My daughter and I are traveling in Italy, so I thought I would do a couple of reports while things are fresh on my mind. Many of you have been so helpful to me in my planning, so maybe my thoughts and accounts will help someone else. I hope so!
We started by flying into Rome to travel immediately to Florence by train. Because of this forum, we knew about the 11:08 am train that went directly to Florence. We arrived at 9:25am, and everything went smooth as silk. We had time to spare to make the direct train.
We ate at 4 Leoni across the Arno, which was good. However, La Giostra was excellent! It was recommended that I order the osso buco, which I did and it was fabulous! Our meal at this restaurant was one for the books. I highly recommend it.
We did a day trip to Cinque Terre with a tour company. It was a 13 hour day including vans, boats and trains, but I would do it again. It was a bucket list item for me, and we had beautiful weather. People talk about the crowds. There were many people there, but they honestly did not detract from my experience.
Next day was a cooking class which was SO MUCH FUN! We walked to the market as a group where we sampled bread and cheeses. Then we drove a short distance to a farmhouse just a few minutes from Florence. We made bruschetta, roasted pork and potatoes, pasta (each person made their own serving!), and tiramisu. The chef spoke no English, but she was fun. Of course, there was also lots of wine. The food was great, and the whole experience was really enjoyable. I'm not sure if I can put links here, but the company was Walkabout Florence.
Several people gave me advice about leather shopping, so we made our way to the School of Leather. It is directly behind Santa Croce in a monastery. The sales clerk was absolutely lovely, and he and I tried to speak in Italian. He was a gem. I picked a gorgeous winter white, thigh length jacket with beautiful trim at the collar and the cuffs. This coat is significantly more expensive than you will find in some of the stalls in the market, but it is just spectacular. Even if you don't buy anything, visiting the school is a worthwhile stop.
We also had timed tickets to the Uffizi Gallery. We got there at 8:15am and walked right in. We got to see everything we wanted without pushing our way through 100 people. This plan is SMART for art lovers. Get up early, and the Uffizi is a whole different experience. We also had timed tickets for the Accademia at 3pm. This was also easy. Planning works!
Then we were off to Perugia for the Umbria Jazz Festival. The first night we got here, we had tickets to George Benson. He was great, performing in the open air arena. It was supposed to rain, but we were spared. The intense heat has subsided here by the way. It is warm when sunny, but the nights are rather pleasant. I am finding that fewer people speak English here. I know a little Italian, but today I had to act out brushing my teeth and rinsing to get some mouthwash :)
Yesterday we went to Assisi. There is a bus that goes, but we got lazy and took a taxi for 50 euros. We toured the basilica, and the highlight was a spa day at Nun Relais Spa and Museum. The spa is fancy and luxurious, and I made appointments through email before we left home, They have a series of hot and cold rooms, and a hot pool that is full of surprises. There are silver buttons which start different jets, but one is a water cannon, so watch out! They reserved us a nice lunch, and then we had massages. There was a lot of nakedness, but when in Rome...
So today we finally have a down day. We are resting and listening to jazz. Tomorrow is our last day in Perugia, then we're off to Verona and finishing up in Rome. To be continued...