Adriatic Coast

We spent almost 3 weeks in this area in October and it was wonderful. There is so much to see that it really depends on your interests. Here are some of our favorite stops: Senigallia maybe an hour from Bologna, right on the coast. Beautiful town with amazing golden sand beach. Great food, ranging from fresh pasta with seafood for 10 euros to 200 euro+ feasts at two Michelin-starred restaurants. Trani down the coast, near Bari. Picturesque little harbor town. Great restaurants. Matera inland from Bari, this is a must-see ancient town with cave settlements (we found a luxurious cave hotel with an underground spa) near Matera, on the way back to Bari you'll find lots of Masserias (the Puglian version of agriturismos). We found a great one with a swimming pool and wonderful views of the Adriatic. We did not see another American that whole trip til we got to the masseria. This area is definitely off the beaten path. So beautiful. If you have time, a night at a masseria would be fun for some R&R. And there are many other places that we didn't see: the Gargano peninsula (if you like hiking and Amalfi-coast-like views); Urbino and Ascoli Pisceno (two great little cities). I would recommend googling these places and looking at the photos. You can't see it all in 4 or 5 days but even a little taste would be fun.

Another town near Urbino that might be interesting is Gubbio. On May 15 of each year is La Festa dei Ceri, a 700 year old festival honoring the town's 3 patron saints. I went a few years ago and really enjoyed it. A very non-touristy event. See www.ceri.it for more information about the festival.