Sunday, October 4, 2015

Montreal, a quick list in Chinatown

Just a short post here to record a few spots in one of my favorite cities North America.  It was heating up in DC and two friends had just moved to Florida.  I think they must be crazy, isn't it even hotter there?  They were going to escape winter!  Well, anyone who has lived in the DC area should know that getting away from DC to escape the summer is a significantly better idea.  To prove my point I thought, "If they can go to Sarasota for the Winter, I could go to Montreal for the Summer."  I took the quick flight to Montreal, spent three to four days exploring condos and left the new owner  of a soon to be finished condo in Centre Ville a half block from Rue St. Catherine and Phillips Square, near MacGill University. I can't wait until my first August there!

Here is a quick list of restaurants, best dishes and my favorite hotel:

1. La Maison V.I.P.
    1077 Rue Clark
    515-861-1943    Saute of Lobster in Ginger Sauce
                               Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Better have a reservation, this place is small and packed with hour long waits if you don't have a reservation.

2.  Restaurant La Maison Kam Fung    
     1111 Saint-Urbain
     514-878-2888   Aubergine Fritte
                               Ginger Crab
                               Dim Sum
While Chinatown in DC has disappeared the two blocks of Chinatown in Montreal was a welcome relief with it's little shops, bakeries and restaurants.  It's a busy fun exploration

3. Toque

A Montreal staple of fine dining, cozy up to the bar for an awesome French fare.

4. Nouilles de Lan Zhou
    1006 Boul St-Laurent
     514-800-2959      
Don't quote me but I think noodles in French is Nouilles and this is the place to get them.  Watch them in the window as they make these fresh Ramen noodles and have a big bowl when you get inside.  Long line on weekend and shorter weekdays but still a line.

5.  Hotel Le Germaine
     2050 Rue Mansfield
     514-849-2050
A very nice boutique hotel a block from the center and within walking distance of just about everything.  Metro close by too.

6. Jean Talon Market
A quick metro ride to the best outdoor market I've ever seen. Definitely not to be missed!






Monday, September 28, 2015

Bologna




Often when I leave Naples for the north I become sad because I love the south, the food screams at you and the people are full of life.  The food in Bologna does not scream it sings, from gentle sauces to delicate pastas Bologna is a mecca for the elegant and gentile.  I can't help but find my way there every other trip or so.  My friend Kristen told me she was going in  2000 and I thought, why?  Isn't it filled with communists and an industrial city, boy was I wrong.  When Kristen, husband John anther vivacious Mom Shirley returned and shared their stories of this charming elegant city I could not wait to get there!
I've been five or six times now and each time add a few details to my journey.  I've never taken a cooking class there, nor do I care to spend a precious day of my vacation learning to roll dough, I can do that here.
My latest trip was a blast, I traveled with my friend of 45 years Susan.  Susan is n easy traveler, she will report for departure on schedule (mine) and go anywhere, do any thing-just be certain she gets fed and she is happy.  I don't travel well with many, Susan is one I do.
To make things easy, I am going to list the everything so it will be easy to find and read.  Remember, have your hotel make all of your reservations as soon as you arrive.  If this will be your first stop email the hotel and ask them to have your reservations made for you a week before you get there. 

Hotel Corona D'Oro, Via Oberdan 12, 390051-74 57 611, www.HCO.com, info@HCO.com
A very nice 4 star hotel with great access to the city in a very central location.  The staff is charming and extremely helpful.  The group that owns this hotel also owns several others in the city that are very nice, my preference is this one and Hotel Orolgio which is on the square near the Duomo and the statue of Neptune.

Trattoria Soverina
Via G Oberdon 13A
telephone 051 224 418
trattoriasoverini@hotmail.com

We had wonderful food in Bologna but we ate here twice and found the food absolutely fabulous, I think Susan would agree.  These photos are of two dishes we shared and really enjoyed, the bolognese are known for their stuffed pastas and stuffed patrons.

