Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Italy Part II

Day 11: The Best of Tuscany Tour

Includes: a great guide, transport, delicious Tuscan lunch, cellar visit, wine tasting
Meeting Point: Walking Tours Office in Florence - Via de' Sassetti 1, 50123 Firenze
Meets in our Office at 8.30 am, returns by 5.30 pm

San Gimignano
- a walled hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy
The town grew in wealth and developed greatly in the Middle Ages due to "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrims' route that crossed it.



Most famous Gelato in Tuscany!



Vineyard tour at Sovestro in Poggio


Followed by lunch:
Various types of Cheese, Ham, Buchetta and olives to go with our wine

Monteriggioni - a walled village
A medieaval ancient town surrounded by its virtually intact walls and 14 towers

Sienna -
A medieval city in the region of Tuscany

The Piazza where the colourful horse race, Il Palio, conducted twice each year during summer.




Dinner! Yummy!

Day 12: Florence - Lucca - Pisa


itinerary:
Florence sight-seeing
Walk around Renaissance Florence. Page 134-135.
-90mins
Walk to San Miniato al Monte (pg 130-131)
-2 hours
-paranomic views of florence
-Duomo, campanile and baptistry.
-Santa Croc (pg 72-73)
-Piazza della Signoria (outdoor Sculture Gallery)
-Uffizi - art gallery (pg 80-81)
Gelato at Bar Vivoli Gelateria (Via Isola delle Stinche 7r.), 730am to 1am

Train from florence to lucca, est 1.5 hours, Florence-Viareggio train line.
- Stroll in the city center.
- Sights: Lucca walls, San Michele in Forno, San martino Cathedral, Guinini tower

Florence Market


Florence Duomo

Santa Croc
Lunch at Florence Market

Tunnel leading to the walled ancient town of Lucca
San martino Cathedral

Exploring the streets of ancient Lucca
Gelato!

Walk around along the circumference of the walled-town
Shopping streets

Train ride from Luca to Pisa



Leaning Tower of Pisa!





Entertaining ourselves as we wait for the train back to Firenze

Day 13: Firenze - Roma

Departure: Firenze S. M. Novella (Ore: 07.00);
Arrival: Roma Termini (Ore: 08.45)

Take Metro B (Blue) towards Rebibbia and alight at Bologna
Check-in/leave bags at Kosher B&B - Via Ravenna 34

Itinerary:
(1) Colosseum(amphitheater)
Abt 1.5hrs to explore
Next to Colosseum is:-
(2) Arch of Constantine
Abt 15mins
walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali
(3) Piazza del Campidoglio
After Capitoline Hill, head east following the map for a
(4) Fori Imperiali (Imperial Forums)
Abt 30mins
(5) Forum Romano, Palatino (Palatine Hill), and Museo Palatino (Palatine Museum)
Abt 3 hrs
(6) The Pantheon
Abt 45 mins
(7) Fontana dei Trevi (Trevi Fountain)
Abt 20mins
(8) Scala di Spagna (Spanish Steps)
Abt 30mins
(9) Piazza Navona
Most beautiful square , best seen at night

Dinner near Campo de' Fiori, at Teatro di Pompeo - Da Pancrazio Restaurant
Piazza del Biscione 92 (near Campo de' Fiori)
Open daily for dinner. Closed Wednesday tel 06 6861246
In the ruins of the Teatro di Pompeo, this restaurant offers a unique archaeological ambience. Two dining rooms are decorated in the style of an 18th-century tavern, with cave-like designs sprawling throughout the whole restaurant. T. The servers here are very serious about their work, and will recommend what the chef prefers to cook that day. The saltimbocca and tender roast lamb with potatoes, which were recommended to us were absolutely delicious. The stuffed ravioli is a must for pasta lovers. A true Roman meal.
Reservation required if you liked to dine at the cave-like dinning hall. (We didn't get to dine there as they were fully booked for private function.)


Colosseum





Arch of Constantine
Highly photogenic memorial erected by the Senate in A.D. 315 to honour Constantine's defeat of the pagan Maxentius
View from Palatino (Palatine Hill)





The Pantheon

Giolitti (Via Uffici del Vicario 40) - Oldest ice-cream shop
Opening hrs: 7am to 130am
Check out the crowd!

Fontana dei Trevi (Trevi Fountain)
Toss a coin if you liked to return to Rome someday...

The Shopping street leading toScala di Spagna (Spanish Steps)

Spanish Steps

Sunset view from Trinita dei Monti Church
Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi) at Piazza Navona
Best known in the centre, whose four stone personification symbolize the wrld's greatest rivers: the Ganges, Danube, della Plata and Nile.

Day 14: Rome - Appian Way - Trivoli

itinerary:
(1) Catacombe di San Callisto
Abt an Hr
(2) Catacombe di San Domitilla
- oldest of all
Abt 45 mins
Leave Rome to Trivoli by bus
Stop for Lunch, before taking a bus from centre of Trivoli (abt 6.5km away frm centre)
(3) Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana)
Abt 1.5hrs
Return to centre of Trivoli for:-
(4) Villa d'Este
-Most beautiful hillside garden
Abt an hr
Back to Rome

Dinner at Jewish Ghetto, Sora Margherita
There's usually a line waiting to get into this tiny place, because the food is so good and the prices so low. Find Roman specialities here cooked to perfection, pastas, fried artichokes, usually an entrée of the day.
Piazza delle Cinque Scuole 30 (Ghetto) tel 06 687 4216
Open for lunch only Tuesday- Friday; lunch and dinner Friday and Saturday
However, we didn't make any reservation and they were already fully booked for the night. So, we ended at at Il Portico, which is at the next lane.

Villa Adriana









Villa d'Este








Day 15: Rome - SG

After breakfast, we headed for the airport...
Home Sweet Home~