Trip Report - Solo & Mother/Daughter in Northern Italy

What I brought:

• Cotopaxi Allpa 35L - started at 14 pounds packed. I packed a small umbrella because of the weather forecasts with the plan to give it to a hotel after the first week.
• ORI Kennington nylon crossbody purse

Clothes, including worn on the plane:
3 dresses (one for opera, classical concerts, nicer dinners), 1 thick legging, 2 shirts, 1 scarf. Columbia black rain jacket.

The weather was a bit surprising that I could wear my two lightweight dresses in the evenings. Usually I switch into pants or am wearing an added scarf at night.

Gelato:

L’Angolo del Gelato (Stresa) - an excellent beginning to the trip! Their black licorice was missing the tiny chunks of black licorice from 2022’s trip but still very good. I complimented the owner, and he proudly patted his adult son’s shoulder - the person who made it.

Riva Reno (Pavia) - a decent gelato in a friendly shop.

Grom (Torino) - I no longer recommend this chain. The quality has gone downhill. Stracciatella should be strands of drizzled chocolate stirred through - hence the name, but theirs is mini chocolate chips. The lemon/licorice wasn’t a good texture, either.

Gioelia (Asti)- still a very good chain. The Croccante was excellent two times!

Venchi (Bologna) - chosen more because it was handy to my hotel to walk over in the evening.

Bloom Gelato (Modena) - I went in the evening when they weren’t busy & asked the woman to choose two local flavors. They were both very good, and I stopped in afterwards and complimented her selection. Interestingly, a couple who were staying in Modena for a month said they prefer the Gioelia shop near it.

Suso (Venice) - my favorite! Their memorable Manet flavor is still perfect - two times!

Bergamo - home of stracciatella, and the shop I frequented has been replaced with a pastry shop. : ( We found a good one & saw some subpar ones nearby; forgot to note the name of it.

Milan - no gelato. Instead, we had a tiramisu at the Starbucks Roastery (she used to work in their Marketing). I also had another McFlurry with the Perugia chocolate. That probably removes all of my credibility, but yum! LOL!

Itinerary Changes:
Plan A for three nights in Stresa morphed into Plan B to go to Cremona that changed to Plan C to spend the first days in Florence! Whew, the heavy rain forecasts were keeping me busy during my last week before I left for the trip! Right before the trip, two days for Stresa settled down, and I was able to change it back to two nights of good weather in Stresa, staying in the least expensive room at the Regina Palace Hotel this time. I had walked through its first floor in 2022 - lovely & elegant! But one more hotel reservation tweak: I was watching a video of Italy I’ve had for years in my home on the last day to make free hotel cancellation changes - actually the last hour! In the video, I saw the helicopter view flying over Isola Bella - ahh! I immediately jumped up, ran to my iPad & changed my 2nd day at Stresa to spend the evening over at my favorite Boutique Elvezia hotel on tiny Isola Bella. I was so excited to be staying at that small hotel for the third time.

Flight Changes:. I needed to reschedule my Delta flights because I would have missed the connection through Minneapolis as Delta kept shortening my layover. My new flight was routed from Spokane to CDG to Milan. A 7-hr layover in CDG is boring but doable. Reality was worse. Seven boring hours, finally everyone standing in line to board the flight to Milan, and they announced that the flight was cancelled. Ugh! Instead of a night in Milan at Hotel Berna, I was standing in line at the Air France counter to reschedule & receive a hotel voucher. I was extremely grateful that I had just met a friend for coffee two weeks ago. She mentioned a voucher hotel at CDG that was so horrible that they left it! That story reminded me to pause & check reviews for this one. Yep, disgusting! Thankful I didn’t go there! Instead, I hopped onto Booking.com and chose a close hotel with great reviews. INNSiDE Hotel - yes, I really liked it & recommend it! That was $95 well spent. Air France routed me early morning from CDG to Zurich to reach Malpensa.

THE TRIP:

Beginning from Malpensa, I took the handy Alibus directly to Stresa. Priscilla told me about the Alibus years ago. They now have a bus instead of the previous minivans.

The Single Room at the Regina Palace Hotel nicely had a side view of Lake Maggoire and a beautiful Murano chandelier, reminding me of Venice. I left the light on a few mintues longer at night to enjoy the beauty & workmanship of it before falling asleep.

Because of the flight delay, my first evening in Italy I was attending a piano concert with the Stresa Music Festival. Conrad Tao performed Rachmaninov and inspired pieces of what he might have liked during his time in America. I enjoyed the concert but really struggled at times to keep my eyes open! Still I was glad I was able to attend it.

From some of the recent posts about weather apps on the forum, Elizabeth & I corresponded because she was going to be in Stresa the same weekend & also staying at the Regina Palace Hotel - a wonderful coincidence! How fun to be able to meet up with a person on our forum before the concert and also the next morning for breakfast!

My second day in Italy was out to Boutique Hotel Elvezia on tiny Isola Bella - my favorite way to end time at Stresa. I took the ferry over to the island, dropped off my bag, had lunch and enjoyed time in the Borromeo Villa & formal gardens. Last time I was in this garden, it was during a downpour, and I was absolutely soaked! Hence the reason I asked about the weather forecast this time. ; ) The flowers were gorgeous, and I lingered in areas since I had no need to rush. Pausing for a fresh fruit cup & water before finishing the last path rejuvenated me. The side double stairway I almost missed was lined on both sides with huge pots of white New Guinea impatiens - spectacular & my favorite spot this time of the entire massive garden because the amazing beauty of it, plus the flowers reminded me of my husband.