A.F. Tamburini
Via Caprarie 1
40124 Bologna
tamburini.com
Tamburini's is my favorite lunch cafeteria and Salumeria.
They serve an amazing assortment of lunch items including a few pastas, a few meats, many vegetables and salads, all cafeteria style. Their spectacular "deli" serves the most stunning cured meats and cheeses as well as pastas and platters.  When in Bologna I have lunch here at least twice.  There is also a fabulous wine bar that serves sliced prosciutto and cheeses with wonderful breads.  You can't go wrong at Tamburini's


Caffe' Pasticceria Zanarini
Piazza Galvani 1
This is a beautiful place to grab a cafe(espresso) or cappuccino(not after 11am unless you want to be spotted as a caffone).  Remember it's espresso not expresso (expresso is a bus)
Beautiful pastries and candies and just such a lovely place you'll wonder why anyone ever left this town for America and the likes of Starbuck's!


                                  Trattoria Anna Maria
Via Belle Arte, tel 051-26.68.94
       Is there a bad restaurant in Bologna?  If there is I have not found it!



Ca' Pelletti
Via Altabella 15D
tel. 051 26 66 29
Remember that this is noodle country so you are likely to find fresh noodles/pastas at every trattoria, typically stuffed as well.  Tortellini, Tortoni, Agnolotti, Ravioli.  It was one a beautiful cold day with light snow flurries that we found ourselves in front of 
Ca' Pelletti, we cruised by but there were too many smiling eating faces in there not to turn around and have lunch.  A very small place, tidy , colloquial but modern Ca' Pelletti was a perfect little spot with amazing food.  Our 33 euro lunch included a half bottle of wine, tortellini, Paglia fiena, eggplant parmigiana and bottled water.  It was delicious and the price was exceptional.


Buca Manzoni
Via manzoni 6G
tel. 051-271 307

Another little treat we found as we wandered around.  Filled with locals Buca Manzoni was one of only a few places opened on Sunday evening and was quite good.  Service was a bit slow but it was Sunday night and not too many people work.  The fare was very much similar to the other restaurants but his one served a nice Zuppa Inglese which is a Bolognese version of an English Triffle which combines custard, fruit and cake and is very typical of this city.  Pictured on the below is a Cotoletta all Bolognese or a veal cutlet with a béchamel sauce, another very typical dish.




I love Bologna, it is a beautiful city, the food is amazing, the people lovely and there are multiple side streets for shopping and walking through the city.  It has an Apple Store too!  It is very well known for it's stuffed pastas and cured meats.  
Consider a 30 minute train ride to nearby Modena or Emiglia Romana, both delightful walking cities.  Modena is home to Ferrari and to Michelin 3 starred Osteria Francescana by Massimo Bottura, if you are a foodie you must secure a reservation here at least a month in advance!
I'm not certain of all the sites in Bologna I have always been so busy just roaming around.  A popular tourist attraction is the Medical School Surgical Amphitheater which is very old and features hand carved wooden human bodies each one displaying different systems; muscles, skeletal etc.  Sounds erie but it is quite beautifully done and an amazing site to see.  The University of Bologna was the first University and Medical School as we know them to be in the world!

I'll post more on Bologna as I go through my journals but these few things should keep you from starving at least.  Buon viaggio!


Monday, September 7, 2015

Napoli, The Fabulous Magical City, Sites to See

I love Napoli, it is an exciting and vibrant city, full of life, the real Italy.  Recently I took a group of 35 doctors to Napoli for a two day conference and tour of Naples and The Amalfi Coast.  Before we left a few of them asked, "Why are we going to Naples?", when we returned they said, "I can't wait to return!"

Naples is a beautiful and magical city filled with warm and charming people and fantastic food!  There are also numerous museum, historical sites, galleries and religious sites.  Let's start our tour.

