First-time in Italy

OK, you just hit a nerve . . . a really great feeling nerve! Assisi is a real destination for you. The art, the peace (especially in the beautiful quiet evening hours), the friendly people (even the shop keepers), and slow cooking Umbrian food - and plenty of places to play your recorder! A few days is not too little there. My favorite hotel (for the past 13 years) is Hotel Sole which is right in between Chiesa Santa Chiara and the Piazza Commune. The train is the best, albeit slow, way to get there from Rome. Also slow is the train to Florence where you can get the Freccia line for a much faster trip to Padova and Venice with maybe a side trip to Verona. Sit along the river with your recorder in Verona!

While in Assisi ask the hotel to get you a taxi for a few hour trip up Mount Subasio to the Hermitage and over to Collepino then to Spello and back. Take your recorder with you!!!!

Robert what lovely descriptions! Thank you so much!

We really loved Orvieto, also in Umbria. We stayed at a lovely b and b with a view of the surrounding area and less than $ 100/night. I would return there in a minute. A quick train ride from Rome. Beautiful cathedral. PM me if you are interested in the name of the b and b.

I'm utterly charmed by the image of you playing your recorder in a park in Italy! I really loved Padova, although not so much at first glance - it snuck up on me. If you go, I hope you get to see the Scrovegni Chapel for the Giotto frescos. Advance reservations online required. Also, watch for graduation parties. Students can graduate from the University of Padova at any time, and receive very elaborate public ribbing from their friends. There's a rude song involved, starts 'Dottore...'.

Ok...adding Orvieto to my research. This is quite helpful. Thank you all very much!!

I was less than charmed by Padua. I thought it had a "city" feel, rather than the quiet charm of most town centers. Unless you are really interested in seeing Giotto's frescoes there, you can skip it. Take into account the very limited amount of time you'll actually have with the frescoes and the amount of time you'll use to see them. There Giotto frescoes in the Basilica in Assisi. Ferrara is pretty low key. While the center is open to traffic, there are very few cars, everyone uses bikes.

I liked both Ferrara and Padova, as well as Ravenna. All three have the advantage of being much less visited than places like Venice and Florence. For artistic delights, the mosaics in Ravenna and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova rank high.

Only a bit off the most direct path between Rome and Padova, there are Modena and Parma, which are very nice (particularly Parma). Bologna is both a big city and one I didn't like, so I personally wouldn't recommend it for you, although others do love it, and it does make a convenient base for daytrips to Parma, Modena, Ferrara, and Ravenna.

After the tour you could spend a few more days in Rome, or go to Naples, Sorrento, and/or the Amalfi Coast. Then, fly from Rome or Naples to Frankfurt. I love just being in Rome and hanging out, but many do not. The Villa Borghese is a lovely park where you could hang out, if the urbanity of Rome becomes too much. However, since I see you will spending time in Rome both before and during your RS tour, you may want to see something different.

My first thought for after your trip was some time in Switzerland. But starting from Rome, it will take some time to get to Switzerland, and then some time from Switzerland to Frankfurt. With only a few days to play with, I think you'll lose too much time in transit to make a Switzerland visit worthwhile on this trip - alas.

OK. I must be pretty undiscriminating, because I very much liked all the places mentioned above, including Padua and Bolgna (except that I haven't been to Ferrara).

One thing to add about Ravenna, though it's probably covered in RS's book: The town itself is very pretty, so you have that to look forward to as well as the incredible mosaics. A bit off the main rail lines; perhaps that's why it isn't overrun with tourists. Doable as a day trip; I traveled there from Bologna. One of the mosaic sites is a bit out of town, but even it is accessible by public bus.

Other places I really enjoyed in Padova were the Prato della Valle, the Orto Botanico, and the markets around the Palazzo della Ragione. I think the first two, at least, could use a recorder player.
Edited to add that St. Anthony's Basilica is magnificent inside and out, and is open throughout the day to those wish to see the inside. Also edited to add that I'm a recorder player also, so I'm totally with you.

You are all...magnifico!

Such lovely recommendations. It is clear that I must travel again to Italy, AND with my husband.

I believe my plans are now to visit Assisi, Ravenna, and Padua (with a day trip to Verona) over the first 6.5 days of my April trip.

After my RS tour of Venice-Florence-Rome, I will board a train to Treviso. There I will decompress, and await my Ryanair flight (already booked long ago) to Frankfurt Hahn. I considered cancelling the Ryanair flight and flying from Rome direct to Germany but . . . . All the flights from Rome were expensive with interesting connections. I want to keep things simple at this point in my travels.

By the way...I am an Aspiring beginner recorder player of less than 6 months. This is one of the reasons I desire bucolic out of the way locales. I do not want to "scare the children" during my practice sessions!

Let's Keep Traveling!