I sketched a picture of Isola Pescatori from a favorite spot on Isola Bella and returned to my hotel for dinner & relaxing time on my balcony afterwards. Being out on Isola Bella is my definition of tranquility. Seeing Isola Pescatori’s steeple illuminated in the distance with the outline of mountains behind it, the sounds of soft jazz & a few couples finishing dinner and the occasional last small boat going home all blend into a memory to treasure. I woke up as dawn approached and the water was so still that the buildings on Isola Pescatori were a mirror image in the water - beautiful! After a quick breakfast, I needed to catch the short ferry to the mainland and walk up to the train station. The rain was beginning while waiting for the ferry. A friendly couple from Australia were also waiting, so I started chatting with them. They had arranged a taxi to pick them up at the ferry dock & offered to give me a ride if there was room. A taxi van met them, so I stayed dry, thankfully. They even gave me their email to come visit! We had the substitute bus/train at Ancona route while they’re currently working on the route, but it all went smoothly.

Pavia
I chose Pavia after seeing there was a room available at the Arnaboldi Palace Hotel & it’s a university city. Arnaboldi Palace only has 6 rooms and a large ballroom they use for events and concerts.
It was so elegant with high ceilings, a concert grand piano, and an amazing chandelier- probably the largest I’ve seen. I asked permission to play the piano, and the room’s acoustics plus the view into the huge glass ceiling atrium of the building’s core was breathtaking - probably the prettiest venue I have ever played. I played a few memorized pieces of music both days. When I was checking out, the owner told me a couple complained that the concert was too short. He smiled as he had to explain that I was another guest, not their paid performer. ; )

My room was huge and nicely decorated in period furniture with a modern bathroom. I needed to leave early my last morning to walk to the train station, and they insisted on making breakfast early, so I wouldn’t miss it. Fresh raspberries, delicious buttery soft prosciutto, croissants, and a cappuccino- yum!

In Pavia I came with no agenda. I explored the city and went to Castello Viscomeo which contains an excellent museum that was surprisingly & wonderfully uncrowded. I went into the Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro where St. Augustine was moved. It’s quite a spectacular carved multi-level piece of beauty! I walked through the university to see the Torri Gentilizie di Piazza da Vinci, walked over the Ponte Coperto and went to Ciesa di San Teodoro. This city was full of university students - a fun vibe!

Torino was a repeat city. I was looking forward to returning to this city! I reserved a Bike Tour, a Food Tour, and a Lavazza Coffee Experience Museum ahead of time. My husband & I were in Torino 10 years ago and went through the Royal Palace, up to the Superga, and we participated in the huge MITO Music Festival with a finale of Piazza San Carlo filled with people receiving music books to sing Italian music in parts, plus “Yesterday” by The Beatles “for any tourists”. When we were there, Palazzo Madama was closed, so I wanted to go see it this time. It is worth seeing & not huge. Besides the displays, my favorite room had an intricately carved flowery wood ceiling & window panels.

I enjoyed an evening apertivo at Stratta’s outdoor tables on Piazza San Carlo & skipped dinner. As I was walking back to my hotel room, I got my rose. (heart). My husband’s final texts with me last year included, among other personal sweet things, some conversation we were having about how the pesky rose venders in piazzas in Rome don’t bother ladies traveling solo. (I was in Rome; he was in Idaho.) His last text was, “I’ll get you a (rose emoji).” So, I’m in Torino walking back to my hotel, and there was an older couple wrapping up the day of selling flowers at their street stall. They had some gorgeous bunches of roses that caught my eye. I noticed a few by themself - one soft pink one was so perfectly shaped! It hit me; get it for my husband (in memory) to give to me….and be generous with the price as he would have been. The woman was happy with the generosity, and I had some sweet tears walking back - his last gift to me fulfilled.

Day 2 at Torino
Originally I was supposed to take the I Eat Food Tours’ “StreetFood D’luxe Experience” today, but they kindly gave me notice a few days previously that I was the only one signed up. They offered Friday, instead, so I searched for something fun to do on Thursday and found. “Highlights and hidden gems of Turin Bike Tour - English Tour” was perfect! My husband & I always liked bike tours of European cities. The group were all Dutch, so I was with a group of bike experts! : ). The 3 1/2 hour bike tour was exactly what I was hoping for some history, more sites than a walking tour, some English conversation, and morning exercise.

At Torino I stayed at the Grand Hotel Sitea - a good choice from options on Booking, and I was happy to read later that people on the forum mentioned it favorably, also. I reserved the cheapest Single Room which didn’t give the feel of “leftover closet space turned into a single room” that many hotels designate. My spacious room was located in the center of the long hallways with a nice size bed with room to walk around it and very nice bathroom. I smiled at their bathroom sink, designed as the ultimate spot to wash a few clothes! Seriously, it was a long rectangular deep sink that made washing a few dresses over the three days so easy! Breakfast cost extra, but I appreciated the convenience, the beautiful variety & high quality of the food choices, and a pretty dining room to enjoy it. ….and they make a wonderful cappuccino!

