, is the WWII American cemetery and memorial. Over 4,000 WWII American soldiers are buried there. It’s a nice stop for history buffs.

Rome: The food stands are great for pizza that you fold over and eat as you walk. If you are in the Testaccio area, go to Remo at Piazza Santa Maria Liberatrice for their incredible pizza. Cavour 313 (on Via Cavour) is casual and has good lunches and dinners and the prices are decent. Cul de Sac near Piazza Navona is open really late and is a lot of fun. They serve casual dinners and wines.

At the Vatican Museum, I recommend you buy a copy of “Guide to the Vatican Museums and City” in English. It contains detailed diagrams and explanations of everything.

Naples: Eat the best pizza in the world at Pizzeria Da Michele on Via Cesare Sersale. If you order “pepperoni” pizza in Italy, they will give you a pizza with red peppers because pepperoni in Italian means “peppers.” They are quite aware of the language difference, and think it’s funny to give Americans pizza with red peppers. For pepperoni, order “salame piccante.” The Naples area can be violent, so please be careful.

posted October 14, 2007 11:58 PM         

There are 2 restaurants we loved in Rome:

Gusto - hip, fun and gourmet food. Great for people watching. I had paparadelle pasta with a rabbit ragu, my boyfriend had the veal meatballs. We shared a plate of pickled veggies, salad, and a wooden board of selected cheeses, cured meats, and fruit preserves. They have a HUGE binder of wine selections. We got a bottle of red. Yum. It's located near the Spanish Steps.

Arancia Blu - gourmet vegetarian food in the neighborhood near the university. The food is absolutely fantastic and the atmosphere inside is rustic, yet elegant. They are madly creative with the dishes. Take a cab and remember to ask the waiter to call a cab for you when you leave. We didn't know and walked through the neighborhood @ 11 pm at night trying to find a cab to no avail . . .

Rome absolutely has the best pizza. We loved all the hole in the wall pizzerias. So inexpensive too! If you like orange soda, Fanta is tasty.

posted October 15, 2007 12:46 AM         

I copy/pasted them and printed to bring them along...it's easier than trying to write it or remember.

Thank you!!

posted November 11, 2007 02:08 PM         

Yes, I am back and Italy is/was wonderful. I apologize for not posting before today; jetlag got the best of me and every single night this week I wanted to pass out and was in bed by 8pm.

I will spend more time in Florence next trip. The people in Italy are warm and welcoming and that is my favorite part about this trip. Very family-oriented people and I remember that from my own upbringing. (I am not italian, but was brought up Roman Catholic and my family is the same). Rome is not my favorite city, but can appreciate the HISTORY that is there. Southern Italy: Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are beautiful.

Florence: loved it, simply loved it. It's such a beautiful medieval city with it's stone buildings and narrow, curving streets that only one car (and smart cars or compacts at that) at a time can pass. Very narrow 'sidewalks'. Their cioccolata is sinfully delicious, thick, warm and pudding-like. The first time I tasted it, it was an intoxicating experience minus the alcohol!!

David at Accademia is a sight to behold. I've never seen such perfection in my life. He's breathtaking and we spent at least an hour sitting on a bench to the side and gazing at Michelangelo's work. He contributed SO MUCH to italian society with his sculptures and paintings, which is evident in Florence and in Rome.

Uffizi is equally awe-inspiring and takes time to get through it all; I 'ran' into another traveler from Portland while there and we invited him to see it with us but it was difficult to stay together with the crowds. Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is beautiful and sad that it's fading. Humbling to stand before such magnificient works.

Tuscany is so beautiful and we had a delightful afternoon driving through on our way to our "Accidental Tourist" cooking full-day class. Our guide is from South Carolina and he married and moved to Tuscany post-college with his wife and they had two beautiful children. We met his son Alexander(who is very italian-looking and handsome) who taught part of our cooking class. He is only 22 years old. Enjoyed our class, we viewed a 12th century villa owned by a very wealthy italian family who manufactures high-end men's shirts. They own this property which produces olive oil and wine. We were shown their production for both. We were right at the olive harvest (usually by Nov 1) and behind the grape harvest (usually last two weeks of September/first two weeks of October, depending on weather) and is very interesting. Theirs is a small, but quality production. I bought some olive oil and wine to bring home.

Rome, as I mentioned, is not so large, but a very busy city. Somewhat jarring to the senses after a serene 5 days in Florence/Tuscany, but I expected it. This was the beginning of our 10-day tour; our second day began on October 26th and we flew home to the U.S. November 3rd. The Vatican is awe-inspiring and very moving. Quite a few people of course, and our visit coincided that day with a beatification of a woman saint. I cannot remember her name, but there were quite a few pilgrims there from France, where she is from.

The Sistine Chapel, I wish it were completely empty of people (I know, wishful thinking) so I could appreciate its full beauty. But since everyone is looking up at the ceiling, you don't really notice everyone packing in there like sardines. Just your requisite stiff neck after the experience. I managed to capture a picture (yes, prohibited) on my digital camera of God giving life to Adam and their fingers touching. I took it without a flash, even though no photography is allowed, I snuck it in.

Southern Italy and the Amalfi Coast is breath-taking at every turn. Amazing how these people live, their homes literally stacked on hillsides. But, this is how they have lived for centuries. Every square foot of their fertile land is devoted to growing either olives, grapes or citrus (mostly oranges and lemons). Sorrento, Positano and all those villages really look like the photos you see. A narrow road that allows maybe 1 1/2 cars along a 56 mile route that is the Amalfi Coast amazes me, the expertise of our bus driver of our huge bus driver, navigating the roads and all the cars and traffic. We weren't even there during the busy summer crowds!!!

