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 […]
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A 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 MoreLucca and the Garfagnana
I’ve visited Lucca and the Garfagnana three times, in 2015, 2016 and 2019, (each time with my sister). Lucca is one of my favorite towns in Tuscany and I love the beautiful mountains and little villages of the Garfagnana. But getting to the Garfagnana and into Lucca has had its challenges. So after the sections […]
Read MorePisa
My sister and I first visited Pisa in 2015 while staying at Villa Cheli near Lucca. The hotel had a good map and the concierge gave us fairly detailed directions. So getting to Pisa, itself, was no problem. But once we got close to the centro things fell apart. As we followed the street just […]
Read MoreTears for Venice
When I wrote a post about Venice after my first visit in October 2017, (see Venice post) I said I wasn’t drawn to return because it wasn’t the warm culture that I had experienced in Tuscany and southern Italy. A friend of mine posted a comment saying that while he agreed with the Disneyland for […]
Read MoreFirenze, old and new
In 2018 my sister and I spent 10 days in Firenze. The previous year (2017) I spent two weeks in Firenze at a language school (see Istituto Michelangelo, parte uno and Istituto Michelangelo, parte due) and I was excited to show my sister some new places plus go to our old favorites. However, some of […]
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