My sister (Susan), daughter (Laura), niece (Rachelle) and her friend, Callie, and I arrived in Firenze from Rome early afternoon, December 7, 2023; our goal being to see the lighting of the Christmas tree as well as other holiday lights. We succeeded at that but for the others, it became pretty much a shopping extravaganza. […]
Read MoreCategory: Places to go
Firenze 2023 and Italianme
I visited Firenze twice in November and December 2023. My first week in Firenze, I was on my own, attending a new (for me) language school, Italianme. I’ve written a brief section about the school, followed by my activities when not attending classes. At the end of the post are short sections on restaurants, and […]
Read MoreFive days in Rome, off season
I considered putting a question mark after ‘off season’ because, unlike 2021 (see Firenze off season, parte uno and Firenze off season, parte due ) both Rome and Firenze were crazy crowded. It’s difficult to know if the crowds were due to pent up travel demand or simply more people wanting to see the holiday […]
Read MoreThree Days in Firenze
A Strange and Different Firenze. Early October is typically the height of the tourist season but it was a strange and different Firenze in early October 2021. Much of that was due to the ongoing COVID restrictions. In Firenze, as in the rest of Italy, masks were required for all indoor activities including restaurants and […]
Read MoreThirty six Hours in the Cinque Terre
The Why and the How A number of years ago my sister, daughter, niece and nephew did a hiking trip in the Cinque Terre and raved about how beautiful it is. As I started making plans in 2021 to travel again, my original plan was to revisit St. Raphael, on the Cote d’Azur (see The […]
Read MoreA Week in Montepulciano
My only previous experience in Montepulciano was a 2-3 hour visit while on a walking tour of Tuscany. All I remember is walking through Piazza Grande, then down the steep hill past Tempio San Biagio. As I mentioned in my Il Sasso Language School post, I thought a week attending the school would give me the […]
Read MoreFive Days in Southern Tuscany
San Gimignano, Montalcino and Pienza It had been five years since my last trip to Southern Tuscany and in 2021 I was anxious to see all my favorite places again. But it seemed like a case of you can’t go home again, at least with respect to Montalcino and Pienza. So I’ll start with San […]
Read MoreSix Days in Rome
Since our brief visit in 2016, see Rome post, I’ve wanted to return to Rome and see more of the city. So as I planned my 2021 trip, I decided to add Rome. Walkabouts in Rome Despite it’s size I find Rome to be a very walkable city, especially if you focus on certain neighborhoods, a […]
Read MoreThree Days in Naples
I read my Naples travel book cover to cover before my 2021 trip (DK Eyewitnesss Naples) and had a long list of places I wanted to see. But to say my first visit to Naples didn’t begin auspiciously would be a serious understatement (see Getting There and Where Not to Stay below.) In addition to […]
Read MoreThree Days in Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii
Sorrento I tried to do Sorrento on a budget and I don’t recommend it. Sorrento, and the Amalfi coast in general, is definitely a ‘go big or go home’ area. My first afternoon in Sorrento left me underwhelmed. That’s because my ‘bed and breakfast’ (BeB Caruso, see below) advertised itself as close to the Centro. […]
Read More