Capodimonte Museum, It was not until my sixth or seventh visit to Napoli that I ventured up to this beautiful museum whose collection rivals the Louvre.  The museum is not in the center but a pleasant cab ride that is well worth the trip to this barely promoted art museum that maintains the Farnese Collection which belonged to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese and later became the property of Charles of Bourbon and then Ferdinand IV, King of Naples.  There you will find important works of Titan, Botticelli, Bellini, Rafael, Caravaggio, El Greco and many others.  It is a spectacular collection of art housed it what was one of Napoli's most prominent villas.  If this museum were in America it would be so heavily marketed and most certainly buses would be running up and down the hill from the port multiple times during the day hustling tourists in and about for three times the $7.00 cost of admission.  The Capodimonte Museum is quiet and peaceful with just a spattering of visitors.  There is also a significant collection of art from Vesuvius I believe, the museum is not to be missed.

Royal Palace of Caserta, Once again a rival of the French, this 18th century palace was one of the largest buildings built in it's time.  Larger than Versailles it was spectacular in it's day.  In this century it has fallen into disrepair and it's gardens once of splendor have overgrown and can be disappointing.  If you have a car and are busting around it might be worth a visit to see it's size and imagine it's former splendor.  Interestingly, Neapolitans will argue as to whether Mozzarella from Caserta is better that that from Battipaglia/Paestum.  To me they are both amazing!

Catacombe di San Gennaro, Another not to be missed attraction, different from the Roman ones and often listed as the top tourist attraction in Naples.

Teatro San Carlo is one of the prim ire opera houses of Europe often noted to be more stunning and acoustically perfect the Milan's La Scala.  Having just been there, I would say this is true.  The Opera House is Stunning and the seating is comfortable and gorgeous.  If you're not there during Opera Season be certain to tour this magnificent work of art!

Royal Palace of Naples Quick, easy and stunning.  Another home of rBourbon Kings, free audio tour with tickets.  Have fun.

Museo Archeologico, A beautiful museum that houses multitudes of statues and architecturally significant art and edifices.  This is a pretty cool place with some very cool art that you should see, I would not have it on the top of my list but for a rainy day it is a good place to be!  If you absolutely love archeology this place is a must!

Castle Uovo and Castel Aragonese,  These are castles and they are beautiful if you like castles.  The Castel Uovo has a bevi of restaurants at it's bases that can be very good and very expensive and can be really working tourists particularly in the season.  Be careful Dining here.  I once had a 85 euro fish at La Sciallupa, it was delicious but I couldn't get the 85 euros out of my head.  Later that week I was having better ones for less than 30 euro.  The waiter at La Sciallupa was quite theatrical flopping the fish around between his fingers as if it were alive!

Naples Restaurant List


Choosing a great restaurant can make or break you evening and your vacation.  I always think that if I am going for 15 days that means I only get 15 chances to eat well.  While Naples does not have as many fast food and even worse, fast casual restaurants there are some trattorie that you would not want to try.  Below is My List prepared just for you.  There will be more to come but these form the foundation.

Trattoria Capresse is in the suburb of Vomero and a shout cab ride or lift ride to the neighborhood from Via Pignasecco, Montenegro Station I believe.  A great neighborhood seafood restaurant with a charming staff and pizzaiola (Carmine)  Have your own cab driver Francesco take you there and buy him dinner, you won't forget this amazing meal and hopefully you'll be able to finish it.

http://www.trattoriacaprese.it


Ristorante Dora is a special place with a beautiful seafood menu.  Stay away on weekends, you won't get into this tiny trattoria.  It is near Via Chiaia in the Chiaia district
 http://www.ristorantedora.it/de/index.html 


Hidden in the Quartieri Spagnoli is the trattoria Antica Capri.  A charming , tiny trattoria with an expansive nenu of Neapolitan treasues.  I suggest ordering everything on the menu.  The price is right and the food delicious!  Keep your cab driver nearby, you DO NOT want to walk here as there are some sketchy streets on the way.
http://www.anticacapri.it 

Trattoria Castle Nuova is very near the port and a great little place with classic local dishes like Spaghetti con Vongole,  La Genovese (a meat and onion sauce  served with Paccheri that is delicious and Spigola Napolitana.  Call ahead and request these special dishes, tell them I sent you and be sure too ask for my friend Roberto
http://www.trattoriacastelnuovo.com 

A great Neapolitan menu that my seem closer to home is available at this popular Neopolitan restaurant near the port.  Big soft meatballs, pasta and eggplant parmesano can be found on their menu
http://www.mattozzieuropeo.com/#_=_ 


Now you are on the Amalfi Coast so put on your radar.  Restaurants here are lying in wait for tourists just like you.  I recall the famous on US Travel shows, La Tagliatta with it's stunning views before it became a tourist mecca and lowered its quality of food and it's once authentic standards.  Ristorante  Lido Azzurro is not one of those restaurants.  Dine on the water and eater delicious food made with high quality products
http://www.ristorantelidoazzurro.it/#_=_ 



 http://www.sorbillo.it/en/
I am going to post a few more places but these can get you started.
But don't miss Pizzeria Sorbillo on Via Tribunale in the Historic part of Naples.  It is the best pizza you will ever eat.  Do your homework, check their website .  I believe they open at 5:30 so get there by 4:45 or you'll never get in.  This is the only place in Italy where Italians actually wait in line!

Coming up Next:  Via Pignasecco, the best street in Napoli








Saturday, August 22, 2015

Car Service in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast

I have known Josephine and Reno of Italy Limousine for six or seven years now and have never been disappointed in their drivers, their vehicles and the level of their service.  They are truly professional and honestly the best car service in Italy. 

 italylimousine.com

Here,s how it works;  
You contact them via e-mail with your 
1. flight info, 
2. arrival time, 
3. Flight Number, 
4. dates and of course 
5. your name and 
6. number in your party

Josephine arranges your proper transport from the airport to the city or the train station (Roma Termini) depending on your plans.

If you are traveling to the Amalfi Coast they can take you directly there (aprox $400) or your can take the train to Napoli and they will have another vehicle meet you there and take you directly to your hotel in Positano, Vico Equense, Sorrento, Massa Lubrense or any other of the stunning coastal towns.

I suggest the train to the station from the airport and the Limo/van to the Amalfi Coast

Avoid trying to take the train to Sorrento because you will have to change trains in Naples, likely get your pockets picked or your purse snatched because you were trying to save a few bucks and your trip will be soured.  I've never had a problem in Naples but I am very cautious because these types of crimes are typical there.  Pick pockets are expert in the beautiful city of Napoli.  I tell my friends, you will arrive at the station, head to your hotel and find that your underwear have been stolen!  Hey, it's better than DC where you get clubbed to near death, beaten, shot and robbed.  Be alert, watch each other.

Day trips:

Josephine can always count on me for an excursion tour to some crazy place I can't wait to see along the coast or on Mt Vesuvio.
My typical trip, whether alone or with others involves a ride to Tenuta Vannulo and Antica Macelleria both near Santa Cecelia in Eboli.  I love passing through the Mozzarella Country of Italy, you will see mozzarella store dotting the roadside, for every gas station there are 12 mozzarella stores.
Your visit to the Antica Macelleria, a simple butcher shop manned by Antonio and his Mama Piera selling the absolute best house made Soppresata, Salami, Mortadella in Italy.  The farm raised pigs Antonio uses have pedigrees like AKC Poodles!  You're in the Salerno region, this is where this stuff is the best in the world.
Your visit to Tenuta Vannulo will be the memory of a lifetime.  I met Sr Palmieri the proprietor of the farm many years ago, a true gentleman his farm spares nothing to provide the finest mozzarella, cheese and gelato that ever touched your lips.  The artistry in their leather shop is magnificent, try to leave without purchasing a bag, wallet or belt, good luck.
From here we shoot up to Cantina del Vesuvio for an amazing lunch and wine tasting with Maurizio.  Delicious and entertaining, the best pasta you'll have on your trip with Maurizio's fresh tomatoes  from his garden on the slopes of Vesuvio.  This make the notion of Farm to Table in the US the biggest joke in history.
Still time for a run to Herculaneum and a short ride back to Napoli.

Italy Limousine has taken me on ancestral tours to find relatives of friends and family, I recall my driver knocking on doors with me to find my friend Linda's family in the hills of Salerno.  We sat and ate with her cousins she had never seen and left with arms filled with Tirelli and goodies from their village.

Enjoy your vacation and call me if you need any help.




















Flavio ai Velavevodetto Osteria con Cucina

Flavio ai Velavevodetto Osteria con Cucina
Via Di Monte Testaccio 97/99
0153 Roma
tel 39 06.574.4194
www.FlavioVelavevodetto.com

I became frightened, scared and disappointed to se this restaurant on an American Travel Channel, to me this is the kiss of death for just about any restaurant.  Having been there less than a month ago I am happy to say it has not lost it's luster.  It is pleasant and elegant and far from the tourist center, there were plenty of locals and the food was excellent.
Flavio's is about a $20.00 cab ride out of the center and quite near one of my top two favorites, Felice a Testaccio.  The dining room is very nice and service is excellent and prompt.  Make a reservation!

Friday, August 21, 2015

Ten Things Not To Do In Italy

A few rules you don't want to break while in Italy and in Rome.

1.  There is no such thing as "The Spanish Steps"!!! What Americans call the Spanish Steps are actually "The Scalini della Trinita del   Monte" Or The Steps of the Trinity Del Monte. They terminate in  the"Piazza di Spagna" and hence the confusion.  It is appalling to Romans that tourists would not take the time to know the names of these very beautiful and popular attractions.

2.  Cappuccino is a breakfast drink, if your desire is to appear uncouth have one after 11am or better yet, after dinner.

3. Dunking!  Never in a restaurant, ok at home.  Non faccia la Scarpetta, or dunking is considered Morta di Fame (dying of hunger) and is reserved for beggars.  As a waiter once told me regarding a reques t by my nephew to switch a pasta shape for another in a different sauce, "Perhaps no one will see him" DOn't dunk!

3.  Bread and a plate of Olive Oil!  Horrors!  I once asked Giuliano Bugiali, Italian food historian and cook book author in what part of Italy this practice originated.  He told me "In America at the Olive Garden Restaurant"Sure you'll see it in Italy, particularly in heavily touristed areas but keep in mind Italians want you to be happy, happy people spend more money, trust that they are talking about you in the kitchen!

4. Cheese on seafood!  Never , ever do this, I don't care if your Nonna from New Jersey did it, it is just not done, strong flavors of seafoods mixed with that of cheese is a big NO NO!  If you want to look like a real Caffone go ahead, this is beyond looking unsophisticated it is the essence of being unsophisticated!

5.  Coke or Fanta with dinner, if you're going to be a slob may as well go all the way, for Italians, it's only water or wine with dinner, nothing else!  Nothing!

6.  Chicken in Pasta-Never not done, don't ask unless you're at Bucca de Beppo in Phoenix.  Chicken is served as a Secondo not a a topping and for the record pasta is never served on a plate like a potato!  Pasta always gets it's own plate, it is a course not a potato.

7.  Spaghetti and Meatballs does not exist in Italy, period.  You may get and pasta dish as a primo and meatballs as a secondo and dump them in the same bowl if you want to look like a barbarian but please don't.  Outside of tourist traps most Italians do not know what Fettucini Alfredo is, it wa likely also develop at Olive Garden.

8.  Well done Bistecca Florentina, the famous Florentine porterhouse steak from the white Chianina Bull of Tuscany is only prepared medium rare to rare, ask for it any other way and they won't serve it to you unless you are in a tourist trap and then it is likely not the Chianina Bull, the worlds tallest and heaviest bull raised for it's meat and as a draught animal.

9.  Olive Oil in it's original bottle - Italian restaurants are not allowed to transfer olive oil from one container to a serving bottle.  The Italian government want you to know what it is and where it came from.  In rural areas you may see this because the exception is their own production can be decanted.  It is likely in places like Rome and Florence this is not the case but in Napoli it is likely a restauranteur has a family production.

10.  No Doggie Bags - Please don't ask for a doggie bag, are you really going to eat your left over carbonara?  Where will you keep it?  Italians just don't take left over food home from a restaurant, especially back to their rooms.  Leave the bad behavior for the Germans, they have enough bad habits for everyone!

More Crazy food rules later




















Rome let's Have Lunch, Coffee and Treats

There are as many wonderful places to eat and dine in Rome as there are tourist traps, probably more but the traps are concentrated in the heavily touristed areas like the Piazza Navona, Pantheon etc.

Let's look at a few great spots to grab a quick lunch, a coffee or a fine chocolate that are not only great but inexpensive.

Il Faro Caffeteria Tavola Calda- Via in Aricone 78/79, Roma
      Around the corner from the Trevi Fountain this great little caffeteria is a favorite of local workers and mine for years.  Their stiffed tomatoes, a Roman specialty, are just delicious and one of the best I have had in Rome.  There are typically two to three pasta dishes the choose from and a baked pasta dish as well.  Expect plenty of grilled vegetables and other specials which change daily.
The prices, WOW! This will be your least expensive meal in Roma.

Castroni (Maxsim Srl)- Via Nationale 71, Roma.  I love walking down Via nazionale because it is not heavily touristed, I usually walk from my hotel near the Piazza Navona to the Piazza Venezia and then take a quick bus ride to The Piazza della Repubblica, stops are clearly posted on the bus stop signs and buses are a great way to get around Rome*) the I just wander down the hill that is Via Nazionale which is peppered with shops, a museum and planty of people watching.  Castor has some wicked good coffee, some say better than Saint Eustacio but I think they are both awesome.  There is a sitting area in the back and you may purchase lunch at the counter.  An assortment of panini, grilled vegetables and many other things can be had a Castroni.  Their specialty is specilties!  Candies, liquors, jams and jars of amazing condiments are a few steps down in their adjoining store.  Remember in Italy, you go to the register, tell them what you want to eat or drink then give your receipt to the counter clerk.  Have fun exploring Castroni.

Forno Roscioli S.A.S, di Roscioli PierLuigi & C. - Via dei Chiavari 34, Roma, between piazza navona and Campo de Fiori is this fantastic bakery, owned by the brother of my favorite restaurant Salumeria Roscioli.  Another great lunch spot or stop for a quick bite at dinner time too.  Fall in love with Roman Pizza, flat breads and desserts.  Pizzas here are different from the Napolitano famed pizzas but also delicious.  They also have a Tavola Calda (Hot Table) of meats and grilled veggies etc.  If you are there between Christmas and Easter pick up a few of their fabulous Panetone (and send me one)  This is a spot not to miss.

Sant' Eustachio Il Cafe' S.R.L. - If you don't love coffee, espresso, cafe or cappuccino now is the time to start.  The most talked about coffee in the world it would be a sin not to stop here for a cafe.  It is very close to the Piazza Navona.

*Remember number two on the list of pet peeves of Roman's is Tourists, typically American ones who order Cappuccino after 11am.
Cappuccino is a breakfast drink.
See my other entry "Pet peeves of Italians"

Moriondo & Gariglio di Minelli Pierina & C. SNC - Via Del Pie 'di Marmo N. 21/22, Boy that's mouthful! Of Chocolate to be sure!
Begun in 1850 in Torino in the service of the House of Savoy Moriondo is one of the finest chocolate houses of Europe and the world.  Time honored recipes handed down from generation to generation typify this fine house of chocolate.  If you love chocolate this is the Louvre of Chocolate, not to be missed.

Enjoy these little tidbits!














































Monday, August 17, 2015

Let's Go to Capri

If you enjoy relaxing by the pool with gorgeous views and you have money to burn at Capri's splendid Shops this is the Island paradise for you.  Capri town is stunning and the "Shopping Path" is pristine, peppered with fine shops and five star hotels, it reeks of elegance.  More humble Anacapri is elegant with a twist on commonality, more the locals spot but very enjoyable.  For me shopping like this is torture but professional shoppers like my niece, my sister-in-law and my friends the Weakley's this is Heaven on earth.  They can ploy away hours browsing and picking through designer shops just to be certain they step off the plane in America looking like movie stars.  I recall having purchased my first pair of Prada sunglasses in 1991, I paraded around Italy looking like George Hamilton and when I got off the plane in Washington DC I looked like Shecky Green in an Altman movie.  