The I Eat Food Tours’ “StreetFood D’luxe Experience” was a fantastic choice! Michelin chef & Cecilia whose husband is a chef have paired up to provide an extraordinary food tour. This is one I highly recommend, especially if you’re a foodie! Cecilia started the food tour in a gelato laboratory (hey, I love it already! LOL!), and this was much more than tasting some samples. She was serious about sharing details about their hazelnuts in the Piedmont region, the ingredients of their gelato & processes, etc. plus she had an engaging, fun personality.

We went to several places during the food tour, and it was obvious that the quality was top level. Roberto Messineo, “the coffee magician”, was in his tiny shop when we walked by. Cecelia told us it’s not on their food tour itinerary now because he’s often closed but of course, we stopped in. Roberto is the founder of Caffè San Domenico, an eclectic man and master coffee expert. We stopped in for a warm greeting as old friends. He wanted to make us a cup of coffee - sadly we were so caffeinated by then, that she had to turn him down. Cecelia told him we had just finished enjoying his coffee in an affogato at the gelato center. Roberto showed us some photos on the wall of royalty who knew him & his handwritten thank you message from Pope Benedict - a rarity to receive an entire message handwritten, especially this large one that was proudly framed. This was a moment I was sad that I don’t know much Italian. He seemed ready to share many stories as an older person where current time is irrelevant. The finale of the tour was a delicious Bicerin - yes, more caffeine! A funny comment from Cecelia during the tour. She told us she’s not a coffee drinker which surprised us. Later she was telling us about coffee and the typical Italian behavior and said she drinks a cappuccino, not espresso. …so she’s not a coffee drinker!

I had a ticket to go to the Lavazza Coffee Museum afterwards, but I felt very over-caffeinated and ready for a break. I hadn’t sketched anything at Torino, yet, and didn’t feel like having a ticket dictate the rest of my afternoon. Besides, I would want a taxi to go to/from the museum, so I gave myself permission to just skip it.

I really enjoyed my time in Torino & would go there again. The architecture is beautiful, there’s plenty to do, it’s easy to walk to the train station - an overall two thumbs up!

On to Asti to attend the Palio! Asti is an easy 30-minute train from Torino. I love attending local festivals, and the Asti Palio was a special one! This year is their 750th - wow! I stayed at Hotel Lis which is very handy - just a small park between it & the triangular piazza where the palio is run. I tried purchasing a ticket for the palio on-line, but the site wasn’t replying to me. I sent a message through Booking to the hotel, and they kindly purchased one that was waiting for me when I arrived. This hotel has a superb breakfast & kind staff, my room was a generous size, and everything was very clean. I appreciated the basket of fresh fruit & wine in my room, also.

The city is a nice size to walk to the main sites that are very central. I stopped for a quick piadina lunch, stopped into a church, and I toured Palazzo Mazzetti. This was another example of how nice a less touristed city provides wonderful art & displays. I only had one couple the entire time I enjoyed each room, and the entry price wasn’t expensive. The palazzo also had a temporary Palio display in another section with the historic banners of the palio. An extra highlight was a room of very interesting professional photos. Current citizens were dressed as specific people of the historic medieval court with a detailed explanation of who they were, the specifics about the garment style & function they were wearing and fabrics used.

As I came out of the palazzo, people were gathering on both sides of the street. I knew this meant something about the palio, and laughed a little thinking it could begin in 15 minutes or two hours later….my experience at Bari in May. ; ). This was a very nice 30-minute pageantry parade of the children of all ages representing each of the 21 neighborhoods with talented flag throwers, drummers, and lots of items being carried to represent the wares of each distinct. The littlest girls’ faces were beaming, wearing their brocade princess gowns & hair up in a bun with a headpiece decoration.

After the parade, I stopped into the Gioelia Cremeria I spotted earlier. The long, long tables were being set up in the neighborhood streets for their huge Propiziatorie dinners tonight.

The Day of the Palio! The excitement is palatable! After an excellent breakfast, I walked over to the cathedral to watch the “Cattedrale” neighborhood arrive in full medieval costume in a pagentry formation - very beautiful to photograph! The flag throwers performed in the piazza in front of the cathedral, their horse was shown, and everyone proceeded into the cathedral. Afterwards, the city flag throwers performed in the San Secondo piazza. The multicolors of these flags were especially pretty to watch. I grabbed a quick gelato, and it was time to go to the stands in the Palio piazza to see all of the neighborhoods parading around the triangle with last year’s winner as the finale. The palio race includes all 21 horses in sets of 7. The Top 3 winners of each heat race for the finale race of 9 horses. The horses have their number painted on them because the riders are bareback, and the horse can win without a rider. Two of the horses dropped their jockey somewhere before the finish line. Winning is a huge deal! The higher placed teams receive some nice prizes, but last place receives an anchovy salad! ; ) This was an all-day event & so enjoyable because it was local. I didn’t see people who looked American.

Piacenza was the plan for the next city….but…… I changed it! Am I becoming a “no reservations, where should I go next person?” LOL! I received the email notice from Booking giving me the upcoming last day to cancel the Piacenza hotel while I was still in Torino. I looked at recent reviews, my agenda there had been wide open, & checked train connections. Heading to Piacenza wasn’t making me excited. So, before I headed to Asti, I secured a hotel in Bologna & purchased the train tickets.

Last-minute reservations:. sometimes the question comes up on the forum, so here I can share the actual experience. I looked at a couple of other cities, and I didn’t like what hotels were left. Traveling solo, I will only stay in small hotels or an occasional B&B - not an apartment or any place where the entry is by a non-contact phone keycode. For Bologna, there were four hotels still available that were in the city center. Availability left was definitely on the higher cost side. And taking a Frecciarossa train costs more when purchased closer to the date. Heading to Piacenza would have been Regionales which I just planned to buy as needed thru the Trenitalia app. My conclusion is that I wouldn’t want to do this as a regular practice, but it was nice to have the flexibility & familiarity with reservation types to make a change.

Of the 46 cities in Italy I have stayed, Bologna has been my least favorite. I thought it was time to see if Bologna could be redeemed in my ranking. As I was walking from the Bologna train station, I immediately noticed differences coming into Bologna compared to this trip’s cities so far. Bologna is a destination for tourists! At first, it made me a little sad that the mood was different - people taking over streets, eating when restaurants are usually closed midday, parking themselves on the church steps, taking up a lot of space when locals were trying to get past them. I made a point to be extra nice to the locals in cafes, shops, museums, etc. and gave the breakfast host a warm smile & “Grazie mille & Buona giornata” as I left one morning since some people had been a bit rude to her as I was eating my breakfast.

For Bologna, I picked the hotel in the city center that was the least outrageous when I changed reservations earlier this week to come here. The Hotel Corona d’Oro is a wonderful hotel with extraordinary hospitality, a wonderful breakfast, and they are located just two blocks from the two towers which makes it handy to everything I wanted to do, plus safe in the evening.

Thank you so much, forum, for your quick responses when I made this pivot in my itinerary to go to Bologna instead of Piacenza! Your ideas were very helpful! I went into several churches, including the combo set. I didn’t realize I was at that one until I walked up front of the first church and saw the signs to walk farther into the others. I ended up using one of their courtyards as a scene for my sketch of Bologna, so a double thank you!

I also went to the Museo Musica - very nice! There’s a cute pastry shop next door that reminded me of our local RS travel group spot at Woops Bakery in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho as I enjoyed an espresso & treat afterwards. I walked over to the medieval museum, but it was closed. Near it was a palazzo, so I went through it, laughing internally after the first room! No pictures on the walls! Just the top of the walls lined with a fresco border in each room. This museum must be for people who want to finish a visit in 15 minutes - LOL! Oh, well. The day I arrived I went through the beautiful & historic university buildings and saw tour groups arriving on the ground floor as I left. I skipped the anatomical room. Activities in Bologna have been €3-5 for people over 65 years or free.

My last evening in Bologna we had a downpour, so I just ate dinner at the restaurant, and it was a very good meal. I ordered a meat dish & a mixed salad. He asked if I wanted the salad at the same time as the meat, and I answered that I wanted the salad after the meat. Waiters tend to be kind to solo older women, and he shared with me to finish the leftover sauce on the plate with “la scarpetta”. I liked that he was engaging, plus this gesture gave a sign of appreciation to the chef. Later I enjoyed relaxing in my beautiful room…with you… through my writing & listening to music that could be turned on with a button on the wall. Somehow the channel was relaxing piano music which felt so specifically personal, and truthfully a little sad, too. Just a little reminder of how much my husband enjoyed hearing me play. But, I reflected on life’s beauty I saw today - the colors, the art & architecture, the food, and allowing this music to complete that picture. Am I glad I gave Bologna a second chance? Absolutely!

Leaving Bologna for Modena, it was pouring rain. So, I ordered a taxi instead of walking back to the train station. And when I arrived at Modena, I just took a taxi for ease since it had been sprinkling.

For Modena, I reserved a Balsamic vinegar event; otherwise, I didn’t have any firm plans. I stayed at B&B Sant’Eufemia 30 - a tiny set of spacious rooms in a building close to the duomo. My room had an inside hallway, table & chairs, and a large walk-in shower. Outside my door was a small counter & fridge with snacks & drinks that I was free to eat any of it. There was a regular US type coffeepot with a bag of coffee. The coffee name was “American Coffee” - stayed away from that one - LOL! I hope they didn’t purchase it for me…. The owners corresponded by WhatsApp a few days ahead, and their teenage/college son met me at the door to show me my room inside the building. Breakfast vouchers could be used at a couple of nearby pastry cafes. It was the sort of place where you’re completely alone, but they are just a WhatsApp call away. Oh, be sure to bring a small flashlight, or plan to use your phone. The entrance & stone stairs weren’t auto-lit. The room had an amazing feature - window screens! It’s the first place in Italy I have stayed that has screens. There was some type of occasional nipping fly when I was walking around during the day.

I went over to the church - some nice features, especially the large nativity behind a glass panel. I also wandered around the main center section of the city, finding some interesting sites to photograph. The Guilander Tower at the cathedral has the famous bucket suspended inside at the top. I don’t like open heights, so I skipped it, plus it leans! But, I selected the tower and a section of the church as my sketch for Modena.

I also walked the short distance to the Museo of Modena. There were lots of items that had been owned by the prominent Este family, which I also remember from a stay in Ferrara.

My second day in Modena began at a pasticceria across from the duomo. My B&B gave me breakfast vouchers & recommended the Catterdale one above the others, so I headed there - delicious & also fun to be in the midst of local life. Afterwards I walked over to Mercato Storico Albinelli for a sensory experience. The sights & smells - wow! Tomatoes such a deep red that I barely could resist buying a handful, and the fruit - the aroma just walking through made me feel like I was walking through the freshest fruit salad! Parmigiana is my weakness, and my nose was fully enjoying inhaling that musky scent of the perfect wheels - some cut in half that enhanced the experience! I had to resist everything because my lunch activity was coming up soon.

For the Vinegar Lunch & Tasting, my B&B owners inquired through WhatsApp if I needed any help with anything before arriving. I told them I had booked “Modena: Balsamic Lunch with Vinegar Cellar Tour & Tasting” with Gambigliani Zoccoli Acetaia”. She replied that this was the best one, plus they’re friends with them. That’s a good sign! I contacted GZA through WhatApp, and they offer a free shuttle from the train station out to their place - very nice! There were 11 of us who met at their location. The attic tour of the barrels, the lunch paired with the 25-year old & 12-year old balsamic vinegar - egg tortes, Parma meats, three ages of Parmigiana, wine, a Parmigiana risotto, and two desserts. The meal was finished with either limoncello or a walnut liquor- both homemade. This tour was well done and one I would recommend.

My last location before meeting up with my daughter was chosen for two reasons - to be a direct train to Venice, and to be a less expensive location than Venice to stay. Ferrara fit both of those. I’d forgotten how beautiful Ferrara is with so many buildings in the center, including the castle that say, “This is Italy!” And of course, the bikes. Everyone, including people dressed up, are riding bikes all day.

I was thrilled for the chance to have lunch at Trattoria da Noemi! It was full, but there was a table for me in the main room where I ate three years ago with my older daughter. I ordered from their specialty choices - Cappellacci di Zucca Burro Salvia e Tartufo. Wow, it was amazing! Best meal of these two weeks. I tried to eat as slow as possible to savor it, and I did finish with a little La Scarpetto to show appreciation. ; ) When I left, I showed the man a translation of “My daughter & I ate here three years ago. It was our favorite meal during our 2-week trip. Very delicious!” He gave me a big smile.

My older daughter & I had gone through the archeology museum and the castle, so I chose to go see Palazzo Schifanoia this time. Wow, the Hall of the Months is stunning! The rich blues remind me of the Scrovengi Chapel in Padova but without the crowds. There were just three people in this huge room with me. The rest of the displays were excellent, and I appreciated that they gave the video short stories along the way in either Italian or English. I relaxed afterwards in their garden with a lemonade.

My sketch in Ferrara was the Hero Memoria (looks similar to a piece of the castle). Halfway through it, I wasn’t happy with the angle of the main roof, but I continued with it for more practice drawing the distinct style of windows, arches & other details. Even bad sketches are a reminder of a special spot! ; )

I had to stop someplace for my older daughter. Of all of the food choices in Emilia-Romagna & especially Ferrara, what was this second restaurant I was supposed to repeat? McDonalds - LOL! Not especially for the food, but to reenact her experience. When she came with me in 2022, I gave her some pages of Italian sentences & questions to speak as much Italian as possible. Ferrara was our second city, and I told her by then it was only Italian for the restaurant or hotel interactions. : ). Well, in Ferrara, it was hot and she wanted a McFlurry. They had it on their menu kiosk but didn’t serve them, yet. Kudos to her for asking & having a short conversation in Italian! So, this time I ordered a McFlurry “for her” with the Perugia Bacio hazelnut hot fudge on vanilla ice cream. They don’t mix the ingredients together. Reminded me of Perugia, and it actually tasted great!

I enjoyed the evening ambience of the center, the illumination of the castle, some bikes going by, a few street musicians who were quite good - just a lovely place to be.

In Ferrara I stayed at Hotel Touring. (The hotel my older daughter & I stayed at is no longer on Booking.). It’s just one block from the castle and a mile walk from the train station. I walked into the city but took a taxi to the train station the next day.

The Day my Daughter Arrives! My 44-year old younger daughter is flying into Venice. (Happy face!)

In the Ferrara train station that morning, I noticed a 50-year old couple who were clueless & stressed! They had a lot of luggage, had been on a cruise and couldn’t figure out where to go. A driver had left them at the station. As the wife asked a security person in English, he looked like he would rather not get involved, so I spoke up, told her I’m from the US, not to worry, I had time to show them how to read the board, their ticket & help them understand everything they would want to know about the trains. They were enthusiastically happy for the help! I was waiting at the same platform (different train), and watched to see them walk to the correct car to board. They learned the hint to know the station name before their final destination which also would help them not accidentally get off at Roma Tiburtina. My kids jokingly call me “The Ambassador”. I just want people to have a nice trip, if possible.

Venice:. Wow, the vaporetto stops were busy outside Venezia Santa Lucia! I waited 50 minutes for a vaporetto, and still just walked from the Accedamia Bridge to make it faster. We were staying at Hotel Ala - my 4th time. The location & staff keep me choosing this hotel and now my husband, both daughters & I have stayed here! : ). A RS VFR tour was also staying here this time. When my husband & I were here, we saw a RS 17-day Best of Italy tour here.

I met my daughter’s Aliguna boat at the S. Maria del Giglio vaporetto stop next to the hotel. I helped get her settled after a big hug! She slept for a couple of hours while I checked to see if Suso Gelato still lives up to my recommendations - oh, yes! That evening we ate at the restaurant next to the hotel - dishes were good, & we did a brief evening walk over to nearby San Marco piazza & slept.

Her first full day we took the vaporetto out to Burano to enjoy photographing the colorful buildings. Later we went to the Rialto Bridge, Suso Gelato, wandered to get lost in the wonderful maze of Venice, and we finished with a meal at the piazza near the church that has frequent Vivaldi performances.

The next day began with the earliest timed ticket for the San Marco Basilica. It was a pleasant amount of people inside with us. Afterwards, we went over to the Ca' Rezzonico palazzo museum, ate at my favorite waterfront restaurant, took the cheap 5-minute gondola experience that’s a shortcut across the Grand Canal, sketched a portion of the Doge’s Palace, and we finished with an enjoyable view from an outdoor table at the Florian. My daughter absolutely loved Venice - as I had hoped!

We had train tickets to leave at 8:30am but Venice turned us mellow, and we decided to not rush. We switched them to leave at 10am from the train station. We could eat the hotel breakfast, and it still wasn’t too late to have a nearly empty vaporetto leaving Venice.

Verona was our next city for two nights. This was my second time to stay at Hotel Bologna and my third time in Verona. When we arrived, I asked the hotel receptionist for restaurant recommendations as I pointed away from the tourist center of the map. We followed her advice and after walking through the Sant’Anastasia Church, we ate at the back street she recommended at Sottoriva 23. Later, we took the funicular up to Castel san Pietro to select a scene to sketch. (My daughter is going to make a larger version of hers for my birthday gift!). Our late afternoon activity/ dinner combo was a Cooking Class with Valli Homemade. This couple was such an entertaining duo, and Valli showed us several more advanced pasta shapes (which I will be making at home this month), besides the main ones we made for our delicious dinner. She is an excellent instructor! Their home is located five minutes from Piazza Bra - very handy. I heartily recommend this cooking class!

Our second day in Verona, my daughter had reserved a Michelin restaurant lunch (my first) which ended up being located next door to our hotel! It was a wonderful meal! Our evening highlight was attending Zucchero’s concert at the Roman Arena. What a wonderful way to get her into the arena! When I first looked up our dates for Verona & saw a concert, I mainly thought, “Why not?” But we really scored; Zucchero and his talented musicians put on a fantastic concert. I bought a couple of kitchen souvenirs in Verona at Plurimix. One is a beautiful Cavarola Rigagnocchi board with geometric designs to create designs beyond the regular cavatelli board I currently use at home. (I also saw the Culinary Long Tweezers in Torino’s Decarlo kitchen supply shop and was thrilled when they made it through Malpensa’s & Atlanta’s security scans to bring home!)

Bergamo:. Our next city was Bergamo, staying at the Gombit Hotel up in the Citta Alta section. But first, how to get up there. I took a taxi last time, but there were no taxis. We walked over to a city Info Point, and they kindly tried to help but let us know this city is short of taxis as they were making unsuccessful calls for us. Eventually a taxi was letting some people off at the train station, and we were good to go. My daughter was shocked how tight some of the lanes were in the Citta Alta area for vehicles. (There was a long line at the base of the funicular.)

This was my second time at the Gombit, and it’s still a very nice place to stay! We enjoyed a lunch at the main piazza, went in Colleoni Chapel, walked some of the Venetian wall, and sketched one of the gates. This one no longer has vehicles for good reason.

While we were there, a landscape festival hosted a huge party event that evening in the cove of the buildings, including music everyone could enjoy. In preparation, the piazza was filled with curved wood natural plantings - almost a wildflower randomness, to make intimate gathering spots in the evening and also at the lavendia outside our hotel. The Gombit gives the option to have breakfast delivered to the room without cost - something I remember from 2022 that they did because of post-Covid practices. We enjoyed that option since our room was large with a round table.

Milan:. Our last city was Milan. My daughter’s wishes were to go up on the roof of the duomo & do some shopping. She also purchased tickets to a fashion museum which sounded fun. And there was an opera at La Scala, so we purchased tickets months ahead.

I had reserved a hotel that Pam recommends. A few months before our trip, a friend of my daughter’s husband offered to give us a night at one of the nice hotels near the duomo using his points. It was generous & very appreciated to be so close to the activities we planned.

We walked through the very crowded Galleria, enjoyed the piazza & browsed shopping streets away from the high-end options.

Early evening we stopped into McDonalds for their quick Garden Salads at the Duomo piazza. From the upstairs windows, we saw several Gaza flags for a demonstration. As we walked along the perimeter of the piazza and back to our hotel, there was a full street of more people with flags. We had tickets to La Scala for the opera an hour later, but my daughter was concerned with the demonstration risk. I didn’t want to do anything she wouldn’t enjoy, plus she has small kids at home. Our precious time together should be a calm evening- not a stressful one, so we stayed in our luxurious room in fluffy hotel robes, watched an Italian game show, she FaceTimed her family, and we used the inexpensive facial masks she brought for fun.

The next morning we got in line for our timed Duomo tickets, but they were for the next day! The ticket office kindly changed them for us to come back at 4:30pm - whew! It probably was a mistake from the difference of Sunday being last, not first on the reservation calendar. (A tip: check this & also TripIt entries will catch it.)

We reset & walked over to the Sforzesco Castle by way of some crazy routes! This gave us the chance to see one of the gates and the Il Palazzo Imperiale ruins. By the time we arrived at the castle, it was almost lunchtime, and the muggy weather was sapping our energy. We shared a huge bruschetta & large bottle of water at a nearby cafe and were ready to enjoy the castle. The museum has some nice displays & artifacts. We skipped the fashion museum because of the distance to take the taxi.

