Il Nostro Viaggio di Estate in Italia 2008
(Our Summer Voyage to Italy 2008)
-Fly into Napoli, departing Chicago Wed 6/25 & arriving Italia Thu 6/26
-3 nights in Sorrento with day trips to Capri, Positano, Amalfi Town, and the ruins at Pompeii
-3 nights in Firenze with a day trip to Cortona
-2 nights in Monterosso al Mare (exploring Cinque Terra) with a day trip to Milano
-2 nights in Stresa on Lake Maggiore
-3 nights in Venezia
-Fly out of Venezia on Wed, 7/9 & arrive back in Chicago on Wed, 7/9
Wed June 25 - Wed July 9, 2008
FLIGHT (WED, 6/25): CHICAGO O’HARE TO NAPOLI CAPODICHINO
Leave O’Hare Wednesday, 6/25, via Iberian Airlines Flight IB6274, departing from Terminal 3 at 4:45 PM and arriving in Madrid, Spain at 7:45 AM on Thursday 6/26 (flight time is 8 hours). 2 hour 15 minute layover for plane change in Madrid. Depart Madrid on Iberian Air Flight IB8556 (operated by Air Nostrum) at 10:00 AM (from Terminal 4; flight time is 2 hours 35 minutes). Arrive at Naples Capodichino Airport at 12:35 PM on Thursday, 6/26.
Arrival Capodichino Airport; Napoli to Sorrento
Arrive in Napoli at Capodichino International Airport at 12:35 PM. Once we clear customs, we should see our driver with our name on a sign from Benvenuto Limos at 1:20 PM (see confirmation email below). Cost is e110, payable in cash, but held with a credit card. Our driver will take us to our hotel in Sorrento: Casa Astarita, #67 Corso Italia, Sorrento. About a 75-minute ride. Email is info@benvenutolimos.com. Direct Italian phone is 39-346-684-0226.
DAY ONE (THURS 6/26): GETTING SETTLED IN SORRENTO
Arrival in Sorrento
Upon arrival in Sorrento between 2:30 and 3:00 PM, check in our hotel, Casa Astarita (CONFIRMED), #67 Corso Italia, 081-877-4906, http://www.casastarita.com/, info@scasastarita.com: double with private bath, air and breakfast, e100 per night, for 3 nights (TOTAL e300, cash). Located just past Ristorante Parrucchiano on Corso Italia. See map page 686 in Steves. NOTE: We have an 8:30 PM reservation for tonight at Trattoria de Emilia (with a sea view) on Marina Grande.
Today & Tonight
After getting settled, freshen up and walk down Corso Italia (toward the train) station for Piazza Tasso, Sorrento’s main square (scope out the town; be sure to purchase a phone card, too, from a Tobacchi shop: Buona sirra: Aveta schede telephoniche, Europa? Cinque euro, per favore. Grazie). We’ll have dinner tonight at 8:30 PM (ask hotel to make reservation), with a sea view, at Trattoria da Emilia on the Marina Grande waterfront: Sorrentine home-cooking, gnocci, etc. Good prices. Opens at 7:30 PM. Cash only. See map p. 686. Sorrento’s evening passeggiata along Corso Italia and Via San Cesareo peaks around 10:00 PM. Enjoy some gelato! Another possibility: two places in town offer nightly “Tarantella” shows at 9:00 PM. The TI should have details. For tonight or another of our three nights.
After dinner, shopping, and getting our bearings, take Steves’ self-guided downtown Sorrento walk. Begin on the main square under the flags with our back to the sea (on p. 687). The views from the public park next to the Imperial Hotel Tramontano are worth the walk. Keep an eye out for the beautiful lemon grove garden, and sample the fresh limoncello. Visit the Foreigner’s Club, if we like, for a drink. Stay up as late as we can to help with the jet lag, and plan to rise early…to ensure sleep the following nights.
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Food Specialties of Sorrento: Local specialties include seafood, almond cakes, smoked cheeses, and limoncello, a sweet-sour liquor fermented from the lemons that grow in the area. Neopolitan-style pizza, too!
DAY TWO (FRI 6/27): SORRENTO (day trip to Capri)
Morning
Rise early—as our bodies adjust to the time difference—and take a pre-breakfast walk. See the sunrise? After breakfast at the hotel, take the early jet boat to Capri (buy the tickets at 8:00 AM for the 8:25 AM departure. Will arrive at Capri by 9:00 AM. The cost for this fastest boat is e12 each, but worth it to avoid the crowds on the island (expect our boat to be jammed). Buy a one-way ticket, to ensure flexibility for our return to Sorrento. Be sure the weather isn’t stormy…boats won’t run, then. Also check a few return boat times from Capri for tonight.
ARRIVAL ON CAPRI
Upon arrival on Capri, we’ll go directly to the Blue Grotto (a guided rowboat ride into a scenic cave where the sun reflects brilliantly on the limestone bottom…with Italian singing, too). Catch the boat to the Blue Grotto at the dock upon which we land, Marina Grande. Before we buy our e9 ticket to the Blue Grotto, be sure to ask if it’s high-tide or stormy weather, since entrance to the Grotto will not then be possible. The Marina Grande area also has buses to anywhere, and the funicular to the town of Capri (Capri town fills the ridge high above the harbor).
Once at the Grotto dock, we’ll have to pay e4.5 each for the row boat ride, plus e4 for admission, plus e2 tip for boatman (about a total of e12 each for the experience, but worth it). The cost includes a fast boat ride around part of the island with scenic views, followed by the small rowboat ride into the cave. The cave opening is small and takes some doing for the boatman to enter on a low ebb in the water, but it’s not claustrophobic inside. Sometimes there’s a wait to enter, but the earlier we get there, the less likely this is.
After the Blue Grotto, we’ll catch the bus from Grotto to Anacapri (Capri’s 2nd city) to ride the chairlift to Monte Solare, a 1900-foot peak with stunning views of the Bay of Napoli. The ride to the top on the lift will take just 15 minutes, but we’ll want about a half-hour on top for pictures and to enjoy the views. See p. 706 in Steves for a description of the various sites we’re enjoying from above (e5 each, one way, to top). After enjoying the amazing views, we’ll hike down, rather than take the lift: it’s a pleasant 40-minute downhill hike past lush vegetation and a 14th Century chapel back into Anacapri.
Afternoon
We can enjoy lunch at Bar Columbus, in the same building as the chairlift (where we began our ascent of Monte Solaro). Upstairs is a peaceful place for lunch without any tour groups; downstairs is a crowded bar. Good antipasti dishes upstairs. Via Caposcuro 8. Stroll out to the base of the chairlift to Villa San Michele for the view.
Then we’ll catch the bus (e1.3 each) to Capri town. To do so, walk 10 minutes to the Caprile bus stop, the stop just before the Anacapri stop, to ensure seats for us, since once the bus hits Anacapri, it will be packed (ask someone how to get to the bus stop, Sa Dove’ Caprile, per favore?). 4 buses an hour run from Anacapri to Capri. When ready to return to Sorrento tonight, ride the funicular down from Capri town to Marina Grande to catch the boat back to Sorrento.
Capri is a cute but touristy town: Piazza Umberto is the main square. The TI can be found in a closet under the bell tower. To the left of city hall (Municipio), a lane leads to the medieval part of town with plenty of places for food and/or a drink. The lane to the left of the many-domed church is called “Rodeo Drive” because it’s the fashionable shopping strip. Walk down “Rodeo Drive” to Quisisana Hotel, for great views, take the street on the right of the hotel that leads downhill. At the T in the road, go left to see the 14th Century Certosa Monastery, or right to the lovely public garden…or both! Shop, browse, people watch, walk. If we’re really into walking, we could add a 45-minute hike out of town to see Villa Jovis, e2, open until an hour before sunset).
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Food Specialties of Capri: Local specialties include creamy white local mozzarella served with sweet red tomatoes, yellow olive oil, and green basil in Insalata Caprese. The antipasto, Alla Caprese, is now popular worldwide, and the Ravioli Caprese (hand-stuffed with local cheeses) is a treat. Also consider the Spaghetti alla Chiummenzana, with cherry tomatoes, oregano, basil, and other herbs found on the island. A great seafood dish is Risotto con Limone e Gamberetti (shrimp and lemon). A popular local dessert is Torta Caprese, a chocolate almond cake also known as the Tora di Mandorle.
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Tonight
Either have dinner on Capri, or return to Sorrento for dinner (be certain about the time of the last boat back to Sorrento). Upon return to Sorrento, have a siesta at the hotel, and then consider the Friday night passeggiata or a “Tarantella” show at 9:00 PM. OR go to the Foreigners’ Club at 9:00 PM for live Neapolitan music and Sinatra classics (off Piazza Tasso, go right at the end of the square, head down Via L. de Maio through Piazza Sant’Antonino and continue 30 yards downhill to the Foreigners’ Club mansion at #35. If we choose the Foreigners’ Club for some nightlife tonight, we should dine at Sant’Antonino’s which is on the way off Piazza Sant’Antonino, on Santa Maria delle Grazie 6; good food, good cost.
DAY THREE (SAT 6/28): SORRENTO (day trip to Positano, Amalfi, Ravelo & Paestum)
Morning
Rise early today to be picked up at about 8:00 AM by our driver for the Amalfi Coast & Paestum, Carmello Monetti (or his son Raffaele or his brother-in-law Tony): http://www.monettitaxi17.it/; monettitaxi17@libero.it; Carmello’s mobile is 338-946-2860; Raffaele’s mobile is 335-602-9158. We will take the ten-hour tour, returning to our hotel by about 6:00 PM tonight. The cost of this, payable in cash, is e300 total. CONFIRMED with Susanna (see email below). Pack a few books to read for the day, too.
On the drive down the coast, be sure to check p. 713 in Steves to follow our route and identify what we’re looking at (nice map to trace our route, too, on p. 714).
We’ll start with Positano, where can spend time exploring the town, and then make our way to the beach to relax and read and get some sun (about 3 hours, total?). Positano’s pebbly and sandy beach, called Spiaggia Grande, will cost us about e15 each to access the shore, sunbeds and umbrellas included in the cost. The WC is behind the waterfront Bucca di Baco bar.
Early Afternoon
Consider lunch in Positano along the beach at Cambuso, recommended by Steves. OR if we’d prefer to eat picnic-style at the beach, Vini e Panini, a small grocery, is located just a block from the beach a few steps above the TI and just off the church steps. One of us can run and pickup lunch to enjoy while sunning. We can likely spend about 3 hours here in Positano chilling before calling/meeting our driver for the ride to Amalfi & Ravelo.
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Food Specialties of the Amalfi Coast: a seafood paradise, including grilled, fried or prepared seafood in zuppa di pesce (fish stew). Also, zuppa di cozze (mussel soup) and pasta con cozze e vongole (pasta with mussels and small clams). Other fish dishes include fresh pezzogna, sarago, orata and spigola. Totani e Patate is a unique casserole of potatoes and a member of the calamari family. Other regional specialties (mostly without fish!) include: Fior di latte (mozzarella-like fresh cheese made from cowmilk from nearby mountains); provola (smoked Fior di latte, enjoyed on its own or on pizza); caciotta (fresh cheeses served plain or stuffed with basil or rocket leaves, or wrapped in lemon leaves and grilled); eggplant is a staple of local cuisine (eggplant patties and involtini, fried slices of eggplant with cheese and basil leaves—delicious). Zucchini is also very popular. Scialatielli is a local pasta made of short strips made of just flour and water, served with seafood or sauces. Popular local desserts include Delizia al Limone (lemon delight), Torta Caprese, and baba soaked in limoncello.
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Once in Amalfi, venture into the town: its Medieval shell is now filled with trendy shops, a main square with a spring-water spewing statue of St. Andrew, and a cathedral (worth seeing; built around 1000-1300; e2.50 each). See p. 722 in Steves for details on the cathedral (St. Andrew’s remains are here). The further from the water you get, the more local and the less tourist-trap the town becomes (about 7,000 local residents). The paper museum is a 10-minute walk up Via Lorenzo d’Amalfi, the main drag. The ruined castle on the rocky ridge above the town is Torre dello Ziro, a great lookout point if you want to hike and you’re not afraid of heights. We can also consider a hike to the next town, Atrani, just a 15-minute stroll beyond Amalfi, and charming real-Italian, with none of the tourist glitz. Our driver could collect us there in Atrani, if we like.
Ravelo sits on a lofty perch 1,000 feet above the sea, and has a duomo with remarkably engraved bronze doors (and, behind the altar, a vial of Christ’s blood), as well as two villas with amazing sea views (skip the entry fee; the view is best from the garden). Of the two villas, Villa Cimbrone (e5) is most worth the cost, with a stunning “Terrace of Infinity.”
Then, mid to late afternoon, call/meet our driver for the ride to the Ancient Greek ruins at Paestum.
Paestum: explore the museum and site (about e7 each for a combo ticket) in about two hours: the best collection of Ancient Greek temples, anywhere, and the only well-preserved Greek ruins north of Sicily (see Steves ps. 726-29 for description and map of the site). Skip the audio guide rentals (dull); not much English info available here, but SEE the Temples of Neptune, Hera and Ceres-- are amazing, dating from 450-550 BC. Original Doric architecture.
Afterward, drive back to our hotel for an early evening siesta (arrive back by 6 PM, per our agreement with the company), and bid our kind driver, Addio.
Tonight (includes a quick laundry drop-off)
Before taking the customary passeggiata, we’ll drop off our laundry at the lavanderia located at Corso Italia 30 (our hotel is Corso Italia 67); enter through the alley. Costs e13 cash for 11 pounds, full service; closes at 8:00 PM, so drop off immediately upon our return to the hotel, before our siesta. We want to collect our clean clothes by 8 PM tonight, since we have an early morning departure.
Then consider dinner at one of Steves’ downtown splurge restaurants for our last night, such as Ristorante il Buco, once the cellar of an old monastery, now a small, dressy, candlelit restaurant serving sophisticated dishes under a grand, rustic arch (and you can watch the chefs preparing your food via plasma television!). Opens at 7 on Sat. e16 pastas, e22 secondi. Located just off Piazza Sant’Antonino; facing the basilica, go under the grand arch on the left and immediately enter the restaurant at Il Rampa Marino Piccola 5. Reservations necessary to sit under the elegant vault (this is a dine inside place; the outside dining here is nothing to write home about): 081-878-2354. After dinner we could visit The English Inn which offers fun music (Sorrento is a popular vacation destination for the English). Open 24 hours. Corso Italia 53.
DAY FOUR (SUN 6/29): SORRENTO TO POMPEII TO FIRENZE
Morning/Early Afternoon
Rise early, breakfast, checkout, and take the 7:55 AM Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompeii (arrive at Pompeii at 8:25 AM; the site opens at 8:30 AM). GET OFF AT THE POMPEII SCAVI/VILLA DEL MISTERI stop on the Naples-Sorrento line; otherwise we’ll end up in the modern town of Pompeii. See p. 673 in Steves for list of train stops. We’ll return to the station for the 11:37 AM train on to Napoli (arriving Napoli 12:14 PM).
Check our bags at the Pompeii Scavi train station (do so at the bar, e1.50 per bag, or if the bar is closed, we can check our bags at the Pompeii site). Exit the train station, turn right, and walk down the road about a block to the entrance, the first left-turn we’ll come across We’ll spend about 2.5 hours exploring Pompeii (e10 each). A good map and info booklet are included with admission (pick them up at the TI window next to the WC). Stop by the bookshop, too. The small e11 book Pompeii and Herculaneum “Past & Present” is well worth it. Guides are expensive for a two-hour tour, e115, but if you gather a group of 10 this can be reasonable. Guides cluster around the ticket booth, similar to the Vatican.
Once we’ve completed our tour and bookshop visit, return to the station via the route we walked in on for the 11:37 AM train to Napoli Centrale (arriving 12:14 PM) where we’ll purchase two first-class tickets to Firenze on the 1:48 PM train (train no. 9444, direct from Napoli to Firenze) arriving at Santa Maria Novella stazzione at 5:06 PM (e165.40 total for two tickets; a 3 hour and 18 minute ride). We can have lunch at Napoli Centrale (bar) after we buy our tickets. Be on guard with our belongings and money at this station, and on the trains.
Arrival in Florence
Arrive at Santa Maria Novella stazzione at 5:06 PM and take a taxi from the station to our hotel (Pensione Alessandra, per favore) at Borgo S.S. Apostole 17, near the Arno and Ponte Vecchio: Hotel Pensione Alessandra (CONFIRMED), double with bath, air and breakfast e150 per night for three nights (e450 total, cash). Located on Secondo Piano (25 steps to the small elevator). Wi-Fi available for a charge. http://www.hotelalessandra.com/. Info@hotelalessandra.com (email Andrea to confirm).
Before we leave SMN for the hotel, though, use the automated machine or ticket window to purchase two 1st class tickets to Cortona for Tuesday, 1 July, 8:09 AM train, train no. 3153, arriving at Camucia at 9:30 AM; about e21 each AND two 1st class tickets to Monterosso for Wednesday, 2 July, 1:27 PM train, train no. 3127, about e40 total, with a change at Pisa Centrale to train no. 2052 departing at 2:41 PM.
After getting settled, take a walk to the river and cross Ponte Vecchio to Oltrarno. Consider dinner in Oltrarno at Golden View Open Bar, “a lively place…good for salad, pizza and pasta with a fine view of the Arno and Ponte Vecchio.” Reasonable prices and huge salads. 50 yards upstream from Ponte Vecchio at Via dei Bardi 58. They have three areas: a riverside pizza place, a classier restaurant, and a jazzy wine bar, from which to choose. Open until midnight. OR several good restaurants line Via di Santo Spirito and Borgo San Jacopo, a block off the river in Oltrarno.
Afterwards, explore Oltrarno on foot (see map p. 865): walk by the Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens, proceeding southwest on Via Romana to the Porta Romana, the 13th Century city gate on the road to Siena & Roma. Then head back into the heart of old Florence, from Piazza Signoria to Piazza Duomo. Consider gelato at Gelateria Carrozze, just 30 yards from Ponte Vecchio, on the riverfront, toward the Uffizi OR Gelateria dei Neri, 2 blocks east of Palazzo Vecchio at Via dei Neri 20/22 red—the crostata is recommended (strawberry pie flavored!).
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Food Specialties of Firenze: Gelato (invented in Firenze centuries ago)! See places to try, above. One delicious traditional Tuscan dish to look for on this trip: Bistecca Fiorentina, a charcoal grilled steak rubbed with crushed peppercorn and moisted with olive oil. Order al sangue (rare/bloody), al puntito (medium) or well done. Also, Florence is known for its bruschetta, minestra di fagioli (white bean and garlic soup), and ribolita (a hearty bean, bread and black cabbage stew). As for local desserts, cantuccini di prato (hard almond cookies made with many egg yolks dipped in Vin Santo, a rich dessert wine), along with the aforementioned gelato, are tops!
DAY FIVE (MON 6/30): FIRENZE
Morning & Afternoon
After breakfast at the hotel (note that tonight we have an 8:30 PM reservation for dinner at Trattoria Gobbi 13):
::By 9:15 AM meet at Via Sassetti 1 at the “Original & Best Walking Tours” office, located near Piazza della Repubblica, on the corner of Via Sassetti & Piazza Davanzati (almost a straight line north of our hotel, away from the river, only three or four blocks). We have already paid for the three-hour Original Florence Walking Tour that begins at 9:30 AM (e25 each). We have booked in advance online at http://www.italy.artviva.com/ (bring confirmation email with us). This tour includes famous sculptures, frescoes & paintings in the Duomo, Santa Trinita, and Orsanmichele. We also see the Baptistery, Bell Tower, Gates of Paradise, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Vasari’s Corridor, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Medieval towers, Ponte Vecchio, Renaissance palaces, famous shopping streets & other sights. A good overview, including some sights we’ve already seen, but now with important history and background information.
::After the tour concludes at about 12:30 PM, take a quick lunch at a Florentine bar, and do some browsing and shopping for a few hours (see San Lorenzo, northwest of Duomo, and Ponte Vecchio). Also, Dana may want to go into the La Rinascente department store in Piazza della Repubblica. WC on store’s 4th Floor.
::Then head east and visit the interior of Santa Croce church (e5, open until 5:30 PM on Mondays), where both Galileo and Michelangelo are entombed (see p. 846 in Steves). Santa Croce is located due east of Palazzo Vecchio, a few blocks north of the river (on our side of the river). Santa Croce is also a shopping area.
::After some browsing and shopping, visit the Duomo Museum (with Ghiberti’s original bronze doors to the Baptistry, a gruesome woodcarving by Donatello of Mary Magdeline, and a wooden model of Brunelleschi’s dome; one of the few Florentine museums open on Mondays): e6, open until 7:30 PM (later in the day will be less crowded; don’t go until about 5:30 PM).
::John may decided to climb Brunelleschi’s dome (open until 7 PM, e6; probably too claustrophobic for Dana). Enter from outside Santa Maria del Fiore on north side. Get there late (6:30 PM?) or when they open at 8:30 AM— or wait in long lines.
::Really explore Piazza Signoria in depth: the Palazzo Vecchio, the Logia (the covered porch once used a rostrum for rallies and speeches by Florentine citizens of the Republic, and later converted to an outdoor sculpture palace by the Medici), the sculptures within the exterior walls of the Uffizi, the fountain & Savanarola plaque near the fountain, the old Roman plan, and the café scene: this was once the political center of Florence.
Tonight
After a siesta at the hotel, walk to Trattoria 13 Gobbi, Via Del Pocellana 9 Red, for our 8:30 PM reservation (this is where we enjoyed dinner on Christmas Eve last year!). An amazing restaurant, with a great bar nearby (a block past, to the left), for hanging out afterward. Great birra AND wonderful homemade Bellinis.
Afterward, consider hiking up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a nighttime view of Firenze, and a gelato at the café on top of the hill (also walk along the river, just a little past the turnoff, to Piazza Poggi, named for the architect who developed Piazzale Michelangelo in the 19th Century. We could always take a taxi back to the hotel.
DAY SIX (TUES 7/1): A day trip to the hill town of Cortona
Morning through Evening
Early breakfast at the hotel, followed by a day-trip to Cortona, a beautiful Tuscan hill town immortalized by Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun. We’ll take the 8:09 AM train from Santa Maria Novella to Cortona-Camucia (train no. 3153, arriving Camucia 9:30 AM, 1 hour 21 minute ride, e21 for two first-class tickets), followed by a 20-minute bus ride up the hill to Cortona. The bus (2 per hour) costs e1 each; have a few e1 coins with us. Tickets can be bought at the newsstand or tobacchi shop. If the train station is deserted, just wait for the bus, and pay the driver. The bus will take us up to Piazza Garibaldi (we should arrive here just before 10 AM). Then it’s a five-minute level walk down the bustling shop-lined Via Nazionale to the main square and the heart of town, Piazza della Repubblica. We’ll return via the same route: walk to Piazza Garibaldi, take the bus down to the train station, and then board our 5:27 PM train (check bus departures upon arrival to ensure we board the bus early enough to catch our train). We’ll arrive back at Santa Maria Novella just before 7:00 PM (1 hr 24 min train ride). NOTE that we have a 9:00 PM dinner reservation at Trattoria Nella in Firenze, three blocks northwest of Ponte Vecchio, tonight.
Cortona began as one of the largest Etruscan settlements, the remains of which can be seen in the original walls and nearby tombs. In the 13th through 16th Centuries it grew to its present size as an ally of Florence. Became popular with Romantics on the Grand Tour of Europe as a rustic classic hill town. Cortona is also the hometown of three major artists: Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli, Baroque master Pietro da Cortona (Berretini), and 20th Century Futurist Gino Severini. The town is located just a mile from the region of Umbria, and affords stunning views of both Umbria and Tuscany from its 1,700-foot perch. Current population is 2,500.
Upon arrival in Piazza Garibaldi, see p. 509 in Steves for a walking tour of the town, and a fine map. Note that most streets in the town are steep.
In addition to shopping and dining and walking/relaxing, these are a few of the sights we want to make sure we see in Cortona:
::The Garibaldi statue in Piazza Garibaldi
::City Hall at Piazza della Repubblica
::The Casali Palace at Piazza Signorelli (we can skip the Etruscan Museum in its courtyard)
::Diocesan Museum, including Fra Angelico’s Annunciation and Signorelli’s Mourning of the Dead Christ (see p. 511 in Steves). Entry costs e5; open 10 AM-7 PM. Located at Piazza del Duomo 1.
::The Cortona Duomo and statue of Santa Margherita at Piazza del Duomo
::Steep uphill walk to two sights: 10 minutes up the path at San Niccolo Church to Santa Margherita Basilica (houses her remains) and then 5 minutes more uphill to Medici Fortenza, open 9AM-Noon and 3:00-7:00 PM, for absolutely stunning views.
For lunch in Cortona, consider either La Locanda nel Loggiato for a sit-down Tuscan meal overlooking Piazza della Repubblica (outside if available) OR sandwiches or snacks to eat on the city hall steps from the nearby grocery, Enoteca Molesini, also located at Piazza della Repubblica at No. 23. Here order sandwiches by number, listed on the board.
Tonight
Upon our return to Florence at 7:00 PM, we should return to the hotel to relax for about 90 minutes and freshen up before we make our 9:00 PM dinner reservation at Trattoria Nella, Tuscan meals at e22, three blocks northwest of Ponte Vecchio, Via delle Terme 19 red. After dinner, walk back to the hotel. We leave bella (and molto caldo?) Firenze for Cinque Terra tomorrow about 12:30 PM.
DAY SEVEN (WED, 7/2): FIRENZE TO MONTEROSSO (CINQUE TERRA)
Morning in Florence: 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
Breakfast at the hotel and checkout by 8:00 AM, leaving our bags with the front desk. Then walk or taxi to the Pitti Palace (we want to enter the Museo degli Argenti, Grand Ducal Treasures, for e8, each, which includes entrance to the Boboli & Bardini Gardens). Located several blocks southwest of Ponte Vecchio, in Oltrarno. We should plan to be there by 8:30 AM (they open at 8:15 AM). If there’s a line, we can bypass it by heading past the line to the reservation window to the right of the façade (can also bypass the metal detector) for e3 fee, each. See p. 847 in Steves for walking directions from the Boboli Gardens to the Bardini Gardens.
At about 11:00 AM, head back across the river, collect our bags at the hotel, and either walk or taxi to Piazza Santa Maria Novella, near the stazzione. We’ll have lunch here, at a bar, before visiting the Santa Maria Novella Perfumery and church (see p. 845 in Steves): the church has crucifixes by Giotto & Brunelleschi, and a masterpiece of perspective by Masaccio, The Holy Trinity.
Enter the train station no later than 12:45 PM to purchase tickets and board our 1:27 PM train to Monterosso al Mare.
Departure for Cinque Terra at 1:27 PM
Purchase two first-class tickets for the 1:27 PM train from Firenze to Monterosso (about e40 total, train no. 3127, 2 hr 59 min ride, includes a change in Pisa). Arrive at Pisa Centrale at 2:31 PM, and change to train no. 2052 departing Pisa at 2:41, a quick 10-minute change. We’ll arrive in Monterosso at 4:26 PM. No change in La Spezia with the 1:27 PM train.
Arrival in Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso al Mare is the last of the five towns in Cinque Terra, and the most like a resort, with plenty of beach space for rent, crowds, and a thriving night scene. This town will serve as our home base for the exploration of Cinque Terre today and tomorrow. Note: locals feel that Americans underestimate how dangerous the ocean can be here—be careful (especially me!).
Arrive in Monterosso at about 4:30 PM. Upon arrival, pickup a train schedule at the station to know which early morning train to take tomorrow to Riomaggiore. Also, be sure to purchase using the automated machine or ticket booth two 1st class tickets from Monterosso to Milano on Friday, 4 July, the 5:19 AM train, train no. 648, arriving at Milano Centrale at 8:20 AM; about e54 total for two tickets.
Then exit the station and go left. Our hotel is located in the old town/historical center, just 500 meters from the train station and 50 meters from the beach. Exit the train station (located in new town) and go left (on the only road, Via Fegina). Follow Via Fegina under the pedestrian tunnel connecting the new and old towns.
Proceed through tunnel into old town. Path goes left after tunnel. Stop at the home of our boat captain on the way to our hotel to confirm the time for our two hour sunset cruise later tonight (Angelo e Paula: their house is just through the tunnel, right in front of the beach; they’re expecting us to stop by to confirm time). After this, we’ll continue on, and pass through Piazza Garibaldi to Via Roma (the street our hotel is on), and head up Via Roma to Via Roma 37 (will be on our left-hand side: about 5-10 min from train station). Our hotel is Locanda il Maestrale (CONFIRMED with Giovanni e Stefania), a peaceful little inn with six small rooms. Sun terrace overlooks the old town and Via Roma. We’ve reserved a small double with private bath/shower, air and breakfast at a rate of e135 per night (TOTAL e270, cash). Info: http://www.monterossonet.com/, maestrale@monterossonet.com; phone is 0187-817-084. See map p. 909.
Tonight
Check-in hotel, and after getting settled, take the Steves self-guided walk through Monterosso (keep in mind that we need to meet at the port in the historical center of the city at about 7:50 PM for our two-hour sunset cruise with Angelo, a tenth generation fisherman from Monterosso; we’ll need e150 cash; see below).
Time and energy permitting, we can take Steves’ self-guided walk that starts at the dock in old town, not far from our hotel. From the dock, climb a few rough steps to the top of the breakwater, to begin with an orientation view. From the breakwater (sit as long as we like; bring a beverage?), walk to the old town square (just past the train tracks and beyond the beach) called Piazza Garibaldi. After checking out the Garibaldi statue and the square’s shops/sites, just under the bell tower (with our back to the sea, the bell tower will be on our left), is a set of covered arcades where old locals hang out. Then check out the black and white St. John the Baptist Church, made of Carrara marble. Leaving St. John’s, go left immediately to another church, Oratory of the Dead. Then return to the beach and find the brick steps leading up the hill-capping convent (starting between the train tracks and the pedestrian tunnel). Follow the orange brick road skyward to a convent church, a cemetery, and a ruined castle (along with a statue of St. Francis of Assisi and a wolf enjoying the view, like you). From here, backtrack 20 yards and continue upward again, to the gate and the Cappuchin church. After visiting the church, hike uphill to the cemetery that fills the remains of the ruined castle, at the summit. From here, any trail will lead us back into town. If it’s a nice day, we can rent two chairs and an umbrella for e15 and watch the sunset on the beach with a drink (the beach, the best in Cinque Terra, is just across from the train station). OR we can do this tomorrow night.
When we’re ready for dinner, consider Miky (all pastas cooked in a thin pizza crust! Opens for dinner at 7 PM; located 100 yards north of the train station in new town, Via Fegina 4) OR Ristorante Belvedere (in old town on the harbor). Afterwards, we could have a drink on the beach at Il Casello (see p. 913 Steves).
If we’re up for nightlife after the cruise, Fast Bar, on Via Roma (same street as our hotel) in the old town features plenty of younger travels and noisy drinkers until 2:00 AM. Or save until tomorrow night!
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Food Specialties of Cinque Terra: Seafood, especially anchovies, is the specialty of Cinque Terra. The anchovies are caught in an old-school manner, using special fishing lights to attract them called Lampara. The Tegame alla Vernazza is a typical main course, with anchovies, potatoes, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, and herbs. For Dana: an omnipresent pasta dish is Pansotti, a kind of ravioli with spinach and ricotta and served with walnut sauce. Another great pasta dish is spaghetti or trofie with pesto, that famous Ligurian basil sauce, native to this region. An old and simple dish is the Torta Pasqualina (cake): a puffy pastry cake made with borage or other vegetables, chards, artichokes or spinach with ricotta cheese and eggs.
DAY EIGHT (THURS 7/3): EXPLORE CINQUE TERRA
Morning
Slow milk run trains connect the five towns of Cinque Terra, each just a few minutes apart. They’re often late, so just relax and have a cappuccino. Know your stop, too. Be up and near the door as your station approaches (and you have to open the door yourself when the train stops). You may have to exit in a tunnel. Don’t worry.
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll follow this itinerary:
::Go to the train station and purchase the Cinque Terra Card (combines hiking passes on all trails, along with a map and train schedule; just e6 each for one day). No longer includes trains/buses, but they’re cheap, about e1 per ride.
::Take an early morning train (get there early to buy our Cinque Terra cards) from Monterosso to Riomaggiore (our direction is per La Spezia)
::Visit Riomaggiore (see p. 878 Steves): from the train station, check out the colorful murals (and then pass through the long tunnel that connects the station to the town); then ride the elevator to the top of the town (included with our Cinque Terra Card); see the dramatic sea and town views and the church; then walk Via Columbo, the town’s main drag.
::When done visiting Riomaggiore, return to the train station to pickup the hiking trail to the next town, Manarola (just a 20-minute hike; see p. 875 in Steves for the hiking trail from the train station). Enjoy lunch along the way? We’ll pass some tasty bars.
::Explore Manarola: a 30-minute circular walk will show us the town and the surrounding vineyards, ending at a fantastic viewpoint (see p. 885 in Steves).
::When done visiting Manarola, take the train from Manarola to Corniglia (direction is per Genova; get to the station in Manarola by 2:00 PM for the train leaving shortly after 2:10 PM).
::Upon arrival in Corniglia, take the shuttle bus up into the sleepy, small town (pop 240). OR if there is a wait for the bus (it’s usually timed with trains), climb the 400 stairs. Begin our tour near the bus stop (see p. 889 Steves). Get some gelato at Alberto & Cristina’s gelateria, the only one in town.
::After a brief visit, locate the hiking path to Vernazza (a rewarding 90 minute walk).The path from Corniglia comes into Vernazza just behind the World War monuments and plaque.
::In Vernazza, proceed uphill to the parking lot, bank and post office (see map p. 895). The self-guided stroll through town, from the top, down the main street to the scenic breakwater, begins here. Use p. 894 in Steves for a guide on our walk before dinner. Once at the breakwater, stop at a nearby bar for a drink “for the road” (Da porta via) and sit at the breakwater while getting our bearings in town by reviewing pages 897-99 in Steves, which describes what we’re looking at from the breakwater (the bars will let you bring your glasses out; just bring them back when done). We can also get some sun hanging out afterward at the harbor’s sandy cove (has sunning rocks) right by the breakwater. Watch the sunset? When we’re ready for dinner, consider a harborside place including Gambero Rosso, Piazza Marconi 7 or Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia—simpler, cheaper—Piazza Marconi 29. OR Trattoria da Sandro, on the main drag, just below the train station at Via Roma 62. All three gelato shops in town are very good.
::After dinner, take boat or a train from Vernazza back to Monterosso for our last night in Cinque Terre (check schedules when we arrive).
::Back at the hotel, grab our dirty laundry and bring to the lavanderia at Via Mazzini 4, just off Via Roma below L’Alta Marea Restaurant: e11 per load, but open until Midnight (will take two hours, per Steves).
::Then pack for the morning departure. John should shower the night before, to save time in the morning? We have to be up and out quite early (5:19 AM train).
DAY NINE (FRI 7/4): MONTEROSSO TO MILANO TO STRESA
(Our Independence Day in Italy!)
Early Morning
Rise at 4:00 AM today, checkout and leave the hotel by 4:40 AM for the train station (plan to make the train station before 5:00 AM) to purchase tickets for the 5:19 AM train from Monterosso to Milano (3 hrs, train no. 648, Meneghino, arriving at Milano Centrale at 8:20 AM, about e54 for two 1st class tickets). We can sleep some more on board the train, and our next destination (for two nights), Stresa, is a holiday resort with a slow pace and not much to do but rest and relax.
In Milano
At Milano Centrale at 8:20 AM, check our bags, and purchase two 1st class tickets from Milano to Stresa on today’s 2:25 PM train, train no. 124, about e23 total).
Then take the Metro (yellow line three, direction San Donato) to Piazza Duomo, arriving about 9:00 AM. Upon arrival at Piazza Duomo, consider eating at the bar on the 7th floor of the La Rinascente department store, alongside the Duomo (opens at 9:00 AM, with a great view of the top of the Duomo): enter the store through the side entrance (on the Vittorio Emanuele side), to access a direct elevator to the 6th floor, and then take the escalator up one floor to the 7th.
After breakfast, take the elevator to the roof of the neo-Gothic Duomo, the fourth largest church in Europe; also visit the interior (about e9 each for elevator access on either north or south side of church). See Metro map p. 233 in Steves.
After touring the Duomo roof and interior, stroll through Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle, browsing and shopping, and through some of the nearby streets (see the exterior of the world’s most famous opera house, as well: Teatro alla Scala).
Then by 11:50 AM hop on Tram no. 16 (catch it just off Piazza Duomo, on the corner of Via Mazzini and Via Dogana; line 24 stopping at Corso Magenta-Santa Maria delle Grazie) OR use the metro (the red line stopping at Conciliazione or the green line stopping at Cadorna) for our 12:45 PM appointment to view Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (see p. 248 in Steves). The tram will let us off right in front of the church (Quanta costa, per favore? Have some e1 coins with us). We have a 12:45 PM reservation, and simply need to show our email confirmation (included in our papers: 2 full priced tickets for 12:45 PM, confirmation code REN 700661) to pickup our tickets 15 minutes before, at 12:30 PM. Each group of 25 is allowed 15 minutes to view this world-renowned fresco. We will be called into a holding room with a replica of the piece about 20 minutes before we’re allowed to enter the refectory. Steves says the audio guide is worth the e3, but start listening early, in the waiting room, because it’s long. For more on “The Last Supper,” see p. 248 in Steves.
After “The Last Supper,” we should walk to the Metro and return to Centrale by about 1:30 PM, collect our bags and purchase tickets for the 2:25 PM train to Stresa (train no. 124, Cisalpino Borromeo, a 1 hour 3 min ride, arriving in Stresa at 3:28 PM; about e23 for two first class tickets). If pressed for time or confused, we can always take a taxi back to Centrali Stazzione to ensure we make the 2:25 PM train.
Arrival in Stresa
Arrive in Stresa at 3:28 PM. At the station, ask for the free city map at the newsstand (marked Libri Gionarli Riviste). Also, while we’re here, purchase two 1st class tickets from Stresa to Venezia for Sunday, 6 July, 10:31 AM, train no. 121, about e80 total for two).
Then, to get downtown, exit right from the station and take the first left, on Viale Duchessa di Genova. This will take us straight down to the lake (the boat dock will be about four blocks to our right; the ticket office will have a schedule). Taxis charge a fixed rate of e7 for even the shortest of rides here. Why not walk? NOTE that for dinner tonight we have a 7:30 PM reservation at Osteria degli Amici, serving tasty risotto, pastas and pizza under a canopy of grapes and kiwi.
Our hotel, Hotel Moderno (CONFIRMED), is located on a pedestrian street a block from the main square, Piazza Cardona, at Via Cavour 33: from Piazza Matteotti, with our back to the lake, go right, up the small street. Db e110 per night, with air and breakfast, for two nights (TOTAL: e220, cash). Web info: http://www.hms.it/; moderno@hms.it. Check-in at hotel, freshen up and get settled, before grabbing a quick snack at a bar. Then explore the town on foot, get our bearings.
For dinner we have a 7:30 PM reservation for Osteria degli Amici, serving tasty risotto, pastas and pizza under a canopy of grapes and kiwi (deep in old town past Piazza Cordona at Via Bolongaro 33). After dinner, explore Piazza Cordona and take a walk along the water past the docks to the mountain cable car for the morning (see map p. 216).
DAY TEN (SAT 7/5): STRESA
Morning/Afternoon/Tonight
Sleep in today, wake up whenever we want, and breakfast at the hotel. Then walk to the Lido for the cable car ride 5,000 feet up to the top of Mount Mattarone (goes up in two stages, 20 minutes; e14 round trip each). Three cars up per hour beginning at 9:30 AM. Stunning views. At the top, a short hike will take us to a bird’s eye view of the neighboring Lago Orta. When we’re ready, take the cable car down, and head over to the docks for the boat to see Isola Bella (an island with a formal garden and the fanciest Baroque palace). Ride will run about e7, but takes only 10 minutes. The visit is a one-way tour, starting with the palace and ending with the garden, e10 each. There’s a WC at the entrance to the palace.
When we’re ready, we can return to the dock for the boat back to Stresa (two docks, one for boats traveling in each direction).
Upon our return to Stresa, we can enjoy lunch: consider La Rosa dei Venti, the locals’ favorite pizzeria, located on the main drag, just two blocks south of the boat dock we’ll be returning to at Corso Italia 50.
The rest of this day can be spent sunning, lounging, reading, hanging out or shopping. If we want to, we could take a five-minute boat ride to Lago Orta, for just e3 each one way, to see that town’s beautiful lakeside piazza. Might be nice for dinner? If we go, also see the Church of San Giulio and the Path of Silence (see p. 220 in Steves). We should check the schedule of return boats, first, if we go. One good dinner option might be Le Botte, featuring regional specialties in a casual atmosphere (Via Mazzini 6; open until 10:30 PM). Later tonight, when we return to the hotel, we have to pack for our ride to Venezia in the morning.
DAY ELEVEN (SUN 7/6): STRESA TO VENEZIA
Morning
After breakfast at the hotel, pack and checkout. Take the 10:31 AM train to Venezia (train #121 Cisalpino Monteverde, a 4 hr ride, direct, e80 total for two 1st class tickets). Arrives Venezia Santa Lucia at 2:30 PM.
Arrival in Venice
Arrive at Santa Lucia stazzione in Venezia at 2:30 PM (note that the Grand Canal will soon have a new, ultra-modern, fourth bridge, made of glass, steel, and stone, the Ponte Calatrava, which will connect the Santa Lucia train station with Piazzale Roma as early as this summer...if it's finished on time). Upon arrival, exit Santa Lucia, go to the ticket booth to the left, and purchase two 36-hour vaporetto passes (e21 each). In Italiano say, “Due biglietti trentasei ore.” To get to our hotel, we want vaporetto #2 (red), which replaced the old #82. The #1 (white) the slow boat, now stops at Rialto; consider for a night-time cruise on the canal for cheap, but not for getting to the hotel. The new #3 line (blue) is for locals, only, carrying special passes. Confirm the #2 vaporetto is “per San Marco” (the San Zaccaria stop is closed, now; we’ll probably exit at the San Marco-Vallaresso stop). Once standing in front of Basilica San Marco, facing it, go right along the Grand Canal, cross the pedestrian bridge, and take the first left down the narrow walkway (just as we did in December) for our hotel: Locanda al Leon, Campo St. Filippo e Giacomo 4270 (CONFIRMED); leon@hotelalleon.com; http://www.hotelalleon.com; phone is 39-041-2770393. We’ve reserved one double room with air, bathroom, and breakfast at the rate of e125 per night, for three nights (TOTAL e375, cash). NOTE that we have an 8:30 PM dinner reservation tonight near the Accademia at Enoteca e Trattoria la Bitta, located in Campo San Barnaba.
Afterward, consider the following (note that the Venice card is NOT worth the money, per Steves):
::Visit the Venice TI (tourist information) in the left-hand corner of Piazza San Marco.
::Museo de San Marco (and view from Basilica balcony; just inside the church lobby, go right, and then upstairs): e3.00 each; closes at 4:30 PM. This Museo has three main sights: an internal view of the Basilica from above; a view of Piazza San Marco from above; and a close-up view of the four bronze horses Venetians looted from Constantinople (ironically, a Christian city) during the 4th Crusade (and later taken to France by Napoleon, only to ultimately be brought back to Venice). If the line to San Marco is long. check a bag at the San Marco bag check 1 block to the left of the church, and we’ll get a pass that allows us to skip the line and go right in. Also note that shoulders and knees must be covered to enter (and no bags).
::Buy two tickets for domani (tomorrow) for the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) at the Correr Museum in San Marco (see Steves’ map; it’s right on the square, near the new offices). Will be e12 each. We want to be there at 9 AM tomorrow, just when it opens, before going to Murano. They may not sell them a day in advance, but it’s worth checking. If not, we can but them at the Palace when it opens at 9 AM.
::Explore San Marco and Rialto to see what those areas are like in lestate!
::There are a few bookstores near San Marco that might be worth a peek: Mondadori bookstore around the corner from the Royal Gardens, and the Studium bookstore right behind Basilica San Marco.
Tonight
We have an 8:30 PM dinner reservation tonight at Enoteca e Trattoria la Bitta, with a small menu focused on quality, with e9 pastas, e15 secondi. Cash only. Located next to Quattro Feri on Calle Lunga San Barnaba 2753 (from the Accademia, head NW following the curve of the Grand Canal. In 5 minutes you’ll spill out into Campo San Barnaba).
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Food Specialties of Venezia: Given that Venice is The Bride of the Sea, the main specialty is seafood, including fish risotto. Venetian seasonings such as olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley and herbs are quite simple. John should try baccala mantecato, which is softened dried cod cooked in olive oil, parsley and garlic, then creamed in a blender. Cichetti (Venetian for “have some fun”) are small appetizers that can provide a light meal. As for pastries, try Baicol (a thin oval biscuit) or bussola (ring-shaped and cinnamon flavored) or madolato (a cross between nougat and toffee, made with almonds). The drink? Dana’s Bellini!
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After dinner take a long walk exploring the area around our dinner choice, and head back to the hotel (or grab a nightcap). The Café Florian (on the right, as we face San Marco) has been a popular rendezvous spot since 1720, with an orchestra. Expect to pay for drinks or cappuccino including cover charge (about e15 each), but it’s okay to sit for an hour or two, since you’re paying the cover, too. Outside is nice, but check out the rich interior, too. Casanova, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, and Woody Allen, among countless others, have hung out at Café Florian. This was one of the first places in all of Europe to serve coffee. Another café to try on Piazza San Marco (if Florian is hopelessly packed) is the Café Quadri, exactly opposite Florian (Wagner, Dumas, and others have gathered here). For all the ambience of St. Mark's Square at a reasonable price, Caffè Aurora, in the shadow of the Campanile, is near all the action but has no band of its own. You can freeload on music from other cafés while paying a much more affordable price for your spritz con Compari. The more expensive of the cafes here will cost about e15 each for one drink and coverage charge, but worth it.
DAY TWELVE (MON 7/7): VENEZIA
Morning & Afternoon
Early breakfast at hotel, and then tour Palazzo Ducale at 9:00 AM, the minute it opens (including walk over Bridge of Sighs & museum, e12 each), before walking over to the vaporreto stop for the ride to Murano. Then take the #41 vaporetto to Murano (use our 36 hour passes). At Murano, see a glass blowing demonstration, walk and shop. NOTE that we have a 7:00 PM dinner reservation for tonight at Trattoria da Giorgio ai Greci with canalside seating, located a few blocks behind St. Mark’s (2 canals east of St. Mark’s on Ponte dei Greci 4988), followed by a 9:00 PM concert (tickets already paid for).
Afterward, board another vaporetto at the Murano dock to Burano, the island famous for lace; then explore that town and enjoy lunch there, in Burano (note that the lace museum there will be closed this summer for renovation). Afterward, we can choose to see the cemetery island of San Michele (Ezra Pound is buried there), or head back to Venice. We could also, if we prefer, save Burano for Tuesday.
If we eat lunch in Venice itself, consider: Trattoria Pizzeria Nono Risorto, recommended for the best pizza in town. Unpretentious, inexpensive, youthful. Huge salads, good pasta, $10.00 pizzas. Open Saturdays Noon-4:30 PM. To get there, find Campo San Cassiano and its just over the bridge on Sotoportego de Siora Bettina. OR Accademia Foscarini, next to Accademia bridge, with e8 pizzas in a canalside setting. Steves’ recommends it. We could always dine here on Tuesday.
Tonight
We’ll dine tonight in San Marco at 7:00 PM to make our 9:00 PM concert in the Palazzo delle Prigioni, nearby: we have a 7:00 PM reservation at Trattoria da Giorgio ai Greci with canalside seating, located a few blocks behind St. Mark’s (2 canals east of St. Mark’s on Ponte dei Greci 4988); e17-21 tourist menus, but worth the tourist scene for the ambience); Giorgio and sons Roberto and David serve home-made pasta and fresh seafood here.
After dinner, we have already purchased tickets (CONFIRMED AND PAID) for a Baroque concert tonight at 9:00 PM featuring music by the Venetian composer, Antonio Vivaldi (of The Four Seasons fame). The concert will be held in the Palazzo delle Prigioni (Prisons' Palace), linked to Palazzo Ducale through the Bridge of Sighs. The building is by the architect Antonio da Ponte, who in 1589 continued the building started by Giovanni Antonio Rusconi in 1563. The concert is being performed by The Orchestra Collegium Ducale, talented musicians from throughout Veneto.
DAY THIRTEEN (TUE 7/8): VENEZIA
Morning & Afternoon
After breakfast at the hotel, take the vaporetto to the San Toma stop (or walk from St. Mark’s and take the traghetto ferry across the Grand Canal to San Toma, if we’d prefer to walk). Once at the San Toma stop, our destination this morning, the Chiesa dei Frari in the San Polo district, will be a ten-minute walk. This church has Donatello’s woodcarving of John the Baptist, Bellini’s Madonna & Child with Saints & Angels, and Titian’s The Assumption of Mary): e2.50. Opens at 10:00 AM. Afterward, take the vaporetto (or traghetto) to Rialto, and explore that wonderful shopping and market area, enjoying lunch at a Venetian bar.
After lunch, shop and walk, and then take the vaporetto to the lagoon to visit San Giorgio Maggiori, to take the elevator to the top of the campanile for a tremendous view of Venezia across the lagoon (e3, open 2:30-6:00 PM; last entry at 5:30 PM). The church is free to visit, and seldom has long lines (unlike the campanile in Piazza San Marco). When tired, grab a good book and find a quiet place to chill with a cold drink!
Tonight
Our last night in Venice. Wide-open time to enjoy dinner, walk, see any sights we missed, and pack for tomorrow’s return flight home to Chicago—with a very early morning departure (4:15 AM rising for our 8:00 AM flight from Marco Polo to Madrid, and then from Madrid to Chicago).
Before or after dinner tonight, we could enjoy a drink at Harry’s Bar, where Hemingway hung out. Pricey and touristy, but part of the ‘circuit’ and worth a one-time splurge. Located near the San Marco-Vallaresso stop. Can easily walk from our hotel. Now giving 20% discounts to Americans due to the current economic downturn and the falling value of the American dollar. Still, a full meal here for two would run $400.00! Visit for a drink, only, and to people watch.
For dinner, consider one of these recommended options: Pasticcera al Portego, east of the Rialto Bridge near Campo San Bartolomeo (a local style bar with a fine dinner menu; Calle Malvasia 6015, Castello) OR, near San Marco, Antica Sacrestia, a local institution (Calle della Sacrestia 4442, 2 blocks behind St. Marks) OR near the Accademia Bridge at Ai Gondolieri, Dorsoduro 366 San Vio, near the bridge and behind the Guggenheim, on the east side of Rio delle Torreselle. Reservations smart: 041-528-6396. Expensive (e17 pastas, e25 secondi, e5 pane e coperto), but considered one of the best restaurants in Venice, specializing in meat.
After dinner, if we want to see Venezia from the Canale Grande one last time before departing, we can take the slow boat (vaporetto) down the Grand Canal, hopping off whenever we like, when something catches our eye. Highly recommended as a great way to see ALL of Venice, even hidden canals and corners. Takes about three hours total. Vaporetto number is #1 OR we could take a walk and include a traghetto ride—a gondola from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, a taxi service, for just e1 each—like the locals do, sometime in our walking this evening, to get at least the feel of a gondola.
VERY EARLY WED MORNING, 7/9
Rise at 4:15 AM, shower and checkout of our hotel. Then meet our private water taxi at 5:15 AM (already reserved online) at the San Marco Todaro pier, located just to the right of Piazzetta San Marco (to the right of pillars), on the Grand Canal), for the ride to Marco Polo Airport. Total cost is e110, cash only. Cell phone is 328-215-3249. Email is info@motoscafivenezia.it. See map among our papers, if questions about the pier’s location.
RETURN FLIGHT HOME (WED 7/9): VENEZIA TO MADRID TO CHICAGO
Upon arrival at Marco Polo at 6:00 AM, check in and board our 7:45 AM Iberian Airlines Flight 3627 to Madrid, SPAIN (flight time is 2 hrs, 25 minutes, arriving in Madrid at 10:10 AM, with a 1 hr 55 min layover). In Madrid, proceed to Terminal 4S, check-in, and board our 12:05 PM Iberian Air Flight 6275 bound for Chicago O’Hare (flight time is 9 hrs, 15 minutes; our seats are 42J & 42L). We arrive in Chicago at 2:20 PM.
::IMPORTANT NOTES::
* Don’t forget to validate train tickets at machines before boarding trains, or pay a huge fine
* To check train schedules via Internet, visit http://bahn.hafas.de/bin/query.exe/en
* Ask our hotel midway through trip what the cost would be to have them do a load of laundry for us.
* A new anti-terrorism law requires international travelers to show their passports before using the Internet at hotels or cafés. Even if not enforced consistently, have it handy, just in case.
* Do not worry about registering with police in Italy: your hotel will borrow your passport to do it for you upon arrival. No problem.
* Tip 5-10 percent at restaurants if there’s table service and if a service charge is not included on the bill. No need to tip at a bar without table service. For taxis, round up a Euro.
* Calculate 24-hour time easily by subtracting 12 and adding PM to the time (so that 17:00 is 17-12 = 5 PM).
* Commas and decimals are used in the opposite way on the continent (but not in Britain): e1,25 is one euro and 25 cents
* Calculate metric distance by cutting kilometers in half and adding 10% of the original (so that 100 km is 100/2 = 50 + 10 = 60 miles)
* Calculate temperature easily by doubling the Celsius temperature and adding 30 (will get you a temperature within just a few degrees, so that 21 C is 21x2 = 42 + 30 = 72 degrees F)
* To call the US using an international phone card we purchase in Europe: call the number on the card, and enter your PIN when prompted; then enter 001-area code-seven digit US number.
* When in need of a water closet consider upper floors of department stores, book stores, bars or restaurants. No need to buy anything, especially at restaurants with outdoor seating: they have no idea inside that you’re not a guest outside.
::EST TOTAL COSTS AS OF 10 JUNE 2008::
(based on 1.54.5 dollar to euro)
$7,858.00, excluding airfare
$10,428.00 US total, including air
-Airfare: $2,570.00 US on Iberian Air (Chicago to Madrid to Naples; Venice to Madrid to Chicago) BOOKED & PAID
-Lodging: (13 nights: 3 Sorrento; 3 Firenze; 2 Monterosso; 2 Stresa; 3 Venezia): (e1660 CONFIRMED, but confirm again email two weeks prior): $2,565.00
-Transportation (car hires, trains, vapparetto, buses, taxis): (e650) apprx $1,005.00
-Tours (Amalfi Coast, Florence, Monterosso): (e500): $773.00
-Per Diem (meals, admission fees, etc.; not including lodging): e175.00 x 13 = (e2275) appx $3,515.00
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