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Category Archives: Italy travel
Winter in Tuscany: Visiting Montalcino and Tasting Brunello
If you like bold Italian red wine on the order of a pinot noir, you have probably tasted Brunello di Montalcino, made from the sangiovese grape. How the sangiovese grape can taste so different within such a small geographical area … Continue reading
Winter in Tuscany: Pienza
As you may recall, we went to Pienza with our daughter and her fiancé one Sunday last October. We didn’t see much of Pienza then because we arrived in mid-afternoon and many restaurants close after lunch on Sunday. We succeeded … Continue reading
Winter in Venice: Cicchetti and Other Good Eats
One of the most fun things we’ve done in Italy was a cicchetti tour in Venice. Venice is known for its cicchetti bars (bacari), which serve small snacks, like tapas, throughout the day. Venetians stop at bacari at all times … Continue reading
Winter in Venice: Sightseeing, Part 2
San Marco – immediately east of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge When he conquered Venice, Napolean called St. Mark’s Square “the finest drawing room in Europe,” and except when the acqua alta (high water) rages and silly people … Continue reading
Winter in Venice: Sightseeing, Part 1
Our second stop while we were traveling with Kate the first week of December was Venice, called, among other things, La Serenissima. Ahhhh, Venice—one of my favorite cities in the world! No cars—so quiet! We arrived around 2 p.m. and … Continue reading
Winter in Tuscany: A Cold, Rainy Tuesday in Florence
We all want perfect weather when we go on vacation, but what happens if it’s cold and rainy and you’re in a special place, like Florence, Italy? Follow this Michelangelo-heavy itinerary, and you’ll scarcely notice the rain (wear thermal socks and … Continue reading
Posted in Italy travel, Tuscany
Tagged Basilica di San Lorenzo, Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, Brunelleschi, David, Dawn and Evening, Day and Night, Duomo, Florence, Galleria dell'Accademia, La Giostra, Laurentian Library, Medici Chapels, Michelangelo, The Prisoners, Trattoria Antico Fattore
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Winter in Tuscany: Monday in Florence
Our daughter Kate came to Italy for vacation the first week of December. She flew to Rome and stayed a couple of days because she said that she couldn’t visit Italy without eating pizza at Dar Poeta (I don’t blame … Continue reading
Fall in Tuscany: Monteriggioni
On our way home from Tuscany in mid-October, we stopped at Monteriggioni, which from my very first glimpse became one of my favorite places in Tuscany. The receptionist at Borgo di Pietrafitta, where we stayed, lives in Monteriggioni and told us that it is … Continue reading
Fall in Tuscany: Certaldo
Michael’s colleague who told us about Pienza also suggested stopping in Certaldo, so after we dropped Al and Mitch at the train station in Florence, we meandered slowly southwest and stopped in Certaldo for lunch. Certaldo has two parts: the medieval walled … Continue reading