My daughter really wanted to find a jacket in Milan, and I wanted to buy her delayed birthday gift (we planned this) in Italy. She was able to find both, plus some souvenirs for her family. We ended our time with the duomo - a nice ending that turned out well!

We picked up our bags from the hotel and took the train out to the MOXY at Malpensa. I stayed there in 2018. It’s handy, has decent quick food for dinner, and the room provides a good night’s sleep before flight. We both liked that a sensor turns on a night light under the bed if you get up at night. Flights home all went well.

I posted a question on the forum during this trip about how traveling changes as we age. Reflecting during the solo portion of this trip, I was less hurried, definitely more flexible with some cities having nothing planned or reserved ahead of time. Enjoying the moments - whatever they were & the opportunity to be back in Italy gave me a contentment.

I am still trying to determine my sweet spot when traveling solo for activities vs. serendipity days; being a widow does affect that equation, too. One of my trips next year will be the 1-week RS Prague/Budapest tour with a couple of weeks of solo travel upfront to attend Calendimaggio in Assisi OR skip Italy & do two weeks in France after the tour. And Spain is beckoning me back. ; )

This trip fulfilled the last item on my bucket list. Traveling 1-on-1 with family members is priceless! : )

Wonderful start to your trip report. Glad it was a great trip and that you and Karen could share some of your time together.

Oh Jean, your trip reports are always wonderful, but this one is extra special. Is this your daughter that I met? I too love traveling with our daughter, and we are actually working on an Italy trip itinerary now. I will be picking your brain soon:)

You are so talented. I played the piano for many years, but am pretty much tone deaf, so I struggle. I can just picture you playing there. Maybe you should be a paid performer and you can play your way through Italy!

The pink rose story brought me to tears. What a gift in so many ways.

We loved Cafe Florian on our trip to Venice. My aunt had requested us to go as Venice was one city they could not go to as she was a paraplegic. So we went for her, but loved it ourselves.

I absolutely love that you two lounged in your room in the robes! That is something my daughter and I enjoy as well:)

Very happy to read your report, as always, but extra glad to have caught all of your placeholders --- a little story in themselves!

Yay for giving Bologna a 2nd chance, and so interesting that the Hall of Months in the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara was as empty for you as it was for me --- just imagine how full of people that room would be in a more heavily touristed city. I had to laugh that you needed to remind yourself to eat slowly because I do, too.

You are lucky that your daughter is a great travel companion --- neither one of my sons would last 15 minutes inside a museum or art gallery or church. They are musicians, not at all visual people. But I have two other people I love to travel with.

Thank you, Jean!

Jean your reports are always full of magic. What a gift you have for words, thank you so much for sharing them. And that rose was surely meant for you, I hope your husband's spirit and memory continues to shine through beautiful moments like that.

Nancys8, ha! You caught my placeholder comments! I was being a little spunky, plus it was more fun than writing placeholder 1, placeholder 2, etc.

Mikliz97, those are such special places to share! Yes, this is my daughter you met at the Totem Lake coffee shop. : )

Jean, once again, a great TR. I think Stresa goes on my list.....Thanks again.

Loved your trip report!
Something that occurred to me when I looked at the dresses you like...how do you wear your money belt with a dress?
I've never worn a dress when traveling, but temps and humidity could make that a good idea.

I just love your trip report! I am heading to Venice and then onto a RS Villages of Italy tour in late October, my dream is to travel with my daughter and granddaughter to Europe one day. What a special trip you had. I really loved the part where you bought the rose as your husband's last gift to you, very sweet and touching moment.

Cheers to you and to wherever life finds you next.

Wonderful trip report, Jean! How special to travel with your grown daughter! Thank you so much for posting!

What a wonderful report! I’m the same age as your daughter, and it’s fun to think about doing a trip like this with my own children one day :-) So glad you enjoyed the time together!

Hi Wishin, the only time I access my money belt in public is when I am almost at the next hotel. I pause against a wall and pull out my passport. This means that I need to wear my pants on the train. But, as soon as I check into a hotel, I switch into a dress. My passport is back in my money belt, and I have no need to access it. The money belt is meant as “deep storage” - not anything like a tiny purse. When I want to replenish cash in my purse from my money belt, that’s done in my hotel room as I am getting ready in the morning.

Having a credit card loaded on ApplePay on my phone helps significantly, and everyone accepts it. I rarely use cash or a physical credit card in Europe now.

Jean, another wonderful trip report. Perhaps you should make a deal at the Pavia hotel- a room in exchange for a piano recital!

How wonderful that you were able to share Italy with your daughter. Thanks again.

So glad you got this experience with your daughter. I was quite touched by the rose.

I am trying to convince my mom to go to Paris (some day) with me but she thinks she'd slow me down. I told her the point would be to go with her...I think she'd love the gardens.

I need to look up your dress!

Thanks for sharing. I was especially touched by your story of the rose.

I love reading your trip reports and always bookmark them for future travel. Thank you for sharing.

So much great information Jean! I really hope to get to Isola Bella sometime!

Pat & Tammy, here’s a video of the garden on Isola Bella. And it’s even prettier than what they captured here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zCztktfWAIw

Jean, thank you for this lovely TR. it brought back some of my recent trip to Venice and Verona with my granddaughter. She is a very good traveler and I also gave her some space like you did with your daughter.

Thank you, Jean. Recent technology (using phone for paying) has definitely made it easier, not requiring accessing moneybelt during the day, except in private.
When traveling out of the US, I've always worn a moneybelt, in the small of my back, and never accessed it in public.
I'll try Google Wallet soon.
Again, thanks for sharing your wonderful trip reports.

Jean, you write such great trip reports. Feels like I'm traveling with you. I picked up lots of ideas for my next year's Northern Italy trip (solo and independent). This morning I reserved room at Hotel Lis during the Palio. Everyone who knows me knows I don't pass up horsey things. Thanks for your previous reference to the Palio and filling in info in your trip report. I have 11 months to plan and will look back at your report often. Thanks!

Jean, I love reading your reports! I hope my daughter (14) wants to travel with me in a similar way some day!

Isola Bella is gorgeous. My daughter and I were there April of 2024.

Hi Jean,

It’s always wonderful to read your trip reports, thank you for sharing!🌸

Mother/daughter trips are always so special and a time for making beautiful memories that will always be treasured.

I miss my trips with my mom but it’s nice to reminisce.
I look forward to sharing more trips with my daughter too!😊

Horsewoofie, yeah! I’m glad you have a reservation now at Hotel Lis. When the time gets closer, let them know you need a ticket to the palio. You can look on a diagram of the triangular piazza and choose which section you would like. I was near the final corner.

Beautiful report, Jean. 🌷

Bergamo continues to intrigue me. I saw a walking video of it a couple of years ago and I keep going back to it.

Mary, Bergamo is an excellent location for a 1-night stay. It has a great atmosphere in the Citta Alta section. Or, you could stay longer & explore the lower main section of the city, also.

CL, thank you! My main souvenirs are photographs, cooking classes to make Italian dishes at home (my older daughter’s family enjoyed the Italian homemade meal at home last night), and I print the trip report to read again later. Yes, that rose was very special! I kept the ribbon and brought it home.

Mary, Bergamo is an excellent location for a 1-night stay. It has a great atmosphere in the Citta Alta section. Or, you could stay longer & explore the lower main section of the city, also.

I like how you traveled a straight line from Venice to Milan. Gives me ideas for a similar trip, as Padua and Verona are on my wish list too.

Hi Mary, at first we also had an overnight in Mantova. I know she would have liked the ambience of that one, but we just didn’t have enough time without rushing. We penciled it in as a quick day trip from Verona, but really we needed an extra day to seriously consider it. But, do put that one on your radar for possibilities. And yes, Padova is good. My husband & I stayed there five nights.

I enjoyed your report. Thank you!

”I am trying to convince my mom to go to Paris (some day) with me but she thinks she'd slow me down. I told her the point would be to go with her...I think she'd love the gardens.”

pbscd, I hope your mom will get excited for the opportunity to spend time with you in Paris. It’s a city that isn’t made to be rushed. And maybe a few days in nearby Rouen or Chartres. : )

Fabulous report as always. Absolutely wonderful that you and your daughter did this.
Sorry about your gelato in Torino. Had I seen that you were going, I would have recommended Alberto Marchetti, especially the one near Piazza Carlo. Excellent!
I’m sorry you missed Piacenza as it is delightful, small, with some great food and just enough historical interest for a good two day stay.
And I’m so pleased you gave Bologna a second chance. Yes, the area around the station is a bit disappointing and the graffiti is far too much, but the history and the churches, etc are not to be missed. We will be back there for another month come Sunday. There is another smaller museum of music that is only keyboards- San Colombano. I recommend it for your next visit!

”Had I seen that you were going, I would have recommended Alberto Marchetti, especially the one near Piazza Carlo. Excellent!”

SJS, don’t feel sorry for me - that’s the shop where the excellent Torino Food Tour began! Yes, they are excellent! The tour guide took us to their lower floor room for lots of explanation of local products, and then they brought us a tri-flavor container to eat three different gelatos. Plus we had an affogato! Concentrated deliciousness! : ). Next time I’m in Torino I will do that food tour again!

We found out on our departure day that when you put two organized
early-birds together, you might show up ridiculously early to the
airport! We had plenty of time to wait for lines to even open up.

Had to laugh. I'm currently trying to motivate myself to write my TR for our latest trip that we just got back from, and both my wife and I are wondering what's wrong with us that we always get places too early. We arrived 4 hours early for our flight to Amsterdam, and then set our alarms for 6:45am to make sure we didn't miss the 8:55am bus to the train station in Leiden to get us back to Schiphol.

I'm not sure how I missed your latest TR until now. Too many things to comment on, so I'll leave it with how happy for you that your family is helping you with your bucket list. My wife and I have talked before about what we'd do about travel if something happened to one of us. I think I'd do better getting back at it as a solo traveller than she would. She'd need a travel buddy and I'm sure our daughter would try and fill the void.

Allan, there’s so many posts on the forum now, that I have started pulling up the “Trip Report” category a couple of times a month because I was missing some of them, too. This “problem” is a nice indication that people are back to traveling again! : )

I certainly hope that your wife & you aren’t put into this position for many years (widow/widower). I do feel so fortunate that I am very comfortable traveling independently in Europe. The first trip afterwards was emotionally difficult, but it gave me assurance that I could travel and enjoy beauty. Travel is different now; I’ve lost that evening FaceTime call I looked forward to where we would see each other & share conversations. I am finding a variety of options for travel - I’m taking a northeast states Fall leaves bus tour in the US with the Modern Widows Travel Club next year besides a 1-week RS tour and more independent travel in Spain & Italy.