We saved Ravello for our last day. This town was supposed to be on our first day arriving in the area, but the roads were closed due to a car race and the narrow mountain roads were closed. After driving the hour to get up there, no way would be have been able to turn around to come back with our large but and the winding, twisting roads. Nowhere to turn around without falling off the steep cliff! Ravello is a sight to behold. It sits up high on the mountain, but is located with such a magnificient view of the Mediterranean Sea and the coast that it was worth the drive. A couple in our group had driven up there a couple of days before - his grandfather is from this town and his family's name is inscribed on a plaque on the church wall outside (made from pottery, no less). Very moving for him. He came specifically to connect with his family and found some useful information to bring back to his family. Back to Ravello and its view. We had entrance to the gardens which overlook the sea and below. Everywhere you look, the views are breathtaking. I was in awe and took many pictures that I will post later. I used both film and digital and am glad I decided to take the trouble for both, since I will have different types of pictures.

We also went to the ruins of Pompeii. Amazing what they have uncovered - an entire city. I believe there were about 25,000 living in Pompeii at the time of the huge eruption. At that time, it was considered heavily-populated. Their way of life was so advanced for its time. We also went to the museum in Naples to see more artwork and saw beautiful paintings depicting life in Pompeii pre-eruption. Beautiful, is all I can say.

So, those are the highlights of our trip. Next time, I won't do a tour, too demanding every day we were up early. I knew that from someone's comments regarding tours, but an hour later to sleep in would have helped immensely. I would like to see Northern Italy more, but absolutely fell in love with Tuscany. You can buy a delicious (and huge) pizza for maybe e3,00...and their vegetable soup, Ribbolita...oh my goodness. I made some the day after I came home and ate it all last week. We also made fresh pasta on our cooking class/tour and now that I know it's so easy, I made some last night and savored my trip again.

I loved our guide; she is of italian descent and speaks fluent italian (and a few other languages), but lives (when she is not leading a tour) near Detroit, MI. Very engaging and warm, with a funny sense of humor even though she was fighting a nasty cold/upper respiratory infection. But a true professional of 20+ years and carried on nonetheless...she also was a Northwest flight attendant; very good with people.

The village, Vietre is where our hotel was located down in Amalfi. It's a very charming small village and we were there for Halloween (they are just beginning to celebrate it too), but two major holidays happen on Nov 1 and Nov 2nd: All Saints Day and All Souls Day, both of which are observed in Italy as holidays. Everyone is home with their families and time is spent at church. We were fortunate to be out walking on the streets of this small quaint village and saw men gathered in groups, talking and the children, dressed in 'costume' (not as elaborate as in the U.S. but some had their faces painted and wore masks) and went from shop to shop for candy. If you peeked inside the shops, two or three people would be standing talking or pinching the cheeks of a baby in a stroller. Very innocent for the children as they laughed and ran from place to place and the way these people have lived for always.

Life is really expensive in the larger cities in Italy, and with the Euro, the conversion caused many people to lose quite a bit of money in the process. Italians don't move as much as we do here, and they tend to live in the same home from when they are born until they die. Everyone lives together...and mama is central in the family, she is held in the highest esteem in the italian family.

Many funny things happening during our trip that added to the sometimes crazy life that is Italy. One: be flexible. Italians will have a demonstration in the streets of Rome with just a few hours' notice, or on our drive back from a Buffala (Water Buffalo) Mozzarella Farm, probably 30 men were standing in the middle of the street having a 'meeting'. Our guide said it was probably a union-meeting. They drive crazy and stop signs and signal lights are "only for decoration like a Christmas tree" according to our Naples guide...everyone is all over the road with what seems like mass chaos to us but normal driving to them Surprisingly, very few accidents happen. When an accident happens, it's very funny (and our bus driver had a driver cut us off, hitting our bus, but the damage was slight, to his vehicle only): Both drivers get out of their cars and all you see are arms waving and shouting at each other. Then, they shake hands and invite the other to their family's restaurant (or whereever) and it is all settled. We witnessed this first-hand! Hilarious. I love Italy.

Laura

posted November 14, 2007 02:10 AM         

Yes, we are glad you're home however...

We've been especially looking forward to viewing some pictures you've taken while on vacation. (To live vicariously through you of course, LOL!)

So then whenever you've rested up enough, hurry back, K?

You're journey sounds absolutely delightful!
Thank you so much for sharing with us!!!!!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
¸.´¸.*¨) ¸.*¨)
(¸.´ (¸.´ .´ ¸¸.¨¯`

posted March 05, 2008 10:29 PM         

One of the many charming narrow, winding streets in Florence:

Ponte Vecchio in Florence:

posted March 05, 2008 10:35 PM         

A glimpse through a garden gate at the villa:

The hills overlooking villas at our cooking class site. Everywhere you look is unmistakeable Tuscany. Bellisima!:

Walking down the lane at the villa, beautiful fall colors:

posted March 05, 2008 11:04 PM         

Inside the Coliseum:

At the Vatican, inside St. Peter's. Facing the main high alter (dark wood structure center bottom):

Inside St. Peter's, Michelangelo's Pieta. Unfortunately, you cannot get a good, clear photo since it's now behind bullet-proof glass:

posted March 05, 2008 11:53 PM         

In Positano, the same village shown in Under the Tuscan Sun:

In Ravello at the gardens, overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean:

posted March 06, 2008 12:00 AM         

In Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius (is going to erupt now or after we leave?):

Some pottery at Pompeii:

The ruins of Pompeii:

posted March 06, 2008 12:04 AM         

In Sorrento, a tabacco shop: