Italy Lovers

One of my most precious souvenirs of Italy is the itinerary from my first trip. I decided to see if I could reconstruct the itinerary on the internet with links (where available) to the places we went.

We landed in Milan Malpensa the 16th of September (many years ago) at about 9:30 in the morning. We had our own bus and driver for the whole trip.

Our reservation for that night was in the town of Garda on Lake Garda. On the way there we traveled around Lake Como and stopped for lunch at ALBERGO RISTORANTE BELVEDERE in the town of Torno on Lake Como. What a beautiful introduction to Italy. We dined outdoors on a terrace right on the lake under the trees. I remember the food was divine.

From there we continued on our way and arrived at our Hotel "Le Terrazze" in the town of Garda. It was a sweet, modest hotel that we enjoyed. In looking for it online, it looks like they have remodeled it but I think this is the same hotel - now called Hotel Excelsior Le Terrazze. That is where we stayed for 2 nights. It was within very easy walking distance of the lake shore.

Addresses:

ALBERGO RISTORANTE BELVEDERE
P.ZA CASARTELLI 3
22020 TORNO CO
Tel: 031 419100
no website, little English spoken

Hotel Excelsior Le Terrazze
Via Marconi 6
37016 Garda
Tel: 045 7256774
Hotel Excelsior Le Terrazze

Tags: eating in Italy, Italy, Sightseeing, Travel

We can't think of a trip to Italy without thinking about eating well.  And a good guidebook is really going to come in handy.  The following food guide comes very highly recommended. I will definitely be buying for my next trip.

Having just returned from 3 weeks in Italy, I cannot say enough about how great this book was in directing us to terrific food where we ate with Italians, not other tourists.

Tags: eating in Italy, Italian guide books, Italy Restaurant Guide, travel preparation

Well, it's a sign of the times we live in. You used to be able to just to to a foreign country and use your credit card but these days it is better to call your credit card company ahead of time. Better add that to your checklist of trip preparations.

Here is a link to an excellent article about getting your credit cards ready to travel.

Tags: credit cards, money, travel preparation

Once you've see the major sites in Rome that are in all the guidebooks, it's time to venture out a little.

Why not check out the Appian Way? Dating from 312 bc, it is one of the oldest roads in Rome and the site of much history. Followers of Spartacus were crucified here, and it is said that St Peter met Jesus here during his flight from Rome.

There are several ways to enjoy a visit there. The choices range from taking a siteseeing bus called the Archeobus, walking or bicycling. The official website, the Parco Regionale Appia Antica, (fortunately also in English) is very handy. It has pages showing the itinerary for the Archeobus, several walking routes, bicycle paths, and places to rent bicycles for the day.

You will find cafes along the way (so civilized don't you think) so you will be able to refresh with a cappuccino and a panino or even something more substantial.

Tags: Appian Way, Rome, Sightseeing, Things to do in Rome

If you are lucky enough to be going to Florence this year, the Florence Tourist Board has a promotion going for U.S. travelers. With the dollars/euro exchange rate the way it is these days, we need all the help we can get.

Here is a link to the page about the promotional campaign called The Fiorino Effect.

That site is packed with good information for tourists so it's a good reference.

Tags: Florence, Italy, Save money, Travel