The quintessential hotel in Capri is the Hotel Quisisana where everything is perfect, www.quisisana.com, the only bad thing about the Quissey as it is affectionately called by its pretentious, snooty guests are the guests themselves.  Threat yourself to a cocktail there at their bar and terrace on the Shopping Path.

I spent four days on Capri several years ago and stayed at Da Gelsomina all Migliara, dagelsomina.com in their five room hotel! The rooms were small and very simple but the people there are awesome and the restaurant serves the best food on the Island and maybe Italy.  Vegetables picked right from their gardens, wine from their vineyard and fresh pasta made every day by their grandma's!  They have a gorgeous infinity pool that over looks a spectacular view of the sea.  They apparently sell memberships to their pool, remember they only house 5-10 guests, because there are many locals there enjoying the weather and the awesome pool.  They also serve a light lunch in season at the pool and a full lunch in the restaurant.  Be sure to make a dinner reservations or you won't get in, and say hello to Gelsomina and Pasquale for me.  The charming people at Gelsomina will pick you up in Anacapri too.

The Blue Grotto is a must see for you no matter what your age.  The boat ride is fun and the grotto is like nothing you have ever seen.  If you are so inclined you can dive off your boat and swim til your hearts content.  There are boat rentals for just tours with groups, privately or you can rent your own boat at Marina Grande.

Buy your round-trip tickets to Capri the day before you leave from the kiosk at the ports in Sorrento, Napoli or Positano and plan to return on the second to the last boat.  I've heard many stories of the last boat being cancelled and people having to scramble to get a hotel room for the night.



Friday, August 14, 2015

Using Trains in Italy

I usually go to trenitalia.com to repurchase tickets for train travel in Italy.  The Freccia Rossa and Freccia Bianca are faster trains that make fewer stops.

Lets start from our arrival at FCO/Rome Fumicino.  Once you leave the customs area and exit go to the right and follow the signs to the trains.  Currently the train to Rome costs $14.00 or Euros and will get you there in 30 minutes or so.  The bus is half the cost and twice the trouble, I recommend not taking the bus.

If you are making a multi-city trip and returning home from Rome it is best to end your visit in Rome as you will have to be there your last night anyway.  You will lose a day if you park it in Rome for a few days when you arrive and then have to return again for a night. If you have half a brain you will find it easy to grasp this.

So lets assume your trip is two weeks long and you plan to visit Florence, Positano and Rome.  I suggest that upon arrival in Rome you take the train to the station, then having pre-purchased your train ticket to Florence you go directly there.  Remember your flight is going to arrive between 7AM and 9AM and you couldn't get in your hotel anyway.  You should get your ticket to leave for Florence 2 1/2 hour after your arrival at FCO.  Like you will get there earlier and might even make an earlier train but best be safe than sorry.  You have two options if you arrive early:  One try to change your ticket to an earlier train or my preference, just get on the earlier train and play dumb.  If you have a ticket that you can change without fee it normally won't be a problem.  I have done this several times, this is not AmTrak, the conductors are very nice and helpful.  You will arrive in Florence in less than 2 hours.

There are several types of tickets you can purchase.  I prefer business class and depending where I am going and when I will pay a little extra for an exchangeable ticket.  The sooner you buy your tickets the more reasonable is the pricing. 

Be careful at the train stations as there are gypsies who will attempt to help you with your tickets, bags, etc.  They are really looking for your wallet.  Be careful in all train stations and watch each other.

Pre-purchase your tickets because they will be cheaper and if you wait they will not be available when you want to go.  The TrenItalia site is tough to navigate so be patient.

After a few days in Florence you can take the train to Naples and then get a driver to take you to Positano or whichever city on the Amalfi Coast.  If you choose to go to Sorrento by train you will likely be changing trains in Naples and waiting etc.  I would just call Josephine at italylimousines.it she will hook you up! 



Thursday, August 13, 2015

Hotels vs AirBnB

Air BnB's are great in the states for long visits to just about anywhere in foreign countries but for s few days in each city I much prefer hotels, here's why.  Hotels provide innumerable services like making restaurant reservations.  When I travel I am particular about where I eat and like to make a reservation at least a week or two before I arrive.

So if I am in Naples and going to Rome I will give the desk clerk at my hotel a list of the restaurants at which I choose to dine including the name, phone number, number of people, date and time I would like to go as well as if I am flexible.  I am not going to suffer for nine hours on a flight to pick a random place to eat and only have a bad story with which to come home!

Hotels can easily arrange to have your laundry done, typically there is no premium on laundry services in Italy and it is back the next day.  If you are traveling for two weekend traveling to three cities you literally only need a 5-6 day supply of clothes.  Pack lightly, you will be carrying your luggage and lugging it on and off trains and in some cases up and down stairs.

Even three star hotels will call taxi cabs for you, arrange theater and tour tickets and help you get to ferries as well as trains and airports.

You'll have fresh towels and linens.  Most Air BnB's in Italy will have washer/dryers many all in one but trust me I may take your entire vacation to wash a piar of socks in one of these one gallon washer dryers.

The safety factor is huge.  At hotels there will be someone there when you arrive that is not going to rob you!  You will have a safe to leave your valuables, extra cash, jewelry and documents.  Your laptop or iPad can fit in the safe.  It is likely your hotel will be in a safe neighborhood that you can get to and from most times of day.  Recently a friend sent me a map showing the location of an Air BnB her friend had reserved and it was it a place I know to be very sketchy.  Your safety is worth a few extra dollars if it even cost a few dollars more.

Agriturismo's are a different story and I'll talk about them in another post.

Visiting Rome, Italy

I have visited Italy many, many times and typically fly to Rome and back because of it's central location and ease of traveling into the city by train.  I suggest not taking the bus because it will drop you off about two blocks from the station entrance and you'll have to schlep luggage off and onto curbs and cobblestone.  Limo service is also available for novice travelers but the train is really very simple.

For Limo service I use italylimousines.com, ask for Josephine and she will give you a very special price because you know me.  I get no kick backs for my referrals and Josephine would never pay one!
Josephine is also your go to person for car service in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

When planning your trip through Rome you always want to end your list with a few nights in Rome because you will have to leave between 7 and 10 am.  So if you arrive in Rome and start your trip there you will lose a day on the end of your trip because you'll have to leave wherever you are to get back to Rome.  I will often arrive in Rome, train up to Umbria, then to Napoli and then back to Rome to finish my trip.  I have travelled there frequently and these days I do not stay there too long as I prefer entrusted areas in the South and on the Adriatic Sea where I am less likely to run into Americans and other tourists.

So before this entry gets too long here is my Restaurant list for Rome:

Salumeria Roscioli-(pronounced it roskolly) salumeriaroscioli.com , This is my favorite spot for dinner in Rome. It is a favorite of locals and typically you must have a reservation, don't count on getting in if you don't, particularly in the Spring/Summer/Fall tourist seasons.

Felice a Testaccio, feliceatestaccio.it, Romeo of Agata and Romeo's sent me here as it is his favorite neighborhood restaurant.  A little out of the center in one of Rome's very lovely neighborhoods.  Their table made Caccio e Pepe is a phenomenon, other dishes are also extraordinary.

Ristorante Ditirambo, ristoranteditirambo.it, Another nice little place very close to the Campo dè Fiori and Piazza Navona,  expect fresh pastas and local dishes. This is a nice little place and you will need a reservation.  It is closed for lunch on Monday's

Osteria da Fortunata, Via Pellegrino, 11, Roma,  +39 06 6066 7391, no website for these guys.  A nice little place with a lovely lady making fresh pastas in the window, terrific gnocchi and trenette, wonderful carbonara and other sauces.  Charming staff.  Make a reservation, better safe than sorry.

Agata e Romeo, agataeromeo.it,  This is a very important restaurant in Rome, if you are looking for fine dining this is the spot, it is elegant and delicious, a foodie paradise or perfect for that special occasion. the menu is always changing in this Michelin starred restaurant.

More on Rome and other places in Italy